The last section of the Antelope Creek bike trail, a 1¼-mile path that links Roseville and Rocklin, will be completed this summer.

The path starts at Galleria Boulevard in Roseville, crosses under the Roseville Parkway and Highway 65, terminating at Springview Drive.

The section from Highway 65 to Springview Drive, currently a dirt path along Antelope Creek, will be paved and marked allowing access for pedestrians and non-motorized vehicles.

Council member Kathy Lund said at the June 10 City Council meeting that the project is an example of the two neighboring cities working in cooperation with one another.

“It gives us a connection between the two cities and it helps get people out of their cars,” she said. “It’s good to have choices and besides, it’s healthy.”

The short stretch of the unfinished path between Highway 65 and Springview Drive starts off in the Roseville city limits, crosses into Rocklin’s jurisdiction, then back to Roseville for a short distance before finally ending up in Rocklin, according to Mike Dour, Roseville’s Bikeway Planner.

Because of the complicated city boundaries involved, “Rocklin is managing the construction,” Dour said.

“It’s an important piece of the puzzle because it gets bike commuters under Highway 65 and under Roseville Parkway without dealing with any traffic,’ he said.

With the increase in gasoline prices, Dour says there is more interest in bicycle commuting.

“There have been more calls requesting information regarding bike routes. We have also been getting a lot more requests for bike lockers at park and ride lots,” he said.

The 600 linear feet of bike path left to be completed is budgeted at $145,000, according to S.P. Singh, associate engineer with the city of Rocklin.

“That’s including Roseville’s portion,” Singh said, adding that part of the cost will be covered by a $62,000 state grant.

Ben Bales, a Lincoln resident who just received a new bicycle for Father’s Day, is considering bicycle commuting as gas prices continue to rise.

“I’m starting to think about it,” he said, adding that he intends to use bike paths to ride with his four year-old daughter, who just learned how to ride a bike.

Although more people are looking to bicycle commuting, International Bikes Manager Keith Kuykendall said, “Rocklin is not really a commuter town.”

“You’re starting to see it a little more in bigger cities,” he said, adding that as gas prices continues to rise, more and more people will consider bicycle commuting.

“The Antelope Creek Trail will be a significant improvement for bike commuting,” Kuykendall said.