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"Let’s take a walk," Mayor Jim Ruane of San Bruno said to the gathered crowd.
It was Wednesday morning, and the mayor was inviting residents of the Crestmoor neighborhood to be the first to walk on the part of Glenview Drive damaged in the conflagration caused by a PG&E gas pipeline exploding, more than a year ago. Filling in the crater and repairing the road had to wait for the National Transportation and Safety Board to finish their investigation.
Mayor Ruane presided over a low-key ceremonial removing of barricades that had closed the street to pedestrians and cars.
“People were having to walk three and four blocks just to visit their neighbors. We’re happy we've come this far,” he said, “The neighborhood is being rebuilt, but we do have a lot of work ahead of us.” Thirty-eight houses were completely destroyed, and another 21 suffered major or moderate damage.
Many neighbors brought their dogs out to get reacquainted with Glenview Drive. Ruane said the security guard who’s been on duty in the area since the explosion told him “It’s probably going to be happier for the dogs than anyone else, because they don’t understand why the fence was up for a year.”