STUDY BEGINS
FOR BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN ACCESS
ON RICHMOND BRIDGE
Technical Advisory Committee includes a representative from the MCBC
January 2004: Last week the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) hosted the first meeting for a new $414,000 study that will develop feasible and safe alternatives for bicycle and pedestrian access in the I-580 corridor between Marin and Contra Costa counties, including along the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge (RSRB).
This project grew out of a permit condition for the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge seismic upgrade in 1998. At the time of the permit, the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) required Caltrans to conduct a RSRB bicycle/pedestrian access feasibility study, which was completed in December of 1998. While bicycle advocates continue to state that direct access to the bridge is safe, feasible and affordable ($3.7 million), the only option Caltrans endorsed from this 1998 study was a new separated bicycle and pedestrian facility, which was ruled out because of high costs ($93 million).
Caltrans then commissioned the Mineta Transportation Institute to evaluate bicycle/pedestrian use of freeways, expressways, toll bridges, and tunnels. The data from this second study determined that "bicycle collisions on bridges and tunnels are rare events" (thus seeming to support direct access), however, Caltrans found the data to be "inconclusive".
In the fall of 2002, representatives from the Bay Area Bicycle Coalition took the case again to the Bay Conservation and Development Commission. This time bicycle advocates received addition support for bicycle access through letters from: Assemblyman Joe Nation, Senator John Burton, Senator Tom Torlakson, Assemblywoman Carole Migden, and a resolution of support from the County of Marin. On October 17, 2002, BCDC issued a statement supporting bicycle access on the RSR Bridge and requesting that Caltrans work with MTC to provide funding for a study that would result in a Project Initiation Document (PID) for such access. A PID is necessary for Caltrans to gain funding to implement the project.
This third (and hopefully final study) will last for about seven months. The project is being managed by URS Corporation with Ken Eichstaedt, P.E. as the project manager. A Technical Advisory Committee for the project meets monthly and includes representatives from the Marin County Bicycle Coalition (Deb Hubsmith), East Bay Bicycle Coalition (Robert Raburn), Caltrans, MTC, BCDC, Bay Trails Project, Contra Costa CMA, Marin County CMA, GGBHTD, East Bay Regional Parks District, and the California Highway Patrol.
For more information about the history of advocating for bicycle access on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge see http://www.marinbike.org/Campaigns/Infrastructure/RSRBridge/Update102002.htm.
Other links about the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge:
Read about the History of working for bicycle access on the RSR Bridge.
Read the MCBC's September 2002 letter to BCDC
Read the MCBC's September 2002 press release
Read the Contra Costa Times article on the September 2002 BCDC meeting
Read the Contra Costa Times October 2 2002 article on the BCDC bike lane approval
Read the MCBC's October 4 2002 letter to BCDC
