Caltrans Rejects Richmond Bridge Bike Access Proposal
After 10 years of study, but it’s not over yet
By Deb Hubsmith, MCBC Advocacy Director
February, 2008
On Wednesday, February 13, Caltrans dealt another blow to efforts and plans that have been in the works for three decades to allow for bicycle and pedestrian access on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, the 4.5 mile span that connects San Rafael and Richmond and is a key component of the Bay Trail. Throughout the past 10 years, the proposal has been studied three times by public agencies, and each time the study deemed the proposal to be safe, but at the Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) meeting where the study was presented, Caltrans did not agree.
This most recent study, which began in 2003 was supposed to be the third and final proposal which would result in a project that could be programmed, funded and constructed. After analyzing everything, including automobile demands through the year 2025, the study called for the installation of a moveable barrier on the upper (westbound) deck of the Richmond Bridge which would create an eight foot bi-directional pathway for bicyclists and pedestrians. During the three hours of morning peak-hour traffic, the barrier would be moved to the side, allowing for all three lanes to be utilized by cars. The $55 million plan would have accommodated increased capacity for automobiles in both directions during peak congestion periods, and would have allowed for bicycle and pedestrian access. Deb Hubsmith, advocacy director of the Marin County Bicycle Coalition said, “We thought we had a win-win situation that would accommodate everyone.”
Support for bicycle and pedestrian access was voiced by a vast majority of the Commissioners at the BATA meeting, and BATA is the agency that would fund such a project. Several Commissioners expressed frustration that Caltrans has rejected every proposal for decades, claiming safety reasons. Deb Hubsmith said, “It seems hypocritical for Caltrans to say that public access on the Richmond Bridge would be unsafe when they have numerous bridges in the Bay Area with no shoulders, and when they allow for bicycle access on 1000 miles of freeways without a barrier.”
The silver lining is that the Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) would need to issue a permit if Caltrans makes a proposal to open all three lanes of the Richmond bridge to cars. BCDC has the legal authority to uphold part of their mission for providing “maximum feasible public access,” and has been the agency that required the past studies. BCDC could require that bicycle and pedestrian access be provided simultaneously if Caltrans seeks to increase auto capacity on the bridge.
If you’d like to get involved, please contact Deb Hubsmith at 415-454-7430 or deb@marinbike.org.
Click here to hear the KCBS podcast
Click here to read the Marin IJ story
Click here to read the San Francisco Chronicle story
For more information about the history of advocating for bicycle access on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge use the following links:
Spring 2007 update
Working for Bike Access On the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge (Summer 2004)
Study Begins for Bike/Ped Access (January 2004)
Seeking Bicycle Access on the Richmond San Rafael Bridge (October 2002)
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
