Advocates celebrate fifth anniversary of Richmond-San Rafael Bridge path, warn of potential closures
Participants, many from local advocacy groups, used the occasion to raise awareness of the potential closure and gather signatures for a petition to keep the path open.
Hundreds of cyclists gathered on Saturday to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge multi-use path, a key route for cyclists and pedestrians connecting the East Bay with Marin County. The path, which opened in 2019 as part of a pilot program, has been a crucial link for active commuters and recreational riders. However, transit officials are considering closing the path for four days a week, sparking concerns from advocacy groups and local riders.
Robert Prinz, Advocacy Director with Bike East Bay, said the path opened in November 2019 as a four-year pilot project, but cycling advocates are fighting to keep it open full-time like most other Bay Area bridge paths.
Prinz said the path is in danger of closing. The Bay Conservation Development Commission, known as the BCDC, will vote on whether to close it four days a week or keep it open.
“We don’t completely understand the justification right now,” Prinz said Saturday morning before the ride. Metropolitan Transportation Commission staff tells us that they need to close it to understand what the impact of the pathway actually is on traffic.”
According to Prinz, studies show that the actual congestion isn’t worse than before the bridge path installation in 2019. Plus, the MTC has decades of experience with the bridge operating with a shoulder, as it did between the 1980s and when the pathway was created in 2019.
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“We don’t understand what they think they’ll learn by closing the pathway, and we’re really worried that it’ll actually be a subtle stepping stone to full closure,” Prinz said.
The multi-use path allows cyclists and pedestrians to cross the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, the only direct bike connection between the East Bay and Mari. The path has been hailed as a vital piece of transportation infrastructure, particularly as the region faces growing concerns about traffic congestion and air quality.
Carlos Torres, Outreach Manager for Rich City Rides, which planned the event with Bike East Bay and the Marin County Bicycle Coalition, kicked off the anniversary ride, emphasizing the importance of the bridge path for the community. “MTC is planning to shut it down four days a week. So this is why we ride together in solidarity,” Torres said.
The ride, which started Saturday morning at the Richmond BART station, took cyclists across the bridge, with stops at Shoreline Park in San Rafael and the foot of the Richmond Bridge. Participants, many from local advocacy groups, used the occasion to raise awareness of the potential closure and gather signatures for a petition to keep the path open.
Najari Smith, executive director of Rich City, said Rich City Rides led the first bicycle ride across the Richmond San Rafael bridge trail and advocates for the pilot to remain permanent.
“On that day, 1000 enthusiastic cyclists joined us to celebrate this momentous achievement of transit equity that would allow more people to travel without car dependency. And today, a year after the end of the pilot, the multi-use trail is in danger of being taken away,” Smith said.
While transit officials threaten to close the path, Smith said cycling advocates will fight for the right to travel as they see fit. Saturday’s ride was in solidarity for transit equity and healthy, fun, safe, and active transportation.
“The lane was never meant for cars, and they know this. Removing the lane will not reduce traffic congestion. Only funding for infrastructure improvements can do that. The technology is not only possible, it’s here, it exists, it can be built. We are here to advocate for those improvements to be made, to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality that disproportionately impacts disadvantaged and economically sabotaged communities,” Smith said.
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Bruce Beyaert, Chair of the Trails for Richmond Action Committee, was hopeful the BCDC would refuse to shut the trail four days a week to be used as an auto breakdown lane Monday through Thursday.
“Shutting down the trail four days a week would be the antithesis of BCDC’s mission under the McAteer-Petris Act to ensure “maximum feasible access” to San Francisco Bay,” Beyaert said.
Beyaert said UC Berkeley’s Partners for Advanced Transportation Technology group’s “After Study” on four years of RSR Bridge Trail shows that the trail did not significantly increase traffic congestion on I-580 westbound, crashes on the bridge, crash clearance times, or vehicle air pollutant emissions.
“There is no compelling justification for such a drastic and unprecedented move as closing a key section of the regional San Francisco Bay Trail four days/week,” Beyaert said.
In response to the potential closure, Beyaert said both the Richmond and Albany City Councils have passed resolutions supporting 24/7 access to the trail. Additionally, the West Contra Costa Transportation Commission, which represents the cities of western Contra Costa County, has adopted a similar resolution advocating for the trail to remain open until the Westbound I-580 ORT/HOV lane extension project is completed and its impacts evaluated.
The Richmond-San Rafael Bridge Trail, which links the East Bay and North Bay, has been widely praised for promoting healthy, active transportation. Since its opening in November 2019, cyclists and pedestrians have made nearly 420,000 trips, according to Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) data. The path has become a vital link for recreational riders, commuters, and those looking to enjoy the scenic beauty of both the East Bay and Marin County.
Warren Wells, planning and policy director for the Marin County Bicycle Coalition, handed Marin cycling maps and snacks during the ride’s midway point at Jean & John Starkweather Shoreline Park in San Rafael. Wells said the multi-use path unlocks the ability to ride between the East Bay and Marin County.
“It’s now the only connection between the East Bay and even San Francisco by bike because of the lack of the multi-use path on the Bay Bridge,” Wells said. “It lets people connect between their home and work or recreational trails in Marin, which is one of the best places for riding in America.”
Whether you’re riding on the road, exploring trails, or simply enjoying the beauty of San Rafael along the Bay Trail, Wells said the path makes it possible to do so without having to load your bike onto a car or sit in traffic.
The ride concluded with an after-party at Rich City's backyard on the corner of 15th Street and Macdonald Avenue.
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