Bay Area Council Hails Decision to Address Senseless Traffic Congestion on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge
The Bay Area Council, which mobilized a diverse coalition of commuters, residents, workers and community leaders in a multi-year effort to address senseless westbound morning traffic congestion on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, today (Aug. 8) hailed a decision by the Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) that will begin the process of reopening a third lane on the upper deck to automobiles. The action is expected to save westbound commuters up to 19 minutes per trip.
“This decision is a big victory for the tens of thousands of hard-working commuters who cross the bridge daily and the many Richmond residents who have suffered the impacts of harmful tailpipe emissions from idling traffic,” said Jim Wunderman, President and CEO of the Bay Area Council. “Common sense and fairness have prevailed to improve access to the bridge for all users, speed up the commute and end needless traffic backups.”
The Bay Area Council worked hand in hand with Caltrans and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) to develop the plan BCDC approved—known as the Westbound Improvement Project—for converting an under-utilized bicycle and pedestrian path on the upper deck and opening it to automobiles. The path was created as a pilot project but in its four-year run never attracted sufficient riders to justify its use solely for bicycle and pedestrian users.
“This is win-win-win for commuters, cyclists and pedestrians and the residents of Richmond, and serves as strong validation for applying common sense to addressing our transportation challenges,” said Wareham Development CEO Rich Robbins, Co-Chairman of the Bay Area Council Transportation Committee and the leading force in organizing the coalition that advocated for the changes. “While it took much longer and took more work than we ever expected, we now have a plan for reducing traffic, helping workers get to their jobs on time and without wasteful delays and restoring a balance of fairness in how we use our transportation corridors.”
Under the Westbound Improvement Project, Caltrans and MTC will begin this fall by opening the westbound shoulder on the upper deck as an emergency lane for broken-down vehicles from 11 p.m. on Sundays to 2 p.m. on Thursdays. The lane will enable emergency responders and disabled vehicles to pull over without blocking traffic.
On weekends, from 2 p.m. on Thursdays to 11 p.m. on Sundays, the shoulder will continue to serve as a multi-use path for pedestrians and cyclists. The path will be protected by a moveable barrier that separates it from the vehicle lanes. A free shuttle will be available between 6am and 8pm on days when the path is closed to transport pedestrians and cyclists across the bridge. The path will additionally be open around certain holidays which will be posted on the trail and on MTC’s website.
The plan also calls for exploring the feasibility of opening the westbound lane sometime in the future for carpools and buses while also providing a part-time multi-use path for cyclists and pedestrians. Caltrans and MTC will report back to BCDC on the impact of the changes following the conclusion of a three-year study period in 2028. The transportation agencies will then propose a long-term plan for the upper deck.
“Without the concerted effort of our Transportation Committee under the leadership of Co-Chairman Rich Robbins from Wareham Development and the hard work by our staff and many community, political and labor leaders this important change would not be happening,” Wunderman said.
