Commuters crossing the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge from the East Bay to Marin County will discover an enormous change subsequent week.
For the primary time in about six years, the barrier-protected bicycle and pedestrian path on the precise shoulder of the westbound higher deck received’t be there for the Monday morning slog. As an alternative, the moveable barrier can be pushed apart, reopening the shoulder as an emergency entry and breakdown lane. Path entry can be restored on weekends.
“We’re looking forward to the change,” mentioned Rollie Katz, government director of the Marin Affiliation of Public Workers, the union that represents the vast majority of the county’s workers, together with the lowest-paid staff.
On Tuesday, a automobile breakdown on the westbound higher deck choked the morning commute into Marin. Katz mentioned union members reported that their regular hour-long commute was prolonged to greater than two hours.
“If that happens in the future, emergency crews will be able to move that disabled vehicle onto the shoulder and eliminate that backup,” Katz mentioned. “The way it is now the emergency vehicles have to push through the traffic with no way around. This will make it faster.”
The hassle is a pilot venture of Caltrans and the Metropolitan Transportation Fee-Bay Space Toll Authority.
After a six-hour session in August, the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Improvement Fee accepted the plan to cut back entry to the bridge path to ensure that the businesses to review a possible commuter lane throughout the span. The approval culminated in a multi-year debate over what to do with the trail that started as a four-year trial venture in November 2019.
“After receiving the permit approval from BCDC, MTC moved quickly to put changes in place this fall,” mentioned Marin County Supervisor Stephanie Moulton-Peters, vice chair of the Metropolitan Transportation Fee. “They also engaged with the bicycle community about the shuttle system and trailer to meet the needs of a variety of cyclists and bicycle types, and have come up with a pilot project that I am glad to see begin on Oct. 27.”
Underneath the so-called modified pilot, crews might want to transfer the barrier twice every week to accommodate part-time entry to the trail throughout weekends. Transferring the barrier for upkeep prices about $500,000 yearly. The brand new schedule is anticipated to double that annual expense, MTC reported.
The trail can be closed from 11 p.m. Sundays till 2 p.m. Thursdays, with the barrier moved to the facet to reinstate emergency entry on the shoulder. The trail entry can be restored for the rest of the time.
The trail may even be open on choose holidays in the course of the three-year trial. These embrace Memorial Day; Independence Day, if noticed on a Monday; Labor Day; Thanksgiving week from Wednesday afternoon by Sunday night time; and the week from Christmas to New Yr’s Day.
Indicators alerting bicyclists and pedestrians to the brand new hours are positioned on the approaches to the bridge.
An indication posts new hours for the bicyclist and pedestrian path throughout the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge in San Rafael, Calif. on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025. (Alan Dep/Marin Impartial Journal)
On days the trail is closed, a free shuttle with a bicycle trailer can be supplied from 6 a.m. to eight p.m. A shuttle pickup and dropoff can be on the AC Transit bus turnaround on Tewksbury Avenue within the Level Richmond neighborhood. In Marin, the shuttle cease is on the Vista Level car parking zone close to the intersection of Francisco Boulevard East and Principal Avenue in San Rafael.
Members of the Marin County Bicycle Coalition stay upset that the Bay Conservation and Improvement Fee accepted the change, “which we believe decreases access to the baylands and runs counter to the agency’s mission,” mentioned Warren Wells, coverage and planning director of the group.
“A shuttle is no replacement for 4 miles of Bay Trail and we expect to see fewer people making use of the shuttle than ride the pathway today,” Wells mentioned. “That said, MCBC is working closely with MTC to ensure that it serves as many potential users as possible and that no one gets left behind because their bike will not fit on the trailer.”
One situation of BCDC approval is that the businesses advocate the usage of $10 million in Regional Measure 3 bridge toll {dollars} for initiatives that enhance bicycle and pedestrian connectivity from Richmond to the bridge.
Caltrans and MTC can’t assure the funding but, as a result of Richmond wants to finish venture planning and environmental documentation first.
One other situation is that the businesses research the pilot’s influence on security, bridge visitors and susceptible communities. After three years, Caltrans and the Metropolitan Transportation Fee are anticipated to report findings and a proposal for a long-term plan to BCDC. The intention is to put in a part-time commuter lane for carpools and transit.
“We hope it won’t take three years to determine they could do it,” Katz mentioned. “It would be a big relief.”
The Transportation Authority of Marin beforehand studied the prospect of including a 3rd automobile lane throughout the bridge. The research confirmed it might price about $70 million to $90 million to make enhancements to accommodate the change. It might price a further $220 million to make a westbound Interstate 580 to Freeway 101 connector able to dealing with the extra visitors.
“At that time, we actually weren’t looking at a part-time bus and carpool lane,” mentioned Anne Richman, government director of the Transportation Authority of Marin. “We were just looking at a third travel lane, and so the configurations between those two things are potentially different.”
Richman mentioned they’ll be keeping track of the venture progress.
“Mostly we’re interested to see if this strikes a good balance for the different users of the bridge,” Richman mentioned. “We’re interested in the results of the new configuration.”
Initially Printed: October 23, 2025 at 11:50 AM PDT
