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Regional business association, the Bay Area Council, has announced plans for a workers rally on Wednesday to reopen the third westbound lane on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge to cars.
The business-sponsored advocacy organization has advocated for the pathway’s removal. The rally is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 14, in the Caltrans parking lot just before the toll plaza on the Richmond side of the bridge.
Organizers say the bike-pedestrian path on the upper deck was originally intended as a third lane and should be opened during the morning commute.
Bay Area Council Senior Vice President Rufus Jeffris said workers in essential sectors like construction, nursing, teaching, and emergency services, who must drive to work, face significant traffic congestion exacerbated by accidents.
“A solution to reopen the third lane for emergency vehicles and vehicle breakdowns that has been in the works for almost two years is ready to go and deserves approval now,” Jeffris said.
A plan to allow limited westbound vehicle access has been under consideration for nearly two years, but has yet to be approved.
At the end of March, the California Department of Transportation withdrew its proposal to limit pedestrian and bicyclist access to the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge following public outcry and organized advocacy efforts.
Caltrans withdraws plan to convert Richmond Bridge Trail into breakdown lane
California Department of Transportation has withdrawn its proposal to limit pedestrian and bicyclist access to the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge following public outcry and organized advocacy efforts.
Soren Hemmila
The agency had proposed converting the bridge’s multi-use path into a vehicle breakdown shoulder from Monday through Thursday, reducing access to weekends only. The plan drew swift opposition from cycling and pedestrian groups, including Bike East Bay, which helped mobilize thousands of supporters to speak against the restriction.
Jeffris said the Bay Conservation and Development Commission has pledged a hearing will be sometime before the end of July.
Participants at Wednesday’s rally are expected to include members of Laborers Local 324 in Contra Costa County and Local 26 in Marin, along with representatives from Ghilotti Bros., the Richmond Police Officers Association, and community organizations such as the Richmond NAACP. Speakers will include Marin County Supervisor Brian Colbert, Richmond NAACP President Willie Robinson, and North Bay and East Bay business leaders.
Advocates of the third-lane plan argue that the current configuration contributes to dangerous traffic backups on Interstate 580 and creates delays for essential workers who don’t have practical transit alternatives.
The Richmond-San Rafael Bridge carries more than 80,000 vehicles per day. The upper deck currently has two westbound lanes and a portion of the San Francisco Bay Trail, while the lower deck hosts two eastbound lanes with a third that opens during the afternoon commute.
While Caltrans has studied options to convert the shoulder into a travel lane, no implementation date has been announced.
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