Access to bike path on Richmond-San Rafael Bridge to be limited, to be converted into breakdown lane

RICHMOND, Calif. (KGO) -- The future of the bike lane on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge has been decided.

Late Thursday, the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission voted 15-2 in favor of limiting access to the path and converting it into a breakdown lane during certain hours.

Public comment went late into the afternoon. The commission made a decision on the pilot project extension more than four hours after the initial presentation.

Commissioners said they got hundreds of letters and 60 people offered public comment this afternoon about the proposed pilot extension.

Motorists say there's too much traffic now on the four-mile bridge.

There's two lanes in each direction and some say it's too much trouble keeping an extra bike-pedestrian path open 24/7.

MORE: Expanded Bay Bridge bike lanes among Caltrans future projects, more coming to Bay Area highways

"It makes it congested. It makes it harder for everyone to get to work," said Stephanie Morris, a concerned commuter.

"There are only 21 bikes using it a day to get to work. But there are nearly 21,000 cars backed up for miles trying to get to work," said Joshua Arce with California Alliance for Jobs. " This is when you look at the MTC data of the bikes that are going from the critical commute hours 6 to 10 a.m."

The Richmondside reports that the lane is not being heavily used. The MTC report from Nov. 5, 2024 said the path averaged only 140 daily bicycle trips on weekdays compared to 360 on weekends and holidays and that the majority of riders (85%) use the path for recreation and exercise, while just 15% use it for commuting.

But cyclists have been fighting to keep the bike-pedestrian path open.

"We are going to need to get around the Bay Area in ways other than cars," said Phyllis Orrick, an East Bay resident. She's a member of the Northern Alameda County group of the SF Bay Chapter Sierra Club. Orrick said the club wrote a letter in November in favor of keeping the bike path open.

The pilot project debuted in 2019. Since then, cyclists and pedestrians have had access to a 10-foot-wide path on the bridge's north side, separated from traffic by a moveable concrete barrier. According to the Richmondside report, there have been 413,889 bike trips across the bridge since it opened and 60,003 pedestrian crossings, according to According to Metropolitan Transit Commission (MTC) data.

MORE: Cost for new or retrofitted Richmond-San Rafael Bridge will cost billions of dollars, officials say

The proposal on the table by the MTC would close the trail four days a week for a 3-year period.

The path would be converted to a breakdown lane during heavy commute hours.

"We would be restoring the emergency shoulder Monday thru Thursday morning," said Lisa Klein with Field Operations and Asset Management MTC.

The bike-pedestrian path would only be open between 2 p.m. Thursday and 11 p.m. on Sunday.

"The primary reason why we are seeking to test this operation with a part time lane, with a part time shoulder is to really gather data for westbound improvement project," said Klein.

Agencies want to consider a part-time commuter lane for carpools and transit.

After the presentation, commissioners chimed in and so did the public.

"Every single day there are people who depend on that path and that number will only continue to increase," said one person during public comment.

"I've been traveling over that bridge my entire life. Not as a regular commuter but there have been occasions when traffic has been interrupted," said Barry Nelson an alternate on the SF Bay Conservation and Development Commission. "We don't have a lot of bike usage during the week. But on the other hand, we're talking about five accidents per year when we would clearly see some benefit from having a breakdown lane."

Supporters of the bike-pedestrian path say scaling back use of the bike lane would be discouraging.

"I think we're taking a step back," said Orrick.

"We want more people to do more things without a car and restricting access puts us in the wrong direction," said Robert Prinz, advocacy director for Bike East Bay.

Late Thursday, the commission approved the motion to close the trail four days a week for the next three years, starting possibly in October.

Part of the pilot project includes a supplemental bike shuttle service.

The barrier would be moved out of the way and a free shuttle would carry pedestrians and cyclists across the bridge.

Prinz said he's really disappointed by the commission's decision.

"Three-hundred-fifty people have written in, 88% percent want to keep the trail open 24/7. That includes people who are commuting, people with disabilities who won't be able to use the proposed shuttle, people who need to bike overnight when there is no shuttle or trail or bus access. There will be al to of people shut out of bridge access all together," said Prinz.

Arce responded saying, "The Commission's decision is a win for working people and a fair compromise, maintaining recreational bike use on weekends while reopening the bridge during the week to reduce traffic for the tens of thousands of residents who drive their cars to work every day."