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[Update April 28, 2017]: The Bay Bridge will open on weekdays starting May 2, 2017.
After two decades of advocacy, the bike path on the East Span of the Bay Bridge opens to Yerba Buena Island weekends and holidays, except when demolition activity occurs. Check here for closure information.
“We are thrilled to finally be able to walk and bike all the way to the island,” says Renee Rivera, executive director of Bike East Bay. The path has been open part way since September 2013.
Bike East Bay has worked with local agencies for over two decades to make the Bay Bridge Trail a reality. The path is named for Alex Zuckermann, the late co-founder of the East Bay Bicycle Coalition (now Bike East Bay) and a tireless advocate for the Bay Bridge Trail.
The path will open regularly on weekends and holidays from 7am – 6pm, but will be closed weekdays and possibly some weekends due to demolition activity on the old Bay Bridge. We expect the path to open 24/7 around March 1, 2017, when demolition of the old bridge is complete, but we will push to accelerate all-hours access.
If open weekdays too, how would you use the path?
Tell your encouraging story here. We want Caltrans to know that there is strong demand for weekday usage of the bike ped path and we want them to stick to their scheduled weekday openings starting March 1, 2017, or sooner. Please share your positive perspective on weekday demand, thanks.
Shuttle to Treasure Island
The path lands at Hillcrest Road, which is currently poorly designed for people walking and biking. Bike East Bay advocated for a shuttle to help connect bicyclists and pedestrians coming off the bridge to Treasure Island. The shuttle van will pick up at the touchdown area and drop off at the intersection of the Avenue of the Palms and 9th Street on Treasure Island. From there you can catch the Muni Bus 25 to San Francisco. At the present time, there is no direct public transportation from either Yerba Buena or Treasure Island to the East Bay.
While bicyclists may legally ride on Hillcrest Road, it is not recommended due to the lack of shoulders, freeway bound traffic, and active bridge-related construction zones. We urge all users to consider taking the shuttle to Treasure Island, or returning to the East Bay via the bike path.
Bicyclists can expect better road conditions in the future. In 2017, Hillcrest Road will be converted to a one-way road for cars, plus a two-way protected cycle track for bikes. Farther out in 2021, MacCalla Road on the north side of Yerba Buena Island will reopen with a two-way cycletrack, giving bicyclists an even more direct connection to Treasure Island.
Accessing the Bay Bridge Bike Path from the East Bay
There are three entrance points to the Bay Bridge Bike Path. The most popular entrance is from Shellmound Street near the Ikea in Emeryville. For those driving, there is a small parking at 210 Burma Road at the Bridge Yard Building and next to the intersection of Maritime Road and Burma Road in the Port of Oakland. Exercise caution on Maritime Road due to heavy truck traffic.
Map of East Bay Bay Bridge Trail entrances.
There are restrooms at the Bridge Yard Building near the toll plaza and a restroom at the touchdown of the path on Yerba Buena Island.
Completing the Path to San Francisco
Bike East Bay is continuing work on completing the Bay Bridge Bike Path to San Francisco. Sign up for our newsletter below to receive updates every other week, including the West Span Bike Path designs, which should be unveiled early 2017.