The Richmond-San Rafael Bridge Trail campaign we have been working on since Spring 2024 is approaching a final decision point on August 7th, when Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) members will decide whether to keep the bike/walk path open 24/7, or to allow it to be closed every Monday through Thursday for conversion to a breakdown shoulder.
The meeting agenda and public comment information has been posted to the BCDC website here. We need your help to speak up and save the trail!
To email your comments now, please send them to publiccomment@bcdc.ca.gov with the subject “August 7, 2025, BCDC meeting public comment – agenda item 9 – Richmond-San Rafael Bridge Pilot Project Modifications Project”.
Click here for recommended talking points.
Comments will also be accepted in-person at the meeting, or virtually via Zoom.
Over the past year we have been assembling a massive coalition in opposition to the closure including more than 5000 petition signers, more than 80 community organizations and non-profits, and five local boards and councils who have all voted unanimously to keep the path open including:
- Richmond City Council
- Albany City Council
- Berkeley City Council
- West Contra Costa Transportation Commission
- Bay Trail Board
We are hopeful that BCDC members will vote to keep the trail open, abiding by the group’s charter which protects and prioritizes “maximum feasible public access” to the bay shoreline. But we still need your help to get this campaign over the finish line.
Here are some things you can do now:
- Send an email comment now to publiccomment@bcdc.ca.gov with the subject “August 7, 2025, BCDC meeting public comment – agenda item 9 – Richmond-San Rafael Bridge Pilot Project Modifications Project”. Click here for recommended talking points.
- Make a public comment at the August 7 meeting in-person. The meeting will be held from 10am to 5pm at the Bay Area MetroCenter in San Francisco, 375 Beale Street, 1st Floor Yerba Buena Room. You can also join our public comment prep session via Zoom the day before.
- Register for our public comment sign up form here, so we can send you a text message once the day-of comment period starts so you can log in to make a live comment via Zoom
- Share our petition link at BikeEastBay.org/RSR with your friends and colleagues to help us reach and exceed our 5555 signatures goal
- Fill out our form to sign your Bay Area organization onto our coalition letter – Any type of group can sign on and show solidarity, not only biking or environmental organizations. We are especially interested in hearing from Richmond and West Contra Costa groups!
- Visit BikeEastBay.org/RSR today to read about the work done to date, background info on the bridge campaign, and responses addressing the misinformation that has been spread by our well-funded opposition
- Donate to Bike East Bay to help the advocacy gears turning on this and many more campaigns throughout Contra Costa and Alameda Counties
Our advocacy for the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge trail started decades before its grand opening in 2019. So no matter what happens on August 7th, our fight to maintain permanent access will continue as long as it takes.
Thank you for your support!
