[g2:351 size=100 class=right]A gas tanker fire early Sunday morning (4/29) led to the collapse of two interchanges of the MacArthur Maze. Replacement of the interchange connections between westbound lanes of Interstate 80 to southbound I-880 and eastbound I-80 to eastbound I-580 will disrupt travel on the Bay Bridge for months to come–with implications for bike-transit use.
Bike to BART and secure your bike with a strong U-lock through the frame and wheels. Arrive early as the existing bike racks will likely be inadequate. Two East Bay BART BikeStations–Downtown Berkeley and Fruitvale–are expected to attract many new customers who want secure attended bike parking. The EBBC seeks emergency measures to augment the installation of bike racks inside the paid areas at BART stations.
BART will add some train capacity but expects that the peak-hour train crowds will be shoulder-to-shoulder. BART-Bike rules restrict boarding in the peak-hour commute direction. Crowded trains at other times may also preclude bicycle carraige. Automobile parking lots are expected to fill very early.
AC Transit Transbay service is being rerouted to the West Grand Avenue approach and they hope to augment service. Front-loading bike racks on all buses carry two bikes and their fleet of green MCI coaches offer additional storage in the luggage bays.
The Alameda\|Oakland Ferry represents an ideal option that has never turned away bicyclists since 1988 when we gained a bicycle-access policy. Plus I’ve confirmed with a Caltrans employee who bicycled on the Mandela Parkway Sunday morning that this important Oakland-Emeryville bikeway leading past West Oakland BART to Oakland’s Jack London ferry terminal remains open.
Amtrak passenger trains travel only a few hundred feet east of the collapse. There is no damage or disruption to railroad facilities in the area and all Amtrak trains including the bike-friendly Capitol Corridor trains and San Joaquin trains are operating normally. To avoid possible delays to the Amtrak connecting bus service between Emeryville Station and downtown San Francisco consider transfering to BART at either the Richmond or Coliseum Stations.
No reported schedule impacts to the Caltrans Bicycle Shuttle Schedule over the Bay Bridge. Increased demand also warrants additional shuttles during peak hours. This service also needs to be expanded when BART crowding results in reduced bicycle access on-board non-peak trains.