RICHMOND BAY TRAIL MID YEAR 2012 REPORT

This 13th Mid Year Report by TRAC, the Trails for Richmond Action Committee, features progress toward closing five gaps totaling over three miles of Bay Trail. Despite over 31 miles of San Francisco Bay Trail in place, 10.8 miles remain to be built in Richmond as shown on the last page of this report. Lauding Richmonds Bay Trail The California Coastal Conservancys new report "Celebrating 15 Years" of its Bay Area Conservancy Program lauds "Richmonds Bay Trail in stating: "The City of Richmond boasts over 31 miles of Bay Trail the most of any city along the planned 500-mile San Francisco Bay Trail route. Portions of Richmonds formerly industrial shoreline are now spectacular places to walk, run, ride a bike, launch a kayak or birdwatch. Since 1999, fifteen Conservancy grants through the Bay Trail Project have moved the City closer to completion of the Trail within its boundaries. Current projects will close gaps and create new connections between Shipyard 3 and Point Richmond and between Point Richmond and Point Molate. With the recent completion of the 2.8-mile Landfill Loop Trail connecting to the new .83-mile Wildcat Marsh trail, Richmond continues to open sections of the waterfront that have long been inaccessible to the public. The City of Richmond, Port of Richmond, Richmond Redevelopment Agency, East Bay Regional Park District and private landowners have all contributed to knitting together a continuous bicycle and pedestrian network connecting shoreline parks. A local trail advocacy organization, the Trails for Richmond Action Committee, has been instrumental in securing funding and mobilizing public support." Celebrating Shipyard 3 Trail Over 150 celebrants turned out on May 26 for the grand opening of the 2.4-mile Shipyard 3 Trail built by the Port of Richmond. Leading to the SS Red Oak Victory in Point Potrero Marine Terminal, this trail has been in the works for more than a decade in cooperation with ABAGs Bay Trail Project, the National Park Service and TRAC. The Port incorporated the trail into their Honda Port of Entry Project with most of the funding provided by $857,000 in grants secured by TRAC. Historic Kaiser Shipyard 3 is a centerpiece of the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park featuring a complex of WW II ship building facilities. The Shipyard 3 Trail includes engaging sculptural exhibits interpreting the role of Richmonds shipyards during WWII, a spectacular hillside overlook above the terminal and platforms with sweeping views across the Bay flanking historic ship basins.

Closing Gaps in the Ferry Point Loop The 4.75-mile Ferry Point Loop encircling Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline is one of the most scenic and historic recreational sections of the San Francisco Bay Trail. The City of Richmonds Engineering Services Dept. is wrapping up construction designs to close three gaps totaling 0.83 miles on the Ferry Point Loop. Shipyard 3 Trail to Ferry Point: Two gaps are included in this project. One is a 0.27-mile section between Shipyard 3 Trail and Brickyard Cove Rd. creating public access to a scenic stretch of shoreline thanks to an easement conveyed to the City of Richmond by the Bottoms Family Trust. Pedestrians and bicyclists will have a continuous trail between Shipyard 3 Trail and Ferry Point, eliminating the need to backtrack along Canal Blvd. with a steep climb over Seacliff Drive. This project also closes a 0.40-mile gap between the western end of Brickyard Landing condominiums and Dornan Drive. These gap closures are being funded by an EBRPD Measure WW Local Grant of $300,000 plus a $150,000 grant from ABAGs Bay Trail Project. Construction design has been completed with the goal of opening the trail this year, assuming the Richmond City Council provides about $180,000 additional needed from funds received to compensate for damages caused by the Cosco Busan oil spill. Plunge Bay Trail Gap Closure: This project, which has been designated as a Focus Area in Richmond's new Bicycle Master Plan, will close a 0.16-mile gap in the San Francisco Bay Trail along Garrard Blvd. between Cutting Blvd. and the Ferry Point Tunnel. This is the central hub of the Bay Trail in Richmond where spokes converge to provide access to the Ferry Point Loop & Shipyard 3 Trail for neighborhoods to the north from North Richmond to Atchison Village plus neighborhoods to the east from the Annex to Marina Bay, as well as from Albany, El Cerrito, Berkeley & Emeryville. A Class I trail separated from Garrard Blvd. will be built by widening the sidewalk on the eastern side of the Plunge between E. Richmond Ave. and the Ferry Point Tunnel. Curb extensions will reduce the length of crosswalks and improve pedestrian safety at the intersection of Garrard Blvd. and E. Richmond Ave.; and 6 wide bicycle lanes will be created between E. Richmond Ave. and Cutting Blvd. The project will not reduce the number of motor vehicle parking spaces. A 90% design has been completed with the final due in July; however, additional funding is needed from the Cosco Busan oil spill damages account before going out for construction bids on this $340,000 project. Connecting with Point Molate The 5.5-mile trail spur running from the Plunge through the Point Richmond Historic District to Point Molate and around Point San Pablo to the Point San Pablo Yacht Harbor represents more than half of Richmonds uncompleted Bay Trail. The keystone to closing this gap is a one-mile trail section between the bus stop at Castro St. & Tewksbury Ave. and the existing trail under the Richmond/San Rafael Bridge. Currently there is no pedestrian access to Point Molate, and the

bicycle-only route along the freeway shoulders and exit ramps is demonstrably dangerous. This planned Bay Trail connection will provide safe, convenient, and inviting bicycle and pedestrian access to Point Molate and the rest of the Point San Pablo Peninsula. Work continued toward closing this dangerous gap in the Bay Trail under contract to the Citys Engineering Services Dept. In March, the Contra Costa Transportation Authority awarded the City a $200,000 Measure J grant to fund Caltrans participation, which had been suspended by statewide budget cuts. This is essential for encroachment and design approval since over 90% of the trail alignment is on Caltrans property. Following presentations by City staff and consultants on June 26, the City Council voted 6/0 for staff to come back on July 10 for approval to proceed with design and permitting work based on the local consensus alignment endorsed during community meetings and to contract for Caltrans participation. City Hall lobbies now feature models of the proposed elevated trail south of the toll plaza area. Connecting with Point Pinole Regional Shoreline East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) is rapidly advancing the Breuner Marsh Restoration & Public Access Project as an integrated natural habitat restoration and public access project on the former Breuner property south of Point Pinole Regional Shoreline (PPRS). A key element of the project is the 1.5-mile Bay Trail connection between Goodrick Ave. and the Bay View Trail in PPRS. The projects FEIR was published in June following issuance of the DEIR for public comment in March. Advertisements have been placed seeking a consultant to prepare bid-ready construction design, as well as information needed for regulatory approvals. The District has assembled $2 million in grant funds to supplement Measure CC and WW funds for completion of this expected $8 million project in stages during the 2013 - 2015 period.
San Pablo Vole by Rachel Diaz-Bastin

Finding the Bay Trail Way finding can be a challenge when Richmond has over 31 miles of Bay Trail in place. With this in mind, TRAC has produced guides to three sections of the Bay Trail in Richmond. Thanks to funding by EBRPD, the Ferry Point Loop & Shipyard 3 Trail Guide was updated with a 25,000-copy reprint run. Moreover, thanks to the City of Richmonds Sign Shop and former Redevelopment Agency, four new orientation sign panels (You Are Here maps) were installed in the Marina Bay area plus 16 old ones updated along the Richmond Parkway and Cutting Blvd. Were the old ones replaced because they were faded? No, the problem was that too many miles of new Bay Trail had been built since they were installed between 2004 and 2006! Planning for a Pedestrian & Bicycle Friendly Community The City of Richmond adopted both a Bicycle Master Plan and a Pedestrian Paln, as well as a new General Plan -- all with strong commitments to completing the Bay Trail and making the entire city pedestrian and bicycle friendly.

Thank you for supporting completion of the Bay Trail in Richmond. Please share this report with your friends and neighbors, encouraging them to join t h e R i c h m o n d B a y Tr a i l N e t w o r k a t n o c o s t b y e - m a i l i n g [email protected]. For maps, a calendar of events and other information about the Bay Trail in Richmond, please visit http:// pointrichmond.com/baytrail/. TRAC Steering Committee: Donald Bastin, Bruce Beyaert, Bruce Brubaker, Whitney Dotson, Jerry Rasmussen and Nancy Strauch