The city of Richmond is making progress is closing gaps along the San Francisco Bay Trail that have been practically inaccessible to the public. A key 1-mile linkage under the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge will allow pedestrians and bicyclists to get to Point Molate and the rest of the Point San Pablo Peninsula without having to traverse across freeway shoulders and exit ramps (yikes!).
The Richmond City Council approved various aspects of the project earlier in the month and sent it off for environmental review. In addition to settlement funds from Chevron, the city and trail advocates hope to round up $15 million in federal and state funding to make that section of trail a reality.
It’s far from a settled matter, but news of Richmond’s efforts is a reminder that the “ring around the bay” is, indeed, happening, piece by piece. In 1965, only four miles of the San Francisco Bay shoreline was publicly accessible. Today, the 500-mile San Francisco Bay Trail is 60 percent completed.
In a parallel effort to create a trail along the Bay Area’s ridgelines, the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council is hosting a camp-out in Golden Gate Park August 3-5. You get to construct a trail for two days through the only area in San Francisco with indigenous groves of coast live oaks, while sleeping under the stars – maybe only steps from your urban doorstep.
