Caltrans plans to launch a series of surveys, targeted interviews and focus groups over the next two years to understand the effects of the different uses of the westbound shoulder across the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge.
The San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission required the environmental and equity analysis as a condition when it approved a pilot project to reduce access to the multiuse path spanning the westbound upper deck.
The two-way path, protected by a barrier, was introduced in 2019 as a four-year pilot project.
Caltrans and the Bay Area Toll Authority said the change was needed to study the potential addition of a commuter lane across the span, an effort called the “westbound improvement project.”
Caltrans and the Bay Area Toll Authority have partnered with the Transportation and Sustainability Center at the University of California at Berkeley to conduct the studies. The methodology for its analyses was approved at the commission’s meeting on March 9.
“Our objectives,” said Elliot Martin, a researcher at the institute, “include analyzing the potential equity impacts of adapting the shoulder configuration of the westbound deck of the bridge, including impacts on driver, cyclist, pedestrians and nearby residents, as well as other vulnerable populations.”
“This also includes understanding the impacts of the full- and part-time multiuse path, as well as the additional modifications that may occur with the westbound improvement project,” Martin said.
When the initial pilot period ended, officials deliberated for months about what to do with the span.
Many drivers who commute from the East Bay to Marin County urged planners to restore the emergency breakdown lane full time, complaining that traffic jams were made worse by the installation of the path. They also asked officials to consider altering the upper deck to accommodate a part-time commuter lane during the work week.
Cyclists and pedestrians, on the other hand, have argued for full-time path access to remain.
Throughout discussions, access and equity were key themes expressed by all sides of the debate. With that in mind, the commission wanted its impacts evaluated.
The reduced path access under the modified pilot began in late October. The emergency lane is in place from 11 p.m. Sundays to 2 p.m. Thursdays to coincide with heavy commuter days. Bicycle and pedestrian access is restored the remainder of the time.
A free shuttle operates from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on days the path is closed to transport pedestrians and cyclists. The path is also made available on certain holidays.
Only preliminary data through Dec. 18 have been reported, with shuttle use ranging from a low of four riders on a Thursday to a high of 43 on a Tuesday, according to the Bay Area Toll Authority.
Path use ranges from a low of five cyclists on a Thursday up to 435 riders on a Sunday, for the same time period.
The agency updates a website with daily totals collected from automated counters, but the data have not been fully compiled and analyzed yet.
The data show there were 840 bicycle trips on Sunday, March 8, and 570 trips counted the weekend prior.
John Goodwin, spokesperson for the Bay Area Toll Authority, said staff expect to compile the more recent data soon.
Warren Wells, policy and planning director for the Marin County Bicycle Coalition, says he uses the shuttle at least once a week for his commute into Marin.
“While the RSR Bridge shuttle is doing a competent job accommodating the riders who are willing to use it, the number of people using the shuttle is substantially lower than those using the path prior to the closure,” Wells said in an email. “We are pleased that the trailer works with a wide range of bicycles, but the lack of a fixed schedule means that riders may wait as long as 25 or 30 minutes for the shuttle to arrive, increasing travel times and limiting its usefulness.”
Specific to the path study, analyses will include interviews with up to 40 participants from cities, counties, community groups, unions, employers and emergency agencies.
The team also plans to hold 12 small group discussions with up to five participants in each. A community survey will target responses from 100 cyclists, 150 drivers and 50 Richmond residents.
Additionally, the project team will hold eight workshops on the long-term “westbound improvement project,” the scope of which is still unclear. It could involve a multiuse path, a commuter lane, a breakdown lane or a combination of two or more.
Another four workshops will be planned as part of the California Environmental Quality Act reporting process on the potential long-term improvements.
A general population survey of up to 2,000 respondents and a community equity survey of up to 400 respondents are part of the study.
An interim report of the progress is expected to be presented by the end of 2027. The team will report its findings in December 2028.
At the end of the pilot period, Caltrans is required to seek another permit amendment that includes a long-term public access proposal for the bridge, said Katharine Pan, shoreline development project manager for the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission.
“Whatever they ultimately propose, it is expected to be grounded in the findings from the pilot,” Pan said.
A final report and proposal are expected for presentation in 2030.
