San Francisco Bay Trail: About Us

Recent Accomplishments

Some of the Bay Trail Project’s major recent accomplishments:

Advocated extensively for bicycle and pedestrian access to and across Bay Area toll bridges.

Managed the Regional Development Program (RDP) in partnership with the California Conservation Corps (CCC). This is a competitive grants program that makes funds available to local jurisdictions to develop key segments of the Bay Trail, and which employs CCC members to build, landscape and maintain trails. Currently, six projects are underway throughout the region. Combined with three projects that have already been completed, the RDP-funded projects will result in the construction of fifteen miles of Bay Trail.

Assisted in the opening of trail segments in Oyster Point Marina (South San Francisco) and Martinez Regional Shoreline Park.

Participated in high-profile planning activities to ensure that the Bay Trail is incorporated in the reuse plan for Hamilton Air Field (Novato) and the expansion of the Port of Oakland and San Francisco International Airport.

Promoted the Bay Trail by continuing to publish the Bay Trail Rider newsletter, maintaining the Bay Trail web page (http://baytrail.abag.ca.gov), and producing a set of attractive promotional items, including newly designed t-shirts, caps, refrigerator magnets and pencils.

Worked with the Coastal Conservancy and the California Conservation Corps to obtain funding for another round of Bay Trail extension grants in the fiscal year 1999-2000 state budget.

Completed a signage campaign to have printed and deliver to local jurisdictions new Bay Trail signs and markers for segments that are developed but currently unsigned.

Key project priorities for the Bay Trail project:

Continuing to advocate for bicycle and pedestrian access to and across Bay Area toll bridges.

Continuing to provide technical assistance and participate in the planning of key Bay Trail segments. These are highly complex projects that almost always require several years of attention. We will also continue efforts on other segments around the Bay, including NASA/Moffett Field (Sunnyvale), Pacific Refinery (Hercules), Third Street corridor in San Francisco, the Oakland Estuary, the Baumberg Tract (Hayward) and the North Bay corridor.

Reducing institutional barriers to the completion of trail segments by assisting local jurisdictions in obtaining grant funding, continuing to educate decision-makers about the value of the Bay Trail, and synthesizing research regarding the impacts of trails on property values, safety and other considerations.

Conducting the year-long field observation phase of our Wildlife and Public Access Study. This landmark independent scientific research will study the effects of Bay Trail users on the abundance and diversity of shorebirds. The results will help resource agencies plan trail alignments and design public access facilities so as to minimize impacts on wildlife.

Managing the planning and design of a project to provide a safe, pleasant and convenient connection for bicyclists and pedestrians from Lake Merritt to Estuary Park in Oakland.

Researching, producing and distributing a route guide to the Bay Trail segment between the Bay Bridge and the San Francisco/San Mateo County line. It is hoped that this will be the first in a series of route guides covering the entire nine-county alignment of the Bay Trail.

Efforts to enhance public access on the Bay Area toll bridges

In the past two years, the Bay Trail Project has significantly increased its efforts to obtain public access to and across the Bay Area’s toll bridges. This current focus is timely and concurrent with the extensive planning activities related to the rebuilding or seismic retrofitting of the bridges. Because of the importance of these segments to the larger Bay Trail, we are committed to continuing our involvement in these activities. We are also working with Caltrans and local jurisdictions to ensure safe and convenient connections between the bridges and the Bay Trail spine.

Following are the Bay Trail Project’s recent accomplishments related to bicycle access on the region’s toll bridges, as well as ongoing efforts and new activities we will soon be undertaking:

Benicia-Martinez Bridge: We have secured commitment from Caltrans for a separate multi-use path on the old span after the new span is completed, and a bicycle shuttle in the interim.

Carquinez Bridge: We have obtained commitment from Caltrans for a separate two-way multi-use path on the new span.

Richmond-San Rafael Bridge: We have participated in a public-access feasibility study being conducted by Caltrans for this bridge and will continue to do so throughout the coming year.

San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge: We have worked extensively with MTC, Caltrans and the State legislature to have a path included as part of the design of the new east span of this bridge and of the seismic retrofit for the west span. During the past year, a staff person from the Bay Trail Project has participated in the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee for the Bay Bridge, which has worked to develop a set of recommendations for decision-makers related to bicycle and pedestrian access. This coordination effort has required a significant commitment of staff time and other resources. Because of the importance and timeliness of this effort, the Bay Trail Project will continue its commitment as the planning and design work proceeds into next year. (See also cover story of the Summer/Fall 1998 Bay Trail Rider newsletter.)

San Mateo-Hayward Bridge: We worked with Caltrans, MTC and BCDC to explore the possibility of a multi-use path on the new section of the bridge; when it became clear that the path would not be feasible, we assisted in developing a set of measures to improve public access and create a continuous connection between this bridge and the Dumbarton Bridge in Alameda County.

Dumbarton Bridge: Cyclists and pedestrians already have access across this bridge but we have been working with Caltrans, the East Bay Regional Park District, the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge and the City of Newark to improve access to the east-end of the bridge.