Back in January, the SF Bicycle Coalition, along with our East Bay allies and hundreds of people who ride bikes, spoke out at a Metropolitan Transportation Commission hearing to help win funding for the West Span Bike and Pedestrian Pathway. The voice to bridge this gap in sustainable transportation was heard loud and clear.
Thanks to State Senator Loni Hancock (D - Oakland) for her leadership in introducing Senate Bill 1061 which will give the Metropolitan Transportation Commission the authority to use bridge tolls to fund a Bay Bridge West Span bike and pedestrian pathway creating an important connection from Oakland all the way to San Francisco. The East Span path which is already under construction will end at Treasure Island. The SF Bicycle Coalition has spent years advocating for a shore-to-shore bike pathway on the Bay Bridge, and this is a important step to making it happen. Keep an eye out for action alerts for how you can help push this bill forward.
Janel Sterbentz made this great video highlighting the ways people currently get across the bay with their bikes:
Bay Bridge West Span Pathway: A Step Closer Towards Completion
(May 2009) Good news for people who would like to walk or ride a bicycle from San Francisco to Oakland and back again: the Bay Area Toll Authority (the toll-bridge-overseeing personality of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission) has approved the preparation of a Project Study Report (PSR) for a bike-pedestrian-maintenance pathway on the West Span (Yerba Buena Island to San Francisco) of the Bay Bridge. This PSR, when it is completed in about 18 months, will move the West Span Pathway onto the big list of regional transportation projects eligible for funding. This West Span Pathway is critical to bridge the gap in sustainable transportation.
The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition has worked hard for more than a decade to encourage the MTC to build this important shore to shore pathway. This latest development is the result of advocacy led by the SFBC, East Bay Bicycle Coalition and Bay Area Bicycle Coalition.
Bicycling and walking are increasingly recognized as solutions to traffic congestion, environmental damage, and inactivity-related health problems. Bay Area cities are responding by revamping their commitment to promote cycling and walking as viable travel modes.
Yet still, the region as a whole is lagging behind this trend. The San Francisco- Oakland Bay Bridge is a good example of this. Despite the fact that on the west side is the SF Financial District, the densest employment center in the Bay Area, and on the east is West Oakland, a heavily populated residential area, there is currently no access for those wishing to bicycle or walk between San Francisco and the East Bay.
Cyclists must currently rely on BART, which has limited hours (rush hours being off-limits to bikes), AC Transit buses (with limited bike space) and the Caltrans shuttle (which only runs during peak commute hours). Clearly, as the crowds of cyclists riding across the Golden Gate Bridge demonstrate, there is a huge demand for direct access to Bay Area Bridges.
Caltrans runs a bike shuttle (van + trailer) to get people and their bicycles across the Bay Bridge during the BART blackout (at $1 a trip, it's one of the best travel bargains in the Bay Area)
Bike/Ped Access Coming to New East Span
The new East Span of the Bay Bridge will feature a 15 foot bike/ped/maintenance pathway - but only between Yerba Buena Island and Oakland. (image courtesy of Donald MacDonald Architects)
The new East Span being built between Oakland and Yerba Buena Island will include a 15 foot wide bicycle/ pedestrian/ maintenance pathway on the south side and is estimated to be completed around 2011-2013. This pathway will be named after Alex Zuckermann, of the Bay Area and East Bay bicycle coalitions, who advocated for a pathway on the East Span for many years.
This pathway will be a significant improvement in Bay Area transportation, but it is not enough. It does not make sense to build a bridge only halfway across the Bay. The time has come to provide shore-to-shore bicycle and pedestrian access on the Bay Bridge, to link the East Bay with San Francisco.
In May of 2001, Caltrans and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission released a feasibility study that found that a new, cantilever pathway added to the West Span of the Bay Bridge is not only a feasible project, but would provide tangible benefits far beyond the obvious benefits to pedestrians and cyclists. The twin pathways proposed to be cantilevered off either side of the upper deck could also function as maintenance routes for Caltrans crews, significantly reducing the need to close vehicle lanes. This will result in fewer collisions, and reduced congestion for auto commuters, as well as enhanced safety for Caltrans workers. The pathways will also serve as an emergency refuge for stranded motorists on the bridge.
It would also allow counselors access to attempted suicides without interrupting vehicular traffic, such as the incident in early 2004 that gridlocked Bridge traffic for an entire day.
The study is available for reference in the SFBC offices or at the SF and Oakland Main Libraries.
images courtesy of Donald MacDonald Architects
You can help us Bridge the Gap
Two easy ways to support the cause:
(1) Write a Letter to the Editor to the Chronicle, Examiner, Oakland Tribune, or Sacramento Bee expressing support for a shore-to-shore pathway for cyclists, pedestrians, and maintenance needs.
(2) Send a message to our local & state leaders urging them to prioritize nonmotorized access across the entire Bay Bridge, not just half! See contact information here.
