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TRAC Blazes Bay Trail Through Richmond
July 12, 2002
TRAC, the Trails for Richmond Action Committee (http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/trac/), provides the following report on Bay Trail progress in Richmond during the first six months of 2002. Special thanks go to:
• the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) for funding most of the planning studies described below, as well as major construction projects,
• Richmond Redevelopment Agency for funding design and construction work,
• Richmond Public Services Agency for managing design and construction work and
• East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) for design and construction work.

Save September 14 on your calendars for the "Pier to Point Trail Hop"! It will be a BIG event cosponsored by the City of Richmond, EBRPD, ABAG, AC Transit and TRAC. Starting with dedication ceremonies for EBRPD's Phase I restoration of the historic Ferry Point pier, the Trail Hop will feature a wide variety of events along the Bay Trail between the Ferry Point Pier and Point Isabel.

To obtain a color map of Richmond's Bay Trail and view TRAC's January Annual Report with details on the trail sections discussed below, please go to: www.ci.richmond.ca.us/trac/.

If this report has been forwarded to you by someone else, you may sign up for the Rchmond Bay Trail Network to keep informed on Bay Trail events and progress by sending an email to: tracbaytrail@earthlink.net.

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Bruce Beyaert, TRAC Chair for the
TRAC Steering Committee
Email: tracbaytrail@earthlink.net

Richmond Bay Trail Mid Year Progress Report

A. Construction Projects:
1. EBRPD will complete by mid-September a 1/4-mile Bay Trail segment connecting Ferry Point to the lagoon area of Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline.
2. Construction work has begun on Lucretia Edwards Shoreline Park with associated Bay Trail at the end of Marina Way South. This is a project of the Richmond Redevelopment Agency.
3. The City of Richmond Public Services Agency has received an acceptable bid for completing 3.3 miles of Bay Trail from the Marina Bay Harbor Master's Office to Cutting and Garrard Blvds and down Canal Blvd to Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline. Thanks to ABAG Bay Trail grant funds, this project will include striped bicycle lanes on both sides of City streets (Class II trail), sidewalk improvements and signs. Completion is scheduled by the end of August.

B. Land Acquisition: Mr. William Bottoms has agreed to give the City a 22-foot wide Bay Trail easement along the shoreline of his property from Seacliff Drive to the boundary of City of Richmond Port property at former Kaiser Shipyard 3.

C. Planning and Design Studies:
1. Design to fill the one-mile gap in the Richmond Parkway Class I Bay Trail from Pennsylvania to Gertrude Avenues past Peres School is being wrapped up by AN West Inc. under contract to Richmond Public Services Agency.
2. Design for a Class I Bay Trail segment from Cutting and Garrard Blvds to Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline through the Ferry Point auto tunnel is being wrapped up by AN West Inc under contract to Richmond Public Services Agency. Tunnel lighting will be improved and trail width doubled.
3. Preliminary design for Class I Bay Trail segments along Harbour Way South and Hall Avenue has been completed by AN West Inc. under contract to Richmond Redevelopment Agency.
4. Richmond Planning Dept. has organized a steering committee to plan Bay Trail access to WWII Homefront National Historical Park sites in former Kaiser Shipyard 3 at Potrero Point.
5. EBRPD and West County Wastewater District are about to launch a planning study for a trail between the Wildcat Creek Regional Viewpoint and the south bank of San Pablo Creek.
6. A steering commitee chaired by Jim Cutler, former County Planner, and consisting of representitives of the City of Richmond, EBRPD, the California Coastal Conservancy, the Muir Heritage Land Trust, Chevron and TRAC has been formed to evaluate the feasibility of a regional park and open space recreational area on the western half of the Point San Pablo peninsula both north and south of Point Molate.

D. Funding Grants:
1. TRAC received a grant of $5000 from the Point Richmond's Business Association and Neighborhood Council to help open Boat Ramp Street for public accesss to the Santa Fe Channel from the Cutting Blvd Bay Trail.
2. ABAG committed $75K toward the $520K project to fill the gap in the Richmond Parkway Bay Trail, and the City submitted a grant application prepared by TRAC for $100K of additional funding by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.
3. TRAC applied to the National Park Service for technical assistance in preparing Bay Trail construction grant applications and in researching and designing signs interpreting the natural and human history along the Bay Trail in Richmond.

E. Private Projects:
1. A Draft EIR has been issued for two important projects south of Point Pinole Regional Shoreline. The Edgewater Technology Park proposal includes an important Bay Trail spine north from Goodrick Avenue to the boundary of Point Pinole Regional Shoreline; however, the Breuner Marsh Restoration project fails to include a planned 0.7-mile shoreline trail to EBRPD land on a scenic spit of land extending 1/4-mile into San Pablo Bay.
2. TRAC is reviewing Bay Trail plans for development of the historic Ford Assembly Building, which will include the visitor center for the Rosie the Riveter WWII Homefront National Historical Park.
 
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