TRAC_map_01-06-04.pdf

This report marks the fifth anniversary of TRAC, the Trails for Richmond Action Committee  Eight miles of new Bay Trail have been built in Richmond during this period with an additional 2-1/2 miles in the pipeline to be built by year end.

With twenty miles of Bay Trail now in place, Richmond stands out as having more Bay Trail than any other City on this planned 500-mile hiking and biking route encircling San Francisco and San Pablo Bays.  This results from hard work and cooperation involving the City of Richmond, East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) and the private sector.  Critical funding to plan, design and build new Bay Trail segments has been provided by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) Bay Trail Project, the California Coastal Conservancy and others.

TRAC is working with all of these parties now in an effort to complete the remaining twenty miles of Bay Trail planned for Richmond.  The Contra Costa County Open Space Measure will provide critical funding to close remaining gaps if approved by the voters this month.

This Mid Year 2004 report summarizes Bay Trail progress in Richmond since publication of the First Quarter Report in early April.  The attached map will be helpful in locating each of the projects described below.

Please read on to learn about important recent advances, including new trails expected to be built during the second half of 2004. For more information, contact:

Bruce Beyaert, TRAC Chair
Nancy Strauch and David Dolberg, TRAC Vice Chairs
Phone/Fax 510-235-2835
Email: tracbaytrail@earthlink.net
Web: official site: http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/trac/
unofficial site:  http://www.pointrichmond.com/baytrails/

Connections with Point Pinole Regional Shoreline
EBRPD has completed the Bay Trail within Point Pinole Regional Shoreline;  however, unlike the other six shoreline parks in Richmond, there is no Bay Trail access to Point Pinole.  As a first step toward remedying this situation, EBRPD has secured grants from ABAG and hired consultants to plan trail routes and develop preliminary engineering designs to provide linkages with the both the Richmond and Pinole sides of the park.  Questa Engineering Corp. of Richmond and Alta Planning and Design of Berkeley are wrapping up the first study for the Bay Trail on EBRPD and City of Richmond lands between Point Pinole Regional Shoreline and Goodrick Avenue where the City of Richmond has built an existing Class I (off road) Bay Trail along the Richmond Parkway.   EBRPD staff intends to retain these same firms to plan the trail route north to Point Wilson in the City of Pinole.

West County Landfill Loop
The County Board of Supervisors has certified the Final EIR for modifications to the West Contra Costa Sanitary Landfill.  This includes a scenic three-mile Bay Trail loop around the landfill to be built and maintained by Republic Services, which owns the facility.  Assuming expeditious handling of permits, Republic Services expects that the 1.3-mile Phase 1 trail on the south side of the landfill will be built and open for public use by year end.

Richmond Parkway Bay Trail
With funding from ABAG, Richmond¹s AN West, Inc. has completed construction design and bid documents to close the one-mile gap in the four-mile Class I trail along the Richmond Parkway.  Closing this gap between Pennsylvania and Gertrude Avenues past Peres Elementary School will provide a safe, continuous route between Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline and the Wildcat Creek Regional Trail.  TRAC has secured $380K in construction grants from several sources and expects that this construction project will be launched soon and completed this year.

Ferry Point Loop
The Ferry Point Loop is a scenic 4.75-mile Bay Trail segment encircling Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline and the Brickyard Cove area, including Cutting and Canal Boulevards as inland stretches.  As part of the Seacliff Estates residential project, Toll Brothers has built a new Class I Bay Trail segment linking Canal Blvd. with Brickyard Cove Rd via the new Seacliff Drive, as well as along along Brickyard Cove Road to the eastern border of Brickyard Landing condos.   In addition, AN West Inc. has completed construction design and bid documents for widening the narrow trail leading through the Ferry Point Tunnel and along Dornan Drive into Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline.  This design work was funded by ABAG and managed by the City of Richmond.  TRAC will be seeking grants totaling about $300K to fund construction of this project.  To enrich the Ferry Point Loop, TRAC is working with Toll Brothers and EBRPD on about 16 interpretive and way finding exhibit panels to be installed along the Ferry Point Loop.

Point Potrero Terminal
The Port of Richmond has provided space for a new Bay Trail segment around the perimeter of its Point Potrero Terminal at the end of Canal Blvd. where Hyundai/Kia auto import operations are under way.  The trail surface already is paved with asphalt concrete since this is a capped disposal site for hazardous wastes.  Under contract to the City with an ABAG grant, the Benecia consulting firm, LandPeople, is designing improvements and safety features for this trail with related viewing and interpretive facilities. The goal is to provide Bay Trail access to Shipyard 3 sites included in the Rosie The Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park.

Point San Pablo Peninsula Open Space Study
Richmond's LSA Associates, Inc. has drafted a complete resource inventory as the first work product of this study evaluating the opportunities and constraints for creation of a regional park and open space on the western side of the Point San Pablo Peninsula.  Jointly funded by the State Coastal Conservancy, City of Richmond, EBRPD and Muir Heritage Land Trust, the study continues to benefit from participation of ChevronTexaco and Upstream Investments, the master developer for the former Point Molate Naval Fuel Depot.

Boat Ramp Street (off Cutting Blvd. east of Canal Blvd.)
As recently as the 1960's, Boat Ramp Street represented Richmond's only public access to the shoreline.  Now it has been reopened for public access to the Santa Fe Channel, including hand launching of car-top boats such as canoes and kayaks.    TRAC is working with the City of Richmond on a bid package for initial improvements using a $51K grant TRAC obtained from the State Department of Boating and Waterways.

Meeker Tidal Creek Trail
This little-known trail along the northern shoreline of Meeker Slough had become derelict after its construction was required by the Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) in the early 1990s.    Bio-Rad recently cleaned up the trail behind their buildings, and Richmond Wholesale Meat Company plans to clean up the portion behind their plant as well.  In the long range, the Meeker Tidal Creek Trail will link with the existing Bay Trail on the south side of Meeker Slough and extend eastward upland of Stege Marsh to the Bay Trail entrance at the end of South 51st Street.  To explore Meeker Tidal Creek trail, go south on Regatta Blvd from the Marina Bay Parkway and park at the end of the trail, either just before the first building on the right side of Regatta or at the end of South 32nd Street.

Bay Trail Sculptural Interpretive Exhibits
Project Manager Donna Graves reports that fabrication is beginning on a series of sculptural structures with exhibit panels to be installed in early fall along the Bay Trail between Shimada Park and Sheridan Observation Point.  This project of the Richmond Redevelopment Agency will interpret a number of broad themes of WWII in Richmond thanks to funding from the California Coastal Conservancy and ABAG.  Mayer/Reed design firm from Portland, OR led a local project team which developed a sculptural design shaped to evoke a ship's prow.  The project will significantly enhance the Bay Trail and will be an important aspect of visitors¹ experiences at Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park.

Major Shoreline Development Projects
Several large development projects have been proposed along the Richmond shoreline, including a gambling casino with resort hotels on the former Point Molate Naval Fuel Depot and residential housing on both the former Breuner Marsh south of Point Pinole Regional Shoreline and the former Zeneca property between Point Isabel and Marina Bay.  TRAC is working to ensure that these projects incorporate the Bay Trail and related shoreline access.