October 21 and 22 brought two items of good news for the Bay Trail in Richmond!

On October 21, the Richmond City Council approved funding and awarded W.R. Forde Associates a contract to build the Bay Trail section planned along Garrard Blvd. near the Natatorium (the Plunge) between Cutting Blvd. and the Ferry Point tunnel. This $335,000 project will add six-foot wide bike lanes between Cutting Blvd. and Richmond Ave. while widening the sidewalk along the Plunge to provide an off road Class I trail to be shared by pedestrians and bicyclists. Handsome landscaping, new street trees and way finding signs also are included. The project is funded by grants from the Association of Bay Area Governments Bay Trail Project, California Coastal Conservancy, Point Richmond Gateway Foundation and TRAC supplemented with funds the City received to compensate for loss of shoreline recreation caused by the Cosco Busan oil spill.

On October 22, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission awarded TRAC its 2014 Excellence in Motion Public Service Award for working with many stakeholders in "helping to develop the longest single segment of the Bay Trail, which includes 32 miles completed with 10 more miles planned along the Richmond Bay front”.   Other awardees at the ceremony included the Fourth Bore of the Caldecott Tunnel, the Devil’s Slide Tunnel Project & Trail, and Congressman George Miller, so TRAC was in great company. CLICK HERE to view the two-minute video about TRAC produced by MTC and presented during the award ceremony.