Business leaders, police calling for end to dedicated bike lane on Richmond-San Rafael Bridge

Debate over what's to blame for traffic congestion on California bridge

Drivers and cyclists have different views about what's to blame for the traffic congestion at the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge toll plaza.

RICHMOND, Calif. - Workers, labor unions, businesses and some Marin County leaders rallied on Wednesday, calling for an end to the dedicated 24-7 bike lane on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. 

Drivers and cyclists have different views about what's to blame for the traffic congestion at the bridge toll plaza. 

Six years ago, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission began a pilot program to use the third right lane of the bridge as a dedicated bike lane,  instead of using it as a shoulder to clear crashes.

Now, county leaders in Marin, the police officers union in Richmond, labor unions and the Bay Area Council, which represents a coalition of businesses in the Bay Area, are all calling for an end to that pilot program, blaming it for an increase in traffic.

"There's 80,000 people who come across the bridge every day," said Marin County Supervisor Brian Colbert. "I support opening the break-down lane."

The MTC says traffic congestion can't be blamed entirely on the bike lane, but is also a result of more workers having to drive into Marin County, because they can't afford to live there.

Like Theresa Foglio-Ramirez, who drives from Rodeo to her job in San Francisco. 

"If there's a major delay, I've been two and a half hours late to work," she said. 

But the reality is 80,000 drivers cross this bridge, compared to just 20 to 30 cyclists who ride across it on weekdays.

The MTC is proposing a compromise: Go back to having that third lane as a shoulder Monday to Thursday, and have a dedicated bike lane only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 

The Marin County Bicycle Coalition says they're worried about the precedent of taking away bike lanes. 

"Ultimately, we need to make it easier to walk and bike places, and we can't be widening highways forever," said Warren Wells of the Marin County Bicycle Coalition. "There might be another compromise down the road. Each time we might see less and less access."

The group points out that if the compromise is approved, the third lane would only be used as a shoulder - not regular traffic.

Drivers like Foglie-Ramirez say they're OK with that. 

"It still could be beneficial, because then when you have an accident or a flat tire, there's somewhere for them to pull off and traffic can keep going," she said.

The Bay Conservation Development Commission has the  final say about whether to change the bike lane and could vote on the compromise plan in July or August. 

Opponents of the bike lane say that's too long to wait.

This bike lane pilot program was originally supposed to end in 2023, and a vote on what to do about it has been delayed for the past two years.