Nov 5 Support Letter for Richmond-San Rafael Bridge Upper Deck modified pilot

November 5, 2024

Board of Directors
San Francisco Bay Conservation & Development Commission
375 Beale Street, Suite 510
San Francisco, CA 94105

Re: Support for proposed modifications of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge Upper Deck pilot to convert the westbound shoulder lane from a 24/7 multi-use path to an emergency lane Monday through Thursday

Dear Chair Wasserman and Commissioners,

On behalf of the Marin County Board of Supervisors, I write in support of the current proposal to extend the current Richmond-San Rafael Bridge Upper Deck pilot to convert the westbound shoulder lane from a 24/7 multi-use path to a part-time emergency lane Monday through Thursday.

Our Board is appreciative that regional agencies continue to prioritize the urgency of addressing traffic congestion on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. This bridge is a vital transportation corridor, carrying nearly 80,000 vehicles per day, and serves as a key commute corridor for thousands of workers, including teachers, healthcare professionals, government employees, and construction workers. The viability of the East Bay-Marin County commute over this bridge is crucial to our local economy.

The traffic congestion experienced on the bridge during the westbound morning commute not only detracts from the personal lives and well-being of many commuters serving our community, but also increased fuel consumption from traffic delays and congestion worsens environmental degradation and greenhouse gas emissions, leading to poorer air quality and contributing to climate change.

We recognize that the long-term solution to commute traffic is 1) significant transportation infrastructure improvements on both sides of the bridge and 2) more affordable, workforce housing in Marin County. To those ends, our Board supports MTC's Richmond-San Rafael (RSR) Forward initiative, which offers a comprehensive set of strategies to alleviate congestion on local streets on the Richmond side of the bridge. Additionally, Marin’s state-approved Housing Element identifies sites for more than 5,200 possible residences over the next 8 years to ensure the County’s affordable housing goals are met, and our Board continues to make significant investments in affordable housing preservation and production throughout Marin.

However, the current proposal presents an important short-term opportunity to potentially improve commute traffic for those traveling from Contra Costa County to Marin daily. The current barrier-separated multi-use path on the upper deck of the Richmond San Rafael bridge opened in November 2019 as a multi-year pilot, and has provided important, safe transbay bicycle/pedestrian crossing between Marin and Contra Costa. However, its impact on vehicle commute traffic has been mixed. The multi-use path is used significantly more frequently on weekends than weekdays (360 cycle trips per day vs. 140 per day on weekdays, for both directions) and most bike/ped trips (85%) are for recreation or exercise. While data shows that westbound morning congestion has not increased, it does show a 33% increase in traffic incidents during AM weekday commute and thus greater variability in commute time, compared to before the multi-use path was installed.

We understand that your Commission will consider a proposal approved by the Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) Commissioners in May 2024 to extend the upper deck pilot with modifications: to move the barrier weekly to allow for an emergency shoulder (breakdown lane) Monday to Thursday, and allow for the multi-use path Thursday to Sunday. A bike shuttle would be available to cyclists and pedestrians to cross the bridge during days when the path is not open.

In consideration of the overall potential impacts to Marin and east bay residents and commuters, as well as multi-use path users, our Board urges your support of this proposed modified pilot for the following reasons:

1. The multi-use path is being used. However, nearly twice as many cyclists use it during weekends compared to weekdays. The proposed Monday-Thursday breakdown lane allows cyclists and pedestrians continued access to the path during the highest-use days, and a bike shuttle will ensure cyclists can continue to cross the bridge when the multi-use path is closed.
2. Marin employers have conveyed that increased delays associated with traffic incidents significantly affect recruitment and retention. While the multi-use path and barrier installation has not resulted in an increase in overall travel time during peak AM commute, it has resulted in more traffic incidents and thus greater variability in the morning commute time. Those who work in-person jobs with relatively inflexible schedules (teachers, healthcare professionals, public safety) are affected the most by long, unpredictable delays due to incidents.
3. Currently, the lack of an emergency lane means significant delays for emergency personnel to reach an incident. Moving the barrier during peak AM commute would not only reduce the resulting delay (since two lanes could remain open) – but would also allow medical or fire personnel to utilize the lane to reach an incident faster.
4. Data from the upper deck modified pilot will inform long-term decisions as to whether a breakdown lane has a meaningful impact on reducing the variability of travel times during the peak AM commute.
5. The modified pilot will also allow MTC staff to evaluate the feasibility and potential impacts of using the shoulder on the upper deck for an HOV/carpool lane. This is expected to provide more information for future options to make use of the limited lane resources on the bridge.

We thank you for your consideration of these points as you deliberate options for this important transportation corridor, and we look forward to continuing our partnership in addressing regional transportation challenges.

Sincerely,

Dennis Rodoni
President, Marin County Board of Supervisors

Cc:       Marin County Board of Supervisors
State Senator Mike McGuire
Assemblymember Damon Connolly