Korina

Story here.

bikingshearer 

Thanks for posting this. I just completed the survey.

BoltBreaker

This survey is still active, be sure to get your feedback in. Even though CalTrans tracks every bicycle on the bridge, they (and we) benefit from direct comments on the bike paths.

tFUnK

4 years later... Glad I got to enjoy it once at least (I'm in the South Bay).

Korina

Why is no one using it? Does it connect to anyplace useful, or just dump people onto a stroad?

DiabloScott

I was driving over this bridge last week and I checked out the bike lane - it doesn't look fun at all. It goes from a heavy industrial area in Richmond to San Quentin so not that useful either for pretty much anyone. It's also loud and ugly. I might do it just for the experience anyway... it does connect to a nice park trail on the Richmond side.

Korina

Weird; makes you wonder why they even put it there.

tFUnK

It's about as fun as riding across any other bridge on a highway. Not a peaceful experience but one I enjoy just for the sake of it. And I think part of the vision of cross-Bay bridges in general is to promote commuting, although since they all parallel highways it makes them less accessible/suitable for bike commuting.

icemilkcoffee 

On the west end of the bridge you can ride ~1/2 mile further along and there is a bike lane bridge that takes you over freeway 580. From there you can join Sir Francis Drake Blvd, which has (unlabeled?) bike lanes, which leads to a bike trail along the shoreline. And that takes you to Larkspur. From Larkspur after crossing another bridge you can bike down to the Tiburon peninsula, which a lot of people love to cycle around. I never feel comfortable riding on narrow streets with no bike lanes so I'm not crazy about Tiburon. But the Richmond bridge through to Larkspur route is safe and protected and nice and scenic. It's a shame they are getting rid of it.

mschwett 

it’s actually very fun. yes, a bit noisy, but it’s straight, safe, and depending on the wind and whether you’re going up or down, very fast.

because it connects two places lots of people ride - Marin and the east bay. there is no other way to make this connection on a bike within a reasonable distance, like less than 100 miles. if the connections were improved just a bit on both sides (particularly through Richmond) I believe more people would use it. I’ve done it 7 or 8 times, I think, always starting from SF and going clockwise around the bay.

KJ43

I definitely rely on this bridge since I've moved from the Palo Alto area to Richmond.

It's a nicer ride imo than the Dumbarton crossing even though it's longer. As mentioned above it connects well to Sir Francis Drake Blvd which leads to not only the very nice Tiberon loop but I've already ridden out to Blithedale Ridge in Mill Valley which was ok but had gorgeous views. I've got routes planned to China Camp trails and eventually Marin as well all that can be ridden from my front door because of the RSR Bridge.

mschwett 

... it's also a pretty rare (around these parts, at least!) to have a 4+ mile stretch with no intersections, driveways, cross-traffic, curves, nothing. good place to see how strong/fast you are... or aren't!

Korina

It's a darn shame it's going away. FYI, this is the quality of people who want that path for cars.

curbtender

I witnessed this yesterday and my first thought was that it will be another nail in the coffin for the bike lane. The state is not going to invest in a bike lane when the whole bridge really needs to be replaced. Now I'm sure there will be talk about a suicide net. I ride it regularly and will miss the access it provided to that side of the bay.

bargo68 

I started using this bike lane on May 2, 2020 to commute from my home in Fairfax to my place of work in downtown Berkeley. Early days saw me going four days a week (8x) and more recently down to two days. Looking at my Ride with GPS, I've ridden over this bridge 862 times in the intervening years. It has been a godsend for me to have this route open and it has been singularly responsible for about 80% of my mileage, which is anywhere from 5 to 6 thousand annually since I've gotten serious about it.
It's an interesting bit of riding. It's about 4 miles between landings and has a couple long, gentle climbs in each direction. Going east (my morning route), the climb is a little over a mile with 2.5 to 4% grades. Coming home it's a little shorter with about the same pitch. The bridge has 2 "peaks" and its highest elevation is 394 above sea level. Looks like this:




Of course, I chose one of my speedier days .
I will say this: I've always viewed this bike lane as a temporary gift and it looks like the forces have marshaled against its prolonged existence. There's no shortage of haters in this world and it seems a great many of them drive on this bridge and want it all to themselves. I have to own up to my schadenfreude, however. There's nothing like hitting 30 mph in an open bike lane with 2 lanes of cars stopped dead beside you!
To those who have found this bridge a less than aesthetic experience, I must take umbrage. While wind and weather can make this stretch an extreme sufferfest, it offers a unique vantage point from which to experience all the subtle vagaries of this end of the San Franciso bay. I've noticed over the years that if I can get my head out of my ride and open my senses, it's quite a bit more than just climbing and car noise.
If it closes down, and I don't think it's been decided, it will be sorely missed by this guy.


-sigh-

mschwett 

nice! it's definitely not a done deal although the forces of evil are definitely aligning.

i did it today as part of a counterclockwise route from west oakland bart to moraga, orinda, richmond, and back into SF. the marathon closed the bike lanes on the golden gate northbound, so this was the first time i did RSR westbound! the connections also seem less tortured in that direction, interestingly. pretty clear shot to the ferry terminal.




not particularly fast (i was gassed out!) but it really is fun. i cannot figure the winds out up there.

bargo68 

Legend! You got around a bit.
Yeah, winds are my nemesis on my commute. Windfinder, Windy, Windyapp all come up short many times for accurate deets. You can have a 10 mph tailwind on the first half and at the top have it whip around on you twice as hard. Last few weeks have been pretty mellow.l

icemilkcoffee 

From the article it sounds like the attempt to scrap the bike lanes in favor of a third car lane is dead:
Sounds like common sense prevailed and the bike lane lives on!

curbtender

DiabloScott

1. Is that surface as rough as it looks?
2. Is that an Avocet 20?

curbtender

I guess I'm used to it, but yes, it is not a smooth ride.
Cateye...

bikingshearer 

The surface is not glass-smooth, but it is well within acceptable tolerances. if those grooves were perpendicular to the route of travel, they would suck. Since they are parallel to the route of travel, they are not a big deal.

mschwett 

the surface is perfectly fine. it’s unusual for cycling, but i have never thought twice about it other than noticing the first time that it’s not like a local street or MUP. it’s not bumpy or jarring at all, just a little noisier than most and probably a tick slower…

curbtender

That small section that is buffed down some runs the whole path. On that side I stay in that. Bikes coming down get going pretty good and you got to make sure you stay to your side. That potential bridge jumper was on that section when I came over and did a step at me when I was passing. I guess that wasn't his planned way to go thankfully.

mayukawa

Hope they don't get rid of the bike lane. I think drivers presume the gridlocks are due to the lane being used by bikes/pedestrians, but I don't think the traffic bottleneck is on the bridge. I used to ride that on my 2.5 Bridges Century (from SF to Treasure Island and back). I was hoping to ride the 3 Bridges Half Century when the western span of the Bay Bridge becomes bike accessible. Prior to the pandemic, I also commute between from Point Richmond back to SF (when I don't feel like paying for the ferry or BART). Whenever I was on it, I see very few cyclists...even fewer pedestrians. I always felt like there's not enough demand to keep it open (as compared to GG Bridge or even the Bay Bridge Eastern Span).