No more waiting on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge!

Our campaign to implement change on the Richmond- San Rafael Bridge has reached its final destination: the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC).

After some delay, BCDC will meet to review the proposed changes to the Westbound lane of the bridge in November, and consider whether to grant the necessary permit to enact those changes.

Send your letter below to the BCDC commissioners urging them to act now to fix the Richmond Bridge. This is our final opportunity!

Dear [Lawmaker],

I am a concerned resident advocating for the reopening of the third lane on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. Thank you for hearing our voices on this issue.

The lack of a third lane or emergency shoulder on the bridge is a problem that has directly harmed our community for years. I hope that you, as a BCDC commissioner, are making it an urgent priority to approve the permit that will enact the very necessary changes to the Bridge that commuters coming from the Richmond side have been waiting for for years. It’s time to close the bike lane during commuting hours and restore the emergency shoulder to prevent further delays caused by accidents.

The closure of the third lane has disproportionately impacted the East Bay’s marginalized and frontline communities, and it’s why I’m one of thousands calling for change. As you know, on average, only 80-250 bikers use the bike lane daily on the westbound portion of the bridge, whereas 80,000 trips are made daily by car. 63% of the car commuters are people of color, and 60% make less than the median income for the Bay Area. The commuters have no other alternative to get to and from work each day, and due to the traffic on the bridge, they’re forced to navigate increasingly long commute times that cause further strain on their lives. These workers and their families are already dealing with the rising costs of living and increasingly fewer residential options. They shouldn’t also have to navigate onerous travel times and additional neighborhood traffic, all in the name of a few daily cyclists.

We urgently need to address this issue. Approving the permit would not only offer a strong start to permanently resolving the inequities of the traffic issue on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, but also offer an example to the rest of the Bay Area and the state that our government agencies have the capacity to address some of the biggest challenges facing our communities. The review process for implementing these changes to the bridge has gone on too long. We must have government agencies and a transportation plan that is responsive to the needs of our community. This is your chance to make an impact.

Thank you again for your attention to this urgent matter. While it is clear that there are loud voices in opposition to this proposal, please remember that the vast majority of Richmond residents support it: Eighty percent (80%) of Richmond voters support opening a third lane for carpools and transit on the upper deck of the bridge during the morning commute!

You have the power to make an essential common sense decision that will go a long way towards addressing inequity in the community and restoring faith in our local leadership. Your leadership and action on this issue will be greatly appreciated by me, my fellow supporters, and all of the residents and commuters affected by the current status of the bridge.

Sincerely,

Sincerely,
______

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