It was five years ago this month that California closed off one of the lanes of the Richmond–San Rafael Bridge to allow bike and pedestrian access.
The pilot project has now ended and Caltrans is recommending that the bike lane be closed for most of the week. But cyclists are digging in their heels to retain their 24/7 ride across the Bay Area.
On a cool, clear day like Saturday, the ride across the bridge was inviting enough, even if it wasn’t for the message they were trying to send.
More than 100 cyclists made the trek from the Richmond BART station, across the span to Marin County. Nathalee Lomeli from Berkeley was a first-time bridge rider.
“It was beautiful. It’s a beautiful day,” she said. “It was nice to see everybody come together in the community to support keeping this lane open and it was just a good time. Like, if it’s gone, I wouldn’t be able to experience it, know what I mean?”