Font ResizeThe first piece of land runs from the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge north to Point Molate Beach, and the second piece is from Point Molate to Point San Pablo. The pieces are a combined 1.6 miles.
"It's opening views of areas that have never been seen before," said Richmond resident Whitney Dotson, an East Bay Regional Park District board member.
The donation brings the public closer to having a shoreline trail here some day, though more land is needed to complete the vision. The park district, which is leading this project and accepted Chevron's donation Tuesday afternoon, still needs to secure key strips of railroad right of way.
The Bay Trail is a planned 500-mile network encircling the Bay and linking nine counties. More than half of what's planned has been built, and has become a popular spot for pedestrians, bicyclists, bird watchers and others.
In West Contra Costa County, the East Bay Regional Park District wants to extend the trail from the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge north to Point San Pablo by acquiring land along the former Richmond Beltline Railroad and Castro Point Railway corridor. Chevron owns some of the land, and its donation constitutes roughly half the property rights needed to complete this stretch.
Under its agreement with Chevron, the park district has seven years to conduct land surveys and secure other
Park district officials expect to spend about $100,000 on land surveys, engineering and other work. The district will build and manage the trail, they said.
In Richmond, which boasts more completed trail than any city in the Bay Trail network, supporters continue their push to close gaps. These include a path connecting Point Richmond to the Point San Pablo Yacht Harbor. In 2006, a bicyclist riding on a Caltrans-sanctioned bike lane on Interstate 580 east of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge tollbooth was struck by a car drifting out of its lane. The bicyclist died, and a fellow bicyclist was seriously injured.
Bruce Beyaert, head of Trails for Richmond Action Committee, applauded the park district and Chevron for negotiating Tuesday's land donation and called it "a critical first step." More work needs to be done, he added. In addition to getting railroad right of way, supporters are eyeing Chevron land between the city's Point San Pablo property and the Point San Pablo Yacht Harbor. They also seek land at the Chevron refinery on the south side of I-580 for a path between Point Richmond and an existing trail under the bridge.
"Hope springs eternal," Beyaert said.
Chevron, Richmond, the Association of Bay Area Governments and Caltrans are in talks regarding land to the south of the bridge and the configuration of a trail.
A 2001 study examined five routes, including one along the south side of I-580 on Chevron property that passes over pipes carrying oil to and from the Long Wharf. Chevron opposed construction at the time, citing federal security requirements.
"Chevron is still very interested in addressing the Bay Trail issue in a manner that addresses all of the stakeholders' interests including safety and security concerns," Brent Tippen, refinery spokesman, said Tuesday.
Katherine Tam covers Richmond. Follow her at twitter.com/katherinetam.
