POINT SAN PABLO PENINSULA
A Bay Trail spur is planned to
run from Point Richmond under I-580, through  Point
Molate and around Point San Pablo to terminate at the Point San
Pablo Yacht Harbor. As shown on the property
ownership map (Acrobat.PDF),
this land is owned by Chevron and the City of Richmond with
the exception of Caltrans’ I-580 corridor. Also
see the Point San Pablo Peninsula
/ Point Molate website.
 A
critical problem is the lack of a Bay Trail connection between
Point Richmond and the south side of the Richmond/San Rafael
Bridge toll plaza area where an existing trail built by Caltrans
runs under the bridge to Western Drive. This situation was created
in 1956 when the City of Richmond vacated portions of Western
Drive and other public streets and gave them to Standard OIl
Company, which now is Chevron Corporation.To
address this problem, Chevron, the City and ABAG Bay Trail Project
funded the July 31, 2001 “Feasibility Study of Bay Trail
Routes to the Point San Pablo Peninsula” with participation
by BCDC, Caltrans, EBRPD and TRAC.
It
was agreed by consensus in 2001 that a route running from the
end of Tewksbury Avenue over Chevron property bordering the
I-580 corridor to reach the south side of the Toll Plaza area
would meet Chevron's security concerns while providing a workable,
although not optimal, Bay Trail connection with the Point San
Pablo Peninsula.
Preferred Bay Trail Route From End of Tewksbury Avenue
Above Retraining Wall on South Side of I-580 to Existing Trail
Under Bridge.
 On
July 21, 2009 the City Council voted to award a $1.6 million
contract to Questa Engineering to prepare a project
study report plus CEQA and construction documents for closing
the dangerous gap in the Bay Trail between Castro Street
and the existing trail under the Richmond/San Rafael Bridge.
The long-awaited initiation of design for this project resulted
from Chevron's agreement to join in a cooperative effort
involving the City of Richmond, Caltrans and ABAG Bay Trail
Project. Questa's contract is funded from a $3 million Bay
Trail account established from the settlement for Chevron's
underpayment of utility taxes. Chevron has committed to convey
the needed trail easement once the trail alignment has been
pinned down.
As of mid year 2010, Questa had conducted field reconnaissance
along the trail corridor, held scoping meetings with stakeholders
and sub-consultants, and gathered information regarding existing
opportunities, constraints and design criteria. The information
gathered will be used to prepare a Caltrans Project Study Report
and Preliminary Environmental Analysis Report, which will identify
and select the apparently viable trail route linking Point
Richmond and Point Molate by the end of this 2010. The goal
is to complete construction design with cost estimates, comply
with CEQA & NEPA and obtain the necessary easements from
Chevron & Caltrans by early 2012. This will provide a basis
for seeking funds to cover the expected $15 million cost of
construction. As part of a utility tax settlement with the
City of Richmond, Chevron reaffirmed its commitment to provide
a trail easement and invest up to $2 million for security enhancements
related to the trail. It is hoped that funds for building the
trail may be obtained from mitigation for any development the
City approves on its Point Molate property.
East Bay Regional Park District's (EBRPD's)
Master Plan calls for completion of the Bay Trail on the Peninsula
north of I-580. Referring to the Bay Trail Alignment
map, the planned route runs through a patchwork of
lands owned by Chevron and the City of Richmond. On November
2, 2009, Chevron agreed to convey to EBRPD 1.5 miles of
trail easements shown as yellow-red dashed lines, and EBRPD's
Board of Directors appropriated $100,000 for trail alignment
engineering, surveying and title costs. EBRPD's next
step is to acquire old railroad easements owned 50/50 by UP
and BNSF overlying Chevron's fee title lands where the
trail will be built. Construction of the intervening
1.4 miles of Bay Trail along the shoreline on former
Point Molate Naval Fuel Depot is required under the
City’s Land Disposition agreement with Upstream Point
Molate LLC. Plans remain to be developed for construction
of the Bay Trail on the City's derelict former Terminal 4 property
at Point San Pablo, and another easement is needed over Chevron
land to reach the Point San Pablo Yacht Harbor.
Dec.
8. 2009: Bay
Nature Article - Chevron
Gives Ground -- Progress for Richmond's Bay Trail
Nov.
28, 2009: SF
Chronicle Article - Bay
Trail Gains Two More Miles of Scenic Shoreline >>
Nov
3, 2009: Chevron agrees to donate
1.5 miles of Bay Trail easements on the western side
of the Point San Pablo Peninsula to East Bay Regional
Park District - Details >>
Jun
25, 2009: EB
Parks article:Tentative
agreement reached for Breuner Marsh
Mar
20,
2009: CCTimes: Bay
Trail advocates sue state, Chevron over public access at
refinery
Mar 18, 2009: Berkeley Daily Planet: Bay
Trail Backers Sue State, Chevron Over Richmond Wharf
Jul
15, 2008: Tom Butt Forum: CIty
Council holds public hearing on Chevron's appeal
Jun 9, 2008: Tom Butt Forum: All
You Want to Know About Point Molate
May 11, 2008: Launch
of the Point
San Pablo Peninsula / Point Molate Website
Mar 3, 2008: Contra
Costa Times: Richmond
facing Chevron decision
Feb 2, 2008: Berkeley
Daily Planet: Richmond
DRB Gives Qualified "Yes' to Chevron
Apr 3, 2007: San
Francisco Chronicle: Chevron's
unhappy trails
Apr 2, 2007: San
Francisco Chronicle: Dustup
over missing link of Bay Trail
Mar 27, 2007: Berkeley
Daily Planet: Chevron
Access Needed for Bay Trail Link
Mar 22, 2007: CCTimes article: Council
pursues order for bike path
Oct 22, 2006: CCTimes article: 'Death
trap' for cyclists
Oct 22, 2006: Tom
Butt E-Forum: Caltrans
and Chevron Conspire to Perpetuate Death Trap
More
infomation on the Point San Pablo Peninsula & Point Molate >>
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