POINT MOLATE & RICHMOND-SAN RAFAEL BRIDGE
A 1.1-mile Bay Trail section runs from the Point Richmond Historic District to the Stenmark Drive exit from I-580 where it intersects with the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge Trail and the 2.5-mile Point Molate Trail now under construction. This two-way, multi-use trail begins at the intersection of Tewksbury Ave. & Castro St. and crosses under I-580 at Marine St. before continuing to Stenmark Drive.
The San Francisco Bay Trail Plan includes a 4.2-mile spur from the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge north along the shoreline to Point Molate Beach Park , through the Winehaven Historic District on the 400+ acre Point Molate property and around the City of Richmond’s former Terminal 4 at Point San Pablo to terminate at the Point San Pablo Harbor. This is the largest gap in the planned Bay Trail route through Richmond.
Richmond-San Rafael (RSR) Bridge Trail
The Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) opened the 4.4-mile Richmond/San Rafael Bridge Trail on November 16, 2019 as a pilot program to provide a pedestrian and bicyclist connection between the East Bay and North Bay. This marked the sixth Bay Area bridge with the Bay Trail completed. As of June 1, 2025, bicyclists and pedestrians had enjoyed 830,000 trips across the bridge, which is the most popular for bicyclists of all State-owned toll bridges, including the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge east span.
This two-way, multi-use trail is 10’-wide with a 42″-high concrete barrier separating it from motor vehicle traffic. The barrier is moveable by means of a barrier-transfer machine known as a “zipper truck”.
After almost six years of successful operation, BATA decided to close the trail Monday -Thursday and convert the space back into a break-down shoulder for motor vehicles. As of October 27, 2025, the trail will be available only from 2 PM Thursday to 11 PM Sunday . MTC’s website has details, including on availability of a free shuttle for cyclists.
Point Molate Trail
The San Francisco Bay Trail Plan, City of Richmond General Plan and EBRPD’s Master Plan all call for completion of the Bay Trail on the San Pablo Peninsula north of I-580. EBRPD and the City have partnered to complete 2.5 miles of Bay Trail along the shoreline between the RSR Bridge Trail and the northern border of the City’s Point Molate property. This includes 1.1 miles of shoreline trail on the easement donated by Chevron plus 1.4 miles on the City’s Point Molate property. EBRPD funded design plans, approved a Mitigated Negative Declaration under CEQA and obtained permits required for the entire 2.5 miles.
On June 17, 2025, EBRPD’s Board of Directors approved entering into a construction contract with Corone & Co. to build the entire 2.5 miles of Point Molate Bay Trail. The City of Richmond will reimburse EBRPD for the cost of building the 1.25 miles of trail between the beach park and Winehaven Historic District. When completed by year-end 2026, the trail will open up a scenic, historic stretch of San Francisco Bay shoreline where there is no public access other than at Point Molate Beach Park
POINT MOLATE TO POINT SAN PABLO HARBOR
Chevron has agreed to provide shoreline access across its property between Point Molate and Point San Pablo. The principal remaining challenges are securing access on the 20-foot-wide former Belt Line rail corridor, jointly owned by the BNSF and Union Pacific railroads, and creating safe public access around Point San Pablo.
EBRPD’s Master Plan adopted in 2013 before cleanup of Point San Pablo calls for a Regional Shoreline park at Point Molate. The most effective and efficient path forward is to integrate Point San Pablo into planning for a park at Point Molate, linked by the Bay Trail extending to Point San Pablo Harbor as discussed on the Point San Pablo Peninsula / Point Molate website.