Does the Ohlone Greenway give Richmond Annex bicycle riders access to San Pablo Avenue?


By Steve Price

A study by consultants Kimley- Horn exploring options for transit upgrades to San Pablo Avenue suggested that bicycle access to the avenue could be achieved by parallel routes such as the Ohlone Greenway. How would that work for residents in the Richmond Annex? The Greenway does run in a straight line fairly parallel to the avenue, but because of the prevalence of T-intersections on the avenue (in our area streets don’t cross the avenue), Annex bicycle riders from the Richmond Annex on the west side of San Pablo Avenue have to ride on the avenue to access streets on the east side of the avenue that lead to the Ohlone Greenway. This negates the safety of the greenway as an alternative to bicycling on the avenue.

Numerous T-intersections make it impossible to avoid bicycling on San Pablo Avenue.


Maybe Richmond Annex bicycle riders should use a parallel route on their side of San Pablo Avenue. Yet for those living in the Richmond Annex, there is no equivalent straight route to travel parallel to the avenue. The zig-zag route in the illustration below involves undersized bike lanes, a one-way street, and very challenging hill climbing.


It’s not possible for people in Richmond Annex to travel adjacent to San Pablo Avenue on parallel streets.


In our area, there seems to be no avoiding calming speeds on San Pablo Avenue and installing safe bicycling infrastructure to afford non-automobile access to the avenue’s many useful retail and services.


Join El Cerrito Strollers & Rollers on Sept. 11, 7–8 p.m. on Zoom for a discussion with Jasmine Stitt of Caltrans Bay Area (District 4) Pedestrian and Bicycle Branch for a discussion of how we can improve access to and from destinations on both sides of San Pablo Avenue: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2225437257


First photo: A view of San Pablo Avenue from the Richmond Annex; Photo: Google street view.

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