Transportation
The AC Transit board of directors voted 6–1 on Wednesday to reject a censure of Director Sarah Syed in favor of committing to more leadership, governance and communication training for the board, and additional coaching for Syed. Syed cast the sole no vote, saying the board’s decision to single her out was unjustified. Syed sent an email on May 23, 2023, to staff working on the Realign project, asking for a draft analysis of the plan, which assesses every route…
When Richmond residents retire, they might travel the world or settle somewhere else. When San Francisco Bay ferries retire from the fleet, they also go to new places. The motor vessel (MV) Solano is the latest ferry to retire from the fleet. The 91-ton ship, built in 2004, boasted an onboard bar and a capacity for 320 passengers. It regularly ran with the SF Bay Ferry service, connecting cities like Richmond and Oakland to San Francisco. It was retired in…
Carlson Boulevard may look like any other residential street on a calm day, but according to residents and city officials, it has become a hotspot for reckless speeding, near-misses and accidents. Data from the Richmond Police Department shows close to 50 collisions on Carlson Boulevard this year alone. Antonio Davis was involved in one of those accidents, near Huntington Park, as he tried to enter Interstate 80. “Six, seven months ago, I was in an accident because someone rushed a turn…
The dedicated bike lane on the upper deck of the Richmond-San Rafael bridge has been a bone of contention between cyclists and motorists since it opened as a four-year pilot project in 2019. While its life has been extended to a fifth year, its days may be numbered. Next month, the Bay Conservation and Development Commission may reduce the bike lane to a weekends-only feature, a move the cycling community opposes. Since it opened, the bike lane has remained accessible to…
BART is capturing the attention of the next generation of riders by introducing anime mascots, community events, and creative outreach programs that make public transit more engaging and accessible. BART’s initiative to increase youth ridership is centered on creating a connection between younger generations and public transportation. By building loyalty among younger riders, BART aims to secure its long-term future, ensuring it remains a vital option for the Bay Area’s evolving transportation needs. Spearheading this initiative is Alicia Trost, BART’s…
Transit agencies in the East Bay are promoting California Clean Air Day on Wednesday, with several providing free fares to encourage riders to use public transit. The goal of Clean Air Day is to encourage residents to participate in more sustainable activities to minimize air pollution. The agencies offering free rides include the San Francisco Bay Ferry, WestCAT, Wheels and County Connections. But the largest transit agencies in the Bay Area — AC Transit, BART, and MUNI — will not…
“People of Richmond” is a regular series in which reporters pose a question to people in the community. Answers are presented verbatim, though sometimes edited for brevity. Q: Have you noticed a difference in BART’s service now that the fleet has all new trains? “They have certainly got more aesthetic appeal which I appreciate. In terms of service being better, worse or same, I’d say same. I’m always struck by how few riders there are, which just shocks me. I’d…
Dozens of models strutted down a runway at the Rockridge BART station on Saturday, the crowd around them whooping and snapping cellphone pictures. Their outfits were stylish, original and almost entirely made of paper — old BART tickets to be precise. In a competition between four schools, students from the Academy of Art University, Oakland School for the Arts, City College of San Francisco and San Francisco State University were tasked with one job: upcycle old BART tickets into fashion. …
For the next five months, beginning today, riders on both BART lines that end in Richmond will have to deal with interrupted service that could cause delays of about 40 minutes. BART is replacing interlockings between the Rockridge, MacArthur, and 19th Street stops today and Sunday. Interlockings enable trains to move from track to track. “It’s essential rebuilding work. We’’re replacing equipment that’s been there since we started service back in 1972,” BART spokesperson Christopher Filippi said. BART will provide…