Update: this agenda item was approved by the City Council on Tuesday, Jan. 27.
The City Council is set to vote Tuesday on a $125,000 traffic safety plan at the Point Richmond intersection of West Cutting and South Garrard boulevards.
These problems surfaced after the city finished a new bike lane in 2024 that connects the Richmond Ferry Terminal to downtown Point Richmond. While the route has become popular with cyclists, city engineers and the Point Richmond Neighborhood Council (PRNC) report that it has created confusion where drivers, bikers, and students at Washington Elementary School all meet.
City staff developed the plan after a 2024 field tour with neighbors to see the bottlenecks firsthand. Because the original lanes were part of a “quick-build” program, the city said it always intended to refine the design based on real-world traffic patterns.
The planned upgrades include new pavement striping and clearer signs to show who has the right-of-way; intersection changes designed to naturally slow down cars and protect people crossing the street; and new markings near the Plunge and Dornan Tunnel to stop bikes and pedestrians from bumping into each other on the Bay Trail.
The $125,000 needed for the work is already available in this year’s capital budget, according to city staff. If the council votes yes, the city will start looking for a contractor to finish the work during a one-month construction window in the summer of 2026.
