The upbeat, colorful Richmond Bay Trail New Year Report now is available at http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/trac.

This New Year Report highlights accomplishments during 2004, lists projects to be built in 2005-2006 and sets planning priorities for 2005.  The Bay Trail top priorities for the City are to obtain bids and issue construction contracts promptly for the Parkway Gap Closure and Ferry Point Tunnel projects in order to avoid losing grant funds (Report map page items 5 & 6).  Bay Trail planning and design priorities for the City this year are Harbour Way South, Point Potrero Marine Terminal and the Point San Pablo Peninsula, including Point Molate (Map items 7, 8 14, 15 and 17)

Five years ago when TRAC, the Trails for Richmond Action Committee, was founded, Richmond had only 12 miles of San Francisco Bay Trail fragments.  Now Richmond has 20 miles of Bay Trail in use -- more than any other city on this planned 500-mile recreation and transportation corridor encircling San Francisco and San Pablo Bays.  We owe thanks primarily to the City of Richmond, East Bay Regional Park District, Association of Bay Area Governments Bay Trail Project and the private sector for getting us this far.  

The Bay Trail now links all of the parks along Richmond¹s southern shoreline -- Point Isabel, Shimada, Marina Bay, Vincent, Lucretia Edwards and Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline where the 4.75-mile Ferry Point Loop has become a major recreational destination.

Completing Richmond¹s remaining 20 miles of planned Bay Trail is challenging and time consuming.  Closing each gap requires access to land, planning studies, CEQA compliance, design and funding for each of these steps as well as for construction itself.  TRAC has acquired $1.4 million in grant funds for Richmond.

TRAC encourages you, your family and friends to get out and enjoy the Bay Trail in Richmond.   A new, updated color map of Richmond's Bay Trail also is available at:  http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/trac.

Best Wishes for the New Year from the TRAC Steering Committee:  Donald Bastin, Bruce Beyaert, Bruce Brubaker, David Dolberg, Whitney Dotson, Jerry Rasmussen & Nancy Strauch.