INTO THE WEEKEND, DETAILS COMING UP IN A FEW MINUTES. >>> BIKE LANES ARE TYPICALLY SEEN AS BEING ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY, BUT SOME BAY AREA LEADERS SAY THE ONE ON THE RICHMOND BRIDGE IS CAUSING AN INCREASE IN TRAFFIC AND POLLUTION. >> I'VE BEEN HERE MOST OF MY LIFE AND I HAVE A LOVE FOR THIS CITY OF RICHMOND. >> BUT WHAT FRANKLY HATES IS THE COMMUTE ACROSS THE RICHMOND-SAN RAFAEL BRIDGE. HE SAYS HE'S TIRED OF SEEING CARS IDLING ENDLESSLY INCHING ALONG THE BRIDGE WITH THE BIKE LANE EMPTY OR IF NOT EMPTY, AT LEAST UNDERUTILIZED. >> WE DON'T WANT TO ELIMINATE THE BIKERS. THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO. THERE'S ONLY 17 IN THE MORNING DURING THAT TIME. WE JUST WANT TO MAKE IT FAIR. >> JOE IS PART OF A GROUP OF COMMUNITY LEADERS. THE COALITION ARGUES NOT ONLY DOES THE BIKE LANE CREATE MORE TRAFFIC, IT CREATES MORE POLLUTION FROM ALL THE CARS BACKED UP ON THE BRIDGE. >> WE HAVE TO LISTEN IN PARTICULAR TO THE VOICES THAT ARE MOST IMPACTED AND THOSE ARE THE RICHMOND RESIDENTS WHO ARE EITHER BREATHING THE AIR OR THOSE SITTING IN SOUL CRUSHING TRAFFIC. >> THE BIKE LANE WAS FIRST INSTALLED ON THE RICHMOND BRIDGE IN 2019. ITS POPULARITY HAS NEVER SHIFTED INTO HIGH GEAR. THERE'S ABOUT 140 BICYCLISTS ON AN AVERAGE WEEKDAY, ABOUT TWO DOZEN PEDESTRIANS. COMPARE THAT TO THE THOUSANDS OF DRIVERS WHO USE THE BRIDGE. >> WE CAN'T DICTATE PROJECTS TO CALTRANS, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY STRONGLY SUGGEST, CONSIDER THESE COMMON SENSE SOLUTIONS. THAT'S ALL WE'RE ASKING. >> ASSEMBLYMAN DAMON CONNOLLY INTRODUCED A BILL THAT WOULD HAVE REMOVED THE BIKE LANE DURING THE MORNING COMMUTE. IT STALLED IN THE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE, BUT COALITION LEADERS LIKE JOE FISHER SAYS THEY'RE NOT GIVING UP. >> THIS COMMUTE IS VERY DIFFICULT, VERY DIFFICULT TO GET TO FROM RICHMOND TO MARIN. >> A SPOKESPERSON FOR CALTRANS SAYS THEY'RE NEARING THE END OF A FOUR-YEAR PILOT PROGRAM WITH THE BIKE LANE. THAT WILL BE UP IN NOVEMBER. THEY WILL REASSESS AT THAT POINT BUGRT IDSALOY CK
