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95-613: Point Richmond , also sometimes referred to locally as The Point , is a neighborhood in Richmond , California , United States, near the eastern end of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge , between Interstate 580 and the San Francisco Bay . Originally a tiny village known as East Yards surrounded by abandoned farm lands, Point Richmond was Richmond's central downtown area from the late 19th century until

190-519: A "wing" logo featuring the same colors. After its inception, the first new AC Transit orders were for GM New Look buses , which the agency advertised as "Transit Liners". AC Transit began New Look operation in late 1960. AC Transit would continue to operate a mixed fleet of buses throughout the 1960s. AC Transit also pioneered the use of articulated buses in the United States; in March 1966 it

285-485: A $ 16.5 million bond issue in 1959 enabling the District to buy out the failing privately owned Key System Transit Lines. In October 1960, AC Transit's service began. The new District built up the bus fleet with 250 new “transit liner” buses, extended service into new neighborhoods, created an intercity express bus network, and increased Bay Bridge bus service. Numerous AC Transit routes were modified in 1972–73 to serve

380-651: A Transbay Replacement for BART service when BART is not running, connecting Albany, Berkeley, El Cerrito, Oakland, and Richmond with San Francisco's Central Business District along Market Street, as well as the Inner Mission and SoMa neighborhoods. Several "Early Bird" Transbay Lines run only on early weekday mornings to substitute for early morning BART rail service while BART is undergoing construction, connecting commuters in Contra Costa Centre, Dublin, Fremont, Oakland, Pittsburg, and San Leandro with

475-491: A cost of $ 193 million. However, Caltrans issued a letter in 1998 saying it would not take over responsibility for the road unless it was brought up to expressway standards; as it was cost-prohibitive to convert it, the road remains the responsibility of the city and county. In 2006, the city celebrated its centennial. This coincided with the repaving and streetscaping project of Macdonald Avenue . The city's old rundown commercial district along Macdonald has been designated

570-700: A decades-long population decline ensued. The census listed 99,545 residents in 1950. By 1960 much of the temporary housing built for the shipyard workers was torn down, and the population dropped to about 71,800. Just before his April 1968 assassination , Martin Luther King Jr. had been working on plans for the Poor People's Campaign , including a multi-city tour of the U.S. with a stop in Richmond. His son, Martin Luther King III , completed

665-448: A female householder with no husband present, 2,585 (7.2%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 2,538 (7.0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships , and 427 (1.2%) same-sex married couples or partnerships . 9,546 households (26.4%) were made up of individuals, and 2,707 (7.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83. There were 24,018 families (66.5% of all households);

760-540: A franchise. Starbucks closed in November 2020 along with a few other local businesses amid pandemic difficulties. There was considerable neighborhood opposition to the relocation of the Point Richmond library in 2007 when it was to be remodeled and reopened (it had been closed since 2004 due to budget issues). Instead, the city's planning commission wanted to tear it down and move it to nearby rental space so that

855-495: A higher-capacity bus; once the specification had been written, two prototypes would be built and tested to select a winner for a large group procurement of 100 buses to keep per-unit costs low. Two European-built articulated buses were tested in the summer of 1974: a Volvo B58 , and a MAN SG 192  [ de ] . Riders received the M.A.N. bus favorably, and the specification was released for bid in 1975; AC Transit placed an order for 30 buses in 1976 and deliveries began from

950-469: A major rail yard next to Point Richmond. It constructed a tunnel through the Potrero San Pablo ridge to run track from the yard to a ferry landing from which freight cars could be transshipped to San Francisco. Where this track crosses the main street in Point Richmond, there remain two of the last operational wigwag grade crossing signals in the United States, and the only surviving examples of

1045-532: A month in cash, plus opportunities to travel beyond Richmond." In 2004, Richmond was ranked the 12th most dangerous city in America. Those rankings have changed, and Richmond is no longer ranked as a "most dangerous" city, in either California or the United States. This is in large part due to the efforts of Police Chief Chris Magnus, who established "community policing", which involves police officers engaging with affected high crime communities. Richmond lies in

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1140-487: A program to prevent gun violence, the Office of Neighborhood Safety. The program collects information and analyzes public records to determine "the 50 people in Richmond most likely to shoot someone and to be shot themselves." It then offers selected individuals "a spot in a program that includes a stipend to turn their lives around". "Over an 18-month period, if the men demonstrate better behavior, ONS offers them up to $ 1,000

1235-415: A proposed and eventually built Starbucks coffeehouse in the neighborhood. Some residents feared that the opening of a corporate chain store would dampen a much loved way of life and cherished independent " mom and pop " commercial sector. Nevertheless, an Extreme Pizza also operates in the commercial strip, but in 2011 the community lobbied for a moratorium or ban on chains when Subway attempted to open

1330-860: A revived economy. The District is the public successor to the privately owned Key System . In 2023, the system had a ridership of 37,702,700, or about 160,300 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024. The AC Transit District is the third-largest public bus system in California, serving a number of cities and unincorporated areas in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. These include Alameda , Albany , Ashland , Berkeley , Castro Valley , Cherryland , East Richmond Heights , El Cerrito , El Sobrante , Emeryville , Fairview , Fremont , Hayward , Kensington , Newark , North Richmond , Oakland , Piedmont , Richmond , San Leandro , San Lorenzo , and San Pablo . Some AC Transit bus routes also serve other areas in

1425-702: A seismic upgrade and remodeling. The nearby hill is Nicholl Knob, which is part of the Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline . In the historic downtown section there is the Point Richmond History Association museum, a small museum of photos and artifacts that are dedicated to local history. There is a tunnel through this hill named the Ferry Point tunnel; Santa Fe Railroad trains would use it to reach Ferry Point and allow passengers to board ferries to complete

1520-413: A short distance San Francisco on Red Rock Island in the San Francisco Bay . Richmond is one of two cities, the other being San Rafael , that sits on the shores of both San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay . Its population was 116,448 as of the 2020 census making it the second largest city in the United States named Richmond after Richmond, Virginia . The name "Richmond" predates incorporation of

1615-680: Is Brickyard Cove a housing development in the area of a former brickyard. Nearby, at the end of Dornan Drive is the S.S. Red Oak Victory ship in former World War II Kaiser Shipyard 3, which is part of the Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park ; it is a restored Victory ship built in the city during World War II . Further along lies Brickyard Cove and the Richmond Yacht Club, one of many marinas in

1710-487: Is a 60-foot articulated bus, and 5 battery electric buses from New Flyer. AC Transit is funded with a mix of federal, state, and local government subsidies, as well as passenger fares. In March 2004, voters throughout the San Francisco Bay Area approved Regional Measure 2 , which funds regional transportation capital and operating programs through a US$ 1.00 surcharge on State-owned bridges operated by

1805-516: Is a city in western Contra Costa County, California , United States. The city was incorporated on August 3, 1905, and has a city council . Located in the San Francisco Bay Area 's East Bay region, Richmond borders San Pablo , Albany , El Cerrito and Pinole in addition to the unincorporated communities of North Richmond , Hasford Heights, Kensington , El Sobrante , Bayview-Montalvin Manor , Tara Hills , and East Richmond Heights , and for

1900-417: Is also home to one of the last pristine moist grassland habitats in the entire Bay Area at the former Campus Bay UC Berkeley Field Station near Meeker Slough . Richmond residents, however, have limited access to other environmental benefits. Because of the refineries located in Richmond, air quality is particularly low, and residents are especially at risk of air-pollution-related health issues. In 2006,

1995-556: Is constituted as a special district under California law. It is governed by seven elected members (five from geographic wards and two at large). It is not a part of or under the control of Alameda or Contra Costa counties or any local jurisdictions. Buses operate out of four operating divisions: Emeryville, East Oakland (Seminary), Hayward, and Richmond. The Operations Control Center is in Emeryville. The Richmond operating division closed in 2011, but opened again in early 2017 due to

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2090-645: Is home to many species of animals. Canada geese visit the city on their annual migrations. Harbor seals live on the Castro Rocks, and pigeons and gulls populate the sidewalks and parking lots. Tadpoles and frogs can be found in the local creeks and vernal pools. Field mice and lizards are also found. Herons and egrets nest in protected areas on Brooks Island. Deer , falcons , raccoons , ducks, foxes, owls, and mountain lions live in Wildcat Canyon and Point Pinole Regional Shoreline . A license

2185-576: Is land and 22.4 square miles (58 km ) (comprising 42.71%) is water. The city sits on 32 miles (51 km) of waterfront, more than any other city in the Bay Area. The city borders San Francisco Bay to the southwest and San Pablo Bay to the northwest, and includes Brooks Island and the Brother Islands entirely, and half of Red Rock Island . There are several cities and unincorporated communities surrounding or bordering Richmond. To

2280-473: Is lessened. The average wind speed is 6–9 miles per hour (10–14 km/h) with stronger winds from March through August; the strongest winds are in June. The city also enjoys more than 80% sunshine seven months out of the year and ten months with 60% or more. December and January are the darkest months with about 45% average brightness. The city experiences virtually no snowfall, and brief hail annually. Richmond

2375-473: Is needed for fishing on the waterfront or city waters but not on the piers, where in addition to crabs, sturgeon are plentiful and bat rays may also be found. Striped bass , bat rays , leopard sharks , surf perch , jacksmelt , sturgeon , white croaker , and flounders are also found. Richmond is one of the few places where you can find the rare Olympia oyster on the West Coast, in the waters along

2470-613: Is not party to the lawsuit, and the court sided with MTC in 2009. In November 2008, voters approved Measure VV, which increased the parcel tax by US$ 48 annually for 10 years beginning 1 July 2009, to help fund AC Transit services. Measure VV also extended the US$ 48 parcel tax approved under Measure BB so a total US$ 96 annual tax is effective through 30 June 2019. AC Transit also offers wireless internet on many buses that serve Transbay lines. These buses can be distinguished by their all-green livery, padded "commuter" seats, and Wi-Fi logos near

2565-800: The BATA . (The Golden Gate Bridge is owned and operated by the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District .) In November 2004, voters approved Measure BB, which increased the parcel tax from US$ 24 to US$ 48 annually for 10 years beginning 1 July 2005, to help fund AC Transit services. In April 2005, a federal class-action lawsuit was filed against the Metropolitan Transportation Commission alleging that it discriminates against AC Transit's primarily minority riders by giving AC Transit disproportionately less money than BART and Caltrain . AC Transit

2660-633: The Richmond Assembly Plant , which later moved to Milpitas in 1956. The old Ford plant in Richmond has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1988. In 2004 it was purchased by developer Eddie Orton, who converted it into an events center named Ford Point Building–The Craneway. At the onset of World War II , the four Richmond Shipyards were built along Richmond's waterfront, employing thousands of workers, many migrating to Richmond from other parts of

2755-658: The VTA Orange Line light rail service at the Milpitas Transit Center . Some routes also connect with commuter rail and regional rail services, including the ACE commuter rail service at the Fremont–Centerville station and Amtrak 's California Zephyr , Capitol Corridor , Coast Starlight , and San Joaquins services. AC Transit routes also connect with several other bus systems in

2850-560: The "upside-down" type. The wigwag is a type of railroad crossing signal that was phased out in the 1970s and '80s across the country. There was controversy in 2005 when the State Transportation Authority ordered the BNSF railroad company to upgrade the railroad crossing signals. A compromise was achieved that included installing new modern crossing gates, red lights and bells while not removing, but simply shutting off,

2945-462: The AM General/M.A.N. joint venture in 1978. For its rigid buses, AC Transit continued purchasing GM New Look buses through the early 1970s, then switched to purchasing Flxible New Look buses starting in 1974. Since the early 1980s, AC Transit began acquiring buses from Flyer , Neoplan , and Gillig . Around this time, AC Transit began ordering new buses in a "stripe" color scheme, featuring

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3040-621: The Ballard/ XCELLSiS ZEbus (a New Flyer F40LF with a Ballard fuel cell) in November 1999. Three hydrogen-powered buses, based on the Van Hool A330, operated in revenue service from 2006 to 2010. AC Transit took delivery of 12 additional third-generation fuel cell buses, based on the Van Hool A300L in 2011. In 2019, AC Transit began operating 11 additional hydrogen fuel cell buses from New Flyer, one of which

3135-690: The Bay Area, such as Contra Costa Centre , Dublin , Milpitas , Palo Alto , Pinole , Pittsburg , San Francisco , Stanford , and Union City . AC Transit provides service to many colleges and universities, including Berkeley City College , California State University, East Bay , Chabot College , College of Alameda , Contra Costa College , Holy Names University , Laney College , Merritt College , Mills College at Northeastern University , Northwestern Polytechnic University , Ohlone College , Stanford University , and University of California, Berkeley . Most AC Transit routes connect with rapid transit services, such as BART , with one route connecting to

3230-947: The Bay Area, such as the Dumbarton Express , Emery Go-Round , FAST , Golden Gate Transit , MUNI , SamTrans , SolTrans , Union City Transit , VTA, and WestCAT bus systems. AC Transit also connects with the San Francisco Bay Ferry system at several ferry slips , including the Alameda Harbor Bay Ferry Slip, the Alameda Seaplane Lagoon Ferry Slip, the Oakland Ferry Slip, and the Richmond Ferry Slip. While most AC Transit service consists of local lines that operate within

3325-600: The Bay and Red Rock Island. The city is within the 94801, 94803, 94804, 94805, and 94806 ZIP Codes . Richmond, like much of the coastal East Bay , enjoys a very mild Mediterranean climate year round. The climate is slightly warmer than the coastal areas of San Francisco, the Peninsula , and Marin County; it is however more temperate than areas further inland. The average highs range from 57 to 73 °F (14 to 23 °C) and

3420-716: The Dumbarton Bridge. On June 30, 2003, a new "rapid bus" line operating on San Pablo Avenue was introduced. Designated as Line 72R (or San Pablo Rapid ), the service connected Oakland with Richmond and operated at faster speeds than regular local service due to wide stop spacing and signal priority treatments. Beginning December 10, 2005, AC Transit began participating in the regional All Nighter network, providing 24-hour bus service throughout its service area to supplement BART service, which does not operate during owl hours. AC Transit had provided 24-hour service on many of its trunk lines prior to this date, except in

3515-753: The East Bay District, the District also provides Transbay lines. Most of these run across the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge during rush hours only, connecting commuters with San Francisco's Salesforce Transit Center . Three routes run across the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge on a daily basis, connecting passengers in Alameda, Berkeley, Emeryville, and Oakland with the Salesforce Transit Center. A late night-only bus operates overnight as

3610-596: The East Bay. Most routes serve and/or terminate at BART stations. The hubs include: Much of AC transit's ridership is skewed heavily towards a few heavily trafficked local (as opposed to trans-bay) routes. As of 2013, the top five routes account for a third of all riders, and the top twelve routes account for more than half. Voters created the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) in 1956 and subsequently approved

3705-698: The Eastern Contra Costa Transit Authority) on June 5, 1977. The lines in central Contra Costa County ( County Connection ) were transferred to the new Central Contra Costa Transit Authority in June 1982. Tri-Delta Transit switched to a different operator in 1984. In 2003, the District introduced a San Mateo-Hayward Bridge route. Designated as Line M, the service connected the BART stations of Castro Valley and Hayward with Foster City and San Mateo 's Hillsdale Caltrain station. A second San Mateo-Hayward Bridge route, Line MA,

3800-563: The Hispanic population, 27.3% were of Mexican origin, 4.7% Salvadoran , 1.7% Guatemalan , and 1.2% Nicaraguan heritage. The census reported that 102,118 people (98.5% of the population) lived in households, 670 (0.6%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 913 (0.9%) were institutionalized. There were 36,093 households, out of which 13,487 (37.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 14,502 (40.2%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 6,931 (19.2%) had

3895-695: The Poverty in America Tour in 2007, stopping in Richmond. Unrest in late June 1968, sparked by the police shooting of a 15-year-old boy, damaged businesses in downtown along Macdonald Avenue. Most notably, the Travalini Furniture Store was destroyed by fire, which was assumed to be the result of the violent protests, but according to Fraser Felter, who was a reporter for the Richmond Independent , police sources told him

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3990-644: The Salesforce Transit Center. Lastly, one Transbay Bus service is provided during rush hours only across the Dumbarton Bridge between the Fremont BART station and the Stanford Oval at Stanford University, connecting commuters in Fremont with Palo Alto and Stanford. AC Transit's primary hubs include BART stations, major shopping centers, and points of interest, which are spread throughout

4085-647: The Santa Fe and Southern Pacific and serviced their passenger coach equipment. The Pullman Company was a large employer of African American men, who worked mainly as porters on the Pullman cars. Many of them settled in the East Bay, from Richmond to Oakland, before World War II. From 1917 and throughout the 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan was active in the city. In 1930 the Ford Motor Company opened

4180-693: The average family size was 3.43. The age distribution of the population shows 25,800 people (24.9%) under the age of 18, 10,364 people (10.0%) aged 18 to 24, 30,846 people (29.7%) aged 25 to 44, 26,109 people (25.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 10,582 people (10.2%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.0 males. There were 39,328 housing units at an average density of 749.4 units per square mile (289.3 units/km ), of which 36,093 were occupied, of which 18,659 (51.7%) were owner-occupied, and 17,434 (48.3%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate

4275-401: The board of directors. In 1969, AC Transit received a grant and converted bus #666 to steam power, which ran in revenue service between 1971 and 1972. The propulsion system was designed by William Brobeck and used a triple-expansion reciprocating steam engine; power was improved compared to the original six-cylinder Detroit Diesel 6V71 engine and emissions were reduced, but fuel consumption

4370-523: The building, reusing the land for a mixed-use development including residential, retail, and logistics facilities. In the late 1990s the Richmond Parkway was built along Richmond's western industrial and northwestern parkland, connecting Interstates 80 and 580. Construction of the Parkway, which follows the alignment of SR 93 as proposed in 1958, started in 1990 and completed in 1996 at

4465-651: The city by more than fifty years. Edmund Randolph , originally from Richmond, Virginia , represented the city of San Francisco when California's first legislature met in San Jose in December 1849, and he became state assemblyman from San Francisco. Out of fondness for his hometown, Randolph persuaded a federal surveying party, surveying and mapping the San Francisco Bay, to place the names "Point Richmond" and "Richmond" on their 1854 geodetic coastal map. The map

4560-709: The city council requested a declaration of a state of emergency and asked for the intervention of the Contra Costa County Sheriff and the California Highway Patrol . Murder, vehicle theft, and larceny rates remain high, although they tend to be concentrated in the Iron Triangle and adjacent unincorporated North Richmond , which is outside the jurisdiction of the Richmond Police Department . By 1991,

4655-502: The city had the largest winery in the world; the small abandoned village of Winehaven remains fenced off along Western Drive in the Point Molate Area . Richmond was a small town at that time, with some industrial development centered on the waterfront based around the railroad and oil refineries. The Pullman Company also established a major facility in Richmond in the early 20th century. The facility connected with both

4750-551: The city is the Santa Cruz tarweed which survives alongside Interstate 80. Wildcat Canyon also hosts falcons and vultures. Threatened black rails also live in the city's marshes. After a baby gray whale was beached on the Point Richmond shore in May 2007, its rotting corpse became bothersome to neighbors. Removal was delayed as various agencies argued over which would have to pay for it, at an eventual cost of $ 18,000. Richmond

4845-406: The city was sued by an environmental group for dumping raw sewage into the Bay. Councilmember Tom Butt was very vocal on the subject, accusing the city council of turning a blind eye to the problem. A 60-acre, 10.5-megawatt solar farm was opened within the city in 2018. The farm sits on a former landfill owned by Chevron . The city has in the past suffered from a high crime rate; at one point,

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4940-572: The city's "Main Street District" by the state of California. This has led to funding of improvements in the form of state grants. Richmond is located at 37°56′09″N 122°20′52″W  /  37.93583°N 122.34778°W  / 37.93583; -122.34778 . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 52.5 square miles (136 km ), of which 30.1 square miles (78 km )

5035-462: The city's all-time high of 62 homicides, among a population of 98,000, was seven times the national average. The portion of these homicides that were drug- or gang-related increased from 5 percent to 55 percent between 1989 and 1991. Despite the city making extreme headway in crime reduction and prevention, Richmond received widespread attention in 2009 when a girl was gang raped at a homecoming dance at Richmond High School. In 2007, Richmond opened

5130-424: The city. There are condominiums and brand new luxury tract homes terraced into the hills as well as homes built over the water on piles along two spits. Point Richmond's shoreline was the location of a 20-foot (6.1 m) beached gray whale calf in May 2007, the source of considerable odor in the area. After a delay in obtaining permits and disputes over who would pay, the carcass was towed out to sea. One of

5225-562: The city; they are tested on the first Wednesday of every month, at 11 am PST (12 pm PDT), and are usually used to warn of toxic chemical releases from the Chevron Richmond Refinery . In a July 26, 1993, industrial accident, a General Chemical company rail tanker car containing oleum overheated and exploded in the General Chemical railyard. This resulted in a 17-mile (27 km) area contaminated with

5320-581: The country after being recruited. These new workers generally lived in housing constructed specifically for the wartime boom, scattered throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, including Richmond, Berkeley and Albany. Many of these new migrants were Black Americans from the South and to a lesser extent the Midwest who took jobs in heavy industry and transport as those industries expanded to meet

5415-451: The crossing), are one of only a handful still in existence nationwide. The neighborhood is divided by a ridge, which separates it into a "Bay side" and a "town side." Many houses, which include historic Victorians , offer a view of the bay. Many of the area businesses are housed in century-old buildings dating back to before the founding or incorporation of the town. The Plunge is a local landmark swim center, reopened in August 2010 after

5510-631: The early 20th century, when the present downtown superseded it as the busiest part of town. Since then, its trademark " mom-and-pop " shops have largely survived. The Point Richmond Historic District has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1978. The neighborhood is dominated to the north by several industrial operations, including a large Chevron refinery, several smaller chemical manufacturing facilities and an active Burlington Northern Santa Fe freight yard. Long distance freight trains are put together in this yard, largely consisting of container cars and automobile transports loaded from

5605-577: The fire was set to avoid a debt instead by destroying store records. In the 1970s, the Hilltop area was developed in Richmond's northern suburbs, further depressing the downtown area as it drew retail clients and tenants away to the large indoor Hilltop Mall, which opened in 1976. The shopping mall, last named Hilltop Horizon , was opened under Taubman Centers , and has been sold since then to GM Pension Trust (1998), Simon Property Group (2007), Jones Lang LaSalle (2012), LBG Real Estate (2017), and Prologis (2021), who announced plans to close and demolish

5700-404: The first inhabitants of the Richmond area, settling an estimated 5,000 years ago. They spoke the Chochenyo language , and subsisted as hunter-gatherers and harvesters . The site that would eventually become the city of Richmond was part of the Rancho San Pablo land granted to Don Francisco María Castro , from which the nearby town of San Pablo inherited its name; the Point Richmond area

5795-518: The first of its new Gillig buses. In August of the same year, AC Transit placed the first of its new New Flyer Xcelsior articulated buses into service. Later that year, in November 2013, new Gillig buses with a suburban seating configuration and Transbay branding were introduced into service. All AC Transit buses are wheelchair accessible and have front-mounted bicycle racks. The MCI buses also feature luggage bay bicycle racks. AC Transit buses purchased after 2007 have air conditioning , as approved by

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5890-426: The historic ones and preserving their functionality for special events. Standard Oil set up operations on land sold by Emily Tewksbury in 1901, including what is now the Chevron Richmond Refinery and tank farm , which Chevron still operates. There is a pier into San Francisco Bay south of Point Molate for oil tankers. The city of Richmond was incorporated in 1905. Until the enactment of prohibition in 1919,

5985-457: The intersection of El Portal Drive and Via Verdi. Although no one was hurt, a car fell into the sinkhole. On August 6, 2012, at around 6:15 PM, a large fire erupted at the Chevron refinery, sending significant plumes of toxic smoke into the surrounding area and resulting in over 15,000 people to seek medical treatment at local hospitals. Just minutes after the fire was reported, Contra Costa Health Services notified residents “ shelter in place ”;

6080-574: The key to bus rapid transit service between Berkeley and San Leandro along Shattuck , Telegraph , International Blvd , and East 14th Street. At the same time, AC Transit rolled out a revised "ribbon" livery featuring new colors (green and black), and a new logo. The logo was simplified in 2014. After criticism over the use of federal funds to purchase foreign-made Van Hool buses and the tailoring of specification requirements to exclude domestic manufacturers, AC Transit ordered locally-built Gillig buses in 2012. In March 2013, AC Transit began operating

6175-501: The last remaining portions of the channel and marshlands that once separated the island of Point Richmond with the mainland is the Herman Slough Creek in the north end of the neighborhood along with the Santa Rita Channel where the marinas are now located. It is served by AC Transit line 72M , which begins in Jack London Square and terminates in Point Richmond, and by Golden Gate Transit 's commuter route 42 and express route 40 to San Rafael Transit Center in Marin County . There

6270-464: The late 1990s due to budget limitations. On December 13, 2013, AC Transit adopted a new fare policy that brought changes to the transit system July 2014, including a new day pass that is in line with other transit agencies including VTA and SamTrans . The policy is also designed to speed boarding and help keep buses on schedule, provide greater convenience and value for customers, and encourage more customers to switch to Clipper A rapid bus line

6365-574: The line does have scheduled timepoints en route, most buses typically travel along the route as fast (or as slow) as traffic allows. On June 24, 2007, the success of line 72R made it a model for another rapid bus line that was introduced. Line 1R (or International Rapid ) operated on weekdays between Berkeley Way and Oxford Street in Berkeley and Bay Fair BART station in San Leandro, mainly along Telegraph Avenue , International Boulevard , and East 14th Street. Weekend and holiday service operated between Downtown Oakland and San Leandro only. Line 1R

6460-413: The local siren system was activated and several messages were issued through the Emergency Alert System warning people of the fire and hazardous materials incident. The fire was reported contained at around 10:40 PM. The 2010 United States census reported that Richmond had a population of 103,701. The population density was 1,976.0 inhabitants per square mile (762.9/km ). The racial makeup of Richmond

6555-457: The lows range from 43 to 56 °F (6 to 13 °C) year round. Richmond usually enjoys an " Indian summer ", and September is, on average, the warmest month. January is on average the coldest month. The highest recorded temperature in Richmond was 107 °F (42 °C) in September 1971 while the coldest was 24 °F (−4 °C) in December 1990. The rainy season begins in late October and ends in April, with some showers in May. Most of

6650-512: The nearby Port of Richmond, as well as some brought up from the Port of Oakland. The 24-hour operations of the switch engines are a constant feature of life in the Point. Residents have a love-hate relationship with the trains, pushing the railroad to modify operations to make them quieter and less disruptive to traffic but also fighting to save the wig wag signals when BNSF made plans to remove them. The wig wag signals, while no longer operating (newer gates, red lights and bells have been installed at

6745-414: The needs of the war economy, while increased numbers of women also joined the industrial workforce for the first time as large numbers of working-age men were drafted for the war effort. During the war, Richmond's population increased dramatically, rising from 23,000 in 1940 to 114,899 in 1942 and peaking at around 120,000 by 1945. A specially built rail line, the Shipyard Railway , transported workers to

6840-815: The new BART system. AC Transit began operating express service connecting BART terminals with outer suburban points under contract to BART on December 2, 1974. With BART operating, suburban municipalities began contracting with AC Transit to operate local bus service. Service began in Fremont on November 12, 1974; in Newark on December 16, 1974; in Concord on September 8, 1975; in Pleasant Hill on December 8, 1975; in Moraga and Orinda on September 13, 1976; and in Antioch and Pittsburg (as Tri Delta Transit under contract to

6935-438: The poisonous gas, and led to 25,000 people landing in the hospital. The incident led to lawsuits, and has been referred to as a mini- Bhopal . The city's shoreline and wildlife were seriously affected by the 2007 San Francisco Bay oil spill . Beaches and shoreline were closed, but later reopened. Keller Beach was closed to public access for swimmers. On April 15, 2010, a sinkhole roughly 30 feet (9.1 m) deep appeared at

7030-444: The rain occurs during stronger storms which occur between November and March and drop 3.3–4.91 inches (84–125 mm) of rain per month. January and February are the rainiest months. Like most of the Bay Area, Richmond is made up of several microclimates . Southern parts of the city and the ridges receive more fog than northern areas. Summer temperatures are higher in inland areas, where the moderating influence of San Francisco Bay

7125-414: The refinery's shoreline. Rainbow trout have recently returned to San Pablo and Wildcat creeks. Red-tailed hawks patrol the skies. Monarch butterflies migrate through the city on their journey between Mexico and Canada. Wildcat Marsh has two ponds where Canada geese often rest, and is also the home of the endangered salt marsh harvest mouse and California clapper rail . Another endangered species in

7220-606: The route. The Telegraph Avenue alignment of the 1R between the Uptown Transit Center and U.C. Berkeley is currently being served by local route 6. At its inception, AC Transit purchased the mixed White, Mack, and GM "old-look" bus fleet from its predecessor, the Key System. The ex-Key System buses were repainted in "clownface" livery, featuring a predominantly white (upper half) and orange (lower front) color scheme with teal side stripes, and AC Transit adopted

7315-558: The same orange, teal, and white colors as the previous "clownface" livery. In the late 1990s, AC Transit added buses from NABI . AC Transit supplemented these buses with a fleet of 45-foot over-the-road coaches purchased from Motor Coach Industries beginning in the early 2000s. In 2003, AC Transit began purchasing low-floor buses from Van Hool . The Van Hool buses were assembled in Belgium and featured low floors and three doors (four doors on articulated models), which AC Transit touted as

7410-561: The shipyards. Kaiser's Richmond shipyards built 747 Victory and Liberty ships for the war effort, more than any other site in the U.S. The shipyards broke many records, including the completion of a Liberty ship in just five days. On average the yards built a new ship in 30 days. The medical system established for the shipyard workers at the Richmond Field Hospital eventually became today's Kaiser Permanente HMO . The hospital remained in operation until 1993, when it

7505-606: The south is the city of Albany which is in Alameda County and the city of El Cerrito . The unincorporated communities of East Richmond Heights , Rollingwood , Hasford Heights, and El Sobrante lie to the east. North Richmond to the west and San Pablo to the east are almost entirely surrounded by Richmond's city limits. To the north, Richmond borders the city of Pinole and the unincorporated areas of Bayview , Montalvin Manor , Hilltop Green, Tara Hills . Richmond borders Alameda , San Francisco, and Marin counties in

7600-436: The surrounding empty lot could be turned into a lively town square. Approximately half of the Point Richmond residents vehemently rejected this and the committee dropped its plans. Still, a lot of the residents would like to tear down the building and move the library into one of the many empty office buildings. However, the nasty fight from the first attempt is still in clear vision to even discuss this matter effectively. There

7695-556: The trial ended in September 1972, and the diesel engine was subsequently reinstalled in the bus. AC Transit is the lead agency of Zero Emission Bay Area (ZEBA), a consortium of five Bay Area transit agencies (AC Transit, Golden Gate Transit , SFMTA , SamTrans , and VTA ) demonstrating fuel cell buses. The District began the HyRoad program in 1999 and tested several fuel cell buses with new hydrogen fuelling infrastructure, including

7790-496: The trip to San Francisco. Part of the area on the bay side of the tunnel is known as Brickyard Cove owing to the brickyard which used to operate in the area. Point Richmond is home to Keller Beach , one of the several publicly accessible beaches in Richmond, and nearby is a picnic area and parking lot. Across from the picnic area is the Golden State Model Railroad Museum . Continuing along the road

7885-448: The volatile California region that has a potential for devastating earthquakes. Many buildings were damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake . The city has also had at least one minor tornado. The Chevron Richmond Refinery had highly noted chemical leaks in the 1990s. The company has been fined thousands, and sometimes hundreds of thousands, of dollars. Richmond has a siren system consisting of 17 emergency warning sirens located across

7980-687: Was 2.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 8.1%. 52,683 people (50.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 49,435 people (47.7%) lived in rented housing. AC Transit AC Transit ( Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District ) is an Oakland -based public transit agency serving the western portions of Alameda and Contra Costa counties in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area . AC Transit also operates "Transbay" routes across San Francisco Bay to San Francisco and selected areas in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. AC Transit

8075-440: Was 32,590 (31.4%) White , 27,542 (26.6%) African American , 662 (0.6%) Native American , 13,984 (13.5%) Asian (4.0% Chinese , 3.5% Filipino , 1.6% Laotian , 1.2% Indian , 0.7% Vietnamese , 0.6% Japanese , 0.4% Korean , 0.2% Pakistani , 0.1% Thai ), 537 (0.5%) Pacific Islander , 22,573 (21.8%) from other races , and 5,813 (5.6%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 40,921 persons (39.5%). Among

8170-505: Was added in 2006 and discontinued in 2007. (The M replaced the SamTrans 90E, which had been canceled in 1999.) In 2004, the District began service on Line U across the Dumbarton Bridge , connecting Stanford University with ACE and BART trains in Fremont. As part of a consortium of transit agencies (including AC Transit, BART, SamTrans, Union City Transit , and VTA ), the District already operated Dumbarton Express bus service across

8265-480: Was also controversy over a T-Mobile cellular tower that was installed on Water Street atop an apartment building. A group of Point Richmond residents claimed the property owners did this without proper public notice. In December 2009, the First District Court of Appeal rejected the protesters' challenge and upheld the legality of the antenna installation. Richmond, California Richmond

8360-540: Was discontinued on June 26, 2016. On August 9, 2020, the 1R was largely replaced by Tempo , AC Transit's new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route. Tempo operates between the Uptown Transit Center and the San Leandro BART station via International Boulevard and East 14th Street. It features 46 brand new platform stations (curbside and center-median) with dedicated bus lanes along the majority of

8455-466: Was higher than the conventional diesel bus. The steam system is a closed loop. Exhaust steam is condensed and returned to the steam generator, which is an externally-fired boiler that uses 1,400 feet (430 m) of coiled steel tubing. Prior to entering service, the steam bus was exhibited in Washington DC and to the public. Bus #666 completed 3,403 miles (5,477 km) in revenue service when

8550-584: Was introduced on San Pablo Avenue on June 30, 2003. Designated as Line 72R (or San Pablo Rapid ), it operates from 6 am to 7 pm at 12-minute intervals on weekdays, and 7 am to 7 pm at 15-minute intervals on weekends and holidays. Bus stops are spaced 2/3-mile apart on average, running between Jack London Square (via 20th Street and Broadway) in Oakland and Contra Costa College in San Pablo, and buses receive signal priority at several intersections. Although

8645-583: Was known originally as The Potrero and then renamed as Point Stevens in early charts of San Francisco Bay . Point Richmond was an island, but industrial development and deliberate fill connected it to the mainland by the early 1900s. On July 4, 1900, the Santa Fe Railroad 's western terminus was established at Point Richmond with ferry connections from Ferry Point in the Brickyard Cove area to San Francisco. The Santa Fe railroad also built

8740-573: Was previously shuttle service on line 374 to the Richmond Ferry Terminal until it ceased operations in 2001. In addition to express transbay bus service to the San Francisco Transbay Terminal along route LD, there was also service directly to El Cerrito del Norte BART from Point Richmond and Brickyard Cove on line 79, but these routes were removed due to funding cuts. There was controversy in 2002 over

8835-507: Was replaced by the Richmond Medical Center hospital, which has since expanded to a multi-building campus. Point Richmond was Richmond's original commercial hub, but a new downtown arose in the center of the city along Macdonald Avenue during the war. It was populated by department stores such as Kress , J.C. Penney , Sears , Macy's , and Woolworth's . When the war ended the shipyard workers were no longer needed, and

8930-569: Was the first transit agency to use the Super Golden Eagle long-distance coach (originally designed and built for Continental Trailways ; AC Transit designated it XMC-77 and called it the "Freeway Train"), primarily on Transbay service. By 1970, AC Transit was one of six agencies to participate in a "super bus project" coordinated by the National Transportation Center (Pittsburgh) to write a specification for

9025-582: Was used at the terminal selected by the San Francisco and San Joaquin Valley Railroad . By 1899 maps made by the railroad carried the name "Point Richmond Avenue", a county road that later became Barrett Avenue, a central street in Richmond. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad purchased the railroad making their terminus at Richmond. The first post office opened in 1900, and the city of Richmond incorporated in 1905. The Ohlone were

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