Richmond station (California)

Richmond station (officially the Richmond Transit Center) is an Amtrak intercity rail and Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station located in downtown Richmond, California. Richmond is the north terminus of BART service on the Orange Line and Red Line; it is a stop for Amtrak's Capitol Corridor, San Joaquins, and California Zephyr routes. The accessible station has one island platform for the two BART tracks, with a second island platform serving two of the three tracks of the Union Pacific Railroad Martinez Subdivision for Amtrak trains. It is one of two transfer points between BART and Amtrak, along with Oakland Coliseum station.

Richmond
The main entrance to Richmond station in April 2018
General information
Location	1700 Nevin Avenue Richmond, California United States
Coordinates	37°56′12″N 122°21′11″W / 37.9368°N 122.3531°W / 37.9368; -122.3531
Owned by	Bay Area Rapid Transit Union Pacific Railroad (Amtrak platform)^[1]
Line(s)	UP Martinez Subdivision^[2] BART R-Line
Platforms	1 island platform (Amtrak) 1 island platform (BART)
Tracks	3 (Amtrak) 2 (BART)
Connections	AC Transit: 70, 71, 72M, 74, 76, 376, 800 Flixbus
Construction
Parking	768 spaces
Bicycle facilities	Racks and 32 lockers
Accessible	Yes
Architect	Maher & Martens^[3]
Other information
Station code	Amtrak: RIC
History
Opened	January 29, 1973 (1973-01-29) (BART)^[4] October 30, 1977 (Amtrak)
Rebuilt	October 18, 2007^[1]
Passengers
2024	2,332 (weekday average)^[5] (BART)
FY 2022	114,929^[6] (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Emeryville Terminus California Zephyr Martinez toward Chicago Berkeley toward San Jose Capitol Corridor Martinez toward Auburn Emeryville toward Oakland San Joaquins Martinez toward Bakersfield      Coast Starlight does not stop here Preceding station Bay Area Rapid Transit Following station El Cerrito del Norte toward Berryessa/​North San José Orange Line Terminus El Cerrito del Norte toward Millbrae Red Line
Former services Preceding station Amtrak Following station Emeryville toward Los Angeles Coast Starlight 1978–1996, 2013–2020 Martinez toward Seattle Oakland-16th Street toward Los Angeles Spirit of California 1981–1983 Martinez toward Sacramento Preceding station Southern Pacific Railroad Following station Stege toward Oakland Pier Overland Route San Pablo toward Ogden Shasta Route San Pablo toward Portland
Track layout Legend Amtrak to Auburn, Bakersfield, Chicago to Richmond Yards pedestrian tunnel parking garage BART to Berryessa/​North San José, Millbrae Amtrak to Emeryville, San Jose, Oakland This diagram: view talk edit
Location

The Southern Pacific (SP)-controlled Northern Railway opened through what is now Richmond in 1878. A flag stop at Barrett's Station was established by the mid-1880s; it was renamed Richmond in 1902 during the town's rapid growth. The SP constructed a new station at Richmond in 1904 and again in 1914–15. The SP station was demolished around 1968, though passenger continued until the formation of Amtrak in 1971.

The modern station opened on January 29, 1973, as the northern terminal of BART service. Controversies during planning included the station location and the design of the concourse. Amtrak service to the station began on October 30, 1977. A new Amtrak platform was built in 2001, followed by a renovation of the whole station completed in 2007. A parking garage replaced the surface parking lot in 2013.

Station design and services

 

The under-track concourse in 2021

Richmond station is located in Downtown Richmond in a large block bounded by Macdonald Avenue, Marina Way, Barrett Avenue, and 19th Street. The rail right-of-way runs diagonally (northwest–southeast) through the block at street level, with bridges over lowered sections of Macdonald Avenue and Barrett Avenue at the ends of the station. The BART platform – a single island platform with two tracks – is located on the east side of the station complex. Richmond is the north terminus of BART service on the Orange Line and Red Line.^[7] The Amtrak platform – an island platform served by two of the three tracks of the Union Pacific Railroad Martinez Subdivision – is located to its west.^[2] It is served by the Capitol Corridor, San Joaquins, and California Zephyr routes.^[7]

A pedestrian concourse aligned with Nevin Avenue runs east–west under the tracks and platforms. Entrances from street level are located at both ends of the concourse.^[7] A semicircular "industrial post-modern" metal canopy covers the west entrance and a small retail building.^[1][7] A parking garage, a curved busway, and a kiss and ride lane are located on the southwest side of the station. Metro Walk, a mixed-use transit-oriented development, occupies the northwest corner of the block. The station is fully accessible, with elevators to both platforms and at both entrances.^[7]

 

Mosaic relief by William Mitchell

The BART station was one of five designed by local firm Maher & Martens.^[8] Three pieces of public art are located around the station complex. A mosaic relief of marine life by William Mitchell, made of seashells and fiberglass, is in the BART paid area of the concourse. Architecture critic Dave Weinstein describes it as "rather disquieting" and "the strangest work at any BART station".^[9][10] On the Right Track, a 2007 series of tile murals by Jos Sances and Daniel Galvez, is located in the west entrance plaza.^[11][12] Moving Richmond by Mildred Howard consists of two bent weathering steel plates with poetry by Ishmael Reed on the side of the parking garage.^[13][14]

Although Richmond is a terminal station for BART, most connecting regional bus services instead run to El Cerrito del Norte station, which is much closer to I-80.^[15] Richmond station is served by several AC Transit bus services — local routes 70, 71, 72M, 74, 76, 376; several school routes; and all-night route 800 — all of which use the station busway. Flixbus intercity buses and local shuttles also use the busway.^[7] A Golden Gate Transit route over the Richmond–San Rafael Bridge connecting Richmond to the agency's main service area in North Bay ran until 2015, when it was combined with a route that terminates at El Cerrito del Norte station.^[16]

History

Southern Pacific Railroad

The Southern Pacific (SP)-controlled Northern Railway opened through the then-uninhabited swamplands near Point Richmond on January 8, 1878.^[17] Stops were soon established at San Pablo, north of what is now Richmond, and Stege in what is now the southeast corner of Richmond.^[18][19][20] By the mid-1880s, the SP established a flag stop at Barrett's station at modern-day Barrett Avenue. It was named for George H. Barrett, a local landowner whose house was nearby.^{[21][22][23][24]} By the turn of the century, Barrett's station was a three-sided shelter at which passengers could hail several daily trains.^[21][25]

 

Postcard view of the Macdonald Avenue underpass, with the 1904-built SP station at right

In 1902, Barrett's station was renamed Richmond to match the rapidly growing town.^[26] The SP built a new Richmond station on the north side of Macdonald Avenue in 1904. The old "shed" was demolished on August 18, 1904, with the new station — a single-story structure with an attached freight house — opened soon after.^[27][28] The SP began work on a new station, estimated to cost $11,000 (equivalent to $240,000 in 2023), in August 1914.^[29][30] It opened in September 1915, with the old station relocated west for use as a freight house.^[29][31] The new station was a larger wooden structure with porticos at both ends.^[32][33]

The East Shore and Suburban Railway (later a Key System subsidiary) opened from the Standard Oil refinery to the SP station on July 7, 1904.^{[34][35]: 7} An extension eastwards along Macdonald Avenue opened in October 1905, crossing the SP tracks at grade. A city ordinance disallowed streetcars from crossing the SP tracks with passengers aboard, forcing passengers to cross the tracks on foot.^{[34][35]: 9} A $35,000 contract (equivalent to $840,000 in 2023) was issued on September 1, 1907, for construction of an underpass to take Macdonald Avenue and the streetcars under the SP tracks.^{[34][35]: 11} The underpass opened on May 10, 1908.^{[34][35]: 13} Streetcars were replaced with Key System buses — later part of AC Transit — in 1933.^{[34][35]: 28}

Even as intercity rail service began to decline, Richmond was served by SP trains on the Shasta Route, Overland Route, and Central Valley routes, plus Santa Fe service to the Central Valley at its Richmond station.^[36] The SP station building was closed on August 30, 1968, and demolished shortly afterward for BART construction, leaving passengers with only a platform.^[37] SP service to Richmond on the San Joaquin Daylight continued until May 1, 1971, when Amtrak took over intercity passenger service.^[1]

BART station

 

The BART station in the 1970s

As early as 1957, Richmond was identified as a likely terminus for a line of a proposed regional rapid transit system.^[38]: 42 The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system was approved by voters in November 1962.^[4] The BART Board approved the name "Richmond" in December 1965.^[39] The station was originally to be located at 6th Street and Macdonald Avenue west of downtown, but this was changed to 16th Street and Nevin Avenue (along the SP line) to allow construction of a rail yard north of the station and permit future extension. After tension between the Bay Area Rapid Transit District and the city, an agreement to use the latter site was reached in May 1967. The chosen BART alignment followed an ATSF branch line from North Berkeley to 23rd Street in Richmond, then curved north onto the SP alignment for the final one-half mile (0.8 km) into Richmond station.^[38]: 106 The tracks continued past the station to the rail yard; the grade crossing of Barrett Avenue — which was ranked the fifth-highest priority for elimination on a 1965 state list — was replaced with a road underpass.^[40][41]

By August 1967, with about 57 miles (92 km) of the initial 75-mile (121 km) system under construction, a budget shortfall led to the possibility of portions being deferred. Among the potential cuts was Richmond station, as construction had not begun past the Alameda/Contra Costa county line at El Cerrito del Norte.^[38][42][43] Not until March 1969, when the state approved a temporary sales tax to cover the shortfall, could work begin on the contracts for the remaining stations including Richmond.^[38][44][45] In June 1968, the original design for an elevated concourse was replaced with an underground concourse in response to objections from city officials.^[46][47]

The station was built by Rothschild & Raffin, which also constructed the Richmond Yard and several other BART stations, at a cost of $2.3 million (equivalent to $13 million in 2023).^[9][48] The construction of Richmond station was credited by local officials as the key piece of downtown redevelopment efforts.^[49] BART service to Richmond began on January 29, 1973; it has remained a terminus since.^[4][49] (An extension to Crockett was considered in 1991 but not pursued.)^[4] BART service to Richmond was initially only on the Richmond–Fremont line (now the Orange Line). Some direct service to San Francisco (today’s Red Line) began in April 1976; all-day service began on July 7, 1980, after BART was able to reduce train spacing through the Transbay Tube.^[4]

Amtrak station

 

The San Francisco Zephyr at Richmond, 1980

Unlike other large cities, the Bay Area did not have a convenient transfer location between Amtrak intercity service and local rapid transit; 16th Street station in Oakland was not located near a BART station. The introduction of the San Joaquin service in 1974 added a third round trip to the SP mainline north of Oakland.^[50] A $667,000 Amtrak station adjacent to the BART station opened for use by the San Joaquin plus the long-distance San Francisco Zephyr and Coast Starlight on October 30, 1977. It included two 18-car-long platforms, with stairs and an elevator from a small station building to the under-track passage.^[51][52]

Amtrak service gradually expanded; a second San Joaquin was added in 1980, and the Capitols (now Capitol Corridor) service began in 1991.^[53] Richmond was also served by the Spirit of California, which ran from 1981 to 1983.^[54] Disagreements between Caltrans and Amtrak over funding delayed the addition of a station agent until September 1982.^[37][55][56]

The Coast Starlight ceased to stop at Richmond in April 1996, followed by the California Zephyr (successor to the San Francisco Zephyr) in October 1998.^[57] Richmond was the only transfer point between Amtrak and BART until the Amtrak platform at Oakland Coliseum station (which is served only by the Capitol Corridor) opened in 2005.^[58]

Renovations

 

A Capitol Corridor train at the station in 2018, with the former shelter at right

The Amtrak station building was closed on December 1, 1997, though trains continued to stop.^[58] On April 12, 2000, BART and the city broke ground on a "transit village", a mixed-use transit-oriented development project adjacent to the station.^[4] In July 2001, the aging Amtrak facility was replaced with a modern island platform with better access to the BART pedestrian tunnel. The $1.9 million project, funded by the state, was intended to improve the station as preparation for the transit village.^[57][59] The developer for the transit village was chosen in 2002.^[4]

The first phase of the transit village, completed in 2004, included 132 residential units and 15,000 square feet (1,400 m²) of retail space on the west side of the station.^[60][61] A $6.4 million renovation of the station was undertaken as part of the transit village project. The project included expanded entrances to the concourse, with a canopy over the west entrance. Richmond station was officially named the Richmond Transit Center at a dedication ceremony on October 18, 2007.^[1] A BART ticket window opened at the station in August 2008, joining seven other major stations in the system.^[62] The 750-space parking garage opened on May 30, 2013, with the surface lot on the east side of the station closed at that time.^[63]

The two long-distance trains began stopping at Richmond again on November 8, 2010. However, the Coast Starlight stop was again discontinued on January 14, 2013 because the train was scheduled to arrive at night – if it was several hours late, passengers would be unable to exit through the concourse, which is locked outside of BART service hours.^[57] In 2018, BART and CCJPA installed a "courtesy light" on the Amtrak platform, which instructs northbound Capitol Corridor trains to hold for two minutes if a BART train is arriving to allow passengers to make their connection.^[64] As of 2024^[update], a second phase of the transit village is planned with 520 residential units on the east side of the station.^[61][60]

References

1. "Richmond, CA (RIC)". Great American Stations. Amtrak. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
2. SMA Rail Consulting (April 2016). "California Passenger Rail Network Schematics" (PDF). California Department of Transportation. p. 3.
3. Cerny, Susan Dinkelspiel (2007). An Architectural Guidebook to San Francisco and the Bay Area (1st ed.). Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith. pp. 501–502. ISBN 978-1-58685-432-4. OCLC 85623396.
4. (PDF). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. March 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 13, 2013.
5. "Monthly Ridership Reports". San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. February 2024.
6. "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2022: State of California" (PDF). Amtrak. June 2023. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
7. "Transit Stops: Richmond Station" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Commission. August 5, 2020. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
8. Gruen Associates (December 1977). "IV: Design and Construction". A Description of BART: Its Facilities, Service and Surroundings. United States Department of Transportation. p. 6 – via Internet Archive.
9. "The Coming of BART: Richmond, Oakland West". Oakland Tribune. June 28, 1972. p. 36 – via Newspapers.com.
10. Weinstein, Dave. "How BART got ART". CA-Modern. Eichler Network. p. 2.
11. Sullivan, Denise (January 27, 2019). . CurrentSF. Archived from the original on March 1, 2021.
12. "Art at BART: 15 years after its installation, a mural at Richmond Station continues to inspire" (Press release). Bay Area Rapid Transit District. July 12, 2022.
13. "BART Art Collection Inventory" (PDF). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. June 2019. p. 3.
14. "Howard Artwork". Proto-inc. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
15. "Transit Information: El Cerrito del Norte Station" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Commission. February 8, 2021. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
16. (Press release). Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District. November 10, 2015. Archived from the original on July 4, 2017.
17. Board of Railroad Commissioners of the State of California (1889). Annual Report of the Board of Railroad Commissioners of the State of California. p. 10 – via Internet Archive.
18. "Map of California and Nevada". A.L. Bancroft & Co. 1882 – via David Rumsey Historical Map Collection.
19. "(California and Nevada)". Rand McNally and Company. 1879 – via David Rumsey Historical Map Collection.
20. "A Rumored Explosion". Oakland Tribune. December 22, 1882. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
21. Munro-Fraser, J. P. (1926). History of Contra Costa County, California. Historic Record Company. pp. 126–127.
22. "Railroad Accidents". Oakland Tribune. October 25, 1883. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
23. "Spite: Train Wreckers are About". Oakland Tribune. July 26, 1894. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
24. "King's Appeal". Oakland Tribune. October 11, 1887. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
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26. "Contra Costa a Center for Many Manufacturing Industries". Oakland Tribune. December 27, 1902. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
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28. Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Richmond, Contra Costa County, California. Sanborn Map Company. May 1909. p. 16.
29. "Order S.P. To Complete New Depot July 20". Richmond Daily Independent. March 12, 1915. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
30. "SP Starts Work on New Local Depot". Richmond Daily Independent. August 27, 1914. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
31. "News Flashes". Richmond Daily Independent. August 26, 1915. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
32. Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Richmond, Contra Costa County, California. Sanborn Map Company. June 1916. p. 22.
33. Bastin, Donald (2003). Images of America: Richmond. Arcadia Publishing. p. 52. ISBN 9780738528588.
34. "East Shore & Suburban Railway & other El Cerrito Railroad Chronology" (PDF). El Cerrito Historical Society. November 2012.
35. Hanson, Erle C. (March 1961). "East Shore & Suburban Railway". Pacific Railway Journal. Vol. 2, no. 12. LCCN 56-12943.
36. The Friendly Southern Pacific Time Tables. Southern Pacific Railroad. January 15, 1954 – via Wikimedia Commons.
37. Manor, Robert (February 8, 1981). "Funds fight delaying Richmond train depot". The Berkeley Gazette. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
38. Healy, Michael C. (2016). BART: The Dramatic History of the Bay Area Rapid Transit System. Heyday. pp. 42, 90–92, 105–107. ISBN 9781597143707.
39. "Names Approved for 38 Rapid Transit Stations Around Bay". Oakland Tribune. December 10, 1965. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
40. "Over $150 Million In BART Bids Due". Oakland Tribune. July 18, 1967. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
41. "Priority on 2 Eastbay Crossings". Oakland Tribune. December 22, 1965. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
42. "Stations May Be Dropped From System". Oakland Tribune. August 8, 1967. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
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44. "79 BART Contracts Await Funds". Oakland Tribune. January 13, 1969. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
45. Demoro, Harre (June 4, 1972). "Delays in Opening BART". Oakland Tribune. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com.
46. "Richmond Station Foulup?". Oakland Tribune. January 16, 1968. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
47. "Underground Plan For Concourse". Oakland Tribune. June 11, 1968. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
48. Arthur, Lindsay (December 15, 1969). "Executive Profile: A Bid in the Bidding Game". Oakland Tribune. p. 67 – via Newspapers.com.
49. Demoro, Harre W. (January 29, 1973). "BART Line To Richmond Opened". Oakland Tribune. pp. 1, 12 – via Newspapers.com.
50. "ATK-74-l0 202–484-7220" (PDF) (Press release). Amtrak. March 5, 1974. Regular revenue service begins in both directions between Oakland and Bakersfield on Thursday, March 6.
51. "Intermodal Passenger Station Dedicated At Richmond, California". Amtrak News. Vol. 4, no. 21. Amtrak. November 15, 1977. p. 3.
52. "New station will permit Amtrak tie to BART". Modesto Bee. October 26, 1977. p. 32 – via Newspapers.com.  
53. "'San Joaquin' trains catching on". Merced Sun-Star. July 30, 1982. Archived from the original on January 24, 2013.
54. "New LA-Northern California train service set". Lodi News-Sentinel. October 22, 1981. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
55. Dempster, Doug (May 10, 1982). "6 Amtrak Routes Link Bay Area Capital". The Sacramento Bee. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
56. "Modesto concours draws 250 antique classic cars". The Fresno Bee. September 26, 1982. p. 49 – via Newspapers.com.
57. Cox, Jeremiah (2016). "Richmond, CA". The Subway Nut.
58. Vurek, Matthew Gerald (2016). Images of Modern America: California’s Capitol Corridor. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 40, 53. ISBN 9781467124171.
59. Cabanatuan, Michael (July 20, 2001). "New station eases passengers from BART to Amtrak / Covered platform in Richmond is secure and comfortable". San Francisco Chronicle.
60. . San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024.
61. BART Transit-Oriented Development Program Work Plan: 2024 Update (PDF). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. March 2024. p. 7.
62. "Ticket Exchange Window Opens at Richmond BART Station" (Press release). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. August 4, 2008.
63. "New parking garage at Richmond Station to open May 30; $1 daily fee" (Press release). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. May 14, 2013.
64. "Capitol Corridor and BART unveil "courtesy light" at Richmond for easier transfer" (Press release). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. January 31, 2018.

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Richmond station (California).

• Richmond, CA – Amtrak
• Richmond, CA – Station history at Great American Stations (Amtrak)
• Richmond – BART
• Richmond – Capitol Corridor