David O’Reilly, CEO
Chevron Headquarters
6001 Bollinger Canyon Rd.
San Ramon, CA 94583, U.S.A.
Dear Mr. O’Reilly:
Several months ago I visited scenic Point Molate, which is near your Richmond refinery, with my family. It is a lovely place to visit, and a few weeks later my husband and his friend decided to go on a bike ride out there. He was hesitant to let me know that he would be riding his bike on the freeway for a stretch, as he assumed correctly that I would not be happy about the idea. I have driven along that segment of freeway approaching the Richmond/San Rafael bridge many times and it is quite obvious to me that it is no place for a person on a bike or a pedestrian. I did not even believe him at first when he told me that bicyclists were allowed on there. He assured me that the “bike lane” was plenty wide and that people do utilize this access to Point Molate frequently (as there is no other pedestrian/bike access).
Their trip was uneventful, but my worries were justified recently when Dan Weinstein was struck by a car and killed on that stretch of freeway. It has been reported that while the community has requested that your company provide safe passage for bicycles and pedestrians, you refuse, claiming that to do so would compromise the security of your operations. Indeed you have quite a focus on security and safety there, with your TOP program (Triangle of Prevention) and your SMART project (Save Money and Reduce Toxins). I would like to recommend that you create a BBB project (Bike-Buick-Barrier). I believe that with the collective brain power of your top engineers, you can come up with a structure that will protect neighbors who wish to pass by your refinery while still ensuring the safety of the refinery as well.
Truly,
Liz Mann
