Alternative Marin history: BART across GGB or filling in Richardson Bay by Blackie's Pasture

Did you know that Marin County almost had a direct BART connection across the Golden Gate Bridge?

Back in the early 1960s, Marin was included in the original BART plans, with sleek trains envisioned zipping commuters between San Francisco and Marin right across the iconic bridge. But concerns quickly arose: Golden Gate Bridge officials were skeptical about the engineering feasibility, worried about weight, vibrations, and structural safety. Then San Mateo County backed out due to high costs, and Marin soon followed, quietly dropping out before residents ever had a chance to vote.

Today, Marin remains the only Bay Area county without BART service, fueling endless "what if" scenarios. Just how much more populated would Marin be today if it had a BART line to SF for all these years? Would there be dense housing or skyscrapers?

The Reber Plan

Here’s one that is even crazier! Did you know there was once a serious proposal to dam up the San Francisco Bay?

In the late 1940s, an engineer named John Reber came up with the ambitious Reber Plan, aiming to dramatically reshape the Bay Area. His idea? Build massive dams across San Francisco Bay near the Richmond–San Rafael Bridge and another near Bay Bridge, essentially turning the northern and southern parts of the Bay into giant freshwater lakes.

Reber claimed his plan would help manage water shortages, provide freshwater for agriculture, and reclaim thousands of acres of land for development. Part of the land that would be developed was Richardson Bay, where Blackie’s Pasture is in Tiburon!

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built the giant Bay Model in Sausalito to test this crazy idea. The results weren't pretty. The model showed that Reber's dams would drastically alter currents, devastate marine ecosystems, create huge pollution problems, and make flooding worse.

But you can still visit the Bay Model today and many school groups regularly do!

You like waterfront? How about on the water on stilts!

Belvedere is the place to be if you can splash this kind of cash around. This property has been on and off the market for a year now, coming down from an original $25M price tag.

A few houses down, there’s also a Mediterranean villa estate if that architecture appeals to you.

Zillow Link

Thanks for reading. We will be back with the regular events and activities email Wednesday morning!

— Allison + Brian