Great Escapes: Bike Across Benicia-Martinez Bridge

The weather is beautiful, the sun is shining and your bike is lonely. Why not take her out for ride? Better yet, why not ride her right out of town?

People come from all over the world to walk or ride across the Golden Gate Bridge. We are lucky to have a magnificent bridge of our own, right in our back yard. The Benicia-Martinez bridge, also known as the George Miller bridge, happens to be the largest lightweight concrete segmental bridge in California. It conveniently links Benicia and Martinez.

The two-year bridge reconfiguration project was completed with the opening of the bicycle and pedestrian path on August 29, 2009. It is now possible to ride your bike from . Go from Benicia to Martinez, to Port Costa, to Crocket, across the Carquinez bridge, through Vallejo, through Benicia State Park and back to Benicia.

If you are not quite ready for the round trip, try just biking from Benicia to Martinez or Martinez to Benicia. The paths are marked from either direction. It's a lovely ride in the morning, but wait for a day that is not windy.

Both Benicia and Martinez have lovely downtown destinations. in Martinez and in Benicia both have outdoor seating. Don't forget to carry water, a camera and wear sunscreen. 

So tune up your bike, grab a pal and plan your escape across the bridge, toll free of course.