Cyclists take over lower deck of Bay Bridge

A group of young people on bicycles took over the lower deck of the Bay Bridge Sunday, repeating a similar ride a year ago to the day, in which they managed to disrupt traffic on the busy span for nearly half an hour.

In various videos posted to social media Sunday, as many as several hundred people, most of whom appeared to be teenagers, can be seen pedaling along Haight Street before making their way onto the eastbound span of the bridge toward the East Bay.

In posts to the social media app formerly known as Twitter, an account for the Safe Street Rebel group shared footage of the riders and called it a "beautiful day to ride the Bay Bridge." The poster called out the absence of a path on the west half of the bridge for bicyclists and pedestrians.

A California Highway Patrol officer confirmed that the ride happened but did not provide details. There were no initial reports of arrests, and it was not clear how the cyclists managed to ride out onto the bridge without being stopped by law enforcement. San Francisco police and the California Highway Patrol's San Francisco office did not immediately respond to calls Sunday evening.

On Aug. 6, 2022, hundreds of bicyclists took part in a similar stunt, weaving between cars, choking traffic and causing a stir on social media. They reportedly tied up all the eastbound lanes for more than 20 minutes until CHP officers managed to intervene.

In 2023, a May 15 Instagram post by "bayareatakeover2023" put out a call for riders: "I NEED EVERYBODY OUTSIDE FOR THIS ONE I DONT CARE WHERE YOU FROM OR WHAT BIKE YOU RIDE SHOW UP N SHOW OUT IF YOU KNOW HOW WE DID IT LAST YEAR IFYKYK…"

Follow-up posts last month warned participants to "ride at their own risk" and shared a starting post of Kezar Drive in Golden Gate Park.