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Help Save the Larkspur/Corte Madera Pedestrian Overcrossing at Lucky Drive
Sign our online petition, and lend your voice to a large number of people urging the Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) Board to include a bicycle/pedestrian overcrossing as part of the Greenbrae/Twin Cities Corridor Improvement Project (GCIP). Let the TAM Board know you support replacement of the Pedestrian Overcrossing near Lucky Drive when the Greenbrae/Twin Cities Corridor project is built.
Our comments submittted to TAM on the GCIP Inital Study can be found here.
Background
The Marin County Bicycle Coalition has worked with TAM on bicycle/pedestrian improvements as part of the Greenbrae Coordinator Improvement Project since it’s inception
ten years ago. In March of 2012, we were deeply troubled to learn that TAM
had made a decision to remove the bicycle/pedestrian overcrossing that connects the area near the Cost Plus shopping center in Larkspur to the Nellen/Lucky Drive area of Corte Madera
with no plans to replace it.
We are opposed to removing the existing pedestrian overcrossing structure without a comparable or improved overcrossing being built as part of the freeway project. TAM has no current plans or intentions of replacing the structure. Add your signature to help change their mind!
Public comments on the project's environmental document were accepted until February 14, 2013. The document is available on the TAM website or can be downloaded in its entirety here (85MB). MCBC provided comments on the environmental document, which can be found here.
Importance of Structure
While TAM is providing bicycle/pedestrian accommodation on Wornum Drive, this area will become far more congested due to new freeway onramps and offramps. Improvements on Wornum Drive will fail to support increasing demands of non-motorized transportation here in Marin, and this facility will not serve children or seniors
in terms of safety.
It is essential for TAM to retain a safe and separate-for-cars east-west crossing of Highway 101 in the project vicinity because:
Safety
- Marin must continue to build transportation infrastructure that accommodates people of all ages and abilities. Requiring young children, the disabled and the elderly to cross multiple surface streets as well as freeway onramps and offramps in order to get across Highway 101 is unacceptably unsafe.
- This project must encourage nonmotorized travel by building a separated-from-cars overcrossing. The new planned facilities on Wornum Drive will discourage nonmotorized travel in the area.
Environment and Equity
- Over 62% of greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation in Marin. Facilities that encourage nonmotorized transportation are a key part of the GHG solution.
- Only a safe and separate facility will provide equitable safe transportation routes for the disabled, poor and the elderly who cannot afford or are not able to drive.
- Marin County's Countywide plan has a stated goal of 20% walking and bicycling by the year 2020. Failure to replace this overcrossing is inconsistent with that goal.
Existing Plans/Policies
- The Corte Madera General Plan has a policy to prioritize options for improving bicycle and pedestrian access across Highway 101- this project fails regarding this policy.
- The Larkspur General Plan includes policies prohibiting thoroughfares that divide the city and requires design circulation facilities that minimize disruption of neighborhoods and communities. It includes a goal to encourage attractive alternatives to the use of single-occupant automobiles- this project fails regarding these policies.
- Marin has seen an weekday increase of 172% of cycling since 1999- and walking increased 39% on weekends and 35% on weekdays between 2007 and 2011. This trend will only continue with the replacement of safe and separated bike/ped facilities.
Encouragement, Health, Active Lifestyle/Active Transportation
Marin has the oldest population in the Bay Area; having safe and separate
bike/ped facilities are critical for the elderly to maintain independence.
- It is vital that we work to reverse the obesity epidemic that has swept the nation; the built environment is a key part of the solution.
- Connectivity and the Future
- Replacing the overcrossing would connect Corte Madera and west Larkspur residents to the ferry and SMART train at Marin's most important transportation hub at Larkspur Landing.
- The overcrossing is a vital safe connector in Marin's bike/ped North South Greenway.