Issues and Advocacy
in Marin Cities and Towns
April 2005 Update
MCBC Local Chapters allow residents of each city and town of Marin County to advocate for and achieve improved cycling conditions, at the local level. As Director of Planning for the MCBC, I support and provide guidance for these chapters, bringing advocates in each town together for regular meetings at which they establish agendas of local bicycle issues. They then bring their priorities and concerns to the attention of city staff and elected officials. The chapters follow up on the issues and conduct public outreach campaigns to ensure that their needs are met. Following is a summary of the amazing achievements and ambitious plans of the Local Chapters that MCBC has established to date.
Below is a summary of the progress in each of Marin's 11 incorporated towns and cities. In addition to this news on individual towns, it is noteworthy that the County of Marin Bicycle Route Guide Signage project is moving forward. The project will install-in every city and town-directional bike route signs that feature a Mount Tamalpais logo and route numbers. It should be completed this summer.
If you're interested in participating in the local Chapter in your town, contact Eric Anderson, MCBC's Director of Planning, at eric@marinbike.org or 415-456-3469, x4#.
Read the April 2008 Update
Read the April 2007 Update
Read the April 2006 Update
Belvedere
Thanks to Tiburon Bicycle Advisory Committee member Ralph Leighton, a Belvedere bike route has been planned for in the countywide signage project and can be implemented by the town council at a future date.
Corte Madera
Last year the Town of Corte Madera completed the Corte Madera Bay Trail Feasibility Study, which recommends bikeway improvements on the east side of town from Tiburon north to Larkspur, and has recently applied for project funding. Corte Madera plans to construct bicycle lanes along the length of San Clemente Drive as part of a separate roadway project. The Town is currently updating its General Plan, which prioritizes a safer bicycle connection across Highway 101 and references reopening the Alto Tunnel. Last year Corte Madera reconvened its Traffic Advisory Committee (TAC), which advises the Town Council on transportation matters. The TAC held a special meeting to discuss the needs of cyclists and is planning a public outreach event focused on pedestrian, bicycle and transit access. Thanks to Corte Madera Public Works Director Dave Bracken and Assistant Director Debra Sue Johnson.
Fairfax
The Town of Fairfax installed bicycle racks throughout downtown to encourage bicycling to local businesses and transit. The town has secured Safe Routes to Schools (SR2S) funding for a planned new pedestrian bridge over the creek near Sir Frances Drake Boulevard and Manor Circle. Local SR2S parents have requested that a new crosswalk be installed at this location on Sir Frances Drake. The town has completed its Phase I redesign of Center Boulevard; the proposal includes wider sidewalks, updated crosswalks, more trees and landscaping, bike lanes and bicycle parking. Fairfax is also in the process of updating its General Plan. Community meetings have focused on ideas such as creating a central pedestrian plaza. Fairfax Public Works Director Bill Whitney and the Town Council deserve our sincere thanks for their efforts.
Center Boulevard Public Hearing
Larkspur
The path along the west side of Highway 101 remains closed, but the HOV Gap Closure Project will result in future bicycle improvements in the area. The Central Marin Ferry Connection Project, connecting Larkspur to the ferry terminal, is fully funded through Regional Measure 2 and has been partially designed. The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District is currently designing and planning to install a secure, weather-protected bicycle parking area within the paid area at the ferry terminal. Public Works applied for funding for pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements at the intersection of Magnolia and Doherty. Thanks go to Larkspur Public Works Director Hamid Shamsapour, who received MCBC's Bicycle Facilities Champion award at our 2004 Big Bike Bash
Mill Valley
With the support of Supervisor Charles McGlashan, the County of Marin has applied for funding to study reopening the Alto Tunnel and answer questions raised by the Mill Valley and Corte Madera town councils. This project would provide a much-needed alternative to the Camino Alto and Horse Hill Path routes. Supervisor McGlashan and the MCBC are also pursuing funding for the repaving of the Mill Valley-Sausalito Bike Path.
Novato
The City is continuing to update the 1995 Novato Bicycle Master Plan. MCBC is pursuing a segment of the North-South Greenway along the Hanna Ranch property and is recommending that the housing development be bicycle and pedestrian-friendly. MCBC has requested that Supervisor Cynthia Murray prioritize bicycle improvements to close the gap on Alameda del Prado. She has agreed to hold a community meeting on the topic. Atherton Avenue bicycle lanes are slated for completion this summer.
Ross
The Town Council approved a plan to build a five-foot-wide sidewalk along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard to connect with existing sidewalks in Kentfield and San Anselmo. The Council is seeking funding for this Safe Routes to Schools project. Laurel Grove, which runs perpendicular to Sir Francis Drake, is slated to be repaved and striped with an area for bicycle and pedestrian use.
San Anselmo
In December, San Anselmo Director of Public Works Rabi Elias met with MCBC and local advocates Tom Peacock and Peter Hoch to discuss the proposed countywide bicycle routes through the Hub. In response to MCBC's concerns about pedestrian and cyclist safety, Mr. Elias agreed to adjust the routes. Crossing improvements are also planned at the intersection of Sir Frances Drake Boulevard and Bank Street, and discussions continue regarding other improvements to crossings of Drake. MCBC thanks Rabi Elias for his dedication to local cyclists.
Demonstration Bicycle Route Stencils Installed in San Anselmo
San Rafael
Progress was made on several major projects of countywide significance in the San Rafael area. The Cal Park Hill Tunnel engineering feasibility study is complete and the project is fully funded as a part of Regional Measure 2. A separate County feasibility study is examining bicycle access on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. MCBC and Transportation Alternatives for Marin have been meeting with San Rafael, County and SMART staff to discuss filling the gap in the North-South Bikeway between Novato and San Rafael. MCBC is pursuing Lincoln Avenue as a short-term route for the Countywide Bicycle Route Guide Signage Project and, as a long-term solution, construction of a multi-use path along the SMART railway from Mission Avenue to North San Pedro Road. This path is now fully funded through HOV Gap Closure Measure A funds. Further north, the County of Marin has applied for funding to construct bicycle lanes on Los Ranchitos at the northern end of Lincoln Avenue to North San Pedro Road.
Comments on Draft San Rafael 2020 General Plan
(Public Hearings on Draft are on Tuesday, March 9, and Tuesday, March 23)
Sausalito
MCBC is partnering with the County of Marin Sheriff's Department and Supervisor Charles McGlashan to request that Caltrans make badly needed bicycle crossing improvements to the intersection of Gate 6 Road and Bridgeway. As requested by MCBC and Transportation Alternatives for Marin, the Waldo Point Harbor houseboat project will construct the segment of the North-South Greenway on the railroad right of way on their property.
Tiburon
Local advocates are pursuing bicycle improvements on Paradise Drive as a part of future housing developments in the area. The Town of Tiburon is seeking funding to complete the Trestle Glen bicycle lanes connecting Tiburon Boulevard and Paradise Drive. Tiburon is moving forward with plans for a pedestrian path on this route, which is already funded through a Bay Trail grant. The Tiburon BPAC is actively developing a long-range plan for a multi-use path, which includes an improved connector to Del Mar Middle School.
West Marin
The County of Marin completed construction of the much-anticipated Inkwells Bridge in the Samuel P. Taylor State Park area just west of Lagunitas. Thanks to the County-especially Supervisor Steve Kinsey, Dave Hansen, and Jack Baker-for completing this crucial project. The National Parks Service released its preliminary Public Access Study for the Giacomini Wetlands Restoration Project and selected a consultant to complete the next phase of the study. Local groups such as the Community Pathways Committee have sought bicycle access in this area to link Point Reyes Station and Inverness Park and provide an alternative to dangerous sections of Sir Frances Drake Boulevard. Thanks to Don Neubacher, Superintendent of Point Reyes National Seashore.
Comments on the Preliminary General Plan/Draft EIR for Tomales Bay S.P.
Last updated May 2008
