Lincoln Hill Multi-Use Pathway

Lincoln Hill Multi-Use Pathway, now openThe Lincoln Hill Pathway, completed in December, 2010, represents a critical segment of Bicycle Route 5 on the North-south Greenway, connecting Terra Linda with downtown San Rafael. This $12 million pathway project, funded by Measure A, includes a break-away path to Linden Lane for community access, as well as a mini-tunnel at the top of the hill to allow riders and pedestrians to avoid the dangerous on-ramps and off-ramps on Lincoln Avenue.

The pathway is located between the sound wall separating the future SMART train and the newly widened segment of Highway 101 between the Lincoln Avenue offramp and the Central San Rafael offramp. Access to the pathway from Central San Rafael is at the corner of Mission and Hetherton. From the top of Lincoln Avenue where it meets Los Ranchitos a crosswalk shows the way to the multi-use path. The Lincoln Hill Pathway has a lot of great features that have been built in to it for year-round safety: video monitoring cameras at key sections, a path wide enough for regular sweeping and maintenance, lighting from beginning to end, and a centerline stripe to encourage orderly riding and walking.

This project was one of MCBC’s first big efforts, and it was literally years in the making. Along with the opening of the Cal Park Tunnel, this project represents a significant gap closure in the North-South Greenway. Additionally, it was a true multi-agency effort to get the project funded and constructed, including the Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM), Caltrans District 4, and the City of San Rafael. The Marin County Bicycle Coalition and Transportation Alternatives for Marin, along with countless community citizens, all fought to keep the project moving forward – especially when funding shortfalls and timelines changed. Our sincere thanks go out to everyone that worked to conceive of, push for, fund, construct, and maintain this fabulous addition to the Marin County Bicycle System.