Work to reopen Cal Park Hill tunnel may start by June

By Brad Breithaupt
Marin IJ, November 18, 2007

Construction to reopen the long-closed California Park Hill tunnel for a bike path and a commuter train could start as soon as June based on plans endorsed by the Marin Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.

The county board agreed to move ahead with the estimated $24 million plan to reopen the tunnel for a proposed commuter train and a bike and pedestrian path. State and federal funds have been amassed to cover the cost. That money includes more than $15 million from the $1 toll increase on the Bay Area's state-owned bridges approved by voters in 2004.

"It is currently fully funded," said Supervisor Steve Kinsey, who stressed the plan is part of "our vision" of enabling people to get up and down Marin without jumping in their cars.

Marin is one of five counties in the United States working on a federal pilot project aimed at getting cars off the road by improving bicycle and pedestrian access.

Tuesday's agreement with the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District, which owns the tunnel and the tracks, paves the way for seeking construction bids for the project, said Bill Whitney, a county civil engineer.

The cash earmarked for the tunnel does not require voter approval of the proposed SMART train tax that is headed for November's ballot.

The tunnel has been closed since the 1980s, when the south end collapsed. A fire in 1990 did further damage.

Reopening the tunnel has been a centerpiece of local bike advocates' plan to establish a "Greenway" - a bike path that parallels Highway 101 through Marin.

Deb Hubsmith, a spokeswoman for the Marin County Bicycle Coalition, called Tuesday's vote "a milestone" toward that goal.

Reopening the tunnel, she said, is a critical part of the plan that creates a bike and pedestrian path that connects the transit hub in downtown San Rafael and the Larkspur Landing ferry.

"Getting that bike path built is key," Hubsmith told supervisors.

But Stan Schriebman of Fairfax, a local tax watchdog, questioned how many people would use the path.

"Has there been any study on this?" he asked.

Kinsey answered that the project is "part of our vision for the future" to reduce dependence on cars.

A 2002 county study predicted that 800 to 1,000 bike riders and pedestrians would use the path daily.

Supervisor Susan Adams said California Park Hill is one of the biggest obstacles for local bike commuters. Opening the tunnel would make getting between San Rafael and Larkspur much easier, quicker and safer, she and other backers of the plan said.

Hubsmith said many of her members are looking forward to riding their bikes to the ferry.

"We are going to have a problem figuring out where to lock up their bikes when they get there," she said, noting that there is not enough parking for bicycles at the busy terminal.