Marin's cycling savvy stands to benefit all of us

Dick Spotswood
Marin IJ, March 12, 2006

DESPITE MARIN'S wealth, high levels of education and sophistication, rarely are the actions of Marin local government held up as national examples of high achievement. One field where Marin has become a model of excellence is bicycle transportation.

Thanks to brilliant political advocacy by Marin cyclists, along with the patronage of a handful of county supervisors and funding facilitated by Rep. Lynn Woolsey, Marin has embarked on the ambitious goal of uniting most sections of the county with a network of bicycle paths matched in few locales this side of Holland.

The piece de resistance of the plan will be a "Bicycle Freeway" that begins at the Golden Gate Bridge and ultimately will run 25 miles north to the Sonoma County line.

Marin's receipt of a $25 million federal Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program grant will enable the county to complete major aspects of the Marin County Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan. If the long overdue effort to build the Sonoma-Marin commuter railroad gets off the ground, bicycle and pedestrian advocates will get a further boost, as the SMART plan pays for a parallel bikeway.

The fly in the ointment is the mistaken fear by some that these new bicycle and pedestrian routes will be underutilized. That concern potentially jeopardizes public support for the effort.

The confusion likely is caused by bicyclists themselves. Their ideology demands promotion of bicycling as an environmentally sensitive alternative means of transportation. To avid bicycle advocates, commuters soon will flock to bikes in lieu of autos.

It's a fine vision, but it's unlikely to ever occur in numbers sufficient to warrant major expenditures.

Yet, despite the paucity of bicycle commuters, new bike and pedestrian routes undoubtedly will be crowded with cyclists and walkers. In an effort to provide a transportation alternative to the gas guzzler, Marin will reap the very positive side effect of creating a world-class recreational amenity.

It's irrelevant if the bicycle routes aren't used by hordes of former auto commuters. Check out the well-traveled existing bike paths in Mill Valley, Sausalito, Tiburon and in the lower Ross Valley. On any weekend day, just sit on a bench along what is effectively a lineal park and watch the parents strolling with children on bikes, retirees exercising, competitive young adults clad in Spandex, joggers with their dogs and even the occasional bicycle commuter.

It's a success story that inevitably will make a lasting contribution to Marin's quality of life.