Marin group starts process on how to spend $25 million on bike and pedestrian paths

Keri Brenner, Marin Independent Journal
December 7, 2005

Three county officials and a community bicycle advocate will spend three days next week talking to federal officials about spending Marin's $25 million jackpot in biking and walking trails seed money.

They are: Marin supervisors Charles McGlashan and Steve Kinsey; Craig Tackabery, assistant county public works director; and Deb Hubsmith, advocacy director for the Marin County Bicycle Coalition.

Marin is one of four communities across the nation chosen for the $100 million, five-year demonstration project to improve bicycle and walking routes. The program comes from a $286.5 billion transportation bill approved by Congress this summer.

"There are a lot of questions about what is eligible to spend this money on, and how is the federal government going to measure what fits with legislation," Hubsmith said in explaining the purpose for next week's trip. "To have a national program that is statistically significant, we have to have a standardized measurement in each of the four communities."

Tackabery estimated the trip will cost the county at least $850 each for him and the two supervisors, or a total of $2,550. That would cover the $450 airfare and $135 per night for three nights' lodging.

Matthew Hymel, county administrator, said he is budgeting in the range of $1,000 per person for the trip.

"It is a requirement that we go out there to obtain the $25 million," said Hymel, adding that the supervisors will also use the trip to meet with the county's representatives in Washington on other projects. "In the grand scheme of things, if they're successful, they will be bringing home $25 million - it's money well spent."

Hubsmith said her trip will be covered by the Transportation Alternatives for Marin, a Mill Valley-based nonprofit headed by bicycle advocate Patrick Seidler. She estimated the cost at between $1,000 and $1,200.

The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, one of two agencies hosting the visit, has offered to reimburse attendees' agencies for the visit, according to both Tackabery and Hubsmith. The other host is the Federal Highway Administration, which is administering the program.

Hubsmith, of Fairfax, said the key for Marin will be to identify which bicycle and walking projects will set a foundation for the ultimate complete build-out of the county bike plan's $100 million wish list.

"We need to determine how to use the $25 million as seed money to get to the complete goal and vision," she said.

Marin officials hope to begin designing the county program in January, including a plan to get public feedback on desired projects. Tackabery said the federal legislation calls for all the components of the demonstration project to be completed by Sept. 30, 2010.

"We need to get clear on the technical eligibility requirements and the broad goals," Tackabery said. "We need to move quickly and get projects that score well - we only have a few years to deliver all these projects."