Marin public works chief trumpets bike lane program

By Nels Johnson
Marin IJ, July 9, 2010

Farhad Mansourian never misses a chance to cheer-lead county projects, and this week was no different as the public works chief appeared at a Board of Supervisors meeting waving a San Francisco newspaper.

Mansourian, flanked by a platoon of staffers, told the county board that San Francisco has nothing on Marin when it comes to bicycle lane programs.

Raising Mansourian's interest Tuesday was a headline trumpeting a San Francisco program involving 35 bike lane projects.

San Francisco's $12 million program pales in comparison to Marin's bike lane bonanza, Mansourian said, adding the county has spent nearly $30 million on bicycle and pedestrian projects since 2006, including $21 million on the Cal Park tunnel bike path project. Another $7 million in projects is in the works, he added.

"We have delivered," Mansourian said, asking several dozen public works staffers involved with bike path projects to take a bow. "I think we're clearly the leader," he added. "We are a national model."

Mansourian said the county is "well-positioned" to get federal bike lane and related funding as a new appropriations bill emerges in Washington D.C.

"We are impressed," said Supervisor Steve Kinsey.

"It's really nice to have a safe way to get from Point A to Point B without becoming a hood ornament on someone's SUV," added Supervisor Susan Adams, a bicyclist.