Marin County Bicycle Coalition Receives $3 Million Dollars of TEA Funds to Continue the North-South Bicycle Freeway Project
Total of $7.5 Million of TEA Funds Generated with Bikes Belong Grants for the North-South Bicycle Freeway Project
Contact: Rich Olken, Bikes Belong Coalition at 617-734-2800
Debbie Hubsmith, Marin County Bicycling Coalition at 415-456-3469
Patrick Seidler, Transportation Alternatives of Marin at 415-389-5040 x24
(Brookline MA, May 22, 2002) -- Bikes Belong, the bicycle industry¹s advocacy voice, proudly announced today the receipt of three million dollars by the Marin County Bicycle Coalition for the rehabilitation of the Cal Park Hill Railroad Tunnel. The funds come on the heels of a $10,000 grant awarded to MCBC by Bikes Belong to coordinate the implementation of the North-South Bicycle Freeway. The money was awarded by the California Transportation Commission, with the grant originating from the State Transportation Enhancements fund, a component of TEA-21 the federally funded Transportation Equity Act. The project was the only bicycle project in Northern California to receive Enhancements funds and was one of four projects funded out of a total 32 projects vying for federal funding.
The North-South Bicycle Freeway will be built in phases, with the latest phase incorporating a 1,000-foot tunnel linking downtown San Rafael and the Larkspur Ferry Terminal. Once opened, the bicycle commute between the two cities will take five minutes rather than the 20 minutes it takes to bike right now.
The Bikeway will begin at the Golden Gate Bridge, and parallel Highway 101 to the Sonoma County line. The 25 mile-long facility will pass through seven transit centers, two ferry terminals, dozens of shopping centers, and within two miles of 51 schools. Several parts of the North-South Bicycle Freeway are already completed, and other sections are now underway. With this $3 million dollar commitment, Marin now has scheduled almost $7.5 million to be "in the ground" within the next three years. The Bicycle Freeway will revolutionize pedestrian and bicycle commuting in Marin, and serve as a model project for the United States and the entire world.
"I am so pleased that Marin County was granted this $3 million to re-open Cal Park Hill Tunnel", said Senator Barbara Boxer. "This is an important step in making sustainable transportation improvements for Marin County. Biking is an efficient, healthy, and environmentally friendly way to commute. With this grant, Marin County further cements its reputation as a national model for bicycle transportation."
"Reopening the Cal Park Hill Tunnel will make the bike route to the Larkspur Ferry Terminal safer and much more convenient," said Congressional Representative Lynn Woolsey. "We must look to alternative modes of transportation, like biking and walking, to reduce the congestion on our roadways. Biking isn't just fun, it's a healthy and environmentally friendly way to travel."
Patrick Seidler, President of Wilderness Trail Bikes, a Marin County bicycle company who also serves on the boards of Transportation Alternatives of Marin and Bikes Belong, has spent the past nine years serving on Transportation Steering Committees, attending planning meetings, lobbying for political support on local state and federal levels for bicycling and drafting the North-South Bikeway Plan, notes the recent successes stem from years of hard work and thousands of hours of volunteer effort. "We are excited to see the fruits of the efforts of the cycling and pedestrian community. With the $7.5 million now scheduled for development of the North-South Bikeway we are witnessing the start of how cycling and walking can be a more integral part of the overall transportation solution," said Seidler.
"Support from Bikes Belong Coalition enabled the Marin County Bicycle Coalition to: coordinate six government agencies, get new bicycle plans approved, stop a parking lot planned for the right-of-way, assist with the Caltrans grant application and continually highlight a sustainable transportation future. We are incredibly grateful for the support of the bicycle industry, and we are ecstatic about the receipt of the $3 million transportation enhancements grant. Opening the Cal Park Hill Tunnel will revolutionize bicycle commuting in Marin," said Debbie Hubsmith, Executive Director of Marin County Bicycle Coalition.
Bikes Belong Coalition is sponsored by the American bicycle industry, with the mission of putting more people on bicycles more often. Bikes Belong Coalition promotes bicycling and assists local organizations, agencies, and communities in developing bicycle facilities projects that will be funded by TEA-21, the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century. Bikes Belong has awarded over $400,000 in grants, with a return of over $200 million in funding for bicycle facilities. Bikes Belong Coalition is working with organizations throughout the country to make America more bicycling-friendly. For more information about the Bikes Belong Coalition grants program, call 617-734-2111 or e-mail tim@bikesbelong.org, or visit www.bikesbelong.org.
