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North-South Greenway Update
Summer 2010
By David Hoffman and Deb Hubsmith, Marin County Bicycle Coalition
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When MCBC was founded 12 years ago, one of our primary goals was to create the North-South Greenway, a nearly car-free bicycle and pedestrian transportation corridor 25 miles long from the Marin County line at the Golden Gate Bridge through Novato. The North-South Greenway is still a priority, but we now can look back and see the fruits of our labors.
Several significant portions of the North-South Greenway have been completed, some are being built now, and others have been funded and are being planned. Progress on the North-South Greenway in the past year has been marked by major construction on two key projects: the Cal Park Hill Tunnel and the Lincoln Hill Multi-Use Pathway. Both of these projects are in the final stages of construction. We look forward to some celebratory ribbon-cutting ceremonies in the months to come.
1 – SMART Rail with Trail
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MCBC has been working with Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) since 1999 to plan, engineer and build a passenger train and pathway service along the former NWP right-of-way (ROW) for 71 miles from Larkspur Landing to Cloverdale. The ballgame changed in November 2008 when Measure Q was approved by voters with nearly 70% approval. Measure Q provides $91 million for the 71-mile pathway, most of which will be constructed by the same time that the train starts running, estimated to be in 2014.
Since the approval of Measure Q, MCBC has continued to work with SMART and local municipalities on the design and construction phases of the pathway, and for considerations such as bike storage on the trains and bike parking and access at transit stations. MCBC is working to ensure that there is great bicycle and pedestrian access to and from the SMART stations. We have also been working with SMART to generate additional funding streams for the project, due to a projected funding shortfall resulting from decreased sales tax revenue during the worldwide economic recession.
2 – Lincoln Hill Segment
This $12 million pathway project, funded by Measure A, is nearly finished, and is scheduled to open in the summer of 2010. Once completed, this segment will connect Terra Linda with downtown San Rafael and include a break-away path to Linden Lane for community access, as well as a mini-tunnel at the top of the hill to allow riders and pedestrians to avoid the dangerous on-ramps and off-ramps on Lincoln Avenue.
Additionally, the Los Ranchitos bike lanes were opened earlier this year, and provide access from North San Pedro Road to the top of the Lincoln Hill pathway.
3 – Cal Park Hill Tunnel Rehabilitation
Yes - the tunnel is open! However, you’ll have to wait until the fall of 2010 to ride through it as the County of Marin is now finalizing construction on the northern and southern approaches, including the trestle over Bellum Boulevard. The bicycle and pedestrian pathway portion of the tunnel is absolutely gorgeous and state of the art—we think you’ll be impressed. We thank the County of Marin for diligently working to resolve the final land-use issues that were delaying the last construction phases of this very important facility, and to SMART which is a partner on the project.
4 – Central Marin Ferry Connection Project
South of the Cal Park Hill Tunnel, the Central Marin Ferry Connection Project (CMFC) will provide a much-needed crossing of East Sir Francis Drake Boulevard and Corte Madera Creek linking up with the existing path at Wornum Drive.
Approximately $12 million in project funding for Phase 1 of the CMFC multiuse pathway has already been designated from Regional Measure 2 (bridge tolls), highway mitigation funds, and MTC’s regional bike network funding. The Board of Supervisors also allocated $2 million from the Pilot Program for environmental review and preliminary engineering. The project will be segmented, with a Phase 1 crossing of East Sir Francis Drake to connect the Cal Park Hill Tunnel with the Larkspur Ferry Terminal, and Phase 2 being the crossing of Corte Madera Creek. The Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) recently released a draft environmental impact report on Phase A of the project and hosted a public meeting on June 17. The TAM Board is slated to approve the environmental review at their July Board meeting.
Phase 1 of the project is estimated to cost $14 million. MCBC is working with TAM to find the additional $2 million needed for construction. It is our hope that the project will be constructed in advance of SMART’s projected opening in 2014, so that a direct link can be provided from the Larkspur SMART station to the Larkspur ferry terminal.
5 – Sandra Marker Trail
The Sandra Marker Trail provides access to several nearby schools, including Redwood High School and Neil Cummins Elementary School. In December of 2009 the City of Larkspur completed a new multiuse pathway that connects the Heather Gardens and Meadowood neighborhoods to Redwood High School, Hall Middle School, and Piper Park. This new ADA-compliant pathway replaces an informal dirt path between Doherty Drive and Heather wood Park that had been used for years primarily by local schoolchildren. Funding for the new pathway was from Measure A Safe Routes to School. Some new features of the pathway include 54 trees planted along the pathway, a soon-to-be installed bench with a great view of Mount Tamalpais, and a fence to delineate the pathway from the Redwood High School property.
6 – Alto Tunnel Rehabilitation
Now that the Cal Park Hill Tunnel has seen the light of day, re-opening the Alto Tunnel doesn’t seem like an impossible task. Currently, the Mill Valley-Corte Madera Gap Closure study, funded by the Board of Supervisors through the Pilot Program, is assessing the feasibility and costs for three possible routes: Alto Tunnel, Horse Hill, and Camino Alto. The MCBC has been working on the Alto Tunnel project for 12 years.
7 – Sausalito Bridgeway Bike Lanes and Pathway Construction
The popular bike lanes on Bridgeway opened to the public in the fall of 2003. Thanks to the Pilot Program, a study is now underway to determine an alignment for the North- South Greenway multiuse pathway along the railroad right-of-way from Gate 6 Road to the Sausalito ferry terminal. In addition, Pilot Program funds are paying for a connection from Bridgeway to the ferry terminal.
8 – Alexander Avenue Improvements and Increased Bike Parking in Sausalito
During the peak cycling season, estimates indicate that as many as 1500 cycling tourists on rental bikes cross the Golden Gate Bridge per day to explore Sausalito and the rest of Marin County. MCBC is working with the City of Sausalito, Caltrans, the National Park Service, and the Golden Gate Bridge and Highway Transportation District to improve sightlines and calm traffic on a particularly difficult section of Alexander Avenue just as it enters Sausalito.
Our work with the City of Sausalito last year helped to provide 420 additional parking spaces for cyclists in downtown.
LOOKING FORWARD
The North-South Greenway is an environmentally sound and healthy transportation route.
MCBC is working to maximize on every opportunity to work with our government partners to build the North-South Greenway as quickly as possible. We have come a long way, but there will be many more meetings, studies, and reports before this vision will be fully realized. Together, we have the opportunity to offer Marin County a transportation facility that will improve the environment, health, and livability of our community, while setting a new national standard.
We look forward to riding with you this year on the soon-to-be opened Cal Park Hill Tunnel and Lincoln Hill pathway. These projects are significant milestones that we can all be proud of.
