Our Work San Rafael Finalizing 2nd Street Protected Bikeway Design

After years of advocacy from MCBC and our supporters, San Rafael is finalizing plans to build a two-way protected bikeway connecting West End with Gerstle Park in Summer 2021.

This key quarter-mile stretch along 2nd Street (between West End Ave. and Miramar Ave.) is the only location between Fairfax and San Rafael where people on bikes do not have a calm side street on which to ride. The bikeway will formalize what most people bicycling westbound already do (ride on the sidewalk), greatly improve safety for people riding eastbound, and create a much-improved pedestrian experience.

Existing vs. proposed conditions – click images to enlarge.

After collecting feedback through several community workshops, San Rafael recently released a revised design that provides a two-way protected bikeway between West and Shaver Streets. This proposal would omit the final 300 feet needed to connect the bikeway to West End Avenue (shown below in red) because it is outside of the project boundaries. Fortunately, San Rafael is listening: several of you joined us in asking the City to complete the connection, and City staff recently told us they intend to do so.

BACKGROUND

Nearly ten years ago, MCBC staff and community members identified a preferred route from Fairfax to San Rafael as part of the Fairfax to San Rafael Cross Marin Bikeway Study. The corridor plan included a multi-use pathway along the south side of 2nd Street between West End and Gerstle Park, but was thought to be too costly because of limited right-of-way availability and the need to cut into a hillside.

However, in 2019, San Rafael announced plans for a larger road rehabilitation project that included this stretch. MCBC rallied supporters to demand that this bike connection be included in the road rehabilitation project. The City agreed to look into it, and much to our delight, the engineers were able to narrow travel lanes and shift the roadway away from the hillside, meaning the project can now be included as part of the road rehabilitation project at a fraction of the original cost.

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All of our work to make bicycling in Marin safe, fun, and accessible is made possible by your support. Join Marin County Bicycle Coalition today!