Excerpted from marinij.com - by Mark Prado Marin IJ: New program aims to slow speeds on Mount Tam
“In an effort to limit conflicts between runners, bikers and equestrians, the Marin Municipal Water District and others will roll out a new “Slow Zone” campaign Saturday at Lake Lagunitas.
As part of the effort, several roads and trails circling Lake Lagunitas on the Mount Tamalpais watershed have been designated for attention, with a goal of users becoming more aware of their behavior.
Officials want people to slow speeds and be mindful.
“We chose this area because it is very popular and there is a lot of activity and it can get congested,” said Tom Boss of the Marin County Bicycle Coalition, who has worked on the project. “We want to get people to slow down, not block trails and to be aware to reduce the chances of conflict. We want to create a more pleasant experience.”
The program is a collaboration of the water district and the county’s Trail Partners — a consortium of the Marin County Bicycle Coalition, Marin Horse Council and Marin Conservation League.
New, permanent signs will remind users to mind speed limits, not block roads or trails and to be aware of surroundings.
The signs ask cyclists and runners to reduce their speeds from 15 mph maximum down to 10 mph, and 5 mph when passing or around blind corners. In addition, temporary signs will ask all users to announce themselves when passing and not to wear headphones so they can hear other users approach.
After the awareness campaign, water district ranger staff will focus their patrols in the Lake Lagunitas area to reinforce the Slow Zone messages, water officials said.
“This is a first-of-its-kind pilot that if successful could be replicated at other MMWD sites such as Phoenix Lake,” said Mike Swezy, watershed manager for Marin Municipal.”
More info:
Volunteers and MCBC staff held the first awareness event last Saturday and will be back on the trails this Saturday, April 16 from 9 AM to noon to promote the new program. Trailheads at the Lake Lagunitas Picnic Area will include interactive exercises to promote the Slow Zone program message. There are additional events scheduled for the summer.
