MCBC’s 3 Gaps Initiative is focused on closing three of the biggest gaps in Marin’s trail network. It aims to create a car-free bicycle trail route from the Golden Gate Bridge to Point Reyes!
To experience the full bounty of Marin’s parklands, bicyclists are currently forced to use narrow paved roads. These roads have no shoulders and fast-moving vehicular traffic. The 3 Gap Initiative seeks to change that.
Many people choose off-road bicycling specifically to avoid motor vehicle traffic and the fear of being struck by a car. Consequently, most mountain bikers report a diminished experience when riding any real distance in Marin. This is due to the need to ride roads to connect trails. This is the reality for bicyclists who want to ride from GGNRA to Mt. Tamalpais State Park. It is also true for those riding from Mt. Tamalpais State Park to the Marin Water District watershed.
Closing these three gaps would significantly enhance the outdoor experience for Marin’s bicyclists.
Benefits include:
- Improving safety for bicyclists by getting them off narrow roadways
- Reducing the number of bikes on narrow roadways, which can impede traffic
- Enhancements that reduce environmental impacts on two of the trails
- Spreads the work to expand opportunities for mountain biking fairly among Marin’s land managers
- Reducing illegal trail riding by providing bike legal connectivity
- Each proposal has multiple benefits, including safety, connectivity, and environmental enhancements
To move these projects forward, MCBC has worked with stakeholders and other interest groups to build support for each proposal. MCBC is partnering with land managers to find funding for these projects, recruiting volunteers to help build and maintain these facilities, and will provide educational outreach once they are complete.
Gap #1 – Dias Ridge Phase II & III – GGNRA
Status: Phase II approved, slated for the 2023 work season. No ETA on Phase III
Problem: A large user gap forces bicyclists to use a 1.7-mile stretch of Highway 1, a narrow road between the Coast View Trail and Muir Beach.
Solution: Construct two new multi-use trails between the Golden Gate Dairy Stables and the Coast View Trail.
Benefits: It allows bicyclists an alternative to the dangerous parts of Highway 1. It uses a portion of an existing ranch road, reduces the number of bikes traveling through the Muir Beach community, and closes a multi-use gap in the Bay Area Ridge Trail.
Gap #2 – Easy Grade Trail – Mt Tamalpais State Park
Status: Funding secured, construction to begin Spring 2025, Estimated opening Fall 2025
Problem: Large gap forcing bicyclists to use a 1.7-mile stretch of Pantoll Road, a narrow road between Pantoll Station and Rock Springs Fire Road.
Solution: Easy Grade Trail change-in-use to hiker/biker, providing connectivity between the southern and northern sides of Mt. Tamalpais.
Benefits: It provides bicyclists with an alternative to a narrow and curvy section of Pantoll Road. It takes advantage of an existing redundant trail and avoids displacement. Hikers and equestrians use Old Mine Trail, and hikers use Bootjack Trail. This solution provides a road-free route to the Mountain Play, reducing vehicle trips. It also closes a bicycle user gap in the Bay Area Ridge Trail.
Gap #3 – Liberty Gulch Trail on Azalea Hill – MMWD
Status: Construction on Liberty Gulch is complete. Opening date – May 1, 2025
Problem: Large gap forcing bicyclists to use a 1.3-mile stretch of Bolinas/Fairfax Road, a narrow road between Mt. Tamalpais and Pine Mountain.
Solution: a multi-use trail from Bull Frog Fire Road to Fairfax/Bolinas Road to create a car-free connection from Lagunitas and Bon Tempe Lakes to the Pine Mountain Fire Road.
Benefits: It allows bicyclists a car-free option to avoid a narrow section of Bolinas/Fairfax Road, recycles a historic stage road for multi-use, allows for improvements to that old road, which is currently inaccessible, removes a spaghetti of social trails on a steep, high-value habitat, and provides fast emergency response from Sky Oaks to Pine Mountain.
