news Mill Valley Bike Path Lane Striping And Upgrades

You may have noticed some recent changes under your wheels or feet while using the Mill Valley-Sausalito Multiuse Pathway. A center line stripe has been added for the length of the pathway south of East Blithedale Avenue. While this should help users orient themselves for safe passing and right-of-way, there will be more changes coming.

The route was constructed over 30 years ago and has never had a significant pavement upgrade.

The County of Marin plans to lay a fresh coat of smooth asphalt and make accessibility improvements on almost a mile of the pathway by late 2017, using recently obtained grant money.

The Marin County Department of Public Works will oversee the design and construction of the project on a 4,900-foot-long stretch of the pathway between from East Blithedale Avenue on the north end and Almonte Boulevard to the south. That portion runs along the waterfront of Richardson’s Bay’s Pickleweed Inlet.

Federal Priority Conservation Area funding awarded the County of Marin $320,000, which combines with a local match of equal amount through by County Parks’ Measure A fund.

DPW will be seeking to acquire design and environmental clearance this year for the work, which will include asphalt resurfacing and installation of new benches with accessible sitting areas.

The County of Marin (DPW, Marin County Parks, and Marin County Sheriff’s Office), the City of Mill Valley and the Marin County Bicycle Coalition are actively collaborating to improve access and safety along the route. Fresh striping and stencils were added recently.

In addition to the physical improvements from DPW, there are three other parts of the overall plan:

• The Share the Path campaign, which promotes safety, trail communication and friendliness
• Regulatory changes including an enlarged “slow zone” of 10 mph adjacent to Bayfront Park
• Increased enforcement of safety rules and regulations.

The overall project plan includes resurfacing the rest of the 3.1-mile pathway and replacing the bridges when funding becomes available. In May 2015, a first-of-its-kind roundabout intersection was installed on the pathway near Mill Valley Middle School to enhance safety. In 2014, the City of Mill Valley added a short connector pathway at Sycamore Avenue to help people reach the main pathway.

Bike riders and pedestrians will use detour routes during pathway construction. Learn more about DPW’s construction schedule on the County of Marin Project Page.