Comments Needed Now Muir Woods Road: Input Needed for Cyclist-Friendly Design

The County of Marin and Federal Highway Administration are proposing improvements to Muir Woods Road between Muir Woods Visitor Center and Highway 1. As they prepare for the environmental review phase, they want your input on roadway configurations to consider.

Comments are needed no later than 11 PM on Monday, June 12 to support bike improvements on a popular bike route for road, mountain and even some commuter bicyclists.

Currently this stretch of road has no bike lanes or functional road shoulders. This creates an unsafe situation for bicyclists riding between Muir Beach and Muir Woods, Highway 1 and Panoramic Highway, and for mountain bikers connecting Dias Ridge Trail with Deer Park Fire Road and Pantoll Station.

Additionally, the lack of bike lanes or good shoulders forces bicyclists to “take the lane” for safety reasons, which can lead to conflicts on the road.

MCBC supports roadway designs that improves the safety and functionality of the roadway for all users, which could include some combination of a multi-use path, sidewalk and/or shoulders. We’re mindful of the need for emergency access, a concern that the Muir Beach community has voiced, as well as the impacts of roadway widening on natural resources.

Here are the alternatives currently under consideration to move forward into environmental review:

Rather than using a five-foot unpaved buffer between the roadway and a sidewalk or multi-use path, as is currently proposed in Alternative C, we suggest the project team considers using a vertical buffer–such as a curb, railing, or posts–to reduce the overall width of the project while still delivering safety improvements.

Please take a moment to review the alternatives above (and review the project documents here) before submitting your comments here no later than 11 PM on Monday, June 12.