news See a Road Hazard? Say Something!

Last month, MCBC member and volunteer Tuomas Kostiainen (pictured above) was cycling on Sir Francis Drake Boulevard near Lagunitas when he hit a sharp bump in the road and was thrown from his bike. He sustained a fracture to his pelvic and hip bones, along with major bruising and scraping down his side. First responders told Tuomas that he was not the first to be injured at that location.

If there’s any silver lining to this story, it’s that no one else will experience Tuomas’ fate at the hands of that bump. A friend of his reached out to MCBC to bring our attention to the hazard. We quickly forwarded her email to the appropriate staff (in this case the County), requesting that the bump be removed or made more visible. Within two weeks, the County shaved the road and smoothed out the bump.

Tuomas’ experience highlights an important resource on MCBC’s website, Report A Hazard. Through this page, we offer instructions to report hazardous conditions on Marin County roads and trails:

• Road condition reports must be made to the correct jurisdiction’s Department of Public Works (DPW) – all are listed on the Report A Hazard page. Off-street multi-use path issues are more typically under the jurisdiction of the local Parks and Recreation Department.
• Note street addresses and/or mileage marker signs (if they exist) when reporting hazards. In Tuomas’ case, his GPS data proved helpful.
• Take a photograph of the hazard to share with department staff, if possible.  Geo-tagging the photo is also helpful.
• When contacting staff, be sure to cc MCBC’s Policy and Planning Director, Bjorn Griepenburg. MCBC will follow-up with the responsible agency if the hazard is not addressed in a timely manner.

Road hazards commonly include overgrown vegetation, debris in the bike lane, obstructions that aren’t visible at night (such as bollards or fence posts), potholes, and flooded areas. With shorter days and wet, windy weather upon us, these will become more common over the coming months.

Please report dangerous conditions to help keep Marin’s roads safe and be part of the MCBC Experience!