The San Anselmo Bicycle Masterplan

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Dedicated to the Children of San Anselmo: Our Future

T A B L E

O F

C O N T E N T S

FORWARD ………………………………………………………………………………………… iii 1.

WHERE WE’VE BEEN

2.

WHERE WE ARE: Y2K

HISTORY

………………………………………………………………………………………… 1

CURRENT CONDITIONS AND CONTEXT ………………………………………………… 15 CURRENT CONTEXT FOR CYCLING IN MARIN COUNTY The Existing Marin County Bicycle Network ……………………………………………………… 21 County Context: What Other Cities in Marin Are Doing to Improve Cycling Conditions …… 23 San Anselmo’s Transit Connections to Marin County and the Larger Bay Area ……………… 25 THE SAN ANSELMO NETWORK The Existing San Anselmo Bicycle Network ………………………………………………………

The Hub ………………………………………………………………………………………………

From San Rafael and East San Anselmo to the Hub: Greenfield Ave. …………………………

From Fairfax and North San Anselmo to the Hub: San Anselmo Ave. …………………………

From Ross to the Hub: San Anselmo Avenue Downtown …………………………………………

North of Center Blvd: ………………………………………………………………………………

South of Center Blvd: The Downtown Detour ……………………………………………………

Signage ………………………………………………………………………………………………

Bicycle Parking ………………………………………………………………………………………

Schools and Children ………………………………………………………………………………

The Sleepy Hollow Safe-Routes-to-Schools Committee ……………………………………………

27 29 31 33 35 37 39 40 41 43 46

THE SAN ANSELMO POLICE DEPARTMENT ………………………………………………………… 47 WHAT OTHER CITIES OUTSIDE MARIN ARE DOING San Francisco ……………………………………………………………………………………… 50 Amsterdam, Holland………………………………………………………………………………… 52 Freiburg, Germany ………………………………………………………………………………… 54 BICYCLING PERCEPTIONS AND REALITIES …………………………………………………………… 55 Continued...

…Contents Continued

3.

WHERE WE’RE GOING

OPTIONS FOR OUR FUTURE……………………………………………………… 59 OBSTACLES AND OPPORTUNITIES ……………………………………………………………… 60 THE MARIN COUNTY BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN MASTER PLAN…………………………… 66 SHORT TERM AND CONTINUING GOALS ……………………………………………………… 67 SHORT TERM INITIATIVES 1. Signage: the signing of all major routes in San Anselmo ………………………

2. Stenciling: Bicycle Stencils along all major routes ………………………………

3. Bicycle Parking: New bicycle parking in three locations…………………………

4. Bicycle Sensors, Signal Requests……………………………………………………

5. Connections to Schools ……………………………………………………………

6. Finding a Solution to The Hub………………………………………………………

CONTINUING INITIATIVES 1.

4.

68 69 70 71 72 75

……………………………………………………………………… 79

CREATING A CLASS I BICYCLE NETWORK ……………………………

Arterial Components: The Marin Co East-West Bikeway From The Hub to Ross: Downtown ……………………………………

From The Hub to Fairfax: San Anselmo Ave North …………………

From The Hub to San Rafael: Greenfield Ave ………………………

79 81 83 85

2.

THE RED HILL BIKE PATH ………………………………………………… 87

3.

SIR FRANCIS DRAKE CROSSINGS……………………………………… 89

4.

DOWNTOWN DETOUR: THE RESIDENTIAL ROUTE ………………… 91

5.

BUTTERFIELD TO TERRA LINDA CONNECTION ……………………… 93

APPENDIX ………………………………………………………………………… A Bicycle Funding Sources ………………………………………………………………… A1 Bicycle Laws ……………………………………………………………………… A2 Bicycle Etiquette ……………………………………………………………………… A3 Suggested Signage Locations …………………………………………………………… A4

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SECTION 891.2 OF STREETS AND HIGHWAYS CODE BICYCLE TRANSPORTATION PLAN CHECKLIST AGENCY /PLAN_______________________________________DATE____ LOCAL AGENCY APPROVAL Y__N__ REGIONAL AGENCY APPROVAL

Y___ N __

BFU REVIEW: APPROVE ____________ DISAPPROVE___________ COMMENTS: ________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ (a) The estimated number of existing bicycle commuters in the plan area and

PAGE 58 the estimated increase in the number of bicycle commuters resulting from

implementation of the plan.

Y__N__

(b) A map and description of existing and proposed land use and

PAGE 26 settlement patterns which shall include, but not be limited to locations of ALSO 20, 22, 24 residential neighborhoods, schools, shopping centers, public buildings, and

major employment centers. Y__N__

EXISTING: 26 (c) A map and description of existing and proposed bikeways.

PROPOSED: 82, Y__N__ 84, 86 84, 86

(d) A map and description of existing and proposed end-of-trip bicycle

EXIST: 41 & 26 parking facilities. These shall include, but not be limited to, parking PROPOSED: 70 at schools, shopping centers, public buildings, and major employment

centers. Y__N__

(e) A map and description of existing and proposed bicycle transport and parking facilities for connections with and use of other transportation modes. These shall include, but not be limited to, parking facilities at EXISTING: 25 transportation stops, rail and transit terminals, ferry docks and landings, PROPOSED: 70 park and ride lots, and provisions for transporting bicyclists and bicycles on transit or rail vehicles or ferry vessels. Y__N__ (f) A map and description of existing and proposed facilities for changing

EXISTING: 41 and storing clothes and equipment. These shall include, but not be PROPOSED:70 limited to, locker, rest room, and shower facilities near bicycle parking

facilities. Y___N___

(g) A description of bicycle safety and educational programs conducted in

PAGES 46-49 the area included within the plan, efforts by the law enforcement agency

having primary traffic law enforcement responsibility in the area to enforce provisions of the Vehicle Code pertaining to bicycle operation, and the resulting effect on accidents involving bicyclists. Y___N___

PAGE iv, and (h) A description of the extent of citizen and community involvement in throughout the the development of the plan, including, but not limited to, letters of report in red ink. support. Y___N___

PAGE 66

(i) A description of how the bicycle transportation plan has been coordinated and is consistent with other local or regional transportation, air quality, or energy conservation plans, including, but not limited to, programs that provide incentives for bicycle commuting. Y___N____

PAGE 67

(j) A description of the projects proposed in the plan and a listing of their priorities for implementation. Y___N____

PAST: 9 FUTURE: 67

(k) A description of past expenditures for bicycle facilities and future financial needs for projects that improve safety and convenience for bicycle commuters in the plan area. Y____N_____

FORWARD

T

he goal of this Task Force is to report on cycling conditions in San Anselmo and find options for improving safety and cycling conditions while encouraging more people to cycle locally.

State and Federal funding, now at an all-time high, is based on applications made by either the County of Marin or towns and cities. In support of these grant applications, an approved Plan is required. To this end, the County developed a Bicycle Master Plan. At the same time, each town and city is developing their own Bicycle Plan for grant applications made by the town.

This report is divided into three sections. The first deals with history and where we have been. The second is an analysis of current conditions. The third section, in turn, is about options for future development.

As mentioned on the opening page, this report is dedicated to the children of San Anselmo. We are alarmed by the sudden drop in the number of children riding their bicycles to school here in San Anselmo and across Marin. With this in mind, this report has been developed with the children born in the year 2000 and again the born in the year 2010, a decade from now. With traffic conditions changing so rapidly, our goal has been not only improving cycling conditions today, but for the children of the next decade as well.

California Department of Transportation (CalTRANS):

Bicycle Transportation Plan Checklist This checklist (left) serves as a requested reference by CalTRANS, its inclusion also recommended by the consultants for the Marin County Bicycle and Pedestrian Masterplan. The list also serves to ellucidate the aspirations of this report, which serves as a necessary adjunct to most applications for State and Federal funding for bicycle improvements. The page numbers beside each item were requested by CalTRANS, each reference-point having a corresponding citation on the given page, appearing in green.

Until 1996, the CalTRANS Bicycle Transportation Account was budget only $360,000 per year. That year funding for the account rose to $680,000, and continued to do so, reaching $1.5 million for this year’s budget. This year, Governor Davis signed Senate Bill SB1772, which has increased funding to the Bicycle Transportation Account to $7.2 million per year for the next five years. To be considered for CalTrans funding, a local city must supply a report that includes, but is not limited to, the information listed on the facing page. It is a competitive funding process. Last year, there were 48 agencies requesting a total of $9.6 million. As funding has increased almost 500% this year, the application process is likely to become even more competitive. According to SB1772 the report should include projects that “improve safety and convenience for bicycle commuters” including children to riding schools.” Ken McGuire can be reached at (916) 653-2750

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The Marin County Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan This San Anselmo Bicycle Taks Force report was created in coordination with the Marin County Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, which is further described on

MISSION STATEMENT To propose actions and policies to the San Anselmo Town Council which will encourage more citizens to cycle for everyday transportation and recreation. We seek ways to make bicycling in San Anselmo safer and more attractive.

GOALS I.

Improve Safety Conditions for All, Encouraging Occasional Cyclists to Become Regular Cyclists

• All arterial routes should be safe in both perception and fact.

• Link to all schools, parks, and other important facilities.

• Create a bicycle network that for all cyclists: commuters, recreational, children, and local shoppers.

• Design the network to balance the needs for directness, safety and user convenience.

• Develop a system for reporting and responding to maintenance and safety problems.

CALTRANS CHECKLIST (see page ii) (h) A description of the extent of citizen and community involvement in the development of the plan, including, but not limited to, letters of support.

We met with the public at our monthly meetings in the San Anselmo Town Council Chambers (see photo, previous page) beginning in the Spring of 1999. Input was also gathered at the public meetings of the County Bicycle and Pedestrian Masterplan, pancacke breakfasts, the Chamber of Commerce and through the course of our interactions with others living here in San Anselmo.

We also met with the public at two community festivals: The Art and Wine Fair in June, 2000 and The San Anselmo Community Fair, in October 2000 (see photo above).

Input from the public was also solicited members of the Task Force and public volunteers.

Public input is cited throughout this report, appearing througout in red.

II. Establish a Comprehensive Signing and Stenciling Program and Encourage a County Standard • Signage should include destinations where appropriate.

• Stenciling on roadways designating routes is necessary for safety and recognition by motorists.

III. Educate the Community to Encourage and Support Bicycle Use • Support bike to work week and other count-wide programs.

• Encourage the development of the Safe Routes to Schools program.

• Incorporate bicycle safety curriculum into existing education and training.

SHORT TERM INITIATIVES (0 to 18 months) 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Signage: the signing of all major routes in San Anselmo: page 68 Stenciling: Bicycle stencils along all major routes: page 69 Bicycle Parking: New bicycle parking: page 70 Bicycle Sensors, Signal Requests: page 71 Connections to Schools: page 72 Finding A Solution to the Hub: page 75 CONTINUING INITIATIVES (1 - 5 years)

1. The Creation of a Class I Bicycle Network: Bicycle Paths Separated from Traffic: page 79 From The Hub to Ross (downtown): page 81 From The Hub to Fairfax. (San Anselmo Avenue North): page 83

From The Hub to San Rafael (Greenfield Ave.): page 85 2. The Red Hill Bike Path: page 87 3. Sir Francis Drake Crossings: page 89 4. Downtown Detour: The Residential Route page 91 5. Butterfield to Terra Linda Connection page 93

T

hroughout the report, we have included many of the interviews that were conducted by several different people over the past year. Letters from the public have also been included as requested in the checklist (left column, item h). The San Anselmo Bicycle Task Force is very grateful to all those who contributed their enthusiasm, ideas, concerns and critiques.

Thanks to Barbara Burtleson and Nancy Grover for their hard work. We also received help from Lew Watts, who contributed many fine pictures. A very big thanks also goes to Art Brooks of the Marin County Department of Public Works, Don Hodge of the County Surveyor’s office, Michael Jones of Alta Transportation and Mathew Ridgeway of the engineering and transportation firm of Fehr and Peers. Thanks also goes to the Task Force for all the hard work in collecting photographs, data, ideas, wranglings and writings. The San Anselmo Police Department also deserves our appreciation for their contributions to the report and help in escorting the memorial rides. Finally, a big thanks to Amy Faegans, Director of Planning for the Town of San Anselmo for her guidance.

The San Anselmo Bicycle Task Force March, 2001

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Tom Crowell Area of Interest: North of Center Blvd

Gary Fisher Geefisher@aol.com Area of Interest: Public Awareness, Education

Elise Heitur EHeitur@ cityofmillvalley.org Area of Interest: North of Center Blvd., Signals and Signs.

Jerry Pompili jpomp@bgp.com Area of Interest: Bicycle Parking

TOWN OF SAN ANSELMO

Tom Robinson tarinsa@yahoo.com Area of Interest: Residential Route

BICYCLE TASK FORCE

Bob) Snyder bikebob@well.com The San Anselmo Bike Area of Interest: Task Force was Signaling, Schools appointed by the Town Council in Spring 1999.

Peter Hoch lbhoch@yahoo.com Area of Interest: Residential Route, Funding Sources, Bicycle Parking

David Wolf Chair david@archtool.com Area of Interest The Hub, San Anselmo Ave.

Amy Feagans

Tom Peacock

afeagans@marin.org Director of Planning Town of San Anselmo Staff Liason

tjpeak43@aol.com Area of Interest: Residential Route, Signage, Stenceling

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Section 1: History

SECTION ONE

HISTORY: 1890s-2000 1. WHERE WE’VE BEEN

WHERE WE’VE BEEN

Seen here in 1893, this photo of the M.S. Latham shows the cutting-edge of transportation from a century ago. With her polished brass and gleaming paint, the M.S. Latham (pictured above) passed through San Anselmo on its way to Point Reyes and the north coast of California. She was fast, efficient and

the pride of the County. The presence of two cyclists behind the engine helps illustrate how bicycles also defined the cutting-edge of technology from this era. It would be the efforts of two brother bicycle mechanics named Wright that would soon give birth to the airplane.

T

he history of cycling in Marin County is closely linked with the evolution of trains. Unlike San Francisco, where the bicycle network is ruled by the laws of hills and grids, Marin’s bicycle network is characterized by the hills and valleys that define the old abandoned routes of the Northwestern Pacific Railway. Throughout the County, most of today’s bicycle routes either directly follow the old train-routes or the frontage roads that were paved alongside the old train beds.

Starting with the invention of the modern “Safety Bicycle” in 1886, the United States experienced a bicycle boom in the 1890s that is often forgotten in our contemporary understanding of transportation history. The popularity of bicycles during this period is hard to exaggerate. Bicycle clubs were all the rage, for businessmen, in the women’s suffrage movement and with children.

As the train right-of-way always followed the paths of least resistance, climbed very modest grades and generally had at least a path following alongside it, bicyclists of the 1890s quickly found that following alongside train tracks would allow them to get out and about with the least effort. This symbiosis between trains and bicycles is illustrated in the “Map of Califor-

This is The Hub in 1898 (opposite page). There wasn’t a whole lot more to San Anselmo back before the turn of the last century. Then, as now, The Hub was frequented by bicyclists, who rode alongside the tracks throughout the county.

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1. WHERE WE’VE BEEN

Section 1: History SECTION ONE: 1890S-1990S

History

nia Roads for Cyclists” of 1895 seen on The map on the opposite page does much to illustrate how seriously people took the bicycle. This map takes very seriously the idea of getting around all of the state by bicycle. Note the number of hotels catering to the touring bicyclist.

The great popularity of the bicycle in the 1880s and 90s saw the proliferation of cycling clubs all over California. Here the San Rafael Wheelmen can be seen in 1896. The excursions throughout Marin undoubtedly included San Anselmo on many outings.

Bicycling reached one of its high-points in the 1890s. In 1896, a parade of over 5000 bicyclists held a “Good Roads Rally” on San Francisco’s Market Street. Held on July 25th of that year, the parade had contingents from the police department and many local civic boosters.

After the 1906 earthquake, San Anselmo began to grow from a sleepy suburb of San Rafael to a community in its own right. The growth from the San Francisco earthquake was greatly facilitated by San Anselmo’s role as the “Hub City,” as it was called by many who knew it. From the heart of San Anselmo, a commuter could ride the electric rails to the ferry in San Quentin and be in San Francisco in one hour.

This 1893 map shows cyclists how to get around California by bicycle. In the detail above, the train routes are shown in black, the bike routes in red.

The HUB

In this old train map, the structure of our local road system can be seen, now major arteries for both cars and cyclists. Then, as now, there are three directions one can travel in from The Hub and San Anselmo: San Rafael, Fairfax and Ross.

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Though the automobile would arrive in the years surrounding 1900, the decline of the train, horse and bicycle would not pick up steam until the 1920s, when the mass production techniques perfected by Henry Ford allowed Americans the flexibility in movement the train or bicycle could just not compete with.

With the completion of the Golden Gate Bridge in 1937, the automobile began to dominate transportation in Marin. On March 1, 1941, in the remaining months before World War II, the trains and ferries stopped operation in Marin County. After the war, the new bridge opened Marin County to San Francisco commuters and development spread through the 1950s and ‘60s as the popularity of the automobile grew and the popularity of cycling

1. WHERE WE’VE BEEN

Where We’ve Been

Section 1: History

1. WHERE WE’VE BEEN Greenfield Avenue at The Hub Hub today. As this old frontage road is now a bicycle route, this history of The Hub is of great significance for our current incarnation of The Hub and bicycling today. Today, this short section of Greenfield is now one-way.

The train heading out towards San Rafael is the old trainbed that was later turned into Red Hill Road. In the middle is Greenfield Avenue, looking towards San Rafael from The Hub. The building on the right is the Chinese restaurant that sits at The

AAA To the Rescue Between the 1920s and the 1960s, the California State Automobile Association helped promote and supply signage for the ever more popular automobile.

This was coordinated with the San Anselmo Police Department.

Signage helped regulate the growth of the car, showing motorists where to go, when to park and control the growth of this now dominant form of transportation.

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Section 1: History

“M

y name is Larine Brown. I was born in 1915 and was raised here as well. I started out as a cub reporter for the Marin Journal in San Rafael and later the Ross Valley Reporter, writing about the history of our area. I am also the author of “Tracks from the Junction.”

History Where We’ve Been

remained low. The old train tracks of the Northwestern Pacific Railway were pulled out of San Anselmo in the 1950s and 60s.

LARINE BROWN (85) San Anslemo Resident and local historian

What happended to me is I was hit in the head on by a woman who was vying for a parking space near a church. She was obviously talking with her friend, and she drove right into me. Everybody around us said it was her fault. And, miraculously, there was a woman who came up to me, because I had blood on my head. The motorist was just not paying attention, because she was talking with her friend and wanted to get into that parking place. So people talking to one another is just as bad as the new car phones that have come out.

It’s just terrible.”

Despite her accident and fond memories of cycling locally, Larine is also stern in her unhappiness with people on bicycles who behave thoughtlessly on the road , speaking of the need for greater law enforcement and for people to obey the stop signs. She has particular problems with the corner of Scenic and San Anselmo Avenue, where cyclists often do not stop. “The streets in San Anselmo are narrow, and with cars parked on either side, it’s hard to make room for cyclists.…There needs to be more patrolling of certain intersections to make sure traffic laws are obeyed. ” As a bicycling enthusiast and someone frustraed with cyclists who don’t obey traffic laws, Larine typifies the ambivalence felt by many. Other Town elders echoed the same sentiment regarding bicyclists who disobey the law.

This is Larine’s book on the history of San Anselmo.

All of Larine’s three children rode bicyles in the 1940s and 50s. This is her daughter Pat here in San Anselmo

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In San Anselmo, the close relationship between train routes and bicycle routes has also been true for the development of automobile arterial routes. Our largest intersection— known as “The Hub”—is another legacy of the old train network.

The Hub was reconstructed in the early 1970s, and yet functioned with stop signs alone for almost a decade.

With the three train beds now replaced by roadways, San Anselmo also acquired a road system typical of old train towns, with many roads that are directly adjacent to other parallel streets.

The old train route to Fairfax became Center Blvd, a main artery of San Anselmo that lies parallel to San Anselmo Ave. The train route that went to San Rafael became Red Hill Road (see photo, opposite page), parallel to Greenfield Avenue. The train connection through Ross resulted in a widened Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, four lanes wide in this section.

As with the train network, the resulting road network produced three arteries, each at least six lanes wide when accounting for all directly parallel streets. Today, we have three of these wide arteries.

One can be found coming in from San Rafael with Red Hill Road and Greenfield Avenue forming the six-parallel lanes. Where Sir Francis Drake parallels San Anselmo Avenue (as they meet the town of Ross) the second artery can be found. The third connects down-

1. WHERE WE’VE BEEN

I grew up here in the Ross Valley and was an active cyclist (mostly in my early years) riding here from the 1920s through the 1970s. I used to be very athletic and because my mother was working, I took off on my bike to get around, explore, play tennis and as a gereral activity. Of course conditions were different back in my youth. Though we tended to ride on the same streets cyclists use today, conditions were very different. There was far less traffic then, which meant cycling was safer.

SECTION ONE: 1890S-1990S

Section 1: History of space exploration. The popularity of cycling slowly grew through the 1960s as the importance of fitness was re-emphasized.

1. WHERE WE’VE BEEN OWEN MULHOLLAND is a San Anselmo resident, school teacher, bike racer (38 years without a lapse), and cycling journalist, the first American to cover the Tour de France.

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he first time Owen Mulholland cycled in Marin was when he was nine and growing up in San Francisco. After moving to the MidWest, he returned by bicycle at the age of 16, cycling all the way to Ohio with his twin brother. As his enthusiasm for road bicycling grew, Mulholland joined the San Francisco Wheelmen in the 1960s, and was soon bicycling in Marin. “Northern CA was IT when it came to bicycling. In the early days when I was primarily riding from San Francisco to west Marin, we always followed San Anselmo Ave. When I finally moved to San Anselmo in 1974, I began to thoroughly investigate my new environs and discovered even more pleasures such as the Winship district. When we want a casual ride, my wife and I love to take a back street tour of the town on our tandem. In all, I have now been cycling in and around San Anselmo for the last 37 years. ”

town San Anselmo to Fairfax along Center Blvd and San Anselmo Avenue. In all three cases, the collection of six parallel streets are now used as both vehicular and bicycle arteries, with San Anselmo Avenue and Greenfield Avenues serving as bicycle routes.

The decline in popularity of cycling reached its bottom in the 1950s.

The bicycle was considered a child’s toy and little more. Nonetheless, the seeds of its later resurgence were sewn earlier with the introduction of balloon tires that had been introduced in the 1930s.

For the children of the 1950s, balloon tire bikes were very popular, but not among adults. By the end of the 1950s, President Eisenhower noted that Americans were driving more, walking less and were not as fit as in preceding decades. After his heart attack, he initiated a personal goal of staying fit (taking up cycling on a stationary bike) and set in motion the Presidential Fitness Awards, which gained prestige through the following decade

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Later the ecological movement began to take hold. By Earth day, held first in 1970, SMOG was becoming a major problem and congestion was worsening. The growth of Marin in the 1950s and ‘60s had brought plans for the development of West Marin and plans for freeways coming through the Ross Valley. In the 1970s, political winds shifted and the plans to develop much of West Marin were shelved by a new County Board of Supervisors. The freeway interchange that could very well have been built at the San Anselmo Hub never happened. The gas shortage of 1973 also helped further nudge forward the popularity of cycling.

The Bicycle Plan for Marin of 1974 resulted in many bike paths during this period. They invariably, followed the routes of the old Northwestern Pacific Railway. The first path to be created in Marin was the Tiburon Bike path in 1971.

That year also saw the creation of the first Mill Valley-Sausalito bike path, which was altered to its current configuration in 1975. The 1970s also saw the signage of a Continued on page 9

BICYCLE PLAN OF 1974 This is the plan that helped create many bikepaths in the ‘70s.

1. WHERE WE’VE BEEN

Section 1: History

“I

moved to San Anselmo in 1973, already a bike rider, I chose this town because of its central location, one could go north, south, east and west by bike, living up to its Hub City rep. That year I was a founding member of “Velo Club Tamalpais,” primarily a bike racing club here in Marin county. We held meetings at the Robson Harington Mansion and promoted “The tour of Marin” Bicycle stage race.

concrete,’ as we were fond of saying. And it could do it day after day, week after week, with out any major maintenance. It worked, and not only that, it was a blast. I made one for my roommate and then a friend and then another. It turned into a business. I opened a shop here in San Anselmo and it did very well. I was so successful with it the inevitable happened, it was knocked off by most of the bicycle industry, but I road the wave.

“These were heady days for bike riders as the Gas Wars were at their height, long lines formed at every gas station. The bike was an obvious answer.

Sales in the U.S. jumped from 5 millon per year in 1973 to over 15 million.”

The bike bug had bitten quite a few people and sales have not gone below 9 million a year ever since.

The Shop turned into a warehouse in San Rafael and I finally sold my business to a big Bike company in the Mid-West.

“Another funny thing happened not in the Middle East, but right here in San Anselmo. The conditions were right, a healthy bike culture, and a high tech center, plenty of trails and fire roads off the paved road system and a few open-minded tinkers with the inclination to try something different. In 1974, I put wide range gearing and heavy-duty brakes on an old balloon tire newsboy bike and took it into the woods. It was a bike that could ride up and down the Marin hills off-road ‘away from the cops, cars and

I still work for the company, traveling the world spreading the word, telling the story of those early mountain bike days in San Anselmo. And best of all I still ride in the hills around San Anselmo.

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Gary Fisher San Anselmo Bike Task Force Member Founder, Gary Fisher Bicycles

Section 1: History SECTION ONE: 1890S-1990S

History Where We’ve Been

Bob Snyder San Anselmo Resident

1. WHERE WE’VE BEEN

Member, San Anselmo Bicycle Task Force

“I

've been a San Anselmo resident since 1970 and a licensed bicycle competitor for over 30 years.

During the last 15 years I commuted by bicycle to and from my computer job in San Rafael. My love for cycling started in my teens when I purchased a new delivery bike while working on my grandfather's farm in upstate New York. That bicycle enabled me to scout backroads delivering groceries and newspapers to neighbors in the country.

I became immersed in cycling when I joined the Marin Cyclists during the early 70's participating in club rides, time-trials, centuries and social events. I represented Marin Cyclists at the Northern California Cycling Association meetings from 1979 to 1983 and worked as a race official at local races. This interest lead me to the position of District Rep for the United States Cycling Federation for Northern California and Nevada during 1983 to 1988. The position required me to put on the District Championship races, assign race officials for all races in the District, assist race promoters in securing local and Cal Trans road permits, and impose sanctions for riders who violated race rules. During my tenure as District Rep, I had to verify rider compliance with the updated helmet rules, make certain the race promoters had secured proper insurance/permits for races, and organize a racing training camp in Fairfax for junior riders and club coaches. Until 1993 I continued to participate in the veteran's class for road and track racing in Northern California and at the National Championships throughout the United States. I was one of the founding members of the Marin County Bicycle Coalition and was appointed to the San Anselmo Bicycle Task Force in 1999.

“My wife and I met through our involvement with Marin Cyclists in 1986. We both enjoy riding our road bikes, mountain bikes and tandem.

On our tandem we've toured the West Coast, Midwest, and East Coast of the United States. It is sheer bliss to be able to ride our bicycles to all parts of Marin Country right from our home. Often times, we'll pack a picnic dinner and take the fire roads up to Lake Lagunitas or go for an early morning ride around the Nicasio Reservoir or ride around Tiburon for a view of the bay.”

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“Unfortunately, this all ended on August 18th (one week before I was to officially retire after 40 plus years of work) while I was commuting home from work in San Rafael and was hit by a teenage driver who made an abrupt right hand turn in front of me. I am still recovering from traumatic brain injury; my wife is my caregiver driving me to weekly doctor appointments and to speech therapy /swim therapy sessions.

My driver's license has been taken away for at least a year and I have no idea when the doctor's will permit me to ride my bicycle. My dream of being a retired photographer has been temporarily squashed because a driver could not wait that extra 10 seconds to allow me to pass on the wide shoulder on which I was traveling.

However, I count my blessings that I am alive today and hope that no other cyclist or pedestrian will have to suffer unfortunate consequences of the powerful weight of the automobile.

Only by working together in a thoughtful manner will we be able to make safety improvements to our present transportation system.

Bob Snyder

Section 1: History CALTRANS CHECKLIST (see page ii)

SECTION ONE: 1890S-1990S

(k) A description of past expenditures for bicycle facilities and fu ture financial needs for projects that improve safety and convenience for bicycle commuters in the plan area.

1976?: Signing of main routes.

A CHRONOLOGY OF BICYCLE

1994?: Bicycle parking added on San Anselmo Ave. Though a cause of concern, the restriping adds parking for cars and has been recreted in and improved in the 2000 remodeling of downtown

IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TOWN OF SAN ANSELMO

1998?: Library bicycle rack added during remodeling.

1999-2000: New style bicycle parking replaces the 1973 racks at the Hub Transit Center.

2000: Downtown Remodeling Trees added to San Anselmo Avenue will have this style tree guard which also serves as bicycle parking.

The 1983 Marin County Bikeways Plan As State and Federal funding dried-up in the 1980s, little would become of the 1983 plan.

9

Where We’ve Been Continued from page 6

“Pacific Coast Trail” through Marin, a route that still has signage in Fairfax leading into San Anselmo.

Other trails followed along Corte Madera Creek, near the present Marin General Hospital, through the Kentfield campus of the College of Marin and the town of Ross via Corte Madera Creek. A “Cross Marin Trail” was also created through Samual P. Taylor Park State in the ‘70s.

Riding a really “good” bicycle during the ‘60s and ‘70s meant riding on a 10-speed bike, which was less than comfortable for many people because of the hunched over position it requires. By modifying old “fat-tire” bikes, local bicycling pioneers Gary Fisher, Joe Breeze and Charlie Kelly added advanced gearing to these bicycles that let the rider sit upright. Thus, San Anselmo and Marin County are considered to be the home of the mountain bike. The popularity of the mountain bike brought about a resurgence in cycling, providing a comfortable bicycle that could explore places 10-speeds could not go. For many, this meant riding the single-track trails of Mt. Tam. As mountain biking on Mt. Tam grew in popularity, it became clear to many in Marin that the ecology of the mountain could not sustain the continued growth of its narrow trails and mountain bicycling on Mt. Tam was restricted to fire roads in the late 1980s. The popularity of cycling continued to grow through the 1980s as many bought mountain bikes for a more comfortable ride around town. Bicycle shops proliferated throughout Marin and, today, the County has the highest number of bicycle shops per capita in the United States.

1. WHERE WE’VE BEEN

1973: Four areas like this for bicycle parking in Creek Park and at the Hub Transit Center.

History

Section 1: History SECTION ONE: 1890S-1990S

History: People Where We’ve Been

“I 1. WHERE WE’VE BEEN

met Cecy Krone at San Francisco’s Ferry Building after a large group ride around San Francisco. Having missed the ferry, we decided to use the new bus bike racks when we found out we were both going to San Anselmo. At the bus stop, a disheveled man came mumbling his need for…for what I couldn’t tell. I assumed he was panhandling, perhaps even drunk. Cecy saw through this, though, figuring out that he just needed help reading the schedule, which she helped him interpret.

On the ride home I learned that Cecy was an occupational therapist who worked with children. It soon became clear to me that helping those who have trouble articulating their thoughts was one of her many gifts. She told me about the editorial she wrote the previous May to the Marin IJ in response to the barrage of vitriol against cyclists, written as if we were another race or species. Her editorial gently cut to the core of the issue, her message being that we are you. A quote from it is found on page 12. It was clear that cycling was the center of her life. She cycled daily, usually on group rides that left from Coffee Roasters. She would also go on group rides throughout the West.

Cecy came to the Bicycle Task Force meeting in August, voicing her concerns for bicycle safety, how difficult it was to get across The Hub from where she lived. She told us about her neighbor, a successful artist named George, who built an elaborate bridge from his house to his other property across the street. Cecy was enamored with George’s bridge and the ones golfers use in West Marin. She asked “If we can build bridges for golfers and movie producers, why can’t we build them for cyclists as well?” Afterwards, Cecy invited me to see George’s bridge. We talked about Marin, how much creative energy there is here and the type of activities we plug our creativity into.

The night before her final ride, we spent the evening talking of life, Cecy excitedly anticipating her new job working in the schools of Richmond. Looking at the children’s drawings pinned to her wall, she pointed to one (which appears in the collage on page 12), a drawing of the game of “wheel barrel.” She described it as an activity she used to build cooperation: one child holding the other’s feet, trusted not to let go, the other propelling the two forward. Afterwards she’d have the children sit in a circle, drawing what they had learned. As we talked into the night, listening to the music each had brought to share, she told me of her hopes and fears. She spoke of road enraged SUVs; of her strategies for dealing with her vulnerability; how she rode ahead of the pack when hills approached so she could keep up. Sadly this is where she was the next morning when she was so senselessly killed by a drunk driver that ended a beautiful life with so much to offer the world. A week later we held a memorial ride for Cecy. Over 500 people attended from Marin and throughout the western United States.

I now ride the same West Marin road and witness the beer cans scattered along the road where Cecy was killed. You miss them in a car, but on a bicycle you can’t help but see them. They are a constant reminder of those who drive drunk. As I cycled down the hill, I thought of the beer cans, of Cecy—and looking up: suddenly, a massive Coors truck turning off of Drake, cutting corners and into my lane, heading directly towards me. I jumped out of the way just in time as he crossed my lane and sped up the hill, oblivious to what had happened.

Cecy came to the SABTF meeting with ideas for improving The Hub and the possibilities of building bridges. She excitedly told us about her neighbor’s bridge, a successful local artist named George who had built himself a nice bridge to his property across the street. In relaying her ideas for San Anselmo, she brought me to see it.

She talked about where we put our money in this county and how we should have bridges for cyclists like the one above to get across the gaps in the bicycle network.

We need not live in an oblivious world. Ride together, work together, form a wheel-barrel, build bridges and listen carefully: these are the gentle teachings learned that ease the pain of senseless loss.

David Wolf Chair—San Anselmo Bicycle Task Force

10

This is Cecy’s sign-in from our August 1999 meeting.

1. WHERE WE’VE BEEN

Section 1: History

“I

knew Kirk for exactly nine years and eight days. (Give me a minute and I could tell you the hours and minutes as well.) In that time I saw many wonderful facets of him. To me he was my best friend, lover, and husband. He was also a woodworker, photographer, and cyclist. If he could have found a way to do all three of these things 100% of the time he would have found true bliss. However, it was not until I sat down to write this piece that I realized how important the cycling part was in Kirk’s life.

“I have often had the pleasure of looking through the Ross family photo albums with Kirk’s parents. From his college days on, I would continuously come across photos of Kirk on a benefit ride, in a triathlon, or on his solo ride from Canada to Mexico. Kirk often reminisced about that particular ride whenever we found ourselves driving up the coast on Highway 1. I am still in awe of the athlete I married.

“Kirk’s very mood often depended on how much cycling he was able to do. If I found him in a particularly cranky frame of mind, I would often say, “Would you please go for a bike ride!” It always made him feel better. We have lived in four homes together, and it now occurs to me that for each move we made, serious consideration was given to whether Kirk would be able to ride. In all our homes but one he had easy access to West Marin or the Headlands. Our last home in Noe Valley, which we loved, had the one major flaw of having no easy access to bike routes.

“Kirk was ecstatic when we decided to come back to Marin and was particularly interested in finding a home in San Anselmo or Fairfax so that he could ride to West Marin easily and regularly. And he did. It is at the same time wonderful and sadly ironic that it was the last thing he was doing on this Earth.

Kirk Ross: September 16, 1957 to December 31, 1999 Rest In Peace Sophie Ross

11

Section 1: History

“Cyclists are your neighbors, your teachers, We do not deserve to be ‘banned from the 1. WHERE WE’VE BEEN

“Next time you encounter a cyclists on the road or I think there is enough beauty in Marin 12

Section 1: History

your lawyers, even possibly your friends.

1. WHERE WE’VE BEEN

hills’ because of the bad behavior of a few.”

trail, why not try a friendly wave or greeting? for all of us to share.”

13

Cecy’s May 11, 1999 letter to the editor, Marin IJ

Section 2: Present

2. WHERE WE ARE

14

Section 2: Present

SECTION TWO, WHERE WE ARE

PRESENT: Y2K CURRENT CONDITIONS AND CONTEXT

Here in San Anselmo, we also kept the creek from being channeled and further covered by more buildings. Another freeway was to have come up over Butterfield Ave, connecting over the ridge to the Marin County Civic Center, transforming the nature of Sleepy Hollow. Instead of constructing the large parking lot that was planned up for The Hub, the people of San Anselmo had the vision turn part of the old Hub train yard into Creek Park. There was a hue and cry from many that the proposed park would create only 52 parking spaces at the edge of a park instead of the 100 spaces that had been planned.

Though there is a shortage of parking in San Anselmo to this day, Creek Park is now treasured by all. (Though Mel the barber, who has been cutting hair here for over 50 years, has been heard to still grumble about it, time seems to have mellowed his views on Creek Park.)

With Marin now “preserved” in many ways, the economy healthier than ever before and the Cold War suddenly having ended, things have turned better than might have been expected. Instead of new cities covering West Marin, agricultural trusts were established. The Point Reyes National Seashore was created by the Federal government and Mount Tamalpais was preserved by the creation of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. We have faced an epic threat to Marin County and come out of it surprisingly well. The ferries were even brought back to the Bay.

15

Amazingly, 85% of the land in Marin County is now preserved in one way or another, more than anywhere else in the country, perhaps even the world.

On the face of it, the news for bicycles also seems to be very good as well. As San Anselmo is one of the sunniest parts of the Bay Area, bicycling here is more popular than ever before, used for both everyday transportation and recreation. There is also now more funding for bicycle improvements than ever before.

A

nd yet, there is something amiss. The other vision we had of the future had a transportation element.

As seen in the Jetsons, there was supposed to have been flying cars and high-speed rail. This is not how things have turned out. Today we get around much in the same way they did fifty years ago: by car, and for some, by bicycle. Though our population has held relatively stable in San Anselmo (population 12,500), the number of people using our roads continues to climb steadily. In other words, we have the traffic volume projected for the unbuilt freeways, on the old road system of the 1900s. Where we have been able to create a few new roads on old train beds, we have ended up with odd junctions that join triple sets of parallel streets that are 10 to 20 feet apart.

Though we have done well in creating bicycle parking and have signed routes, there is still not one bike path in all of San Anselmo.

We find ourselves amidst an incredible time of change, hope and uncertainty. This report is dedicated to the children of San Anselmo out of concern for the dropping number of children who cycle to school. With increasing congestion and people driving while distracted by cell phones and now internet devises for the car, we’re also experiencing increasing road rage and aggressive behavior on the part of motorists and bicyclists who do not obey the rules of the road.

Then came the tragic deaths of two San Anselmo cyclists, both killed by motorists driving under the influence. Both deaths occurred on the same West Marin road, one on September 4th the December 31st of 1999. Together, the two deaths and worsening traffic has made many less likely to travel by bicycle. Bicycling is at a critical crossroads.

2. WHERE WE ARE

N

ow we sit at the turning point of this new millennium and nothing has turned out quite as we planned.

From the vantage point of the early Cold War era, the future held plans to fill the San Francisco Bay enough to obliterate Sausalito’s Richardson Bay and Angel Island.

The planned filling of the San Francisco Bay would have left little more than a shipping channel. In Marin, new cities were planned. And yet, instead of the projected millions in our county, the population of Marin is only 240,000.

Here in San Anselmo, we would have had three different freeways coming through and an interchange that would undoubtedly still be known as The Hub. The Town of Ross was able to keep Sir Francis Drake Boulevard from widening to four-lanes, and preserved Corte Madera Creek from being transformed into a concrete channel.

Section 2: Present SECTION TWO: Y2K

Present Where We Are

Renee de la Prade

Ray Martin

“I

bike for transportation so I bike almost every day.

Bike safety in San Anselmo is okay, I guess, I suppose there could be a better path somewhere that everybody knows is for bikes only. Maybe something like that. I mean anytime you are out in the street on a bike it’s dangerous, cars have a hard time seeing you and I’m aware of that.”

“I

think the best thing about riding in San Anselmo is how many other cool cyclists there are. There’s a really neat community developing, especially around the Coffee Roasters.

Bicycling is great. It’s the best thing I ever took up.”

2. WHERE WE ARE

“Bicycling is great. It’s the best thing I ever took up.”

Eric Brandt, Tyler Brandt, Ronda Brandt (mom), Tia Brandt

“W

e ride from Fairfax to Wade Thomas school—where I teach and my son goes to school, almost every day. We found the back ways through the neighborhoods to avoid downtown where the traffic is bad and busy intersections. More marked bike routes would be good, the streets are very narrow. There is no good way to get to Red Hill or across Sir Francis Drake. You have to ride on the sidewalk on Sir Francis Drake to get from Madrone to Red Hill.”

George Gunnell

“S

an Anselmo is relatively friendly for cycling. My biggest concern is the uneven condition of the side streets. I would like to get around Marin easier, particularly from the Canal in San Rafael to Corte Madera. My San Anselmo cycling is limited to coming downtown to get coffee, and I have an easy time with it. The only improvement could be the intersection on San Anselmo Avenue near the convenience store. I would like to see more of the expert riders ride single-file, not two-abreast, because he is also a driver. Cyclists should lobby very vigorously for safe routes through the cities and the reality is that people also need to get around in their motorcycles and riding two abreast on busy streets.”

16

Section 2: Present Scott Breeze

SECTION TWO: Y2K

“M

otorists are really irritated with cyclists because they do not follow the rules of the road, such as stopping at stop signs. I think people should ride a different way. Don’t ride where the cars are or in the middle of the road. It’s not working out. After an accident I had with a car that was not obeying the law, I can really see the need for cyclists to get out of the roads. We need the alternate bike plan because there is no room for cars and bicyclists in the same place.”

Present Where We Are

“Motorists are really

Suzanne

S

uzanne characterized the confusion that exists between all who use the road. Recently, a bicyclist ran into the car door of her husband as he opened it She is not sure “whether we are supposed to look out for them or they are supposed to look out for us.” She would like bicycles separated from traffic. She’d “like to see it be more like Europe. ”In Holland there’s a freeway for bikes.”

irritated with cyclists

they do not

Robert Jaffe

“A

greater conscienceless of the driving public towards bicyclists and a crackdown on drunk drivers who violate bicyclists rights and that bikers need to be more aware and conscious of the driving public who are not so observant of their safety to be more cautious if they can. Just to be really careful with the bicyclists. Have caution.”

Leo Krashanoff

“I

love cycling in San Anselmo. I usually don’t ride on the street but on the ridges between Sleepy Hollow and Terra Linda. I think biking on the street is dangerous, people are in more and more in a rush, and traffic is increasing. It is much safer to be off the street. I’d feel more comfortable riding on the side street than on Center, because people speed. There are not enough bike lanes and too many speeders. I will stay off the road until people start.”

follow the rules of the road, such as stopping at stop signs.

I think

Ed Hewitt

“G

enerally I think that it pretty safe riding a bike in downtown San Anselmo. However, there are two times of the day when downtown gets very congested with cars. That being the morning time around eight to nine in the morning and around three to four o’clock, when all the parents are driving their kids to school. It seems like three o’clock is so busy with parents driving and so that is probably less safe just by the fact of the sheer numbers of cars with parents rushing to school to pick up their kids. Otherwise, it seems like it’s fairly safe.”

17

people should ride a different way…”

2. WHERE WE ARE

because

Section 2: Present SECTION TWO: Y2K

Present

Dolores Mosqueda

Where We Are

Age: 31 Occupation: Medical Assistant

“I live in San Anselmo and use my bike for commuting, trips around town and recreation. My commute is 4 miles, one-way, from San Anselmo to Greenbrae. Most days it takes less than 20 minutes each way. If the weather is really bad, I drive my car. Working in the healthcare industry I recognize the benefits of exercise that my commute gives me both physically and mentally. And, riding my bike through Ross Valley allows me to be more in touch with the community around me.

In the last couple of years I have noticed a change in attitudes of some motorists.

It seems that people are more stressed and rushed in both morning and evening commuter traffic. More people are multi-

tasking rather than paying attention to driving safely. Motorists are in such a hurry that they park in red zones, roll through stop signs without looking, and do not stop for pedestrians in crosswalks. I think that cell phone users are especially dangerous.

There is also more traffic on the smaller back streets using exceeding speed to beat traffic on the main corridors. This is especially dangerous for children who are using these smaller streets to get to and from school. I have seen children nearly get hit by some frantic motorist on a cell phone with children in the back seat. I have had close calls near the Ross Valley School, forcing me to take Sir Francis Drake Blvd, which is also very dangerous. The typical offenders are often parents taking children to school. I would hope that people in our community would just take a little extra time to slow down

2. WHERE WE ARE

George Gunnell, San Anselmo Resident

“S

an Anselmo is relatively friendly for cycling. My biggest concern is the uneven condition of the side streets. I would like to get around Marin easier, particularly from the Canal in San Rafael to Corte Madera. My San Anselmo cycling is limited to coming downtown to get coffee, and I have an easy time with it. The only improvement could be the intersection on San Anselmo Avenue near the convenience store. I would like to see more of the expert riders ride single-file, not two-abreast, because he is also a driver. Cyclists should lobby very vigorously for safe routes through the cities .”

“T

he biggest problem is just the unconsciousness on the part of drivers. I take my daughter (6) to school. She rides on the back, she wears a helmet. Drivers seem annoyed that I have this form of transportation with a child. They are surprised and they try to be careful but they seem annoyed. When I need to cross the street they want [me] to hurry up and cross because they want to get to work. But they really need to give me the right-of-way.”

“I’m slower because I have my daughter on the bike an need to be careful. So I’ve found that there’s not a lot of forgiveness for the bikers. Maybe for the bikers that are faster, they’re more used to them. I think for people like me, who are using it for transportation instead of recreation, that seems to be out of the norm.”

Ann Swygart San Anselmo Resident

“I’ve been doing a lot of errands on my bike, but I do find that people give me a lot of stares like it’s really unusual. I’m not wearing the right clothes and I don’t have a cool bike. I don’t ride down Sir Francis Drake. I have to go through Ross. I don’t ride on Center, there’s not enough of a shoulder. So you have to take the round-about way, so you have to be careful.”

18

Section 2: Present SECTION TWO: Y2K

Present Where We Are

L

Luis Arana 1998 Marin County Bicycle Commuter of the Year

Luis has commuted to his job as at Canal Community in San Rafael daily for the past five years. There he is a social worker who working with the children of the Canal District. A native of Spain, he has lived in San Anselmo for the last seven years.

“After I flew off my bike, the motorist stopped and asked me, ‘Where were you, where were you?

I’ll give you my number if you want to sue me.’

At that point I needed to hear the guy say, ‘Hey are you alright, I’m sorry! Are you okay?

Do do you want me to get you some coffee or some water?’

I told him, ‘I don’t want to sue you. I want some compassion.’ ”

Dave and Debbie Hannaford

D

ave and Debbie are experienced and confident, athletic bike riders. They are as likely to ride bikes as drive and their travels take them from their home across town to the watershed, to San Francisco,

San Rafael, Novato, Pt Reyes, Mill Valley, The Death Ride in the Sierra, you name it. Nevertheless, they have a healthy concern for automobile traffic, and find themselves riding for recreation more on Mt.Tam. than they would like. Dave says he experiences uneasy encounters with aut mobiles at least once each time he commutes on San Anselmo and Marin streets these days.

I asked him what he meant. “It’s a sense of threat . Safe Space between rider and car seem to be diminishing.

It’s as if drivers don’t undrstand or care to observe a safe space concept as much as they used to. Maybe it’s a matter of taking the bike rider for

granted too much.” Of course, he observes, “There are more of us-bikes and cars-now! More general congestion without upgraded rules.”

They suggested that well marked bike routes, marked clearly for the bike rider and the driver would go a long way to help in reestablishing Safe Space for both modes of transportation. Both would know clearly where they belonged and whose Space was whose. Polite signs “Share the Road” might help car drivers and bike riders realize they are but one type of transportation on the streets. It’s a two way street. Bike riders have equally significant responsibilities to follow the rules

“It’s a sense of threat. Safe Space between rider and car seem to be diminishing. It’s as if drivers don’t undrstand or care to observe a safe space concept as much as they used to.”

19

2. WHERE WE ARE

uis feels what we need is “road-rage therapy.” He narrowly missed serious injury in a collision with a car the week before here in San Anselmo. Accordig to Luis, a car turned without signaling directly into his path, forcing him to collide with a parked car. The force of the impact was enough to knock him from the bike and the chain off the gear. After I flew off my bike, the motorist stopped and asked me, “‘Where were you, where were you? I’ll give you my number if you want to sue me.’ At that point I needed to hear the guy say, ‘Hey are you alright, I’m sorry! Are you okay?

Do do you want me to get you some coffee or some water?’ Then I said, ‘I don’t want to sue you. I want some compassion.’ That is what’s missing from the process, a humanizing factor. Instead, it’s all about sueing and legalities. One of the reason’s I love to ride is that there isn’t this sense of seperation with others. When I am bicycling, that’s what we have, a very humainzing experience. Bicyclists look out for each other. We help each other: ‘Do you need some water? Do you need help fixing your flat.’

That sort of thing. That’s what it should be like.”

Section 2: Present

2. WHERE WE ARE

20

Section 2: Present SECTION TWO: Y2K

Present Where We Are

Current Context

THE MARIN COUNTY

L

ike the trains that came before them, the emerging Marin County Bicycle network is ruled by the laws of gravity. Where the San Francisco Bicycle Network is characterized by the quest for level routes through a grid laid over steep hills, the emerging bicycle network in Marin follows the abandoned right-of ways of the old Northwestern Pacific Railway.

tunnels now long closed and cyclists having to go over the passes the trains sought to avoid. Planning for this portion of the Bicycle Network traverses Anderson Drive in San Rafael, passing by the San Rafael Transit Center and continues on to the Marin County Civic Center and Novato.

Many of the bicycle routes in Marin predate the arrival of the automobile in California, having been documented as such in the early 1890s (see map and captions on page 2 and 3). As this map shows, The Hub was an important juncture for cyclists and trains in 1895, the map showing bicycle routes following train routes throughout the state as the shallow grade that trains required always followed the path of least resistance.

The Marin County Bicycle and Pedestrian Masterplan of 2000 defines the bicycle network by two a North South Bikeway, which parallels Highway 101, from the Golden Gate Bridge to Novato. At this point, the North-South artery of the bicycle system is particularly fragmented, with several old train

21

According to the Bicycle Masterplan, the East-West bikeway parallels Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. In San Anselmo, the East-West artery forks at The Hub, one arm continuing east to San Rafael, the other South to the Larkspur Ferry.

Of the 26 miles parallel Sir Francis Drake Blvd., 10.5 miles are dedicated bike path. These dedicated bike path portions include: 6.5 miles through Samual P. Taylor State Park, another two miles along Corte Madera from Ross to Marin General Hospital and another two mile section through Greenbrae to the Larkspur Ferry Landing.

The commuter ferry from Larkspur connects bicycle commuters to San Francisco. The high-speed ferry takes a half-hour. All ferries accommodate bicycles for no additional fee.

2. WHERE WE ARE

BICYCLE NETWORK

Section 2: Present

2. WHERE WE ARE

22

Section 2: Present SECTION TWO: Y2K

Present Where We Are

They are planning a parallel system to fulfill their unique position in the county to accommodate tourists, recreational riders, and commuters (virtually all whom pass through Sausalito in route to and from San Francisco).

What Other Cities Are Doing

COUNTY CONTEXT Fairfax continues work on Sir Francis Drake Boulevard to complete the Class II path to St. Rita’s, Manor School and White Hill School. They want to be in position for funding grants following their response to he County plan. They have an advanced Safe Routes to Schools program and this effort will concentrate their energies on internal bicycle and pedestrian needs.

At this time, half of the northern portion approaching the ferry terminal is now funded. The stretch south including Alexander Ave. is more difficult, but they are planning for Class I and Class II routes throughout their system.

Mill Valley’s Five Year Capital Improvement Program lists: $4000 for bike racks in 2003-04; Bike & pedestrian signage & striping $5000 in 2000-01, $5000 in 2001-02; Bicycle improvements Camino Alto $250,000 in 2003-4; Bicycle improvement Miller Ave. $80,000 in 2002-03.

Corte Madera has a grant in hand to pave up to the High Canal Bridge. They have made a grant application to continue beyond the bridge with a multiuse path to the northern terminus of Wornum at Tamal Vista on the old NorthWestern Pacific Railroad right-of-way. They are also planning relocation work on the multiuse path on Paradise drive.

Larkspur has formally recognized the list of Bicycle improvements submitted to the County master planning process. The Parks and Recreation commission will prioritize funding for bike lanes and pedestrian walks. Construction under way on Doherty Drive which will provide two directional Bike lanes and Pedestrian walks around Redwood High School. Citizens working to open Cal Park Hill to San Rafael is also continuing.

23

The BPAC in San Rafael is working to develop intra-city bike and pedestrian routes connecting neighborhoods, schools, parks and transportation centers inside San Rafael. It is a city specific plan which, however, will connect to the county plan when released. San Rafael recognizes that the county plan has to do with connections for jurisdiction throughout the county and little to do with their internal city needs. In 1999 San Rafael completed new bike routing on Las Gallinas and Anderson Blvd.

Novato has an effective system to include bicycle transportation in their community. They concentrate on good signage, safety issues and alternative routing. Funding opportunities are fed to the BicyclePedestrian Advisory Committee from their engineering department, a member of which is on the BPAC, Their planning process has developed a wish list, and the city and BPAC are constantly on the lookout for grant opportunities. They currently have Class I plans for South Novato Blvd and Enfrente near the Highway 37 merge and are looking at a way out of Bel Marin Keys north. For jurisdictions interested in funding sources they recommend contacting Emmett Creason of the Traffic Engineering Department.

2. WHERE WE ARE

I

n Sausalito they are planning their response to the Marin County Bicycle Masterplan. They will be ready with their plans in order to receive State Transportation Funds. Without supportable plans they understand they cannot be successful in funding appeals. Hence their first priority as a follow-up to the county plan is completion of Sausalito bicycle transportation plans.

Section 2: Present

2. WHERE WE ARE

24

Section 2: Present CALTRANS CHECKLIST(see page ii) (e) A map and description of existing and proposed bicycle transport and parking facilities for connections with and use of other transportation modes. These shall include, but not be limited to, parking facilities at transportation stops, rail and tranit terminals, ferry docks and landings, park and ride lots, and provisions for tranporting bicyclists and bicycles on transit or rail vehicles or ferry vessels.

SECTION TWO: Y2K

Present Where We Are

See description below.

MARIN COUNTY TRANSPORTATION CONNECTIONS

San Rafael Transit Center The busiest transit center in Marin, from here busses with bikeracks connect to BART in Richmond (20

The San Anselmo Hub Transit Center This is the second busiest Transit Center in Marin, with free bus connections to Larkspur Ferry (10 min), and San Rafael Transit Center.

Larkspur Landing Ferry Terminal At the end of the Corte Madera Creek/East-West Bikeway, a half-hour bike ride from San Anselmo.

With the new high-speed ferry, San Francisco is just a half-hour away.

L

ike the bicycle system, the transit connections in Marin County also mirror the old Northwestern Pacific Railway. The road system is characterized by two major arterial routes: Highway 101 from the Golden Gate Bridge to Novato (which parallels the North-South Bikeway) and Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, from the RichmondSan Rafael Bridge and Larkspur Ferry to Point Reyes. Another shorter arterial road connects from the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge to Highway 101.

The road system in Marin also doubles as the major routes of the Golden Gate Transit’s Bus System. Major transit centers for busses can be found in San Rafael (the largest bus center in Marin) and at San Anselmo’s Hub Transit Center (the second busiest bus center in the County).

As of 1999, most Golden Gate Transit busses have been outfitted with bike racks that allow commuter cyclists to bring their bicycles along for the trip by way of exterior racks attached to the front of the busses. This allows commuters to ride to the bus, bring their bicycle along and to their destination, providing an efficient inter modal transportation solution.

25

Golden Gate Transit offers bus service to the Richmond BART station. Bus 40, which also allows bikes on board, takes about 20 minutes to BART. From the Richmond BART station ), the bicycle commuter can traverse the entire East Bay, Livermore, San Francisco and soon the San Francisco Airport. An extension is also being planned to San Jose.

At this time, the bicyclist who wants to use the Richmond San Rafael Bridge may also use the Bridge District’s roadside phone to call for a pick-up and shuttle to the other side. This process can take anywhere from ten minutes to forty five.

The Larkspur Ferry is the third connection to the larger county-wide transit network. Riding from San Anselmo, the commuter travels along either the Corte Madera Creek bike paths or Sir Francis Drake Blvd to the Larkspur Ferry.

This trip can be made from San Anselmo’s Hub in a half-hour. With the ferry connecting to San Francisco in as little as a half-hour, the total trip time rivals the hour-trip possible by car or the old train and ferry system.

2. WHERE WE ARE

Bikeracks on Busses Golden Gate Transit Busses are now outfitted with bikeracks.

Section 2: Present

2. WHERE WE ARE 2. WHERE WE ARE

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Section 2: Present CALTRANS CHECKLIST(see page ii) (b) A map and description of existing and proposed land use and settlement patterns which shall include, but not be limited to locations of residential neighborhoods, schools, shopping centers, public buildings, and major employment centers. Y__N__.

SECTION TWO: Y2K

Present Where We Are

EXISTING CONDITIONS IN SAN ANSELMO

See below and on opposite page, also page 61.

LAND-USE SETTLEMENT PATTERNS

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he land-use patterns of San Anselmo have changed little in the past century. Foremost in the factors affecting development patterns has been the Ross Valley itself, joining Kentfield, Ross, San Anselmo and Fairfax. Along its bottom runs Corte Madera Creek, which carved the Ross Valley eons ago, fed the native Ohlone people abundant fish and provided the route parallel to which the Northwestern Pacific Railroad built its train bed.

Both train and creek followed the Ross Valley from Fairfax, through San Anselmo, Ross, Kentfield, Greenbrae and Larkspur Landing. Corte Madera Creek then widens enough for today’s ferry to San Francisco to navigate its depths (see page 18, 22).

Where Corte Madera Creek created the Ross Valley, the railroad set the rhythm of development. At the juncture, where another small valley connects to San Rafael, the railroad built The Hub, a junction of train yards and another train line to San Rafael. The three lines emanating from The Hub created neighborhoods around the old stations between downtown and surrounding towns, with downtown San Anselmo developing beside The Hub and neighborhoods followed at Yolanda and Landsdale Stations.

When the train tracks were pulled out in the ‘50s and ‘60s, new roads were placed on the train beds, creating the road system we have today. This road network has three parallel arterial roads: Sir Francis Drake Blvd. (our busiest street), Center Blvd. (which runs from The Hub to Fairfax on the old train right-of-way), and San Anselmo Ave. (which runs from Ross, through downtown then parallels Center Blvd. to Fairfax). The train line to San Rafael was also replaced, creating Red Hill Road which is parallel to Greenfield Ave. After the Golden Gate Bridge opened in 1937 and following WWII, San Anselmo grew north of Sir Francis Drake Blvd, creating the Sleepy Hollow 27

The people of San Anselmo commute to three major employment centers. The first is in San Francisco, which most access by car, some by bus or by Larkspur Ferry. Most of those who do not work in The City work somewhere in Marin County. As San Rafael is by far the largest city in Marin, it can be considered our largest employment center. Finally, downtown San Anselmo is home to many businesses and is an important destination. Most get to their Marin County jobs by car, some by bus or bicycle.

Schools are distributed throughout San Anselmo (see opposite page). There are also three local colleges: the San Francisco Theological Seminary in downtown San Anselmo, the College of Marin (a mile south of town on Sir Francis Drake Blvd.), and Dominican University in San Rafael, two miles west.

THE EXISTING BICYCLE NETWORK San Anselmo has neither bicycle paths nor bicycle lanes. The network is made up of Class III bike routes, which are signed routes on roadways. The basic structure of today’s bicycle network was set in the 1890s, when cyclists traveled through Marin on the roads that parallel train tracks. In our town, these main routes are San Anselmo Ave. (to Ross and Fairfax) and Greenfield Ave. (to San Rafael). Another connector joins Butterfield Road to Terra Linda and the Marin County Civic Center area. Outside of the routes described on the following pages, we also have several connections to the openspace surrounding San Anselmo. The following pages describe the current network in detail.

2. WHERE WE ARE

neighborhood, and east of The Hub, in the area behind United Market. In the early 1970s, the Red Hill Shopping Center opened, creating a second area that is disjointed from the rest of downtown with little connection between the two.

Section 2: Present

2. WHERE WE ARE

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Section 2: Present

The Hub is actually not an intersection, technically speaking, as Sir Francis Drake Boulevard is the only street that passes through. In the language of streets, The Hub is actually what is known as a junction. In fact, San Anselmo was originally known as the town of “Junction.” Following the definition of a junction, The Hub is the ending point of three different streets: Center Boulevard, Red Hill Avenue and Greenbrae Avenue. Counting from the middle of The Hub, there are 27 lanes in all that reach to, or pass from this junction. Red Hill Avenue alone has nine lanes that reach The Hub, with Center Boulevard adding another six. Though Sir Francis Drake is only four lanes wide, it adds another eleven lanes coming to or leaving The Hub. Finally, Greenfield Avenue completes the set, adding one more one-way lane at The Hub From San Rafael and East San Anselmo (see opposite page, points a-e, options 1, 2, 3, 4, also page 29): Because of the nature of the valleys that cross paths at this juncture, there is only one practical alternative to bypass the intersection itself, by crossing at Bank Street a block away. For those bicycling from the eastern section of San Anselmo there are simply no other practical options to get into downtown or any other part of San Anselmo other than to pass through this area. Two of our four markets are also located on the eastern side of The Hub, as is the Stapleton School and Elan Fitness Center.

The bike route from this direction (points a-e) goes down Greenfield Avenue, the old frontage road to the train that is two-way for all but the last block before The Hub. One block from The Hub this section becomes one-way only and the cyclist must turn left onto (?Lincoln Park St?) which joins Bank Street a block away. The Bank Street crossing opens to five different bridges that cross Corte Madera Creek and into downtown.

These different options are delineated in 1, 2, 3a, 3b and 3c on the opposite page. At the present, the variations of option 3 are the safest connections through The Hub, passing through Creek Park parking lot, which is slow and has parking on one side only.

Red Hill Avenue is far too busy for most cyclists (option 4b, opposite page). The busiest part is where Red Hill Road meets Sir Francis Drake Boulevard and two lanes turn onto Drake. Cecy Krone, who lived on the east side of Red Hill, commented that she would rather cross over four lanes of Red Hill Road (where there is no crosswalk) to get to Greenfield Avenue than to cross directly through The Hub and into the Center Boulevard bottleneck.

From the Theological Seminary neighborhoods and Ross (options 1&2, opposite page): Cyclists coming from these areas currently have two options for crossing through The Hub. The first (1) is at Tunstead Avenue, a short, five lane street that “T”s into two other busy streets. Tunstead was re striped from four lanes to five this past summer. A street wider than it is long, the Tunstead connection is not safe, as all lanes are turnlanes both coming in and going out. Though solid striping is supposed to prevent motorists from changing lanes on Tunstead, lane changing is prevalent and a danger to cyclists. The second option (2) is to pass through the alley at Javarama, and cross the creek just below the park. This route was reportedly once signed. It is increasingly a point of conflict between pedestrians

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SECTION TWO: Y2K

Present Where We Are

The Hub and bicyclists as the alley narrows to less than six feet in its middle. We received numerous complaints from merchants regarding cyclists’ heavy use of the alley.

From North of SFD Blvd, Landsdale and Yolanda Stations and Fairfax (option 4b): Cyclists from these neighborhoods and towns invariably approach downtown and The Hub by way of San Anselmo Avenue. Those going to San Rafael, turn left onto Bridge Avenue (where the Fire Station is) and right onto Center Blvd at its most narrow point (see “Center Blvd Bottleneck,” opposite page). This narrow, two lane section of Center has the Transit Center on one side (with busses frequently arriving and leaving) and the popular Andronico’s Market on the other. After the Transit Center, the cyclists must navigate the opening of this bottleneck, as the one lane expands to four at The Hub. It is at this point that the traffic is most unpredictable, as the cyclists must also shift left and cross over a lane that is turning right onto Drake Boulevard (point “1” on opposite page). On the other side of the intersection, the cyclist then proceeds to Red Hill Avenue for about forty feet as a turn lane comes in from Sir Francis Drake Blvd on the right (point “7”).

This is repeated a moment later as the cyclist moves onto Greenfield Avenue and yet another turn lane comes up from Drake Blvd, this time from behind.

IN SUMMATION: Though there is no single definitive way for a cyclist to cross The Hub, the safest crossings are variations of option 3,, crossing Drake at Bank Street. This option presents a “cliff-hanger” ending, however, as shown on the following page.

2. WHERE WE ARE

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ur town is often known as The Hub City, a legacy that carries back to the days of the train and one that persists to this day. The Hub is the second busiest intersection in Marin, surpassed only by the freeway intersection of Highway 101 and 80 in San Rafael. Aside from a few major cities, such as Washington D.C.’s “Beltway” and Chicago’s “Loop,” few cities are so closely identified the configuration of its road system.

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Present WHERE WE ARE

San Rafael to the Hub ELIZABETH CRAWFORD 1999 Marin County Bicycle Commuter of the Year Interviewed in her San Anselmo home.

E

lizabeth rides her bike to work as a teacher in San Rafael. She rides down Butterfield then left along Sir Francis Drake Blvd for a block to San Anselmo Ave. Joining the main bicycle corridor at Landsdale Station, she continues down San Anselmo Avenue to the Hub at Center and Drake, crosses the Hub onto Greenfield and on to San Rafael. She returns by different routes in the evening. I asked her why different routes?

2. WHERE WE ARE

“Well, the whole East-West Corridor in this area is pretty much a mess.

No one seems ever to have given thought to getting bicycles from San Rafael through San Anselmo and on west. There are ‘fragments’ of Class III bike routes, but no Class II or Class I routes. You have to make do with whatever works at that time of day. Imagine roads that just end! What would drivers do? Make do like I do, I guess. But all this makes for dangerous conditions, and surely is unlikely to encourage bicycle riders. And parents see this and just throw up their hands. Classic Catch-22!”

The photos to the right help illustrate Elizabeth’s points regarding crossing The Hub. She feels that our communities need “close collaboration for uniform signage and to eliminate “cliff-hanger route endings.”

b e

d

c

a

Greenfield Ave

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Section 2: Present

a

b

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Present Where We Are

San Rafael to the Hub

a) Greenfield Avenue: Coming into SA The pink circle shows the Bicycle Route sign on Greenfield Ave. a, sending cyclists down the “Miracle Mile.”

Now further down Greenfield, we come to the “DO NOT ENTER” sign. From this point on (b), Greenfield is one-way.

Cyclists must turn left. Some, however, continue straight on Greenfield, going the wrong way down a one-way street.

What is missing is another “Bike Route” sign that says to turn left. This is what Elizabeth Crawford means when she says, “Imagine roads that just end.”

c&d) The Bypass Around The Hub: After turning left off of Greenfield, this section through “Lincoln Park” is relatively quiet and safe (c& d).

Motorists taking a short-cut through here are the only obstacles.

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lizabeth Crawford calls it a “cliffhanger route ending.” This is what occurs: from San Rafael and East San Rafael, there is really only one safe route for cyclists to get into the downtown area. This Bicycle Route is marked from San Rafael’s West End Street (and the Shell Station at 2nd and Fourth Streets), coming into San Anselmo by way of Greenfield Avenue. The last marking of this route, however occurs near Elan Fitness Center, about four blocks from The Hub (a). This “Bicycle Route” is what she refers to as “Class III.”

b

c

e

d

e) Safe Crossing: Bank St and SFD Blvd In contrast with The Hub a block away, the intersection of Sir Francis Drake and Bank Street is the safest place for a bicyclist to cross The Hub area, safer than any other San Anselmo crossing over Sir Francis Drake Blvd. Traffic is stopped by four different stoplights, the intersection itself is broadly marked twice with large letters that spell out “Keep Clear.” Relatively few motorists

e

f) The Cliff-Hanger Ending: Having bypassed The Hub and crossed Drake at a safe intersection, the next options to finally cross the creek and get over to San Anselmo Ave are problematic.

Using the bridge below Creek Park that turns into the alley at Javarama is one of the most popular and problematic. The people pictured here are riding a tandem bicycle—with a trailer—across this six-foot wide pedestrian bridge.

f

Another option is to cross through Creek Park parkinglot, which is also examined

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Beyond this point the “Bicycle Route” signs stop. The “Miracle Mile” section of Greenfield Avenue, down which cyclists are directed, is relatively safe compared with Red Hill Avenue. A block from The Hub, however, Greenfield becomes one-way from the other direction (b). Cyclists must then turn left, and yet there is no “Bicycle Route” sign directing them to do so. Turning left through Lincoln Park and coming out onto Bank Street, the cyclist follows two quiet residential blocks (c&d). Finally arriving at Sir Francis Drake, the bicyclist crosses at Bank Street, as safe a place to cross Drake as can be found in San Anselmo (e).

This, however, takes us to the “cliff-hanger ending” Ms. Crawford is referring to.

After this relatively safe arrival from San Rafael (despite the lack of an important sign), there are five different bridge the cyclist can elect to use to cross the Creek and arrive at San Anselmo Avenue and downtown. All are very short connections and yet each last piece of this puzzle is very problematic, as discussed on the previous two pages. The option shown on the left (also described as option 2 on page 26), is among the most prevalent.

2. WHERE WE ARE

b) Grenfield Ave.: a Block from The Hub

Section 2: Present

Town and Country Club

2. WHERE WE ARE

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Section 2: Present

Because of the train right-of-way that runs beside it (now Center), SA Ave makes two unpredictable turns in its meanderings from downtown, where it is our “Main Street.” Where it meets Center near the Fire Station, SA Ave also turns hard to the left and runs parallel with Center. The two streets are generally set about 18 feet apart all the way to Fairfax, as SA Ave is also the old frontage road to the trains that ran on Center. Where SA Ave reaches Landsdale Station, it crosses over Center and continues on to Drake. Beyond this intersection, Landsdale Avenue is the frontage road parallel to Center, where cyclists continue to Fairfax.

SECTION TWO: Y2K

Present Where We Are

San Anselmo Ave

FA I R FA X T O T H E H U B

The Shortcut Phenomenon: It happens every morning and afternoon: traffic backs up on Drake and motorists take Center as a shortcut. In turn, other drivers take the parallel SA Ave as a shortcut around the Center Blvd backup. Drivers then seem to feel compelled to speed quickly through the neighborhoods and their stop signs that line SA Ave to somehow prove the chance they have taken will actually be shorter. They are also taking chances with the lives of those walking and bicycling along these very narrow streets as well. There are signs in a few locations that forbid “through traffic” during specified hours, but there seems to be little enforcement and many ignore the signs. The phenomenon of motorists taking SA Ave as a short cut is a very dangerous situation throughout, but particularly in front of Quick ‘n Easy.

The Street as a Sidewalk: Neither Center Blvd nor Landsdale Ave have sidewalks. SA Ave has narrow sidewalks

We also heard from motorists about bicyclists who take the “short cut” of not stopping at stop signs. This is especially a problem on SA Ave, the cause of most complaints brought to the Police Department regarding bicyclists. The SAPD has initiated a program of police patrols on bicyclists in the past year that has been a success and is beginning to have an effect.

of substandard width, allowing single-file walking only. Nonetheless, this is the most popular pedestrian corridor outside of downtown. Even where sidewalks exist, people walk in the street. Children are often meander unpredicably about the street, making for conflict with cars and bikes.

Intersections: This arrangement of parallel streets also creates four intersections on SA Ave, an odd arrangement that makes for triple sets of back-to-back intersections. Like The Hub, these are less intersecitons than junctions. In this corridor, we have five such junctions, brining together as many as 18 different lanes. The problems occur when cars turning from Center onto SA Ave, go from one intersection and into anotherwithout a second stop sign. Though the driver is obligated to yield to traffic entering these other streets, they often do not. To many, the sequence of who stops where is very confusing, creating points of potential conflict along with many opportunities for improvement .

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Cyclists Using Center Blvd: The bikeroute is on SA Ave (above, far right) not Center Blvd, beside it, used primarily by cars alone (above left). There are three reasons cyclists use Center: 1) Inadequate signage. 2) Cyclists seeks to avoid unpredictable pedestrians walking in the street. 3) Center has a fraction of the stop signs SA Ave and Landsdale have. 4) SA Ave and Landsdale are poorly paved and full of deep cracks that are hazardous to thin tired bikes. We received many comments on this issue. Though the SABTF agrees cyclists should use Center, State law allows cyclists to use all roads that are not freeways.

There is room here for improvement.

2. WHERE WE ARE

O

f the three streets that run through the Ross Valley, Sir Francis Drake Boulevard carries the bulk of our traffic.

Parallel to Drake is Center Boulevard, the bed of the old train right-of-way, now a secondary road that runs from Fairfax to The Hub. Parallel to Center (directly beside it) is San Anselmo Avenue (SA Ave), which serves as one of the most important and heavily used bicycle corridors in Marin, second only to the approaches to the Golden Gate Bridge. For both the people of our town and those passing through, the importance of SA Ave can not be overstated. It is the main bicycle route into downtown for most houses above The Hub, and above Drake. For those cycling from West Marin and north, this is also currently the main bicycle route through Marin. The Marin County Bicycle Masterplan refers to SA Ave as the Marin’s East-West Bikeway.

Section 2: Present

SAFETY HAZARDS: BEING “DOORED” Description of existing conditions needed here.

2. WHERE WE ARE

34

This simulated “dooring” is a life-threatening hazard cyclists face daily on San Anselmo Avenue.

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Present Where We Are

San Anselmo Ave

Ross to The Hub

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Narrow Lanes: Ten Feet Wide The Danger of Dooring— Imagine you are on a bicycle riding down a street that has enough room for diagonal parking on the right and for cars to pass on your left. Now imagine that street narrowing to ten feet, to the point where you don’t have room to fit between the parked cars and those passing on your left without moving in close to the “zone of the door.” Now imagine the very sudden opening of a car door right in front of you. Without warning you are headed straight at a sharp metal object with no time to stop. W H A M !

Where there is no room for the cyclist to ride on the side of the lane, taking the entire lane is permissible in California.

However, many unexperienced bicyclists are not aware of this and ride too close to the “zone of the door.” Motorists as well have been known to toot their horn in an effort to “gently” urge the cyclists over. With people also jumping out of their cars without looking, we also have “dooring” accidents, which are potentially very serious.

Diagonal Parking-Diagonal parking requires cyclists to play “diagonal parking roulette” as drivers backing out have poor visibility of oncoming cyclists and parked vehicles obscure other vehicles backing out. These factors require cyclists to ride close to the center of a travel lane, which is intimidating to inexperienced riders. Bicyclists should have enough space to keep away from the rear ends of parked cars while still making it easy for passing motorists to get by the bicyclists.

The Transition from Shady Lane-A one block stretch of Bolinas Avenue serves as the connection between San Anselmo Avenue and Shady Lane. Together, Shady Lane and San Anselmo Avenue serve as the East-West Bikeway through the Ross Valley.

San Anselmo Ave’s lanes are only 10 feet wide here.

Options for improving this section of the bicycle network are discussed on page 81.

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2. WHERE WE ARE

f San Anselmo Ave is the main bicycle corridor into downtown, it is the “Main Street” as they ride through it. Cyclists going to and coming from Ross and points south (College of Marin, Larkspur Ferry, Corte Madera, Mill Valley, Sausalito and San Francisco) all use SA Ave to get to and through this part of the county.

Section 2: Present

2. WHERE WE ARE

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Section 2: Present

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SECTION TWO: Y2K

his section of our town studied by the Bike Task force is dominated by Sir France Drake Boulevard. Crossing this 2-4 lane road is a hazardous proposition for bikes and pedestrians. Today’s bike routes appropriately cross Sir Francis Drake at stop light controlled intersections. These intersections are dominated by automobile traffic and have little or no accommodation for bikers. In most cases preferred or easy access routes for bikes are not marked and only discovered by trial and error by an enthusiastic individual. The following describes the biker experience of several Sir Francis Drake intersections:

Present Where We Are

San Anselmo Ave

North of Center Blvd

Biker Friendly Rating:

Tolerable

Safety Rating:

Scary

Pavement Quality:

Rough

Coming from Sleepy Hollow the biker enters the incorporated part of town with no indication or map of the possible destinations. While bike route signs exist, there is not indication to where they are directing the rider. The biker rides a wide shoulder in Sleepy Hollow and transitions to a 4 foot bike lane striped on the roadway. This bike lane ends abruptly at Rutherford Avenue and is not encountered again during the ride to the Hub. When crossing Sir Francis Drake at Butterfield the biker has no ability to trip the light signal from the right lane since the closest pedestrian button is 3-4 feet from the right hand curb. (Dismounting and leaving a bike on the roadway is impractical and dangerous.) When the light changes to green the biker must then proceed to San Anselmo Avenue over rough, bumpy and pot-holed pavement while traffic is passing at a narrow point in the roadway. The turn onto San Anselmo Avenue is a blind turn over extremely rough pavement due to bushes and other growth right at the turn. Crossing this intersection is a challenge for an adult and would not be appropriate for a child, so most children ride on the sidewalks (which poses a pedestrian hazard). There are two bike route signs mounted on poles at this intersection, but given the above attention to the ground a biker would not be able to concentrate on any other point while in motion.

San Anselmo Avenue to points north Biker Friendly Rating

The Worst

Safety Rating

Extremely Scary for Kids

Pavement Quality

Rough

Coming from the Hub following bike signs across Center the biker jogs right on Klare and Left on Sierra. This intersection is of the greatest concern in the North of Center area. The inadequacies of this intersection are detailed below: • Sierra is a blind intersection with Sir Francis Drake. Visibility is extremely limited to unless one is situated directly on the Sir Francis Drake sidewalk.

• Stops must be made on a steep hill before rushing traffic.

(This is extremely difficult with a bike trailer and seat with one or two children or groceries.)

• Most traffic from Broadmoor, opposing Sierra, turns on SFD

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2. WHERE WE ARE

Butterfield/Sir Francis Drake

East leaving little time for the bike/ped crossing the Sir Francis Drake roadway onto Broadmoor.

• [The Bike Task Force feels strongly that this is one of the most potentially hazardous and uncomfortable intersections in the town.]

•The route south is different from the route north. This bike route winds along through several side streets. Bike route signs to the North give no indication of the destinations served by the route: Lower Brookside Campus, Sleepy Hollow, Brookside Campus, Terra Linda

Getting to Red Hill Shopping Center from The Hub Biker Friendly Rating: Precarious Safety Rating: Okay Pavement Quality: Rough How to get to Red Hill from the Hub and downtown? Good question. There are many different possibilities, the shortest of which is to cross at the Madrone Ave crosswalk, which is delineated by the Marin County Bicycle Coalition as the safest way to cross Sir Francis Drake in the vicinity. Other crossings involve Sais Street, which is very dangerous as it has no crosswalk. There is no clearly marked way to get to the Red Hill Shopping Center efficiently by bike. There are only two controlled lights in the vicinity: One at San Francisco, .1 mile from the western edge of the shopping center and one at Bella Vista accessing the middle of the shopping center. A bicyclist from the north, not knowing that San Francisco is the best intersection to access the shopping center, would bike down Sir Francis Drake or the side walk (narrow and bumpy) to get to the closest cross walk (a danger to pedestrians) and light to the shopping center at Bella Vista.

Options for improving this section of the bicycle network are discussed on pages 87, 89 and 93.

Section 2: Present

2. WHERE WE ARE

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South of Center Boulevard and the San Anselmo Ave Alternative

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here now exists an informal unmarked alternate bike route that serves students, cyclists on intertown trips and casual through riders between Shady Lane at Bolinas Avenue and Laurel Avenue at San Anselmo Avenue. It serves as both an alternative to San Anselmo and a scenic ride through a beautiful residential section of town.

The primary reason for choosing this route, however, is safety. This route presents less potential interactions with automobiles by its sheer remoteness from the downtown corridor. Riders going on this route do not go through downtown San Anselmo. Riders wanting to go through downtown San Anselmo, or continuing on to San Rafael, need to take the San Anselmo Avenue route.

Off of this alternate route riders can access the San

Francisco Theological Seminary, Saint Anselmo School, Wade Thomas School, downtown San Anselmo, Creekside Park and Robson Harrington House.

The alternate route is 1.1 miles in length. In that distance there are six arterial stop signs northbound and four arterial stop signs southbound. No major arteries are crossed and all intersections with a significant amount of traffic are stop-sign protected.

The basic path of the alternate route as it is currently used takes riders on the following streets: from Shady Lane at Bolinas Ave, Bolinas Avenue, Richmond Road, Mariposa Avenue, Jones Street, Ross Avenue, Cedar Street, Tamalpais Avenue, Myrtle Lane, Laurel Avenue and left on San Anselmo Avenue.

Options for improving this section of the bicycle network are discussed on page 91.

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2. WHERE WE ARE

The Downtown Detour

Section 2: Present SECTION TWO: Y2K

Present Where We Are

Important Amenities

Signage

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he following report is a visual and written record of the current state of bicycle signage in the Town of San Anselmo, California. The attached pictures are taken from the point of view that the cyclist would have of the signs as posted. While many of our neighboring cities and towns have a paucity of bike signage, San Anselmo has attempted to properly sign the major routes through Town.

2. WHERE WE ARE

In general the signage as it currently exists does a fair job of leading cyclists through the Town of San Anselmo.

The biggest shortcoming of current signage is that there is no indication on any of the signs as to destination.

To provide destination information would be a new and much needed improvement to the current signage. If the above note on route destination is excluded, the following list are some of the shortcomings that were observed in the current signage;

This above sign at Center and San Anselmo Avenue (by Quick ‘n Easy) is perhaps the most strategically important signs in San Anselmo, placed at a very odd juncture where many cyclists passing through miss the odd turning of SA Ave and wander onto Center Blvd. The arrow has been worn away through repeated cleanings.

Normally it points left, which itself is confusing as this points back downtown, not the direction the cyclist should go, which is to the left. A more accurate arrow might point up and at an angle to the left.

This sign on San Anselmo Avenue points into the bushes.

• Signs posted too high or low • Signs marred with graffiti or worn because of previous abrasive cleaning • Missing signage

A confusion of signs.

• Signs out of position, and • Excessive Signage Suggested improvements for bicycle signage are discussed on page 68.

Where has this sign gone?

Nowhere else in San Anselmo is a sign more needed than this corner, where cyclists need to turn left and cross over to Bridge Street. Though signs lead up to this point, only a “Do Not Enter” sign can be found here. Many cyclists ride against traffic here, dangerous during commuter hours.

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Present Where We Are

Coffee Roasters

The Post Office: There is no bicycle parking here :(

At The Hub Transit Center, on the old Greyhound Bus bridge.

Important Amenities

Bicycle Parking At The Hub Transit Center

The Library

Town Hall: No bike parking :(

Sir Francis Drake High School

Memorial Park

Wade Thomas School

United Market

Red Hill Shopping Center

Andronico’s Market

One example is the bike parking at United Market, which consists of wheel wells for the old cable-style locks that no one uses anymore.

There are no existing facilities in San Anselmo for cyclists to change and store clothing.

Red Hill Shopping Center

At The Hub Transit Center

Location: Comments:

Wild Oats Market

Location: Comments:

Improvements for bicycle parking are discussed on page 70.

CALTRANS CHECKLIST(see page ii) f) A map and description of existing and proposed facilities for changing and storing clothes and equipment. These shall include, but not be limited to, locker, restroom, and shower facilities near bicycle parking facilities. Y___ N___

Red Hill Shopping Center

Though we have many places to park a bicycle in San Anselmo, there are no facilities for changing and storing clothes and equipment. However, the Town of San Anselmo is currently planning the addition of bathrooms at The Hub Transit Center.

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2. WHERE WE ARE

W

ith some two dozen bicycle parking facilities already in existence in San Anselmo, and the new tree racks on San Anselmo Avenue usable for bicycle parking, we have adequate parking availability, though some would need to be updated for the current “U-lock” style of bike lock.

Section 2: Present

2. WHERE WE ARE

Susan Hewitt, sons C.J. and Jack

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don’t even know where to start. I guess what I can say is that I don’t feel that bicycling in San Anselmo or pretty much anywhere else in the Bay Area these days is safe at all. At this point I will not let my kids ride their bikes to school or anywhere beyond our immediate neighborhood. They need to ride their bikes in the hills and that type of thing. I had already been hesitant to allow my kids to ride their bikes because my cousin was killed when he was twelve on his way to school on his bike. When my oldest son wanted to

that is what they were doing. But, then, Kirk was killed on New Year’s Eve day and I just feel that it is out of the question. I just can’t take the chance that either of my sons will be next. So it’s a sad thing that we live in this beautiful suburb and we are not able to have our children ride to school. One place that my kids can ride is on the bike trail that runs through the back of Greenbrae. There is another one that is out in Tiberon.

Those I’m obviously fine with because they don’t have to deal with the traffic issues.

“At this point I will not let my kids ride their bikes to school or anywhere beyond our immediate neighborhood. “ start riding his bike I was devastated that he wanted to but thought since he was twelve and was showing responsibility I would allow it. He saved up and we pitched in and bought him a beautiful bike for his birthday this past year; based a lot on his uncle, Kirk Ross’ recommendation as to what was a good bike and what was a good bike store. When he started riding his bike to school he needed to cross Sir Frances Drake.

I guess some of the suggestions that I would have for the future would be bike lanes, certainly for adults. Although I have to say that if a bike lane is on Sir Francis Drake or anywhere else on a regular street with regular traffic, my children won’t be participating. But, at least, it would be a little safer for grown ups who are taking the responsibility on themselves and feel that they are willing to take the risk.

We figured a way that is via a lot of back roads, and part of the rules were that any time he was crossing a busy street (such as Center Blvd or Sir Frances Drake) that he and his buddy had to get off of their bikes and walk them across. I spied on them and, sure enough,

Perhaps if there were bike trails that were not adjacent to the roads I would consider it. But I cannot imagine how that could be done in a city that is already built.… That would be fabulous. I thank that that would be absolutely ideal.

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Present Where We Are

Schools and Children

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he decrease in the number of children riding their bikes to school is considered a crisis by many. According to teachers and parents we spoke with on the subject, the number of children riding their bikes to school has drastically declined in the last three to five years. Before sending them off too school on their bikes, parents must be absolutely confident that their children are on “safe routes to schools”.

Michael

Safety Officer at Saint Anselm’s School, 6th Grade

San Anselmo, as it has currently evolved, has done poorly, especially with relationship to automobile traffic in providing infrastructure reassuring to parents. In fact, so overwhelmingly dominant is the threat from automobile traffic, parents opt for driving their children to school.

When riding his bike down San Anselmo Avenue on his way to school, Michael trades off between riding in the street (when he feels it’s safe), and riding on the sidewalk, when he feels it’s not safe. He also rides in the “zone of the door,” a cause for concern.

The problem of fewer children riding to and from school is cyclical in nature. With less children riding to school, more parents must drive them. This adds to the existing congestion, traffic, noise and air pollution in the school neighborhoods. Many parents are crunched for time and rushing around, and may find themselves speeding down the narrow streets of San Anselmo and competing for dropoff/pick-up parking space near the schools. This has created its own sort of morning and afternoon traffic rush of parents picking their children up from school. Unfortunately, this

The morning drop-off at Wade Thomas school

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2. WHERE WE ARE

Parents and teachers, alike, expressed concerns about safety, long distances to schools, weather conditions, heavy backpacks, unprotected intersections, inadequately marked routes, and, even, unfriendly dogs.

Section 2: Present SECTION TWO: Y2K

Present Where We Are

Children

Rachel and Deborah

Rachel is in the 7th Grade at White Hill Middle School.

D

eborah is concerned about Rachel getting across the intersection at Center Blvd and San Anselmo Ave see below. Also, Rachel’s piano lesson on Wednesdays takes her on a bikeride north of Sir Francis Drake Blvd. She is concerned about Rachel crossing at Madrone and riding her bike on Sir Francisc Drake STEWART AND MOM GAYLE PERMAR

Interviewed at The Red Hill Shopping Center

T 2. WHERE WE ARE

his is a bike riding family! Stewart and his sister Camille ride daily from their home to Wade Thomas School. After school they head up to Robson-Harrington for after school activities then to Memorial Park to participate in baseball games or practice.

Gayle rides to her offices at 6 Bridge Street, often over to Memorial to watch games with her husband. Stewart or Camille or both are usually playing. Gayle says she‚d like to know the best route to the pool at Domican College.

The family likes to swim a lot, and they don‚t see why the‚d need to drive a car there.

Liam and Dad Jim Hughes The Hughes‚nearby and ride through Memorial Park to downtown San Anselmo on weekends.

L

iam rides his bicycle to Brookside School (upper campus) daily “carefully” along Sir Francis Drake on the sidewalk to Mt. View, down to Brookside Ave, up into the lower campus and out the back end onto Alameda to Celata to the Butterfield bike lane and right onto the upper campus. He’s comfortable with the ride, watches carefully for cars backing out of driveways along Drake while he‚s on the sidewalk.

He says, “It’s fun! Sometimes I meet Morgan on Butterfield, David who comes from Indian Rock, and Tim from Broadmore.”

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But Gayle worries about riding alongside fast traffic on Drake, or for that matter, even walking there. (She witnessed the recent Friday accident on Bridge Street where while asisting an injured pedestrian, the injured pedestrian and the good samaritan were hit yet again; almost Chaplanesque if it were not so tragic.) [It might be time for the Town to think about some traffic calming measures.] She takes a back route to Memorial park, crossing Drake at the unprotected cross walk at Madrone, behind the buildings at the toe of Red Hill, through the Red Hill Shopping center parking area to Memorial Park. But wouldn‚t want her children doing it unescorted, because of the homeless encampment just across Shaw from Westamerica bank and behind Good Stuff.

She says route safety requires lots of good visibility. “Maybe the Town should allow second stories fracing red hill at the back end of Good Stuff. Then, that’d be a safe and uncongested route to Memorial Park for people on her side of town. She liked the idea of avoiding the Red Hill shopping center parking lot with a bike route behind Safeway!

Section 2: Present SECTION TWO: Y2K

John and Leslie, Sam and Pete Blanchard

Present

John works as a graphic artist for the San Francisco Chronicle. He commutes by bus daily, and is now taking his bike to work in the morning (thanks to bikeracks on busses) and riding back in the evening. So far, John reports that it takes him only 10 minutes longer by bike.

Schools and Children

m concerned that drivers dont see cyclists at the

creates a greater danger zone for those who still bicycle to school, as the blocks surrounding schools are filled with cars during the “parent rush hour.”

Center/San Anxselmo Ave intersection. Drivers dont regard cyclists safety at thais intersection at all. My

two sons are now starting to ride their bikes to school. I

And, more cars in and around the school neighborhoods is a cause for concern for parents who would normally encourage their children to ride to school. Safety, congestion, pollution are just a few of the problems caused by more morning and afternoon traffic. Therefore, many of these parents are forced to drive their children to school, thereby compounding the existing problems.

don’t allow them to ride down San Anselmo Ave unless the ride on the sidewalks. As they get older, they’ll have to ride the back routes (Ceder) to get to Wade Thomas School as San Anselmo Avenue is too congested. Its just getting more crowded and congested. People cut through San Anselmo Ave to get around the Hub, cutting back onto Sir Francis Drake below Tunstead, just to avoid a few lights.”

Dealing with how children get to school is a problem that is being debated in many communities. The prevailing attitude is that even if the child lives as close as two blocks away the parent has to drive the child to and from school. Saying nothing about the gross waste of natural resources, the immediate problem with this is that up to 30% of the cars on the road before and after school can be attributed to children being shuttled. It is these very cars that are making conditions unsafe if a child is given permission to walk or ride a bicycle to school.

Its just getting more crowded and congested.

People cut through San Anselmo Ave to get around the Hub, cutting back onto Sir Francis Drake below Tunstead, just to avoid a few lights.”

If a solution is to be found so that our children can once again be allowed to walk or ride their bicycle to school, it has to come from the parents of these children. In that endeavor, it would behoove the Town Council at an early date, to form a task force composed of parents, school officials and Town officials, to specifically set an agenda that will deal with children getting to and from school.

There is money for projects relating to schools in the Safe Routes To Schools fund that was approved by the State of California in 1999. Our neighboring city, Fairfax, has a strong group of concerned parents that have used their advocacy to successfully garner funds for safe routes to school.

In talking to the parent of a 4th grade student she remarked that she would let her son cycle to school only if he rode with a friend, the narrow streets of San Anselmo are used by so many big autos (SUVs) that one child by himself would be invisible to motorists. She also felt that the intersections near the school and on the routes used by students should have large signs asking motorists to watch for children going to school. Her feeling was that motor traffic was much more dangerous for her son this year than it was just a few years ago. ( I have had the same comment from other parents in San Anselmo. More parents comments could be useful before the town council).

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2. WHERE WE ARE

“I

Where We Are

Section 2: Present SECTION TWO: Y2K

Present Where We Are

The Sleepy Hollow Safe Routes to School Committee

“I 2. WHERE WE ARE

am one of several parents of Brookside School students who are actively working to provide safe bicycling and walking options for kids going to school. Some of us have formed an ad hoc San Anselmo / Sleepy Hollow Safe Routes to School committee and are working to organize escorted bike buses and walking buses. We are also working, in concert with the Fairfax SR2S group, to improve safety for kids riding bikes and walking to school, by raising awareness of the benefits of active transportation choices and by organizing support for improving the physical characteristics of the routes to school.

The San Anselmo/Sleepy Hollow Safe Routes committee would appreciate the San Anselmo Bicycle Task Force’s help. Specifically, we encourage the SABTF to take the following actions: • Ask the Town of San Anselmo, as a beginning point, to implement the Marin County Bicycle Master Plan routes within the Town as soon as possible. One of these routes travels across Drake Boulevard and down Butterfield Road, and the Drake crossing and Butterfield section are critical sections on the route of many Brookside students. Implementing the BMP would provide basic improvements improved striping and signage along that part of the route.

• Encourage the Town to study and implement improvements to routes to Wade Thomas and other schools in San Anselmo.

• Recommend that the Town look beyond the Bicycle Master Plan to study and implement more active measures to increase safety for bicyclists and pedestrians. Measures the Town should consider include stop signs and pedestrian signals, speed humps and raised intersections, curb bulbs, and other traffic-calming techniques as well as physically separating bike lanes from traffic.

• Ask the Town to consider a specific study of potential improvements to the Sir Francis Drake corridor in order to reduce the speed and volume of automobile traffic and to increase the utility of that important route to non-automobile traffic, including buses, bicycles, and foot traffic.

Thank you for the work you have already done on behalf

of the bicycling public. My hope is that the Bicycling Task Force can expand its scope, in order to serve the interests of pedestrians, children, and other interest groups with a stake in the quality of life in San Anselmo.

Signed, Don Hodge San Anselmo

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Section 2: Present SECTION TWO: Y2K

Present Where We Are

The SAPD

The San Anselmo Police Department’s

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ast year, the San Anselmo Police Officer’s Association contributed funds to purchase children’s bicycle helmets. As many of your readers may already know, California Vehicle Code section 21212 (a) states “a person under 18 years of age shall not operate a bicycle, or ride upon a bicycle as a passenger, upon a street, bikeway, or any other public bicycle path or trail unless that person is wearing a properly fitted and fastened bicycle helmet” Despite this legal requirement, and the common sense that gores along with wearing a helmet while riding a bicycle, there are many children who continue to ride without helmets. In speaking with these young riders, we learned some were simply unaware of the law, some chose not to wear a helmet because they felt it made them look silly, and a few did not own helmets.

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As with any other community in the bay area, San Anselmo has its share of families who are struggling to get by. In many instances, they simply do not have the extra money to purchase this vital piece of equipment for their son or daughter. In an effort to address this important issue, the San Anselmo Police Department is making the helmets available, free of charge, to any child who is in need to one.

The program, which is currently being advertised on the Ross Valley Radio Station (1610 AM), is quite simple in its approach. When an officer comes in contact with a young bicyclist in need of a helmet, he/she informs the bicyclist of the program and provides them with a business card. The bicyclist is asked to bring the card into the Police Department where is can be redeemed for a free helmet.

The San Anselmo Police Department

2. WHERE WE ARE

Children’s Bicycle Safety Helmet Program

Section 2: Present CALTRANS CHECKLIST (g) A description of bicycle safety and educational programs conducted in the area included within the plan, efforts by the law enforcement agency having primary traffic law enforcement responsibility in the area to enforce provisions of the Vehicle Code pertaining to bicycle operation, and the resulting effect on accidents involving bicyclists.

See also, previous page.

SECTION TWO: Y2K

Present Where We Are

One Community, One Goal

THE SAN ANSELMO POLICE DEPARTMENT

O 2. WHERE WE ARE

n May 18th, 2000, San Anselmo Bicycle Task Force member Bob Snyder and Chair David Wolf met with Lieutenant Randy Kirton and officer Steve Payette of the SAPD to discuss the SABTF Report, the County Masterplan and bicycle safety in San Anselmo. We had a very open and cordial discussion on the effects, both good and bad, that cyclists have on the community.

The San Anselmo Police Department has recently added two bicycles to its fleet of patrol vehicles. One is a Smith and Wesson police bike, the other a power assisted Zap Bicycle.

We discussed the short-term goals of task force. It was refreshing to hear from a uniformed police officer the same complaints that cyclists have regarding conflicts with other users of the streets. Lt. Kirton mentioned his experiences as a motorcycle officer of having motorists fail

to see him on a police motorcycle, even in full view after making eye contact with the motorist! His conclusion is that some motorists are only aware of other motor vehicles—cyclists and pedestrians are just invisible to them.

We discussed traffic laws and enforcement at some length. More complaints about cyclists seem to come from incidents in the quiet residential areas, not from the congested business district.

Frequent complaints include cyclists not obeying stop signs, groups blocking traffic on narrow streets, cyclists suddenly entering traffic with no warning, and cutting in front of motorists.

Police officers are required to respond to citizen complaints and will issue citation on observed violations of traffic laws. Patrol officers have the discretion to issue a warning instead of citations,

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depending on the circumstances at that time and the attitude of the cyclist. It was pointed out that even though the leaders of a group may come to a stop at the limit line, the riders following must also stop at the line, not just ride on through.

Large groups of cyclists cause problems by blocking the street, often travelling very slowly and preventing motorists from passing.

Road rage can develop any time.

Lt. Kirton, while assisting at an intersection during the memorial ride for Kirk Ross, had to settle an enraged motorist who was furious about cyclists on the road and in his way. (Lt. Kirton arranged for highway patrol assistance for the memorial ride which was very beneficial after an incident at Nicasio.) In all, it was a very productive meeting and we look forward to working closely with the SAPD in coming months in creating a safer San Anselmo for cyclists.

Section 2: Present SECTION TWO: Y2K

Present Where We Are

The SAPD

Safety Concerns For Bicyclists

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direction until crosses to the intersection of San Anselmo Ave. and Center Blvd. Here bicyclist must make a left onto Landale Ave and continue west into the town of Fairfax.

With safety at the fore front of everything we do as a department, our main concern regarding traffic along the town’s roadways is that motorists and bicyclists be able to share the road without having to compromise their personal safety. This can only be accomplished if everyone agrees to work together.

The challenge, of course, lies in educating the general public and encouraging a select few to change their behavior.

As many of your readers may already be aware, San Anselmo Ave. is the designated bike route through the town. The majority of vehicle code violations committed by bicyclist tend to occur along this route. San Anselmo Ave. itself is a highly traveled two lane roadway which winds its way through the, sometimes congested, downtown area and into a densely populated residential area.

The bike route starts at the southern end of the town.

Off of Bolinas Ave., and continues in a north west 49

Along this route, bicyclists encounter a total of seven controlled intersections most of which are four way stops. After it traverses through the downtown area, San Anselmo Ave. continues west where it parallels Center Blvd. At a number of points. Sir Francis Drake Blvd., which is the major artery connecting motorist from San Rafael to west Marin, lies to the east and parallels Center Blvd, Depending on the time of day and the day of the week, Center Blvd. Is used as an alternate route by motorist traveling on Sir Francis Drake Blvd. If traffic becomes too heavy on Center Blvd.,. they will often utilize San Anselmo Ave. With the constant flow of vehicular traffic on the bike route and the number of pedestrians who use the roadway, it is particularly important that everyone drive, or ride, responsibly.

Although the Town of San Anselmo is limited in terms of the amount of undeveloped space it has for additional residents/businesses, its neighboring communities are less restricted. As a result, the problems we are currently facing on San Anselmo Ave. can be expected to increase in the future.

The San Anselmo Police Department

2. WHERE WE ARE

he San Anselmo Police Department is a law enforcement organization whose role is to protect the areas and the citizens of the Town of San Anselmo and its visitors. The department’s responsibility is to provide assistance to the public and to gain their cooperation and compliance with the established regulations, Town ordinances, California law and Federal law. Our department motto, “One Community, One Goal” encompasses our approach to the job and our role in the community.

Section 2: Present SECTION TWO: Y2K

Present Where We Are

What Other Cities Are Doing

San Francisco

ROUTE NETWORK DEVELOPMENT PROCESS The preparation of the bicycle route network involved input from the public in a variety of formats. The first draft of the bicycle route map was prepared by the San Francisco Bicycle Advisory Committee (SFBAC), whose members are appointed by and report to the City and County Board of Supervisors. In addition, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition (SFBC) reviewed all preliminary plans for the network. The map was distributed for public comment.

Written comments on the proposed routes were received and compiled by DPT and the SFBAC. Four public meetings were held with a total of 265 people attending and 110 letters and faxes submitted.

SIGN DESIGN

IMPLEMENTING SAN FRANCISCO’S BICYCLE ROUTE AND SIGN SYSTEM

2. WHERE WE ARE

INTRODUCTION In response to a growing interest in bicycling, the City and County of San Francisco recently designed a city wide bicycle route network and a comprehensive route signing system. This paper describes the design and implementation of this innovative and highly successful system BACKGROUND The San Francisco Bicycle Program, working within the Department of Parking and Traffic (DPT), is responsible for bicycle planning in San Francisco. The program has grown over the last five years from a one-person operation. It is now staffed by a Bicycle Program Manager, a Planner, an Assistant Transportation Engineer, and two Summer Interns. This team plans, coordinates, and carries out all bicycle-related projects and programs in San Francisco. One of the team’s recent accomplishments was the implementation of a comprehensive bicycle route network and a sophisticated route signing system.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES One goal of the bicycle route network and sign project is to promote bicycle use by making the public more aware of the bicycle as a legitimate transportation mode. The signs direct cyclists to follow the bicycle route network, designed to include the safest, most direct and least hilly routes between major destinations around the City. Though most of the network’s 180 miles are Class III routes, there are approximately 30 miles of Class I and Class II bikeways. The signs serve to remind motorists that they are sharing the road with cyclists who are traveling on official bicycle routes. In addition, they attract new bicycle riders who may be intimidated by traffic, steep hills, and other constraints. We expect that these goals will be realized in the coming months, as we install more than 3,000 bicycle route signs.

The new sign, designed by DPT Assistant Traffic Engineer Scott Broady, is the first customized bicycle route sign to be approved by the California Traffic Control Device Committee (CTCDC). It is now the approved standard numbered bicycle route sign for use by all California jurisdictions.

The new Bicycle Route Signs, designated SG45 in Caltrans’ Standard Sign Specification, replace the old G93 bicycle route signs. The old sign, though functional and recognizable to both motorists and bicyclists, did not incorporate any detail for arrows or destinations. The Highway Design Manual suggests using supplementary arrow and destination plates under the old signs as needed at high demand destinations. The new SG45’s, described in detail below, provide direction, destination, and other information that allows bicyclists to appreciate the scope of the entire network.

The attractive signs (see attached illustrations) feature a large white bicycle and route number on a green oval. At the top of the oval is a graphic of the Golden Gate Bridge over a layer of fog. The signs also include information on destinations and travel directions. Routes in the system are divided into two classes.

Primary cross-town routes feature a full color graphic of the bridge and act as “bicycle arterials.” Local neighborhood routes have a green and white graphic.

In addition to arrows and destinations, the bicycle community in San Francisco requested that cardinal directions be included on the sign to provide additional information to bicyclists as to the direction the route is following. This information is important at turns in the route where bicyclists can sometimes be routed in a direction other than the ultimate direction of the route (i.e., go one block west to go north).

WORKING WITH OTHER JURISDICTIONS - CONCERNS Golden Gate Park, The Port of San Francisco and the National Park Service, which controls the Presidio, were among the internal jurisdictions to whom we presented the sign proposal. Each jurisdiction required staff review followed by commission approval.

All of the entities we approached expressed support for the proposal, which was consistent with their general plans, and indicated that the signs would be a positive addition that

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Section 2: Present would improve access to their locations. However, each jurisdiction expressed concerns about the impacts of such an extensive proposal.

Among the issues causing concern were aesthetics, environmental impacts, installation and maintenance.

SECTION TWO: Y2K

Our proposal was these agencies was to install and maintain the bicycle route signs. We included the total number of signs, sign locations and new pole installations. After a preliminary survey was completed, we presented it for their staff to review. In each case, concern was expressed about the number of signs proposed.

We then negotiated for fewer signs in order to address their concerns while maintaining the connectivity and accessibility of the basic route system. Some additional conditions arose during the negotiation process that we also had to address. For example, the Presidio has particular requirements for sign installation. For installations in dirt, 4” x 4” painted wood poles must be used; installations in cement and asphalt must be a 2” sleeve-mounted galvanized steel.

San Francisco

Daly City and Brisbane are cities that border San Francisco and portions of the bike route network fell within their city limits. Both cities expressed concern about maintenance and liability for the signs. We assured them that San Francisco would be responsible for maintenance; however, the issue of liability was more difficult to resolve. We eventually determined that the improvements associated with bike route system (i.e. improved road conditions, increased motorist awareness) could themselves reduce concerns about liability. Apart from these concerns, the sign proposal appealed to Daly City and Brisbane because of its flexibility. Each city can easily incorporate our route numbering into their own bicycle network once developed, and we will offer advice once they are ready to proceed.

FUNDING The Bike Route Network signs were funded in part through an $ 85,000 state grant the city obtained in 1993 from Proposition 116 Rail Bonds.

The network required installation of 3,100 signs, which we ordered for a total cost of $ 24,000. The City took advantage of its traffic sign contract, which based sign per unit costs on size and color. For a three-color sign at a 12’ x 18’ size, the unit price according to the contract was around $8.00. Since reflectivity of the sign was not critical, conventional engineering grade reflectivity was specified.

We also ordered some blank route signs for maintenance. The labor cost figures includes one sign laborer and one sign survey technician and totaled $45,000.

Where We Are

were assigned to survey portions of routes to find any unforeseen problems. They also assisted in the development of the sign database. We were also able to make route improvements or changes in the course of our other bike path and bike lane projects, and were able to defer some costs to these projects. The planning and administrative sections of the project accounted for the remaining $16,000 of the cost.

The City recently approved funding to maintain the bike signs, which, have a life-expectancy of 7 years. Our best estimate, based on experience with other guide signs in the City, is that 20 percent of the signs will need to be replaced because of either vandalism, theft and sign deterioration each year. The cost of supplying and installing a sign is roughly $100. The total yearly maintenance cost for the signs is $ 60,000.

PROMOTION A map of the bicycle route network and a description of the route signs is available in most homes, businesses, and even on the street. In an innovative private-public partnership, DPT encouraged Pacific Bell to produce and include a map in the Local Area Pages of the 1997 Pacific Bell Smart Yellow Pages. This is the first telephone directory bicycle route map in California and one of the few in the U.S. The Pacific Bell Smart Yellow Pages has provided a unique opportunity to promote the bicycle route network.

A publicity photo of Mayor Willie L. Brown, Jr. announcing the bicycle route map in the phone book was included in our newsletter and Pacific Bell sent it out to local media. It includes the Mayor standing in front of the Golden Gate Bridge next to the bike route sign and a phone booth. He is standing next to a vintage bicycle while looking at the bike route map in the phone book. Pacific Bell used this photo as a nationwide publicity campaign informing people that they can travel to SF and easily find the bike route map. Having a map in the phone book has been an effective outreach tool.

CONCLUSIONS This sign project was a very labor-intensive undertaking crafted through neighborhood input, careful surveys and bicycle staff effort and enthusiasm. It is a relatively low cost but high visibility project that shows a commitment to promoting cycling. We have already received positive feedback from bicyclists and residents. Other cities including Honolulu, Las Vegas, Napa and Oakland have inquired about the signs and are considering their use. We will continue to install bike paths and lanes within the network to further cycling and promote safe riding. We expect the network will encourage more people to adopt this alternative mode of transportation.

We also spent considerable time planning and coordinating the project. Student interns

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2. WHERE WE ARE

We worked with several entities including the California Department of Transporta-tion (Caltrans), Daly City and the City of Brisbane on sign installation issues. We applied for an encroachment permit from Caltrans to install signs on the bike routes that coincided with State Highways 1, 35 and 82 within the City of San Francisco.

There were a number of other locations where sign installation was required within Caltrans jurisdiction, such as the Cesar Chavez Street Circle paths.

Present

Section 2: Present SECTION TWO: Y2K

Present Where We Are In Holland,

Other Cities

Amsterdam, Holland

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he Dutch responded to the OPEC oil embargo by bicycling more, and recent estimates are that from 27% to 50% of all traffic movements in different Dutch cities are made on bicycles (Welleman 1995). Because so many people ride bicycles, the Netherlands is sometimes referred to as one of the bicycle monarchies of Northern Europe.

Even the Prime Minister, Wim Kok, commutes by bicycle almost every day.

2. WHERE WE ARE

High rates of bicycling in the Netherlands are the result of strong beliefs in the bicycle as a form of sustainable transport and in purposeful long-term transportation planning. Traffic planners and politicians have made a clear and rational decision to promote bicycles and discourage use of motor vehicles.

Master Plan Bicycle was established within the Dutch Ministry of Transport in 1990, specifically with this aim (Welleman 1995).

For many years, Europeans and Americans have looked to the Netherlands for ideas on transportation planning and policy (Suzuki 1984), and “Masterplan Bicycle,” shows why this tiny nation attracts such attention. This was the first time any country had established “an official national bicycle policy” (Federal Highway Administration 1992b).

Remarkably, from an American standpoint, the policy was aimed at increasing bicycling and mass transit use and decreasing motor vehicle use. Along with building more bicycle paths and parking facilities, a major goal was to improve bicycle/public transport connections (Federal Highway Administration 1992b).

businessmen ride their bicycles to work.

Amstrdam is famous for its network of red bicycle paths.

Where cars and bicycles meet, a language of lines and red paint helps tell each where to go.

Transit Stations have large bicycle parking areas that fill daily.

Cyclists up front!

This lane goes to the front of the line and gets the cyclist out front.

The bicycle networks in the Netherlands go everywhere.

Bicycle safety is an important concern for

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Section 2: Present

The concept of a woonerf zone was introduced by Dutch safety experts in the early 1970s (Federal Highway Administration 1994b), and since then these zones have been widely adopted in Europe (Suzuki 1984. The woonerf is a “protected residential environment with street space shared equally among pedestrians, cyclists and cars ‘proceeding at walking pace’” (Federal Highway Administration 1992b). In a woonerf zone, pedestrians and bicyclists have priority over motor vehicles (Federal Highway Administration 1992b).

The impressive physical facilities available to Dutch bicyclists are matched by extensive traffic safety education for children and adults. Many Dutch children are first exposed to cycling when they are infants or toddlers, riding on their parent’s bicycle. Education continues in school, and even includes a component aimed at helping teens resist pressure from risk-taking peers. In Amsterdam, adult cyclists are often seen riding beside small children, one hand on the child’s shoulder, guiding them and verbally instructing them on the rules of the road. In addition, truck and bus drivers are taught how to share the road with bicyclists, and instruction is available for foreigners (Wittink 1993).

According to United Nations data on passenger car- and bicycle-related deaths, transportation in the Netherlands is safer than in the U.S. or France.

The Netherlands has death rates from bicycles and cars that are declining and are far below those in France and the United States.

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Present Where We Are

Other Cities

Amsterdam Red Bikelanes split at major intersections, one going across, the other turning.

Here’s a bicycle lane for bicyclist who also share this eleveated freeway.

Five factors explain the lower combined car/cycle death rates in the Netherlands.

1. Potential car drivers are, instead, riding bicycles.

2. The heavy focus on cyclist, driver, and pedestrian education has produced mostly careful and courteous travelers.

3. Separation of different types of traffic in certain areas has eliminated intra-vehicle conflict (i.e., truck versus tricycle).

4. Traffic calming (Grava 1993), including woonerf zones, has slowed traffic and reduced injuries, as intended.

5. The dense population in the Netherlands makes it possible for people to carry on their day-to-day activities closer to home, thus reducing miles traveled, traffic congestion, and potential injuries and deaths.

In the transportation arena, the Netherlands is a terrific model of another way of doing business. A bicycle-friendly environment was created through great political will (Horman 1995) and innovative long-term traffic planning. Consequently, today Dutch citizens are able to choose sustainable and healthy cycling over driving a car for many of their day-to-day trips. A combination of segregated bicycle lanes, integrated bicycle and motor vehicle lanes, and extensive education, has created a climate where bicycling is considered a safe and practical option, which many people choose. Although the Dutch model cannot be replicated everywhere, the model does contain important lessons about urban traffic flow and public safety as well as sustainability and quality of life.

A connection to the separated bike lane on the other side.

Pictures: Debbie Hubsmith.

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Source: Bicycle Use and Safety In Paris, Boston, and Amsterdam, Transportation Quarterly, Fall 1998, Volume 52(4):61-76.

2. WHERE WE ARE

Dutch traffic planners, however, unlike in the United States, bicycle safety does not revolve around helmets (Seijts et al.

1995). In fact, about the only people wearing helmets in the Netherlands are foreigners. Bicycle safety is attained through thoughtful road architecture, bicycle lanes, and by extensive education of cyclists and car drivers about the rules of the road. Rule number one is to respect other drivers, including bicyclists.

Bicyclists are considered drivers, similar to motor vehicle drivers, but they are given the status of “vulnerable users” (VERJO traffic editors group 1997).

Section 2: Present SECTION TWO: Y2K

are provided.

Present

Specific things observed that are of note:

WHERE WE ARE

Other Cities

Freiburg Germany

D

uring a recent trip to Germany a member of the Bicycle Task Force had an opportunity to see how a community can integrate bicycles into the transportation mix. Not only were bicycles used extensively for everyday local transportation, people in general walked more frequently than we see in America.

2. WHERE WE ARE

Specifically, with regards to bicycles, some of the observations made about the use of bicycles as a means of transportation mix were as follows.: It was fully accepted by the local inhabitants that bicycles are a valid mode of transportation. In accepting bicycles as a transportation mode there is a high level of awareness that cyclists, motorists and pedestrians need a cooperative, not competitive, relationship.

Rules of behavior, or of the road, are understood and generally obeyed by all parties in the mix. The municipal will is in place to see that all parties are dealt with as equal partners. Funding appears to be available so that markings and signage that are needed

• Many postmen used a bicycle to deliver local mail. They did not in general ride from house-to-house on the bike, but used it to get from the post office to their appointed route. In the downtown area, where buildings are more dense, the postman pushed his/her bike from building-to-building, using the bike as a means of transportation and for portage. A picture of a postman’s bike is shown above.

Several intersections had a street marking system such that bicycles were stopped at the line that is nearest to the center of the intersection. The cars stopped at a line that fell behind the stopped cyclists. In this fashion the cyclists were the first into the intersection after the light turned green.

In other words, the bikes did not have to compete with the cars as they either went right, left or straight. A much better system where a complicated intersection has a strong showing of cyclists.

Markings on sidewalks, which were frequently shared with pedestrians, were clearly painted on the sidewalk surface.

Symbology on the sidewalks and street clearly told the cyclist, and the observing motorists, where the cyclist belongs and should be expected.

Markings on streets clearly told the cyclist, and the observing motorist, were the cyclist is expected to ride. In particular the markings were clear as to the position of the cyclist when entering the intersection.

Another street marking that was most helpful indicated the position of the cyclist in those cases where there is a specific right turn lane and the cyclist chooses to go straight ahead.

This route delineates routes for cars, pedestrians and bicyclists, each having or sharing a space.

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This type of marking is almost none existent in Marin, although it is well acknowledged elsewhere.

Bicycle parking as observed was varied and almost everywhere. Rarely was it not possible to find a bicycle parking rack within 75 feet of any given location that would draw people into a public venue.

The types of parking apparatuses were as varied as their locations. In general the bike racks that were most used were those that would allow for the simultaneous locking of the bike frame and front or rear wheel. Those racks that only accommodated the front, or rear wheel, were used by bikes of lesser value.

The theft of bicycles was a problem just as

much in Germany as it is here. In general the theft potential is dealt with by using a hefty lock if the bike has a high value, or more commonly, the cyclist uses an old or low value bike for everyday transportation.

Another amazing observation was the age of everyday cyclists. It would appear that the normal mix of cyclists would include children from the are of six to seniors into their eighties. As an interesting aside it was noted that some seniors, especially women, used their bike not to ride, but as a vehicle to attach their shopping bag on the way to and from the market. Is this person a cyclist or pedestrian, or both?

This side is for cyclists, this side is for pedestrians.

Section 2: Present SECTION TWO: Y2K

Present

1. Gasoline taxes paid for these roads.

Where We Are

2. Bike riders can go on the road only as long as they don’t impede automobile traffic.

As American citizens we have certain rights to passage on public thoroughfares. We can walk, ride a horse, drive a buggy, take the bus or ferry, ride a bike or drive a car. While being the most common type of transport, driving a car has not been made by law the only way that we can get from place to place.

Often a car will be transporting one person who by weight and horsepower thinks they have superior right to the road.

[This point needs elaboration and counterpoint. What are the situations when cyclists can be issued a ticket for impeding traffic] 3. Bikes are used for transportation in third world countries that cannot afford automobiles and a highway system.

Perceptions and Realities control. Bike riders like to ride on the smoothest, cleanest part of the road. Make the section of road where you want riders to ride clean, smooth and parallel to the direction of travel and bikes will go there.

5 Bicycles must use the paths that were built for them.

Most Marin Bike paths were built for low speed recreational use and are in sad shape. Bike riders have a right to choose the best, safest route. While San Anselmo Avenue is the preferred route we would like to encourage cyclists to use, cyclist’s have the right to ride on Center Blvd.

6 More bicycle riders mean more congestion.

While this is true of many developing countries, the United States has the lowest bicycle transportation usage per capita of first world counties at around one percent. The bicycle is used for ten to twenty percent of all trips in Japan and Western Europe. These countries have far more developed transportation infrastructures.

Efficient high-speed trains and subway systems, smooth highspeed superhighways. Bikeways with plenty of inter-model possibilities as well as walking paths are part of planing a healthy high quality life. These are not poor countries in any measure.

We have become victims of a violent and insidious transportation system. It’s well known one of the top causes of violent death is by automobile and it’s also well known that a large percentage of our air and water pollution is linked to the internal combustion engine. And now it’s becoming clear that the sedentary lifestyle is one of the biggest killers of the twentieth century.

4. Bike riders should stay to the far right edge of the road.

Many more bikes than cars can move through a given corridor per hour and even more can park in a single spot that a car takes up. A large part of current local car trips are spent finding a parking place. Remember when most kids walked or rode their bikes to school? Now that they are being driven to school traffic has increased mightily around the schools.

More bicycle riders will mean slowing or “calming” traffic but speeding overall trip time and finding a place to park.

7 Bicycle riders are out riding strictly for pleasure and recreation; I have more important things to do.

How important are health, happiness and helping the environment? What is your measure of the good life?

8 Bicyclists don’t really have to make a complete and total stop at stop signs.

Cyclists must come to a complete stop each and every time.

9 The laws of the road apply to cars and not bicycles.

A bike rider following the far edge of the road is continually weaving in and out of traffic, unpredictably and at times hidden from view. The far edge of the road has glass, gravel, more potholes and pavement edges that can cause a bike to loose

Cyclists must obey all traffic laws. Bicyclists should consider themselves to be ambassadors of cycling, not rogue commuters.

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2. WHERE WE ARE

Gasoline and other vehicle fees taxes cover about a third of the cost of building our roadways. The rest comes from general funds and special assessments. When one considers the extra costs borne by the public in the form of noise, air, water pollution, personal injury and loss of life you begin to realize how much we all subsidize road use by automobiles.

The average roadway construction and maintenance cost per mile for a semi truck is about 17.5 cents per mile, an SUV is 4 cents a mile, a car 3.1 cents a mile, a bike 0.2 cents a mile. Bicycle riders pay for more than their fair share. Japan and Western Europe have a more realistic tax on gasoline reflecting true costs. Gasoline in these countries costs four to six dollars per gallon.

Section 3: Future CALTRANS CHECKLIST(see page ii) (a) The estimated number of existing bicycle commuters in the plan area and the estimated increase in the number of bicycle commuters resulting from implementation of the plan.

It is estimated that there are 3,684 daily bicycle and pedestrian commuters that ride in and through San Anselmo from local towns and that they make 7,369 trips per day. The potential increase in the number of bicycle and pedestrian commuters is estimated to be 6,446 for a daily total of 10,130 commuters making a total of 20,261 trips. This is based on the goal a mode share of 10.31% (up from the current mode share of 3.70%).

These figures were based on the 2000 population of San Anselmo, Fairfax, Ross, Larkspur, the San Geronimo Valley and parts of San Rafael and other Ross Valley towns for a total population sample of 38,545. Figures were developed using the framework provided in the Marin County Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan of June 2000 quantitative analysis (Needs Analysis section). Two factors affect the number of new cyclists.

One is the increasing number of people working at home both here in San Anselmo and throughout the region.

This has resulted in increasing automobile trips that both begin and end in San Anselmo.

Class III: Bikeroute Cyclists ride at the side of the road.

Though all roadways are technically Class III, Class III routes are generally signed.

Class II: Bikelane A stipped lane at the edge of the road. SA has no Class II lanes.

3. OPTIONS FOR OUR FUTURE

Class I: A Dedicated Bikepath Class I bicycle paths are separated from cars.

San Anselmo currently has no Classs I routes.

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Section 3: Future SECTION THREE

OPTIONS FOR OUR FUTURE

The future has turned out to not be as we imagined. We do not get around in flying cars, jet packs or people-movers as futurists once predicted. Today, what we know about the future is that it will be much like the present, only more so.

We will still get around by car, there will just be more of them and more congestion on a road network that might grow, but never enough to keep up with rising traffic. According to the Metropolitan Transit Commission, the volume of traffic throughout the Bay Area will have doubled by the year 2020. Imagine that for just a moment: two cars for every one we see today.

In the last decade alone, traffic conditions have changed considerably. A decade ago the volume of traffic and congestion was significantly lower. We did not have people driving around while holding onto the phone like we do today. They were very rare then. And no one was surfing the internet or even knew what it was. How, then, will our community look in a decade from now?

Bicycling today, though not as popular as in the 1890s, is at a high-point. Nonetheless, the cyclical nature of its popularity does not look promising as we look to the future.

The telltale signs are undeniable: children today are not riding their bicycles to school. We are very concerned about this. Take notice of a group of bicyclists and you will notice they tend towards being in their age tends to range from their 30s through 60s and early 70s in a way that is over-representative of the overall population. Put another way: we are seeing fewer young adults in their teens and 20s taking up bicycling, whether casually, for sport or for everyday transportation.

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The truth of the matter is that we are frightened. Two people from our town were killed last year while bicycling on the same West Marin road. Two different incidents on the very same road, both very tragic. This has not only further compounded parents’ fears, it has impacted experienced bicyclists as well. We are frightened by rising road rage, by the people who drove by our two memorial rides, one shouting: “more bicyclists should die,” another who shouted expletives, spit on us, was ticketed by the police escorts and then came back spitting and swearing some more. We are frightened by the rising number of people driving while distracted, driving while talking on the telephone, while surfing the internet, while medicated, intoxicated, enraged by traffic congestion and who take it out on the bicyclist.

If enough parents today forbid their children from riding their bicycles outside of their own neighborhood, the next generation of bicyclists will see their numbers dwindle again, just as they did between the 1910s and 1970s.

Parents have good reason to be afraid. We have witnessed an explosion of the number of automobiles on our roadways. Along with congestion has been a rising number of pedestrian and bicycle injuries and fatalities. People are resorting to driving when they could bike or walk. It is an addiction to convenience that is undeniable. Either the car will continue to crowd out bicyclists, or we will finally decide it’s time to do something about it. This is our challenge.

What do we want our future to look like? Our goals for the future are focused on having a safe and convenient bicycle network for our community. We have focused our vision not on improving conditions for “hotshot” bicyclists as much as creating a safe network for children, occasional cyclists and the near cyclist who would like to bicycle more, but will not because they do not feel safe. We would like to create a bicycle network in San Anselmo that allows cycling to be a viable form of transportation for all. For this to be possible, bicycle routes need to be marked, signed and—where possible—on a bike path away from automobiles. It is only when routes are perceived as safe that more people will use a bicycle for everyday transportation. Routes need to be planned and implemented so that our school age children can use a bicycle to get to school. The cycle of one child per SUV coming to each school twice a school day must be broken. As our children are becoming less physically fit, and the roadways at the beginning and end of the school day are clogged, we need to plan a safe and convenient bicycle network for all. The San Anselmo Bicycle Task Force looks to the future with both concern for the obstacles, but also great optimism for the opportunities.

3. OPTIONS FOR OUR FUTURE

T

his section of the report is focused on bicycling in the year 2020, when the children born today will be approaching 20 years old. Though 2020 may seem impossibly far away, it sits closer to today than 1980, which seems closer as most of us remember that year. Back then, the traffic signals at The Hub were still new. It had only been a few years since the intersection had been controlled by stop signs. Here at the turn of this much anticipated new millennium, we have also learned something about the future. We have learned that numbers are very important.

Not the numbers that go from 1999 to 2000; the important numbers are the ones we have so easily overlooked. We have learned that missing digits cause problems called Y2K, that every vote counts: every single vote. We have learned that statistical impossibilities are tomorrow’s inevitabilities.

And we have learned the improbability of getting struck by a car is an increasing reality.

Section 3: Future SECTION THREE

Options for Our Future Where We’re Going

Obstacles

THOUGH SAN ANSELMO DOES NOT GROW, TRAFFIC IS INCREASING DUE TO SONOMA COUNTY GROWTH There are only three ways to get through Marin from San Francisco to Sonoma County: Highway 101, Sir Francis Drake Blvd and Highway 1.

As 101 backs up, SF Drake Blvd is the next best alternative. SFD spills over to Center Blvd, which impacts San Anselmo Avenue, the main route through San

WE HAVE A 19TH CENTURY ROAD SYSTEM WITH 21ST CENTURY TRAFFIC: The freeway system through the Ross Valley never came to be. The amount of traffic, however, has continued to rise. We have expanded our roads only enough to include the old train right-of-way while traffic has continued to rise. Here, for example, San Anselmo Avenue in the heart of downtown has lanes that are only 10-feet wide.

ENORMOUS SUVS ARE BEGINNING TO RULE OUR SMALL & NARROW ROADS: A phenomenon we did not have a year ago. Every year they get larger, the demand for larger vehicles decried by the very auto executives that produce them. Clearly, they are increasingly the vehicle of choice and make drivers feel safer. Along with this also comes a sence of invincability that makes some drive faster and more aggresively. This is a generalization of course. Nonetheless, there is an undeniable rise in road-rage and aggressive driving.

3. OPTIONS FOR OUR FUTURE

DRIVING WHILE DISTRACTED: CAR PHONES, FAXES AND EVEN THE INTERNET! Again, this is a phenomenon we did not have ten short years ago. Then it was rare to see or have a cell-phone or see someone driving while talking on the phone. Today, in affluent Marin, this is the case in a large portion of the cars on the road. When drivers are distracted by technology, they are not paying attention to the road, putting bicyclists at a greater risk.

X 2!

TRAFFIC THROUGH SA WILL DOUBLE

BY THE YEAR 2020: According to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, traffic througout the Bay Area will double and SA is no exception. According to a member of the Marin Congestion Management Agency, 40% of the tickets written on SFD Blvd are for Sanomo residents cutting through our town.

THE SHORTCUT PHENOMENON WILL WORSEN, FURTHER IMPACTING CYCLING: If conditions continue, our “Class III” bicycle routes will become too dangerous for cycling as more traffic from Higway 101 impacts SFD Blvd, which spills over to Center Blvd and SA Avenue beside it.

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Section 3: Future GOLDEN GATE TRANSIT’S NEW BIKERACKS ON BUSSES ALLOW INTERMODAL TRAVEL Our new bikeracks on busses allow people to ride their bicycles to a bus stop and take it to their final destination where they can continue on their way. Combined with the Golden Gate Ferry or bus to BART (which also allows bicycles), there are few places in the Bay Area that are not accessable by

SECTION THREE

Options for Our Future Where We’re Going

Opportunities

GOLDEN GATE TRANSIT’S NEW BIKERACKS ON BUSSES ALLOW INTERMODAL TRAVEL Cycling is a viable and relied-upon option for many; with the new half-hour, high-speed ferry in Larkspur, a combined bicycle and ferry trip to San Francisco can now be made in one hour.

3. OPTIONS FOR OUR FUTURE

WE HAVE A 19TH CENTURY ROAD SYSTEM WITH 21ST CENTURY TRAFFIC: While this is also a very large obstacle, it is also an opportunity in that certain bottlenecks in the road system are so substandard that their eventual upgrading creates an opportunity to create connections for bicyclists as well.

THE LEGACY OF THE OLD NORTHWESTERN PACIFIC RAILROAD While the old train system is gone, the corridor through town remains in sets of parallel streets. This gives us arteries that are six lanes wide, but only carrying the capacity of a two to four lane road. It is in the room left by the old frontage roads that ran beside the old train system that we have room for improved bicycle routes.

THE AGING OF THE BABY BOOM This is also an obstacle that is also an opportunity. As the Baby Boom reaches their 80s in twenty years, it will be time for many to stop driving altogether (never an easy thing). We have an opportunity to create a bicycle system that will not only allow the elderly to continue to get around by bicycle—as is common in Florida toda—, but a way for to keep in shape as

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THERE IS MORE STATE & FEDERAL MONEY AVAILABLE FOR BICYCLE IMPROVEMENTS THAN EVER BEFORE: CalTrans alone has increased its budget for bicycle improvements in the years 2001-2006 from the previous 1.5 million to 7.2 million.

$$ $$

Section 3: Future SECTION THREE

Options for Our Future Where We’re Going

Steve Stephens San Anselmo Resident

“I

like to use my bike for transportation. I ride in the traffic. I am comfortable with it. A safe bike route would be an access to the country so that anyone could to ride safely and smoothly without having to hassle with the dangers of traffic. I ride on Sir Francis Drake from Sleepy Hollow to the Hub. The worst part is in front of Drake where the lanes are narrow and I have to ride on the sidewalk or ride in the middle of a lane. You never know when someone will hit you, but it just isn’t worth giving up something as great as cycling. My biggest problem with using a bike for transportation is finding a secure place to lock my bike and accessories on the bike.

“Bikes are viable as transportation. The traffic is so bad in the Bay Area and I find it more relaxing to ride a bike and bypass traffic. In the future there has to be some sort of dedicated bike path to be separated from the traffic and the noise and the danger.”

LARINE BROWN (85)

“I

San Anslemo Resident and local historian

3. OPTIONS FOR OUR FUTURE

t’s a very dangerous situation, and we know we’re going to have millions more people in California. People are just throwing their hands up saying: “What are we going to do, with millions coming in and the freeways being packed the way that they are.” Byclists want to get out, and rightfully so. So, there are going to have to be some really stiff laws that have to be obeyed.

Otherwise, there are major consequences, because the way things are going now, it’s just helter-skelter everywhere.

There are more cars on Sir Francis Drake, because there are more people here.

And, in the future, there will be many, many more people coming in. There will have to be all kinds of changes in laws in order to prevent more accidents and deaths caused by traffic.

Will Madison (9)

“I

would like more paths for getting places instead of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. You can’t ride on the sidewalks so you have to go on the street, and there is no bike lane, so you have to ride in the middle of the street. I rode to school on International Bike/Ride to School Day.” Brad, “I am concerned that there are only two bike paths, one parallel to Fairfax and one on Butterfield Road. We need more. We stay away from Sir Francis Drake Boulevard and there is no reason to not have more, especially on the streets with no sidewalks, like Morningside. I will not go through downtown San Anselmo, I take an alternate route to Shady Lane.”

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Section 3: Future SECTION THREE

Options for Our Future

Tom Fallon Age: 42 Occupation: race car engineer/bike designer

Where We’re Going

“I

was lucky enough to grow up in San Anselmo and was able to walk or ride my bike to school most every day. It gave me a great feeling of freedom and self-reliance, as I was able to explore Marin by bike. As an adult, I still ride my bike for recreation as well as for local trips and errands. I would commute as well, but it is too dangerous to ride to Sonoma.

The traffic scenario in Marin is only getting worse, day by day, and this is why the San Anselmo Bicycle Plan is so important.

This will be one of our most powerful weapons in dealing with what I feel is Marin’s #1 problem: Sonoma County growth. This problem is being overlooked. Sonoma County has thousands of new homes planned for the future with a large number of these residents commuting through Marin. Highway 101 is clogged both in the morning and evening with commuters from Sonoma.

This spills over to Sir Francis Drake which impacts Center Blvd and finally San Anselmo Avenue, filling with traffic caused by Sonoma Growth, utilized by commuters trying the beat highway 101 traffic, to the great detriment to those communities along the way. The San Anselmo Bicycle Plan is a positive step we need to take now to help relieve the traffic nightmare Sonoma County presents us with.

This will be one of our most powerful weapons in dealing with what I feel is Marin’s #1 problem: Sonoma County growth.

This problem is being overlooked….Highway 101 is clogged both in the morning and evening with commuters from Sonoma. This spills over to Sir Francis Drake which impacts Center Blvd and finally San Anselmo Avenue.

Bicyclists are being endangered by traffic caused by Sonoma Growth, utilized by commuters trying the beat highway 101 traffic.”

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3. OPTIONS FOR OUR FUTURE

I have noticed that children rarely ride or walk to school anymore. Parents seem to fell it is much safer to drive them, and I think they are right. I frequently ride my bike through Ross Valley at various times of the day. The morning and evening commute times are very unsafe due to stressed motorists not paying attention. Motorists are becoming increasingly aggressive and sometimes use their vehicles in an offensive manner towards pedestrians and cyclists. This may be a by-product of a stress filled life. This is especially dangerous to children who don’t have the traffic experience that adults do. However, this road-born aggression is creating a dangerous environment in our small communities.

Section 3: Future

“A

s the mother of two small children, I think it is important to have a car free area in which to both ride oru bikes together and to teach them to ride their own bikes.”

SECTION THREE

Options for Our Future Where We’re Going

Eileen Ashton Cameron

“I have a little boy and a bike with a seat for him. I will ride on the streets to get him to the park and I am comfortable with him getting to school, but designated bike lanes and off-road paths to keep cars and bikes separated would make me Robert Baumann

“I

3. OPTIONS FOR OUR FUTURE

do not ride on the street a lot.

I have a little boy and a bike with a seat for him. I will ride on the streets to get him to the park and I am comfortable with him getting to school, but designated bike lanes and off-road paths to keep cars and bikes separated would make me more comfortable with him riding to school some day, considering their feasibility and cost.

People drive fast around my neighborhood.”

more comfortable with him riding to school some day”

“We need to make cycling easy. Holland makes it easy and everybody rides. We need greater awareness of cyclists and better marked, easier, pathways that are bike specific.”

Bill and Sara Shideler, son Ian Bill:

“I

believe everyone should travel by bicycle in San Anselmo as much as possible because the roadways are getting impossible for automobiles. It’s tough to get across Sir Francis Drake. We need to make cycling easy.

Holland makes it easy and everybody rides. We need greater awareness of cyclists and better marked, easier, pathways that are bike specific, not shared with pedestrians (bikes and pedestrians don’t mix because they travel at different speeds). We use San Anselmo Avenue a lot, it can be made into more of a bike lane than it is now.

Ian, “More pathways.”

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Section 3: Future SECTION THREE

Options for Our Future Where We’re Going

.

“W

hen I’m driving I feel like there should be separate bike lanes for the bicyclists , because sometimes I feel like I’m just squeaking by there, and when I’m on my bicycle I feel like there is no room to ride my bike.

So in both cases I feel like there should be bike lanes or bike trails KAREN LERNER

San Anselmo Resident

“I

would like to suggest some ideas I have on bicycle safety in San Anselmo.

The Ross Valley has a bike path, which is the main bicycle corridor for hundreds of bicycle commuters and pleasure riders. The San Anselmo section utilizes San Anselmo Avenue and this is the section I want to address.

When San Anselmo Avenue leaves the downtown area it is paralleled by Center Boulevard, which creates a dangerous situation. I have witnessed the Center Boulevard traffic only respecting the traffic rules and signage of Center Boulevard when turning on to, or crossing, San Anselmo Avenue. Many times I have come to a stop sign on San Anselmo Avenue that parallels another stop sign on Center Boulevard. As I begin to ride, a car from Center Boulevard cuts me off. I am honked at or given a dirty look, when in my opinion I have done nothing wrong.

In fact I think that they may be at fault by not giving me the right of way. In any case.

“It a confusing and dangerous situation I suggest signage along the bike route that identifies it as a bicycle thoroughfare.

I think it should be indicated that bicycles have the right of way on this bike path/thoroughfare. I also suggest making the bike route a Double Fine area. This would also discourage speeding on San Anselmo Avenue by cars trying to beat the Center Boulevard traffic. I think this would make San Anselmo a safer place for bicycle riders, who benefit our community by reducing traffic and pollution.

In the future I would like to see a network of bike thoroughfares that bypass street traffic. This could be accomplished using tunnels, bridges and elevated bikeways.

This may sound ambitious and expensive, but this is what we will need if traffic

Patricia and Carl and Sophia Lundberg

“I

think it is fun to cycle in San Anselmo, although there are a couple of places where the streets are a bit narrow to get through with a couple of people biking at the same time. It is a great way to get out and the more bike paths we have, the better. I have a 12-year-old son and my daughter will be riding her own bike in a couple of years. If we can make it safer and better, it will be less driving I have to do.”

Carl: “The more bike lanes, space, and parking possible for bicycles will help a lot, especially near the store fronts. More off-road bicycle parks would be great.”

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Tom Boss Marin native, San Anse lmo resident

Mr. Film Night

3. OPTIONS FOR OUR FUTURE

and I would like to see it addressed.”

Section 3: Future SECTION THREE

Options for Our Future Where We’re Going

THE MARIN COUNTY BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN MASTER PLAN Prepared by: Alta Transportation Consulting Fehr & Peers Associates, Inc. • Marshall & Associates • Design, Community & Environment Approved by the Marin County Congestion Management Agency, Septermber 2000

San Anselmo Projects in the County Masterplan’s Short-Mid Term Projects

Hey, its the bicycle parking on San Anselmo Ave.

CALTRANS CHECKLIST(see page ii) (i) A description of how the bicycle transportation plan has been coordinated and is consistent with other local or regional transportation, air quality, or engergy conservation plans, including, but not limited to, programs that provide incentives for bicycle commuting.

Work on the Marin County Bicycle and Pedestrian Masterplan began in October of 1999, with public workshops held in November and again in the Spring of 2000. In the beginning months of 2000 the San Anselmo Bicycle Task Force also worked closely with Michael Jones of Alta Transportation, author of the County Master Plan. In addition to being a respected transportation planner, it should be noted that he is also a San Anselmo resident, thus keenly aware and concerned about local issues. In working on this County Plan, Alta Consulting and the other consultants involved focused on the San Anselmo projects most relavant to the larger Marin County Network. As we developed ideas surrounding the Hub, we also worked with worked with Mathew Ridgeway and other planners at the very planning and engineering firm of Fehr and Peers, who came to San Anselmo regarding

• County Signing and Stenciling Program 3. OPTIONS FOR OUR FUTURE

• The Bicycle Parking Project • Bicycle and Pedestrian Maintenance • San Rafael-San Anselmo Project • School Commute Projects • Sir Francis Drake Blvd Crossings • Hub Bikeway Project • Pedestrian Improvements

the Hub.

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Section 3: Future SECTION THREE

CALTRANS CHECKLIST(see page ii) (j) A description of the projects proposed in the plan and a listing of their priorities for implementation

Options for Our Future WHERE WE’RE GOING

See below and following pages.

The San Anselmo Bicycle Task Force

SHORT-TERM AND CONTINUING INITIATIVES

Short Term Initiatives: 0 to 18 months 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Signage Stenciling Bicycle Parking Bicycle Sensors, Signal Requests Connections to Schools Finding a Solution for the Hub

p.68 p.69 p.70 p.71 p.72 p.75

1. The Creation of a Class I Bicycle Network in San Anselmo.

Arterial Components: From The Hub to Ross: Downtown From The Hub to Fairfax From The Hub to San Rafael

p. 79

2. The Red Hill Bike path and Sir Francis Drake Crossings

p. 87

3. Butterfield to Terra Linda Connection

p. 89

4. Downtown Detour: The Residential Route

p. 91

5. Butterfield to Terra Linda Connection

p. 93

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p. 81 p. 83 p. 85

3. OPTIONS FOR OUR FUTURE

Continuing Initiatives: 1 to 5 years

Section 3: Future SECTION THREE

Options for Our Future Where We’re Going

SHORT TERM GOALS: 1

SIGNAGE Problem: Current signage is sporadic, neglected, poorly executed and short on vital information.

Solution: As the County of Marin endorses a sign standard that can be utilized by the various jurisdictions in Marin, San Anselmo can sign the routes through and in our Town. Immediate signage upgrading is needed on the following routes; San Anselmo Ave, Greenfield from San Rafael to The Hub, San Anselmo-Terra Linda and the Downtown Residential Route. Other routes can be signed as they are developed. New signage will provide route designation as well as destination.

This example is a variation of San Francisco’s which is now being adopted in San Mateo, Napa (grapes), Oakland (Oaktree) and San Diego.

3. OPTIONS FOR OUR FUTURE

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Section 3: Future SECTION THREE

Options for Our Future Where We’re Going

SHORT TERM GOALS: 2

STENCILING has this issue at the California Traffic Control Device Committee (CTCDC) to create a state standard. San Francisco is now getting approval for demonstration trial. Their stencils-will be white.

Problem: DOORING As cyclists transit areas with a high volume of automobile egress-ingress there is the ever present danger of the cyclist being “doored”. This is generally more likely to happen along a narrow street such as San Anselmo Avenue. To avert this danger, much to the annoyance of some impatient motorists, the cyclist needs to “take the lane” as riding to the right is not an option.

The stencil can be used in those areas were a confined roadway mandates that cyclists and motorists will need to share the road. This should include: • San Anselmo Avenue through Landsdale Avene.

• The Downtown Detour: The residential route.

• Bank Street-Greenfield Avenue.

• Butterfield road • Streets that connect to all the local schools.

• Streets that connect to local open space access.

Solution: STENCILING Stencils help send an important message. To bicyclists, it tell them to get out of the door zone and take the lane proper. To motorists, it reminds them that this is a bicycle route and to watch for cyclists.

3. OPTIONS FOR OUR FUTURE

The San Francisco Department of Parking and Traffic now

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Section 3: Future SECTION THREE

Options for Our Future Where We’re Going

SHORT TERM GOALS: 3

BICYCLE PARKING THE INVERTED-U

Problem: The current state of bicycle parking in San Anselmo generally does not serve the cyclist nor benefit a Town that seeks to be known as bicycle friendly.

Existing parking facilities are often non-existent, poorly placed so as to invite bike theft, or hardware deficient.

fulfill two very important criteria for cyclists; provide an adequate locking surface to which bikes can be locked and for those cyclists that forego locking a stable leaning surface.

Solution: Bicycle parking should be provided in all high-trafficked public locations. In this category there are the Transportation Center, Town Hall, San Anselmo Avenue in the area of Creekside Park, the Post Office and the bus stop at Sir Frances Drake Boulevard and Ross Avenue. Installed racks need to be prominently placed so that there presence not only dissuades thieves, but also prioritizes bicycle parking by its very location, just as handicapped automobile parking is provided front and center. Installed racks, of which the Bicycle Task Force recommends the Madrax brand, Genesis model, or secondarily the standard inverted “U”, must

An example of “Turfblock” recommended for the police and citizen bicycle parking area out side Town Hall.

3. OPTIONS FOR OUR FUTURE

Post Office

The Ross Avenue Bus Stop

Town Hall

It is hard to believe that our post office does not have bicycle parking. Providing bicycle parking here will make it easier for cyclists to secure their bike while using the post office. During a typical day many patrons of the post office arrive by bicycle and if that number could be increased only slightly it would make a small dent in reducing the parade of cars that congregate there.

The addition of inverted-U bicycle parking at the bus stop located at the corner of Ross Avenue and Sir Francis Drake Boulevard.

Town Hall represents a flagship location for a bicycle rack. In particular the Task Force would like to see a bicycle rack in the corner to the left of the entrance to the Police Station office. This location signals to all those people that do business at Town Hall, and passers by, that our Town is bicycle friendly. In addition, the rack at this location is perfectly placed so the our police force can keep their bikes immediately adjacent to their office. As there is now a parking slot for a police car directly in front of Town Hall, there should also be a place for the police bicycles in an equally accessible location.

f) A map and description of existing and proposed facilities for changing and storing clothes and equipment. These shall include, but not be limited to, locker, restroom, and shower facilities near bicycle parking facilities. Y___N___

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Section 3: Future SECTION THREE

Options for Our Future Where We’re Going

SHORT TERM GOALS: 4

BICYCLE SENSORS, SIGNAL REQUEST

Solution: To alleviate this problem bicycle sensors need to be installed in the roadway, just as they are for automobiles. For bicycle sensors to operate it is necessary for their location to be marked on the roadway. Roadway marking can be in the form of a bike logo, or better yet, a pair of parallel lines with the bike logo that provide location as well as letting the motoring public know why bikes are “there.” At those locations where a sensor point is not practical, such as at Tamal Avenue and Sir Frances Drake, a curbside cyclist crossing request button needs to be provided at curbside.

A traffic loop detects metal objects such as cars and bicycles based on the change in inductance that they induce in the loop. The loop is an inductor in an LC circuit that is tuned to resonate at a certain frequency. A metal plate over the loop (like a car) causes the magnetic flux to be shorted, reducing the inductance of the loop.

This causes a change in resonant frequency, which is detected and sent to the signal controller .

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3. OPTIONS FOR OUR FUTURE

Problem: Cyclists, at traffic prompted signaled intersections, in the absence of automobiles, have bad options to prompt signal change. In the absence of proper provisions for a cyclist to prompt his/her presence, it is necessary to exit from the roadway, mount the sidewalk, and depress the button for a pedestrian crossing. This act, if a non-cyclist wants to envision it, is no different than if a motorist would at a signal, have to exit his/her car, walk over to the corner, depress the pedestrian crossing button , return to the his/her car and wait for the signal to change before proceeding.

Section 3: Future SECTION THREE

Options for Our Future WHERE WE’RE GOING

SHORT TERM GOAL: 5

CONNECTIONS TO SCHOOLS 1. Class II Bike lanes approaching all schools.

This proposal has two halves. The first is to create Class II bikelanes approaching all schools in San Anslemo.

2. Bike to School and Work Week-Mid May of Every Year This is a proposal to have a "San Anselmo Bike to School & Work Day" This is one of the many ways we can raise awareness and educate the public to accept the concept of "sharing the roadways" As more and more people participate in this program we can expand the parking facilities to accommodate them. We should try and involve as many town merchants as possible to participate and perhaps offer some incentive to those people that cycle to work.

3. OPTIONS FOR OUR FUTURE

Bob Cooper, Kira Cooper, (10 yrs. student, Wade Thomas)

“I

would like wider streets for my children. I would like to see the opening of Alto Tunnel. You have to be very careful to cross Bridge Street towards Sir Francis Drake where cars are turning right onto Sir Francis Drake at the Hub. It is hard to get to the island. Kira bikes to school along a stretch on Raymond between Kemp and Crescent where the road is very narrow, people drive too fast, and there is no shoulder or enough room for everyone.”

Kira: “I would like to see everyone wearing their helmets and more paths where there are no cars to worry about.”

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Section 3: Future SECTION THREE

Options for Our Future

“I’d like to see more school children

WHERE WE’RE GOING

able to ride to their schools.

It would make them more a part of the community.

Instead they get chauffeured in a kind of isolation.”

“I

’d like to see more school children able to ride to their schools. (It would make them more a part of the community. Instead they get chauffeured in a kind of isolation.)

There needs to be more publicity about sharing the road. I don’t think the bike rider’s legitimacy is fully established in the car driver’s mind. We need more bike parking located conveniently for bicycle shoppers in downtown San Anselmo, at the post office, the Bank of America, Town Hall, and up near the fire station.

Bike riders needs to be aware of street cracks, suddenly opening car doors, and passing traffic all at the same time. Good reasons to get the bike routes clearly marked and continuous. There could be specially colored bike lanes!”

Elizabeth Crawford 1999 Bicycle Commuter of the Year and School Teacher

“I’m currently thinking about selling my car and becoming a one-car family, tion, but we think it is better for our environment, better for our health, and better for our baby who doesn’t like the car. I would specifically like to better bike trails and ideally streets closed down and streets just for bikes, or at least bike paths so you don’t have to go on streets at all.”

Mindy Martin and Suzanna Martin

“W

e ride our bikes quite a bit and we would love to see safer bike routes.

I’m currently thinking about selling my car and becoming a one-car family, but it is scary, especially with the baby. People driving aren’t paying attention, but we think it is better for our environment, better for our health, and better for our baby who doesn’t like the car. I would specifically like to better bike trails and ideally streets closed down and streets just for bikes, or at least bike paths so you don’t have to go on streets at all.”

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3. OPTIONS FOR OUR FUTURE

but it is scary, especially with the baby. People driving aren’t paying atten-

Section 3: Future Charlie Harris chuch4one@aol.com Marin resident since 1963, San Anselmo resident since 1989

“I

’ve been cycling in Marin since I moved here, using money I earned on my paper route with the IJ. I remember the Army Corps of Engineers putting Corte Madera Creek in concrete in the early 1970s, the resulting public protests and the bike path that was built soon after.

I now live on Woodland Ave, just off downtown, and use the Creek Park parkinglot as an alternative route around cars and The Hub. Coming in from San Rafael, I ride down Greenfield to where Gormet Burrito is and make a left to link over to Bank Street where I have to push the pedestrian button and wait and wait. From there I cross into Creek Park parkinglot and either over to San Anselmo Avenue by the bridge that leads to Javarama or if going to Andronicos, I cut through parkinglot. Returning from Andronicos, I find the Creek Park parkinglot to be safer than the alternatives. I watch for the busdriver’s eyes to make sure that he sees me, communicating with the busdriver with handsignals.

g

h

f

You got all these people driving their kids to school in their SUVs creating a big traffic jam in the morning. They are driving their kids cause the roads are too dangerous to either ride their bikes or to walk, the irony being that parents driving their kids to school makes for more congestion and greater danger.

Existing Options For Crossing The Hub For a complete analysis, see pages 26 and 27.

3. OPTIONS FOR OUR FUTURE

e 1) This is where Charlie Harris crosses The Hub, avoiding the intersection itself by crossing here at Bank Street, a block away (e).

f 2) Riding through Creek Park Parking lot, he rides with the flow of the few cars using this fifty space, single-sided lot.

“I find the Creek Park parking lot to be safer than the alternatives. I watch for the busdriver’s eyes to make sure that he sees me, communicating with the busdriver with hand-signals.”

h

g 3) At the end of the parking lot, Charlie exits onto Center Blvd. at the crosswalk that is at the tightest point of the bottleneck.

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3) Now at the Center Boulevard bottleneck, he crosses in front of busses arriving and departing from the Transit Center.

Section 3: Future SECTION THREE

Options for Our Future Where We’re Going

SHORT TERM GOAL: 6

FINDING A SOLUTION FOR THE HUB THE ISSUE: GETTING ACROSS CORTE MADERA CREEK CONNECTIONS THAT WERE RULED OUT

CONNECTIONS THAT WERE RULED OUT

D

owntown San Anselmo is built beside and on top of Corte Madera Creek.

Though a few buildings actually bridge the creek, most are situated on the west bank. From the eastern side of The Hub, there is no way to get into downtown without crossing one of seven bridges. Today, it happens so seemlessly you hardly notice it.

SFD Blvd bridges the creek at the end of the parking lot. The traffic approaching The Hub was one reason we ruled this option out. The main problem, however, is the newly restriped Tunstead Ave, has made this connection more precarious than ever.

We looked at adding a bike lane in middle of the turning lanes. The issues here are also discussed on page 26 & 27.

STATUS: RULED OUT

Postal Services Bridge Of the seven bridges cyclists use to cross Corte Madera Creek, this option was the least used and among the most problematic.

STATUS: RULED OUT

We received many comments and complaints regarding safety issues at The Hub, most notably from: Charlie Harris (below), Elizabeth Crawford (p. 30), Cecy Krone (p. 10), Kay Peallock and Suzanna McKeough (p.84). We suggest reading pages 28 through 31 first as they cover the issues surrounding how cyclists get across The Hub today.

The goal of the SABTF is to make a commitment to solving not only the problem of The Hub, but to closing a gap in the bicycle network, where two major arterial routes for bicyclists come together, joining the Ross Valley and West Marin with the largest city in the County, San Rafael. The Marin County Bicycle Coalition has named the connection between San Anselmo and San Rafael as the second most route in need of improvement. This “gap” does not keep cyclists from crossing The Hub entirely, but rather is a gap of safety. Safety concerns were the main reason some told us they do not cycle.

Cyclists coming into the downtown can find a safe connection only at Bank Street, a block away from The Hub. Crossing Sir Francis Drake here is easy and safe.

The problem is how to get from Bank Street and Sir Francis Drake Blvd through to San Anselmo Avenue. The bicyclists can safely get to San Anselmo Avenue through Creek Park parking lot and use the Transit Center bridge (once the Greyhound Bus bridge). This connection only works well when coming from San Rafael.

Proceeding the other way, the cyclist would have to go the wrong way through this one-way lot, going against the cars that are moving through this single-sided, 52 space parking lot. In sum: the existing connection through Creek Park parking lot is problematic and only works in one direction.

In conjunction with the creation of the Marin County Bicycle and Pedestrian Masterplan, the problem of The Hub was studied by Michael Jones of Alta Consulting and Mathew Ridgeway of the transportation and planning firm of Fehr and Peers. Their study is included on the following page. The following is a presentation of several different options for connecting through. Common to

2 Art Alley Bridge This connection was reportedly once signed “Bicycle Route” and seemed to work fine. But as congestion increases, it is not sustainable. There are incresing conflicts here, the source of complaints by merchants and pedestrians. We discussed signs requesting cyclists to walk their bikes, but this would have them get off their bikes in the middle of San Anselmo Ave when coming from the other side. It also did not seem realistic, as the “get off your bike and walk” signs often send cyclists into more dangerous road situations.

STATUS: RULED OUT

3a Creek Park Bridge We found there was no room for a connection here.

STATUS: RULED OUT

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3. OPTIONS FOR OUR FUTURE

SF Drake Blvd Bridge to Tunstead 1

Section 3: Future SECTION THREE

Options for Our Future Where We’re Going

the Fehr & Peers study (Spring 2000) and all the options we are presenting is the idea of contra-flow lane and signing improvements needed on Greenfield Avenue.

GREENFIELD AVENUE TO BANK STREET As studied on page 28 and 29, Greenfield presents a safe connection to Lincoln Park and Bank Street at Sir Francis Drake Blvd and into Creek Park. More signage is needed where the Bike Route signs suddenly end on Greenfield Avenue, in the Miracle Mile section, forming the “cliff-hanger” ending for cyclists as the street suddenly becomes one-way at Lincoln Park, a block from The Hub. The only alternative to riding the wrong way on this one way portion is to turn left at Lincoln Park. The County Bicycle and Pedestrian Masterplan also calls for bike lanes on Bank St, its short, but wide, one-block section. This would also help remind the motorists that take a short cut around The Hub that this is a bike route.

CREEK PARK PARKING LOT: the Idea of the Contra-Flow Lane The idea of the contra flow lane is to create a safe connection through Creek Park parking lot by improving the best of what we have right now. Currently there is a safe and legal connection all the way to the Transit Center when coming in from the San Rafael side of The Hub. The idea is to create a bicycle lane going in opposite direction: a contra-flow lane.

The Contra Flow Lane 1: The rest of the parking lot has no retaining wall between the street and the diagonally parked cars. There are five feet here for cars to move forward.

Where would the room for this come from? Room would be made by moving the cars forward by four to five feet and by increasing the angle of the diagonal parking slightly.

3. OPTIONS FOR OUR FUTURE

Bicyclists moving towards From the Fehr & Peers Study/County Masterplan San Anselmo Ave would ride through the parking lot as they do today, with the flow of the few cars using it (going about 5 mph). The dimensions for both bicyclists and motorists using the parking lot coming from Bank Street would remain exactly the same. The parking lot would merely shift by four to five feet to create the room. What would change would be the connection for cyclists moving towards San Rafael. Instead of riding against the flow of cars moving through the parking lot, or crossing at The Hub, these cyclists would be able to ride through the parking lot using a “contra-flow” lane, one that would probably be raised up by a few inches to delineate its passage. For the cyclist using the contra-flow lane, there would also be a new lane exiting the parking lot at Bank St.

The Contra Flow Lane 2: This visual simulation shows how the parking lot would look if the cars were moved forward, allowing a five-foot “contra-flow” lane to safely connect bicyclists back the other direction and to Bank St.

How would the parking lot be different? The parked cars would be moved forward without compromising the berm or the screening of the trees. The parking lot would work exactly the same, with the exception of the contra-flow bicycle lane and signs letting motorists know this is a bicycle connection, the lot being treated as a kind of “slow street.” The contra-flow bicycle lane could also be painted and possibly raised an inch.

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Section 3: Future FINDING A PLACE TO CROSS CORTE MADERA CREEK: OPTIONS

SECTION THREE

Options for Our Future

3b: The Transit Center Bridge: This connection was once the bridge used by Greyhound Bus station that was here. As this bridge was built wide enough for two busses to pass through, there is enough space to stripe lanes for bicyclists and pedestrians. The “pinchpoint” is at Yahiro Sushi, where the bicycle connection would need a crosswalk for pedestrians to get through. Another crosswalk-zone would be needed at the San Anselmo Avenue sidewalk. It should be noted that this bridge is privately owned.

STATUS: Attractive as a short-term solution.

WHERE WE’RE GOING

The Hub

3c: Center Blvd and Bridge Street: This is an existing option, one that “works” today from both directions, even if the cyclist is not crossing through by way of Creek Park parking lot. To say that it works, however, is not to imply it is safe, as it puts cyclists through the most narrow point of the Center Blvd/Transit Center bottle-neck. With busses turning into the Transit Center, this is a very busy intersection and the location of two recent serious pedestrian injuries. However, mitigation measures are possible. Building on the parking lot contra flow lane segment, an improved connection would exit through the existing exit to Center Blvd at the crosswalk (perhaps striped for bicycles) and then through the Center and Bridge St. intersection. Stenciling on Center Blvd and other signage would be needed.

STATUS: Though possible, this is unattractive and problematic as a long-term solution.

3e: Center Street Bridge: This option would proceed beyond the parking lot and up the ramp as described above in option 3d. They would then stop at Bridge Street and cross over to the Center Street bridge. This critical connection across Corte Madera Creek could then proceed by either on the existing bridge using the unused west sidewalk and space above the existing pipe that spans the creek or in the creation of a replacement bridge. The existing bridge is old and substandard. It is also the most narrow, bottle-neck around The Hub, the curbs blackened by the tires of today’s enormous cars. We need to bring this bridge up to date, perhaps even building a new one. STATUS: Attractive long-term solution that potentially addresses both car and bicycle circulation.

USABLE SEGMENTS, PHASING AND COSTS: This project could be phased as follows: a) Short Term: Signing and stenciling existing conditions: signage in one direction. b) Short Term: Shift parking and create contra flow lane to Transit Center Bridge (3b). c) Creation of a long-term bridge solution using option 3e.

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3. OPTIONS FOR OUR FUTURE

3d: New Bridge: This is the option studied in the County Masterplan by Fehr & Peers.

After coming through the parking lot, cyclists would stop at a crosswalk between Yahiro Sushi and the Transit Center and then proceed up the ramp. A new bridge would then cross the creek to the fire station.

STATUS: Mitigation would be needed.

Section 3: Future

Where Would We Put a Bicycle Path? Alongside the old Train Right of Way Though the trains are long gone from San Anselmo, we have excessively wide arteries passing through town that can spare the ten-feet necessary for a Class I bikepath. In the downtown area, the bikepath would go where the train platform once was, shown above in red. This downtown area is now Creek Park.

3. OPTIONS FOR OUR FUTURE

Kate Rider, lives on San Anselmo Avenue, Zoe (4)

“I

would like to see bicycling in San Anselmo made more safe. I ride my daughter to school with a trailer and my one-year-old son. I think people drive too fast in residential areas. People need to slow down. Dedicated bike lanes on San Anselmo Avenue in the residential area would be great, because it is a major bike route, and along Landsdale to Fairfax. I hope a lot more people will start riding their bikes in the future and think more people would if there was an educational campaign, more bike lanes and bike racks in front of businesses.”

“I ride my daughter to school with a trailer and my one-year-old son.

I think people drive too fast in residential areas. People need to slow down.

Dedicated bike lanes on San Anselmo Avenue in the residential area would be great, because it is a major bike route, and along Landsdale to Fairfax.”

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Section 3: Future CONTINUING GOAL: 1

A CLASS I BICYCLE NETWORK

BIKE PATHS SEPARATED FROM TRAFFIC STREET FURNITURE that makes a bikepath network possible Anselmo

S

an Anselmo sits at two crossroads. The first is The Hub, an intersection that is only second in traffic volume to the 101 freeway interchange in San Rafael. The second is between the small town atmosphere we have known in the past century and the doubling in traffic predicted by the Metropolitan Traffic Commission in the next 20 years.

STREET FURNITURE that makes bikepaths possible in San Anselmo.

With traffic to schools dramatically increasing and the number of children cycling now plumetting, we have heard repeated requests from parents, children and adults that there be an alternative to bicycle riding on the street. Among our goals is to get more people out of their cars and onto bicycles. Many San Anselmo residents express the desire to bicycle regularly but are unwilling to ride in traffic because they percieve it to be unsafe.

Flexible Lighting Bollards Made of flexible plastic, these bollards serve as a more substantial delineator for cars and yet will give to impact. They may also have lighting inside.

Railing A side railing may be useful to keep people from unintentionally wandering onto the path.

The supplementing of these three existing bicycle arteries with dedicated bicycle paths would not come at the expense of the flow of automobile traffic. To the extent that it will reduce the number of both cars and cyclists on the roads, it will help the flow of traffic. Bicycle paths would also not decrease the overall number of parking parking places. In addition to reducing parking demand, it may even be possible to increase the amount of parking.

• This proposal to create a system of bicycle paths is not an abandonment of the existing system of Class III bicycle routes on surface streets. Like the freeway and “surface street” system, the two would exist concurrently. Just as a few cyclists ride Center Blvd instead of San Anselmo Ave., some would continue to ride on the streets.

• The bikepath would not be contiguous in all areas. Contra-flow lanes and sections without path would exist throughout.

Flexible Signage Like the signing of the road system, signs along our bike paths would help regulate proper use.

Flexible Delineator Posts Because of their flexibility, these plastic posts would be ideal for areas where the bikepath meets cross streets or in the area around the Transit Center.

K-Wall Commonly used to separate the medians of the freeways, K-wall would allow us to have separted bicycle paths alongside some busier roads where flexibility is desired.

Class I Bikepath Dimensions The proposed bikepaths would be 12 feet wide wherever possible.

To get past some bottlenecks and tight areas, a narrower foot wide path may be necessary.

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Red Bikepaths To delineate the route of the bikepath, and alert people to its presence, the paths could be pigmented red.

3. OPTIONS FOR OUR FUTURE

What makes a dedicated bicycle system possible is the space left over from the old railroad along the three main arteries in San Anselmo. Some of the details and options are explored on the following six pages. A few notations are in order before describing the three main sections that follow.

Section 3: Future SECTION THREE

Options for Our Future Where We’re Going

Continuing Goal #1: A Class I Bicycle Network

DOWNTOWN SAN ANSELMO

From The Hub to Ross

B

icyclists riding through downtown currently ride along San Anselmo Ave. During commute hours, when traffic volume is high and children are riding to school, our narrow streets are congested and dangerous.

As discussed on pages 34 and 35, this segment of our bicycle network forms a major atery in the Marin County bicycle network. From the San Anselmo Transit Center at The Hub, this route follows Corte Madera Creek to the Larkspur Ferry. This section of the bicycle network also forms The Hub

of the county bicycle network as well. As described in the Marin County Bicycle and Pedestrian Masterplan, the county’s East-West Bikeway parallels Sir Francis Drake and forks in San Anselmo, one arm going to Ross and Larkspur, the other fork going down Greenfield Avenue to San Rafael.

For the reasons, an alternative to San Anselmo Avenue is needed. For the babies born this year, their teens will see the doubling of traffic, making bicycle paths in this section important for the future of our community.

From The Hub to Ross

Creek Park 3. OPTIONS FOR OUR FUTURE

Building on the short-term goals discussed earlier (pp.74-77), the next phase would extend the bicycle connection to Tunstead Ave. The parking lot would function much as it does today along with the contraflow lane described on these pages. No parking would be lost.

Instead of two one-way sections and two exits, cars would need to travel through the parking lot in one direction. One option would move the parking lot entrance from Bank Street to what is now the exit on Sir Francis Drake just to the south (see map right).

Another option would move the entrance to the Transit Center with parking facing the park with the contraflow lane between the cars and the park. Both options close the Bank St. entrance. In either case, sidewalks would remain in from of the businesses that now face the parking lot and pedestrians would continue to Tunstead on the existing bridge. No encroachment on the creek would occur as the space for the bike path would come by reducing the size of the median and shifting lanes on Sir Francis Drake. A K-wall (see page 79) would protect the bicycle path here.

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Section 3: Future From The Hub to Ross

From The Hub to Ross

Ross Ave. to Bolinas Ave.

Bicyclists would cross Tunstead with the light. Now passing Wells Fargo Bank, the path would have a railing on either side with parallel sidewalks on both sides as well.

As seen in the diagrams below, parking along Sir Fancis Drake would remain. The sidewalk beside the parked cars would allow passengers to get in and out, the railing keeping pedestrians from inadvertenly wandering onto the bicycle path. Sir Francis Drake Blvd would operate exactly as it does today. The space for the 12-foot bicycle path would come from reducing the size of the large median strip.

Several mitigation measures are possible in crossing Pine, the short street just after Wells Fargo. Signs warning cars and cyclists of the other’s presence would be needed.

Another option would make this short section oneway towards Drake. Finally, closing Pine could be studied, turning it into a small pocket park.

Wells Fargo Bank

Bikepath Side walk

Parking

Traffic Lane

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Continuing towards Ross Ave, the cyclist would stop and cross with the light. No changes to the streetlight signal would be required. The bicycle path would proceed down the median strip between San Anselmo Avenue and Sir Francis Drake. Landscaping would line both sides of the bicycle path.

Where large pine trees currently exist, they would be preserved and left intact. The path would either split to go around them or move to one side to preserve them. In a few select locations, the diagonal parking on San Anselmo Avenue might need to be turned back to parallel parking for two consecutive spaces to accommodate thte path’s movement around the trees.

Where existing paths cross the median, a crosswalk would be provided and appropriate signs posted.

At Bolinas Avenue, the bike path would stop and the cyclist would wait for the existing light to change to proceed on to Shady Lane. Coming from the other direction, the cyclist would wait for the existing light to change to proceed on to Shady Lane.

Coming from the other direction, the cyclist would also use the existing light to get on the path and cycle into town.

3. OPTIONS FOR OUR FUTURE

Sir Francis Drake: Tunstead to Ross Ave.

Section 3: Future SECTION THREE

Options for Our Future Where We’re Going

Continuing Goal #1: A Class I Bicycle Network

DOWNTOWN SAN ANSELMO

From the Hub to Fairfax

T

his section of the San Anselmo bicycle network is among the busiest parts of the network, used by both recreational and commuter cyclists. As discussed in the previous chapter, on pages 32 and 33, cyclists riding through downtown currently ride along San Anselmo Avenue. During commute hours, when traffic volume is high and children are riding to school, our narrow streets are congested and dangerous. This segment forms a major artery in the larger Marin County bicycle network, currently following San Anselmo Avenue.

The first leg out of downtown

San Anselmo Ave: San Rafael Avenue to Madrone Avenue As mentioned on page 33, San Anselmo Avenue is often used as a short-cut by motorists wishing to get around Center Boulevard. This is problematic and hazardous in the first block beyond Quick ‘n Easy. As motorists come racing up San Anselmo Avenue, cyclists are put in danger’s way.

3. OPTIONS FOR OUR FUTURE

To prevent this, San Anselmo Avenue and Sycamore Avenue could each be redesignated as one-way streets in the one block stretch between Quick‘n Easy and Madrone Avenue. Together, they would form a loop that would not only slow the flow of traffic on both of these residential streets but will also redirect automobiles back onto San Anselmo Avenue.

The motorist looking for parking would find ample spaces on Sycamore Avenue if it were re striped one-way going towards Fairfax with diagonal parking on the left. Coming back the other way from Madrone to Quick‘n Easy, parking would remain parallel on San Anselmo Avenue.

What this would do for the cyclist is to allow safe passage along this first block of San Anselmo Avenue out of the downtown by creating room for a contra-flow lane going towards Fairfax. Cyclists coming into the downtown would continue to ride with the flow of San Anselmo Avenue as they do today.

An important note: the one-way section of San Anselmo Avenue would only begin after Quick’n Easy, allowing patrons of this convenience store to enter from the side of its parking lot.

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Section 3: Future The second leg out of downtown

San Anselmo Ave: The Hub to Madrone Avenue After Madrone Ave, San Anselmo Avenue jogs away from Center Blvd for a block and then makes a right turn and comes back to an alignment directly beside Center Blvd. In this segment, bicyclists traveling in both directions would share the roadway as they do today. Signage and stenciling would be added as described on pages 68 and 69.

PARK

Beside Center Blvd: Through Yolanda and Landsdale Stations and on to Fairfax

Landsdale Station

Having now returned to San Anselmo Avenue’s alignment directly beside Center Blvd, the dedicated, Class I bike path would bgi above the open drainage ditch, splitting around the existing trees in the section leading up to Yolanda Station. Landscaping would line either side of the bicycle path in this area.

The right-of-way of the old train route makes this corridor as wide as Sir Francis Drake Blvd., and yet, today it remains a two way street. From Yolanda Station to Fairfax, the bike path would follow along Center Blvd. As seen in the visual simulation below, the paths would occupy the space of the old train platforms. Center Blvd may need to be shifted three feet to the east to accommodate the bicycle path. Interruptions in the path may be needed between Yolanda and Landsdale Stations to accommodate a few driveways in this section. Appropriate signage would be necessary.

Drake High School

Yolanda Station KEY Class I: Dedicated Bikepath Class III: (shared roadway)

83 Downown

3. OPTIONS FOR OUR FUTURE

The second leg out of downtown

Section 3: Future SECTION THREE

Options for Our Future Where We’re Going

CONTINUING GOAL #1: A Class I Bicycle Network

GOING TOWARDS SAN RAFAEL

Greenfield Avenue FROM THE HUB TO SAN RAFAEL

T

his section of the San Anselmo bicycle network forms a critical link the Marin County bicycle network and is known as the East-West Bikeway. It parallels Sir Francis Drake and then splits in San Anselmo with an arm extending to San Rafael by way of the new Mahone Creek bikepath. It finaly ends at the San Rafael Transit Center. The issues faced in the “Miracle Mile” section of Greenfield Avenue are discussed on pages 30-31.

Like the bikepath proposed for the downtown section of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, a dedicated bike path in this section could be added without taking out parking.

This could happen by shifting Red Hill Road to the north, starting with the lanes going towards the Hub. Room for the bicycle path would be found from the wide median strip of Red Hill Road (below left). Left turn lanes would also be needed for cars turning onto Ancho Vista from Red Hill Road.

Using a K-wall (or K-rail) on either side, the bicycle path can be protected from the roadway. The path would start at Licoln Park and extend to Elan Fitness. Along the way, gaps would be needed in the bicycle path to accommodate cross streets. Appropriate signage and stenciling would be required in these areas.

3. OPTIONS FOR OUR FUTURE KEY Class I: Dedicated Bikepath Class III: (shared roadway)

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Section 3: Future SECTION THREE

Options for Our Future Where We’re Going

HUB ONE WAY THIS SECTION ONLY

Kay Feallock and Suzanna McKeough, Ben and Sam

“W

e need more help crossing the Miracle Mile and Sir Francis Drake. It is precarious for Ben who is on his own bike. I do not think he will never be able to ride his bike to school on his own until he is a teenager.

“It is too dangerous to ride on Greenfield

by Wild Oats Market and Elan. There is San Anselmo Avenue with my kids, we use Cedar to get to school. Cars everywhere, not just commuters, are in a hurry because everyone is driving their kids to school, running late, and are distracted.

I dream of having a safe place for our kids to ride to school and take a few cars off the road.”

It is an endeavor each time we ride our bike because of the cars. I would not stop my kid from walking to school because of the crazy kidnappers, I’m worried about the traffic. A dedicated bike lane and crossing guards would make a difference.”

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Options for Our Future Where We’re Going

CONTINUING GOAL #2

THE RED HILL BIKEPATH

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his route defines a major East and West route serving communities north of Sir Francis Drake and travelers to and from the Hub. Spur routes detailed in the Sir Francis Drake Intersection section provide access to all major destinations in the town outside the Hub: School:

Improvements: Sir Francis Drake /Madrone/Shaw - Add another cross walk on East side of Madrone. Paving a Class I route from the crosswalk, behind Lana Thai, Jackin-the-Box, behind the shopping center on the berm above the dog park. Add signage.

• • • • •

Red Hill Bike Path West: Sleepy Hollow/Hawthorn Hills to Red Hill Shopping Center

Upper and Lower Brookside campuses San Dominico Sir Francis Drake High School Park: Sorich and Faude Parks Memorial Park and Millennium Playground San Anselmo Recreation Center

Red Hill Bike Path East: Red Hill Shopping Center to and from the Hub General Description:Westbound riders or peds would approach Red Hill Shopping Center from Center crossing onto Madrone Ave. This route extends to Memorial park circumventing Red Hill Shopping center with a new paved route on the berm above the dog park behind the shopping center. This new route can be accessed from Shaw or Sunny Hills Drive.

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General Description: Eastbound riders access this route from Butterfield at Meadowcroft (left at Broadmoor and right onto Brookside). Continuing on Brookside to Alderney Way off of Cordone to Alderney Road and San Francisco Boulevard where the route goes right on Veterans Place and continues around the ball fields to Red Hill shopping center and the Red Hill shopping center by pass (behind the shopping center).

Improvements: Alderney Way: Widen bike ramp adjacent to stairs or adjust handrail supports so that a bike may be pushed up or down easily. Add signage.

3. OPTIONS FOR OUR FUTURE

A LINK THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOODS NORTH OF CENTER BLVD.

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SIR FRANCIS DRAKE CROSSINGS A LINK TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS NORTH OF CENTER BLVD

Crossing Sir Francis Drake Avenue is a hazardous proposition. In most cases preferred or easy access routes for bicycles and pedestrians are not marked and only discovered by trial and error by an enthusiastic individual.

Where bicycle routes are identified it is unclear to a bicyclist the route, destination and choices available from the route.

Appropriate signage and pavement markings complemented by a bike map at the gateways to the town will relieve this issue.

Each of the following recommendations pertains to all intersections and routes in this section.

Butterfield/Sir Francis Drake This is the route to the Brookside and San Domenico schools, Terra Linda and routes north of San Rafael. The presently marked bike route, which crosses SFD at Sierra, is impractical and dangerous (see p.37 for rationale), especially for young cyclists.

A preferable route would cross Sir Francis Drake at San Anselmo Ave. Left on Morningside , left on Meadowcroft and right on Butterfield to access the destinations listed above.

This route has the added advantage of being reversible for southbound riders, which is safer than the current routing and makes use of the longest stretch of marked bike lane in San Anselmo.

Improvements: The crossing of Sir Francis Drake can be accomplished by installing a biker or pedestrian activated traffic signal at San Anselmo and pedestrian crosswalks across Sir Francis Drake. (This cross walk will also provide pedestrian access to bus stops.) When a biker or pedestrian triggers this signal the San Anselmo/Sir Francis Drake traffic light would change to red in tandem with the normal signaling cycle, as would the signaling at Butterfield/Sir Francis Drake Boulevard.

Sir Francis Drake High School/Mountain View Riders approaching Sir Francis Drake High School from the north would approach the school on Mountain View from the Red Hill Bike Path marked route on Brookside.

Improvements: Sir Francis Drake/Mountain View - Install a traffic light synchronized with the Sir Francis Drake High School entrance/ Aspen Court light. On the south side of Sir Francis Drake opposing Mt View, the curb would be sloped up to the sidewalk where a short bike path which would start between sidewalk and tennis courts going east to the Sir Francis Drake High School parking lot. A marked bike path would continue counter clock wise around parking lot to path connecting to Saunders Ave. Add signage.

San Francisco/Tamal/Sir Francis Drake Northbound riders or pedestrians would cross Center from San Anselmo Ave onto Saunders, right on Taylor, right on Park Dr, left on Tamal crossing Sir Francis Drake onto San Francisco.

Improvements: Sir Francis Drake/ San Francisco - Add two bicycle and pedestrian buttons: one on each NW and SE corner, which stop all car traffic for at least 30 seconds. Add loops for bicycle traffic on shoulders. Mark bike lanes at intersections and along San Francisco.

Add signage.

Butterfield to Upper and Lower Brookside, Sleepy Hollow and Terra Linda Butterfield Road accesses several schools and provides access to Terra Linda via Fawn Drive.

Improvements: Improve Butterfield to Class II route all the way to Sleepy Hollow. Prohibit Upper Brookside school drop off or unloading on Fawn Drive.

These suggestions will help reduce the traffic and congestion on Sir Francis Drake, Butterfield Avenues and at the Hub by encouraging local residents to use alternative means of transportation to access main destinations in the town. We envision more children being able to ride their bikes to school or to the popular playground in Memorial Park along safe and respected bike routes. Short automobile trips and the related congestion resulting from shuttling children to school or for shopping downtown or at Red hill shopping center would be significantly reduced by enacting the suggestions listed in this plan.

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3. OPTIONS FOR OUR FUTURE

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any improvements to intra-town routes involve crossings over Sir Francis Drake: Red Hill Shopping Center, Memorial Park, the San Anselmo recreation center, Sir Francis Drake High School, Upper and Lower Brookside campuses, and Sorich and Faude Parks. Generally intersections serving these destinations do not meet the needs of the biking community.

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Section 3: Future SECTION THREE

Options for Our Future Where We’re Going

CONTINUING GOAL #3

THE DOWNOWN DETOUR THE

RESIDENTIAL

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Riders going on this route will not be going through downtown San Anselmo. Riders wanting to go through downtown San Anselmo, or continuing on to San Rafael, will need to take the downtown route. Off of this route riders can access the San Francisco Theological Seminary, Saint Anselms School, Wade Thomas School, downtown San Anselmo, Creekside Park and Robson Harrington House. The residential route is 1.1 miles in length. In that distance there are six arterial stop signs northbound and four arterial stop signs southbound. No major arteries are crossed and all intersections with a significant amount of traffic are stop-sign protected.

Along the route there are several opportunities for designating bike lanes/routes that will serve as spur routes. The best opportunity for a bike lane/route presents itself on Ross Avenue. Ross Avenue serves as a major feeder street for students cycling to Wade Thomas and Saint Anselms. Tamalpais Avenue could be stenciled to provide access between downtown San Anselmo, Creekside Park and the downtown route. Since this route goes by the Robson Harrington House, a directional sign will suffice and street markings are not needed.

To implement the residential route the signage listed in the appendix (page 97) will need to be installed.

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3. OPTIONS FOR OUR FUTURE

he bicycle route in the following text is designed to serve students, cyclists on intertown trips and casual through riders between Shady Lane at Bolinas Avenue and Laurel Avenue at San Anselmo Avenue. The primary reason for choosing this route is safety. This route presents less potential interactions with automobiles by its sheer remoteness from the downtown corridor.

Appendix

4. APPENDIX

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Appendix Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Amount: $2 million for Marin being now for the next three years.

Source: TEA-21, an 11.5% local match is required.

Deadline: Projects are due from cities to the CMA by December 1 Surface Transportation Program (STP) Amount: $5 million for Marin. Being programmed now for the next three years.

Source: TEA-21 funds, requires an 11.5% local match.

Transportation Funds for Livable Communities (TLC) Amount: $9 million/annually available on a competitive basis through the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) for all 9 Bay Area Counties.

Source: TEA-21, an 11.5% local match is required.

Deadline: Capital Projects: December 16 at Noon ($150,000 to $2 million) Planning program: October 5, 2000k, Noon, ($10K- $50K)

SECTION FOUR

Appendix

The ABC’s of Bicycle Funding As extracted from A GUIDEBOOK PREPARED

State Bicycle Transportation Account Amount: $2 million statewide annually Deadline: December to January

BY THE MARIN COUNTY BICYCLE COALITION

Transportation Funds for Clean Air Program (TFCA) Amount: $350,000 for Marin Annually (40% program) $12 million (?) for the Bay Area on a competitive basis (60% program) Deadline: February annually

OCTOBER 1999

Transportation Development Act (TDA) Article 3 Funds Amount: about $175,000 annually in Marin (part of our sales tax) Deadline: February/March Transportation Enhancements Amount: Marin has $1,035,500 to spend (Our entire allocation for the 6 years of TEA-21 guaranteed enhancements funding) Deadline: Most likely March 2000??

4. APPENDIX

Safe Routes to Schools Amount: $18 million statewide (available on a competitive basis) Deadline: Has not yet been determined, but will likely be determined in only a few

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Appendix SECTION FOUR

Appendix The California Vehicle Code

Laws Regarding Bicycles As with most laws, the underlying idea behind the laws contained in the California Vehicle Code (CVC) is safety.

What follows is a selection of some of the most common laws which pertain to bicyclist.

Definitions: Bicycle CVC231: A bicycle is a device upon which any person may ride, propelled exclusively by human power through a belt, chain, or gears, and having one or more wheels.

Darkness CVC280: Darkness is any time from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise and any other time when visibility is not sufficient to render clearly discernible any person or vehicle at a distance of 1000 feet.

Highway CVC 360: Highway is a way or place or whatever nature, publicly maintained and open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel. Highway includes street.

Vehicle Code Section: Laws Applicable to Bicycle Use CVD 21200 Every person riding a bicycle upon a highway has all the rights and is subject to all the provisions applicable to the driver of a vehicle including, but not limited to, provisions concerning driving under the influence of alcoholic beverages or drugs.

4. APPENDIX

Equipment Requirements CVC 21201 A) No person shall operate a bicycle on a roadway unless it is equipped with a brake which will enable the operator to make one brake wheel skid on dry, level, clean pavement.

B) No person shall operate on a highway any bicycle equipped with handlebars so raised that the operator must elevate his hands above the level of his shoulders in order to grasp the normal steering grip area.

C) No person shall operate upon any highway a bicycle which is of such a size as to prevent the operator from safely stopping the bicycle, supporting it in an upright position with at least one foot on the ground, and restarting it in a safe manner.

D) Every bicycle operated upon any highway during darkness shall be equipped E) With a lamp emitting a white light which, while the

bicycle is in motion illuminated the highway in front of the bicyclist and is visible form a distance of 300 feet in front of and from the sides of the bicycle.

F) 2. With a red reflector on the rear which shall be visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear when directly in front of headlamps on a motor vehicle.

G) With a white or yellow reflector on each pedal visible from the front and rear of the bicycle from a distance of 200 feet.

H) With a white or yellow reflector on each side forward of the center of the bicycle, and with a white or red reflector on each side to the rear of the center of the bicycle, except that bicycles equipped with reflectors on the front and rear tires.

Operations on Roadway CVC21202 Any person operating a bicycle upon a roadway at a speed less than the normal speed of traffic moving in the same direction at that time shall ride as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway except under the following condition: 1. When over taking and passing another bicycle or vehicle proceeding in the same direction.

2. When preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.

3. When reasonably necessary to avoid conditions (including, but not limited to fixed or moving objects, vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards, or substandard width lanes) that make it unsafe to continue along the right-hand curb edge.

4. When approaching a place where a right-hand turn is authorized.

6. Permitted Movements form Bicycle Lanes 21208CVC Whenever a bicycle lane has been established on a roadway, any person operating a bicycle on the roadway at a speed less than the normal speed of traffic moving in the same direction at that time shall ride within the bicycle lane, except under the following conditions (see 1-4 under 21202CVC).

Motorist Etiquette Regarding Bicyclists From the California Driver Handbook

SHARING THE ROAD WITH OTHER VEHICLES:

BICYCLES Bicycle riders on public streets have the same rights and responsibilities as automobile drivers. Drivers of motor vehicles must treat bicycle riders the same as drivers of other motor vehicles.

Bicyclists are not out of place on the roadway -- they are part of the traffic and share the road with other drivers.

They must obey stop signs, traffic lights, and most other traffic laws and signs.

Special care must be used near them because any accident with them will probably result in serious injury. This means that automobile drivers must leave safe passing room and must not turn so close to them that the bicyclist is in danger of being hit.

Bicycle Parking 21210 CVC No person shall leave a bicycle lying on its side on any sidewalk, or shall park a bicycle on a sidewalk in any other position, so that there is not an adequate path for pedestrian traffic

Although bicyclists will normally ride near the right hand curb or edge of the roadway, they can legally move left to turn left, to pass another vehicle or bicycle, or to avoid debris or parked cars. They may have to swerve to avoid a car door suddenly opening.

Expect any of these moves by bicyclists in a main traffic lane. Remember, on one-way streets, this can be the left hand lane.

Bicycle Operated on Roadway or Highway Shoulder 21650.1 CVC: A bicycle operated on a roadway, or the shoulder of a highway, shall be operated in the same direction as vehicles are required to be driven upon the roadway.

When the lane is too narrow to pass a bicyclist safely, wait until the next lane is clear and give the bicyclist all the rights of any other slow moving vehicle.

Hand Signals 22111CVC All required signals given by hand and arm shall be given from the left side in the following manner.

1.Left turn-hand and arm extended horizontally.

2. Right turn-hand and arm upward, except bicyclist may extend the right hand and arm horizontally to the right side of the bicycle.

3.Stop-hand and arm extended downward.

Wearing of Headsets or Earplugs 27400CVC No person operating any motor vehicle or bicycle shall wear any headset covering, or any earplugs in, both ears.

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A motorist parked at a curb must not open a door on the traffic side of a vehicle without looking for other vehicles, including bicycles or motorcycles.

Bicycle riders may give right turn signals with their right arm held straight out, pointing right. Remember, bicycles are small and sometimes drivers do not see them.

Appendix

II. BICYCLISTS’ CODE OF CONDUCT 1) Never ride against traffic.

2) Ride as near to the right as practicable*.

3) Stop at stop signs and red lights*.

4) Honor others’ right of way.

5) Use hand signals.

6) With traffic, ride single file.

7) Be predictable; don’t weave.

8) Follow lane markings.

9) Don’t needlessly block the road*.

10) Use lights at night. *--Note that the two most common offenses of bicyclists are running stop signs, and groups of cyclists blocking the road.

1. Stop at stop signs/lights: Stop at all stop signs and red lights. If two vehicles arrive at an intersection at the same time, the vehicle to the right has the right of way. Politely indicate others’ right of way with a hand gesture. For your own safety, never insist on your own right of way. Pedestrians always have the right of way. Your courtesy will be noticed and appreciated by other road users.

2. Group riding: a) The California Vehicle Code (CVC sec.

21202(a) and sec. 21750) states that bicyclists are entitled to the full width of the road for at least purposes of overtaking, left turns, avoiding obstacles, when approaching a place where a right turn is authorized, and when riding in a substandard width lane. Generally, it is prudent to stay as far to the right as practicable. When riding with others, do not block traffic, ride single file. Be aware of other road users at all times. b) When stopping for a stop sign in a group, queue up in small numbers and proceed when it is your turn, allowing other road users their right of way. The idea is to cross the intersection as safely and quickly as possible without testing the patience of other road users. Self-policing and courteous riding will go far.

Wear a helmet, bright clothing, and keep your bicycle in good working order. Helpful hint: Modern, good quality brakes along with good technique make stopping at stop signs much easier.

Bicyclists and any passengers under 18 years of age (including children in attached bicycle seats or in or on towed trailers), are required to wear a properly fitted and fastened bicycle helmet. This helmet must be labeled to show that it meets applicable safety standards.

Youngsters under the age of nine lack the physical and mental development to interact safely in a complex traffic environment.

SECTION FOUR

Appendix The Marin County Bicycle Coalition’s

Guide to Bicycle Etiquette III. MCBC’S BICYCLING LAWS AND SAFETY TIPS Bicyclists on public roadways assume all the same rights and responsibilities as automobile drivers, and are subject to the same state laws and local ordinances. For everyone’s safety, observe these bicycling rules: * BE PREDICTABLE: Never ride against traffic. Motorists aren’t looking for bicyclists riding on the wrong side of the road. Many other hazards threaten the wrong-way rider.

Obey traffic signs and signals, and basic right-of-way rules. Cycists must drive like motorists if they want to be taken seriously. Doing so is also the safest behavior. When approaching a stop sign or red light, you are required to come to a complete stop and proceed only when safe to do so.

Use hand signals. Hand signals tell other road users what you intend to do. Signal as a matter of law, of courtesy, and of self-protection.

Ride in a straight line. Whenever possible, ride in a straight line, to the right of traffic but about a car door’s width away from parked cars.

Don’t weave between parked cars. Don’t ride to the curb between parked cars, unless they are far apart. Motorists may not see you when you try to move back into traffic.

Follow lane markings. Don’t turn left from the right lane. Don’t go straight in a lane marked “right-turn-only.”

Stay to the left of the right-turn-only lane if you are going straight.

Choose the best way to turn left. There are two ways to make a left turn. 1) Like an auto. Signal, move into the left lane, and turn left. 2) Like a pedestrian. If you are with-in a designated crosswalk, dismount and walk your bike across. * BE ALERT: Watch for right-turning traffic. Motorists turning right may not notice cyclists on their right. Watch for any indications that a motorist may turn into your path. When approaching intersections try to stay far enough from the curb to allow cars to turn right on your right. Motorists may not look for or see a bicycle passing on the right.

Look back before you pass or merge. Leave a good 3-4 feet when passing a pedestrian or another bicyclist. A rearview mirror is a good idea, but don’t rely on it alone.

Respect pedestrians’ rights. Pedestrians have the right of way. Don’t cross side-walks via driveways without yielding to pedestrians. Don’t ride on sidewalks. Use the street, bike lane, or bike path. Give a warning: use your bike bell, or call out “Passing on your left”.

Keep both hands ready to brake. You may not stop in time if you brake one-handed. Allow extra distance for stopping in rain, since brakes are less efficient when wet.

Avoid road hazards. Watch out for street car tracks and old railroad tracks. Cross them perpendicularly. Avoid parallel-slat sewer grates, slippery manhole covers, oily pavement, gravel, potholes. All are hazardous, especially when wet.

Watch your speed. Observe posted speed limits and obey the basic speed law: Never ride faster than is safe under the existing conditions.

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* BE EQUIPPED: Use good lights at night. Front light, wheel and pedal reflectors are required. The front light must be visible from 300 feet. Use a rear red light for en-hanced visibility. Wear light-colored or reflective clothing.

Ride a well-equipped bike. Be sure your bike is adjusted to fit you properly. For safety and efficiency, outfit it with bells, rear-view mirrors, racks or baskets, lights and reflectors.

Be visible. Wear light or bright-colored clothing.

Wear a helmet when you ride. Helmets that have passed Snell Foundation or ANSI Z90.4 standard crash tests should be worn. Bike helmets may need to be replaced after a fall.

All youths 18 and under must wear a bicycle helmet when operating a bicycle or when riding as a passenger.

Passengers must ride on a separate attached seat. If the passenger is 4 years old or younger, or weighs 40 pounds or less, the seat shall adequately retain the passenger in place and protect him/her from the bike’s moving parts.

In addition, this passenger must wear a helmet of good fit, fastened securely, meeting ANSI Z90.4 helmet standards or Snell Memorial Foundation’s 1984 Standard for protective headgear.

Keep your bike in good repair. Maintain your bike in good working condition. Check brakes regularly and keep tires properly inflated. Learn to do routine maintenance yourself or leave it to the experts at your local bike shop.

Get in shape. Before riding, spend a few minutes stretching your legs and body. If you are not an experienced cyclist, start with short trips and work up to longer distances. * PARKING TIPS: Park considerately. Bicycle parking should not interfere with pedestrian and vehicle movements.

Use bike racks properly, so more bikes may park.

Buy a lock that is appropriate and use it correctly.

U-shaped locks offer the best security but require the removal of the front wheel in order to secure both wheels and frame.

Lay the front wheel alongside the rear wheel and loop the ‘U’ around both wheels and frame of your bike. If the ‘U’ portion of the lock is completely filled with the wheels and frame, the lock has less chance of being broken open. Tall signposts and ironwork are the best objects to lock your bike against. Small trees are easily cut, permitting thieves to lift a locked bike away from its support. Chains should be hardened and have %/16-inch diameter links, and a key lock with hardened hasp of the same diameter. Be sure to secure both wheels and the frame, and never leave the padlock resting on the ground. Smaller diameter chains and cables are appropriate for short time use only, usually in instances where you can see the bike when it’s locked. Keep a record of your bike serial number. Should your bike be stolen, report the serial number and description of your bike to the police department. * RIDE SAFELY AND COURTEOUSLY Probably the single most important thing a bicyclist can do to earn bicyclists greater respect on the road is to obey stop signs and traffic signals.

4. APPENDIX

I. INTRODUCTION With few exceptions, bicyclists on public roadways assume the same rights and responsibilities as automobile drivers, and are subject to the same state laws and local ordinances.

It is imperative that we cyclists hold up our end of the bargain! Bicycling is beneficial for personal health and when used instead of a car as transit to town or country it is beneficial to our environment. Many people are working hard to improve bicycling conditions here in Marin. We will not succeed if mannerless cycling is the norm.

Bicyclists need to show respect to get respect. We hope that you will make it a point to ride as an ambassador of cycling. If you have friends who ride as if no one else mattered, do bicyclists everywhere a favor by trying to talk them down from bogus rationalizations.

Ride responsibly! We must ALL adopt this Bicyclists’ Code of Conduct.

Appendix SECTION FOUR

Appendix

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Sir Francis Drake Crossings Butterfield/Sir Francis Drake Directional Signs Needed Northbound On San Anselmo Ave before Lansdale Ave on existing pole, right turn indicating Butterfield, Sleepy Hollow and Terra Linda destinations On Lansdale Ave before San Anselmo Ave on existing stop sign pole, left turn indicating Butterfield, Sleepy Hollow and Terra Linda destinations On San Anselmo Ave 50’ North of Center Ave on new pole, straight, indicating Butterfield, Sleepy Hollow and Terra Linda destinations On San Anselmo Ave North of Sir Francis Drake on new pole, straight On Morningside opposing SA on lamppost, left turn indicating Butterfield, Sleepy Hollow and Terra Linda destination AND right turn indicating Memorial Park and Red Hill destinations On Meadowcroft opposing Morningside on existing lamppost, left turn On Morningside before Butterfield on existing stop sign pole, right turn Directional Signs Needed Southbound On Butterfield 50’ before Rutherford on existing pole, left turn indicating Fairfax,TheHub,RedHill,MemorialPark,andSorichandFaudeparksdestinations On Meadowcroft before Morningside on new pole, right turn indicating Fairfax, The Hub destination AND straight indicating Red Hill, Memorial, and Sorich and Faude park destinations (Red Hill Bike Path) On Morningside before San Anselmo Ave on new pole, right turn On San Anselmo Ave before Sir Francis Drake on existing stop sign pole, straight OnSanAnselmoAveafter25’SirFrancisDrakeonorneartelephonepole,straight On San Anselmo Ave before Center Blvd on existing stop sign pole, indicate right on Lansdale to Fairfax AND left on San Anselmo Ave to the Hub 16 signs 4 new poles Sir Francis Drake High School/Mountain View

4. APPENDIX

Directional Signs Needed Northbound On San Anselmo Ave West at Redwood Road on existing stop sign pole, right turn indicating Sir Francis Drake High School, Memorial and Sorich parks and Red Hill destinations On San Anselmo Ave East at Redwood Road on existing stop sign pole, left turn indicating Sir Francis Drake High School, Memorial and Sorich Park and Red Hill destinations On Saunders Ave 20’ North of Center Ave on new pole, straight, indicating Sir Francis Drake High School, Memorial and Sorich Park and Red Hill destinations On Saunders Ave at Taylor Street on street sign pole, straight, indicating Sir Francis Drake High School AND right turn to Memorial and Sorich Park and Red Hill destinations On Saunders Ave across from the eastern entrance to Sir Francis Drake High School on new pole, left turn

On Saunders Ave at the eastern entrance to Sir Francis Drake High School on new pole by bridge, left turn On pavement stenciling through the Sir Francis Drake High School to Aspen Ct. At Sir Francis Drake Ave and Aspen Ct. on light pole, left turn At Sir Francis Drake Ave and Mt View Ave. on new pole, right turn On Mt View Ave. 20’ after Sir Francis Drake Ave. on new pole, straight indicating Red Hill and Butterfield, Sleepy Hollow and Terra Linda destinations.

Directional Signs Needed Southbound On Brookside Ave 50’ before Mt View on existing stop sign pole, right turn, indicating The Hub and Sir Francis Drake High School destinations On Sir Francis Drake Ave across from Mt View Ave. on new pole or tennis court fence, left turn On pavement stenciling through the Sir Francis Drake High School to Saunders On Saunders 10’ from east entrance to Sir Francis Drake High School on no parking sign, straight On Saunders Ave before Center Blvd on existing stop sign pole, indicate right on Lansdale to Fairfax and left on San Anselmo Ave to the Hub 18 signs 6 new poles San Francisco/Tamal/Sir Francis Drake Directional Signs Needed Northbound See Sir Francis Drake High School/Mountain View Northbound route description up to Taylor On Taylor St. at Park Dr. on existing stop sign pole, right turn On Park Dr. at Tamal Ave. on existing stop sign pole, left turn On Park Dr. 35’ before Sir Francis Drake Blvd. on new pole, straight OnSanFrancisco15’afterSirFrancisDrakeBlvd.onnewpole,straightSouthbound On San Francisco 40’ before Sir Francis Drake Blvd, on new pole, straight On Tamal Ave 20’ after Sir Francis Drake Blvd, on new pole, straight On Tamal Ave at Park Drive on existing stop sign pole, right On Park Drive at Taylor Street street sign pole, left On Taylor at Saunders Ave street sign pole, left See Sir Francis Drake High School/Mountain View Southbound route description to Center Blvd.

9 signs 4 new poles Butterfield to Upper and Lower Brookside, Sleepy Hollow and Terra Linda Directional Signs Needed Northbound On Butterfield Road at Fawn Drive on street sign pole, right turn On Fawn Drive at Fawn Court on street sign pole, left turn Fawn Drive at the entrance to Northern Area Terra Linda-Sleepy Hollow Open Space Preserve, left turn Directional Signs Needed Southbound Manuel Frietas Parkway termination at the entrance to Terra Linda Sleepy Hollow Open Space Preserve indicating San Anselmo and Fairfax destination Fawn Drive at the exit from Terra Linda-Sleepy Hollow Open Space Preserve, right turn On Fawn Drive at Fawn Court on street sign pole, right turn On Butterfield Road at Fawn Drive on existing stop sign pole, left turn to San Anselmo AND Fairfax Red Hill Bike Path Signage Recommendations Red Hill Bike Path East: from the Hub to Red Hill Shopping Center Directional Signs Needed Westbound On San Anselmo Ave West at Grove on existing stop sign pole, right turn indicating Memorial and Sorich Park and Red Hill destinations On San Anselmo Ave East at Grove on existing stop sign pole, left turn

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indicating Memorial and Sorich Park and Red Hill destinations On Madrone at Sycamore Ave street sign, straight On Madrone at Sir Francis Drake Blvd. existing stop sign, straight On Sir Francis Drake Blvd sidewalk at Madrone Ave cross walk on new pole, left turn (or straight through parking lot behind Jack in the Box to Shaw) On pavement stenciling along sidewalk to Shaw Ave. On Sir Francis Drake Blvd sidewalk at Shaw Drive, right turn On Shaw Drive at the new berm path new pole, left turn At Sunny Hills Dr at Red Hill service entrance on existing stop sign pole, left turn At Sunny Hills Dr. and Memorial Park on existing pole, right turn Eastbound On Sunny Hills Dr. at Red Hill service entrance on new pole, right turn On Shaw Drive on new pole, right turn On Shaw Drive at Sir Francis Drake Blvd sidewalk, on new pole, left turn (or left through parking lot behind Jack in the Box to Madrone) On pavement stenciling along sidewalk to Madrone Ave. On Sir Francis Drake Blvd sidewalk at Madrone Ave cross walk on new pole, right turn On Madrone 25’ past Sir Francis Drake Blvd on new pole, straight On Madrone 50’ before Center Blvd on new pole, straight On Grove at Center Blvd existing stop sign, right to Fairfax AND left to the Hub 18 signs 6 new poles Red Hill Bike Path West: Sleepy Hollow/Hawthorn Hills to Red Hill Shopping Center Directional Signs Needed Eastbound See Butterfield/Sir Francis Drake Southbound route description to Morningside On Morningside at Broadmoor on existing stop sign pole, left (And for northbound riders crossing at San Anselmo/Sir Francis Drake: On Meadowcroft at Broadmoor on existing stop sign pole, left On Morningside at Broadmoor on existing stop sign pole, left) On Broadmoor at Brookside on existing stop sign pole, right On Brookside at Cordone Dr, on existing stop sign pole, left On Cordone Dr at Alderney Way, on street sign pole, right At top of Alderney Way, on new pole, straight On Alderney Road 20’ after El Cerrito Ave on new pole, straight On Alderney Road at San Francisco Ave existing stop sign pole, left On San Francisco before Veteran’s Place on existing stop sign pole, right turn On pavement stenciling through Memorial Park parking lot to east side bike path At east side bike path, straight, to Red Hill On Sunny Hills Dr. on new pole, left turn indicating Red Hill by pass route to Hub Westbound At Sunny Hills and the start of the Memorial Park bike path on new pole, straight On pavement stenciling through Memorial Park parking lot from bike path to Veterans Place On Veterans Place at San Francisco on existing stop sign pole, left turn On San Francisco before Alderney Road on existing stop sign pole, right turn to Butterfield, Sleepy Hollow and Terra Linda destinations AND straight to Sir Francis Drake High School and the Hub On Alderney Road at El Cerrito on new pole, straight At top of Alderney Way, on new pole, straight On Cordone Dr at Alderney Way, on street sign pole, left On Brookside 10’ after Cordone Dr on new pole, straight On Brookside at Broadmoor on existing stop sign pole, left On Broadmoor 20’ before Meadowcroft on new pole, right to Butterfield, Sleepy Hollow and Terra Linda destinations AND straight to Fairfax and The Hub On Broadmoor at Morningside on existing stop sign pole, right to Fairfax and The Hub On Morningside across from San Anselmo on lamppost, left to Fairfax and The Hub AND straight to Butterfield, Sleepy Hollow and Terra Linda destinations See Butterfield/Sir Francis Drake Northbound route description 27 signs 6 new poles

Appendix SECTION FOUR

Appendix SHADY LANE AT BOLINAS AVENUE Directional Signs Needed Northbound-on the existing pole as viewed from Shady Lane a sign needs to indicate that the alternate route, to Fairfax, turns left and the downtown route, to Fairfax and San Rafael, turns right (NEED 1 SPECIAL SIGN) Southbound-on an existing passenger loading zone sign post a right turn bike sign is needed (NEED 1 RIGHT TURN SIGN) BOLINAS AVENUE AT RICHMOND ROAD Directional Signs Needed Northbound-on an existing street name sign post a right turn bike sign is needed (NEED 1 RIGHT TURN SIGN) Southbound-on an existing arterial stop sign post, or on a post used for a handicapped parking sign, a left turn bike sign is needed (NEED 1 LEFT TURN SIGN) RICHMOND ROAD AT MARIPOSA AVENUE Directional Signs Needed Northbound-on an existing street name sign post a left turn bike sign is needed (NEED 1 LEFT TURN SIGN) Southbound-on an existing school sign post a right turn bike sign is needed (NEED 1 RIGHT TURN SIGN)

S

I

G

N

A

G

E

Downtown Detour To implement the Residential Route (Downtown Detour), see page 91, the following listed signage will need to be installed. Starting from Ross and going to Laurel Avenue, these are the specific recommendations for implementation:

LAUREL AVENUE AT MADRONE AVENUE Directional Signs Needed Northbound-one pole, a left turn bike sign needed (NEED 1 POLE, 1 LEFT TURN SIGN) Southbound-on existing street name sign post a right turn bike sign is needed (NEED 1 RIGHT TURN SIGN) LAUREL AVENUE AT HILLSIDE AVENUE

MARIPOSA AVENUE AT JONES STREET Directional Signs Needed Northbound-on an existing street name sign post a right turn bike sign is needed (NEED 1 RIGHT TURN SIGN) Southbound-one pole, with sign, with a left turn bike sign is needed (NEED 1 POLE, 1 LEFT TURN SIGN) JONES STREET AT ROSS AVENUE Directional Signs Needed Northbound-on an existing street name sign post a right turn bike sign is needed (NEED 1 RIGHT TURN SIGN) Southbound-on an existing street name sign post, the same as the one that will hold the northbound signage, a left turn bike sign is needed

Directional Signs Needed Northbound-one pole, with sign, right turn bike sign is needed (NEED 1 POLE, 1 RIGHT TURN SIGN) Southbound-on an existing street name sign post a left turn bike sign is needed (NEED 1 LEFT TURN SIGN) LAUREL AVENUE AT ROLAND COURT Directional Signs Needed Northbound-on an existing street name sign post a left turn bike sign is needed (NEED 1 LEFT TURN SIGN) Southbound-one pole, with sign, right turn bike sign is needed (NEED 1 POLE, 1 RIGHT TURN SIGN)

(NEED 1 LEFT TURN SIGN) ROSS AVENUE AT CEDAR STREET Directional Signs Needed Northbound-on an existing arterial stop sign post a left turn bike sign is needed (NEED 1 LEFT TURN SIGN) Southbound-on an existing arterial stop sign post a right turn bike sign is needed (NEED 1 RIGHT TURN SIGN)

LAUREL AVENUE AT SAN ANSELMO AVENUE Directional Signs Needed

97

Northbound-on an existing arterial stop sign post a left pointing arrow is needed (NEED 1 LEFT TURN SIGN) Southbound-on existing street name sign post a right turn bike sign is needed (NEED 1 RIGHT TURN SIGN WITH TWO TAG LINES) TOTAL SIGNAGE NEEDED ITEM NUMBER RIGHT TURN SIGN 11 LEFT TURN SIGN 10 STRAIGHT SIGN 2 SPECIAL SIGNS 1 Shady Lane at Bolinas Avenue--Left-ALTERNATE ROUTE,FAIRFAX; Right-DOWNTOWN, SAN RAFAEL 1 Cedar Street at Tunstead Avenue--Need two CITY HALL signs one points left and one points right. They are mounted back- to-back.

1 Cedar Street at Tamalpais Avenue--Left-FAIRFAX: RightDOWNTOWN, CREEKSIDE PARK 1 San Anselmo Avenue at Laurel Avenue--Right-ALTERNATE, SAN FRANCISCO; Straight-DOWNTOWN, SAN RAFAEL SIGN POSTS 1 Mariposa Avenue at Jones Street Laurel Avenue at Madrone Avenue Laurel Avenue at Hillside Avenue 1 Laurel Avenue at Roland Court

1

1

4. APPENDIX

CEDAR STREET AT TUNSTEAD AVENUE Directional Signs Needed Northbound & Southbound-on an existing street name sign post two City Hall indicating signs, back-to-back, are needed. One is left pointing and one is right pointing (NEED 2 CITY HALL SIGNS, ONE LEFT TURN, ONE RIGHT TURN) CEDAR STREET AT TAMALPAIS AVENUE Directional Signs Needed Northbound-on an existing street name sign post a left turn bike sign is needed (NEED 1 LEFT TURN SIGN WITH RIGHT ARROW TAG LINE)*This sign could also indicate with a right arrow pointing to downtown and Creekside Park Southbound-on an existing arterial stop sign post a right turn bike sign is needed (NEED 1 RIGHT TURN SIGN) TAMALPAIS AVENUE AT MYRTLE LANE Directional Signs Needed Northbound-on an existing arterial stop sign post a left turn bike sign is needed (NEED 1 LEFT TURN SIGN) Southbound-on an existing arterial stop sign post a right turn bike sign is needed (NEED 1 RIGHT TURN SIGN) MYRTLE LANE AT LAUREL AVENUE Directional Signs Needed Northbound-on an existing arterial stop sign post a straight pointing arrow bike sign is needed (NEED 1 STRAIGHT AHEAD SIGN) Southbound-on an existing street name sign post a straight pointing arrow bike sign is needed (NEED 1 STRAIGHT AHEAD SIGN)

Appendix SECTION FOUR

Appendix

duration of the WALK signal, will be of great benefit to pedestrians and cyclists. The current WALK, flashing DON'T WALK sequence

Signal Timing

is very confusing to school age children who would not attempt the crossing even when it is safe to do so, or who believe they must return to the sidewalk when the DON'T

Sir Francis Drake Blvd. divides San

WALK sign flashes.

elapsed time from START. S/O

A: Tunstead and Sir Francis Drake.

Walk on for approximately 6 sec, too short to reach the center island of SFD., total time of 25 sec is too short to cross SFD. Tape Record #2 Tunstead and Sir Francis Drake (SFD) eastbound crossing SFD. start WALK light on 1 WALK off 5.87 sec 2 Auto traffic light yellow 25.76 sec 3 Auto traffic light red 28.91 sec Tape Record #3 Westbound, crossing SFD to T ` unstead. start WALK on 1 WALK OFF 5.66 sec 2 Red traffic on, SFD green 28.69 Tape Record #4 Crossing Tunstead northbound at SFD start WALK on 1 WALK off 6.08 sec 2 Red light for Tunstead traffic 1:33.72 sec Tape Record #6 Eastbound, crossing SFD to Bank St. start WALK on (autos turning left over pedestrian walkway) 1 Flashing DON'T WALK 5.92 sec 2 Solid DON'T WALK 23.27 sec /s/o SFD green 28.33 sec Tape Record #8 Westbound, crossing SFD from Bank st.

Start WALK on 1 DON'T WALK flashing 4.80 sec 2 DON'T WALK solid 20.68 sec /s/o SFD green 24.28 sec Tape Record #9 Eastbound, crossing SFD to Bank st. start WALK on 1 DON'T WALK flashing 6.15 sec 2 DON'T WALK solid 22.95 sec /s/o SFD green 26.07 sec B: The Hub, Red Hill Av, SFD & Center Sts. WALK is approx 4 sec, time for pedestrian to get only half way across two lanes. However, since WALK is parallel to traffic flow autos turning do not impact the crossing for pedestrians and cyclists.

Tape Record #10 At hub, eastbound crossing SFD from center start WALK on 1 blinking hand 4.26 sec 2 solid hand (stop) 21.20 sec /s/o traffic light red 25.97

entry indicates when the watch

Tape Record #11

Anselmo into two sections, with no convenient crossing for pedestrians or cyclists. Because of this access, to Red Hill Shopping Center, Memorial Park, Sorich Ranch Park, and Brookside School is almost required to be made by automobile. This survey is an accurate report of the traffic signal sequence timing currently in effect; presented with the intent that changes will be made to improve the saftey and flow of pedestrian and cyclist traffic. The current configuration of intersections is not only a hardship for adults, it is an absolute barrier for school age children, who must therefore be transported daily by private automobile. The times were recorded with a printing stopwatch, each printout set was given a unique number to correspond with the field notes made while timing the light sequence. The tapes show START time, then SPLIT followed by numbered time entry showing

4. APPENDIX

was turned off at end of the timing sequence. The data shows that the traffic signal sequence timing is optimized for auto traffic. Changes in signal timing, especially the

D: SFD at San Francisco and Tamal.

SFD traffic is green for a long time, see sequence 18.

Request: Shorten the green time for SFD or make the crossing WALK on demand.

Tape Record #29 Crossing SFD at San Francisco eastbound. start WALK (autos turning left from San Francisco crossing

98

walkway.)

1 flashing DON'T WALK 4.94 sec 2 solid DON'T WALK 14.99 sec 3 SFD traffic green 21.60 sec Tape Record #30 SFD traffic at Tamal . start SFD green 1 SFD yellow 1'50.29 2 SFD red 1'53.70 E: SFD Blvd. at Drake HS. Request: Shorten delay between demand and WALK green. (See record 32.)

Tape Record #31 Crossing SFD at Drake HS. (SFD normally green) start WALK 1 Flashing Hand 6.92 sec 2 Solid Hand 15.00 sec 3 SFD green 18.43 sec Tape Record #32 Crossing SFD at Drake HS, signal for SFD green. start push WALK button 1 SFD yellow 1'03.83 2 SFD red 1'07.26 3 WALK 1'08.53 4 Flashing hand 1'14.90 5 Solid hand 1'23.05 6 SFD green 1'25.95 F: SFD Blvd. at Sierra and Broadmoor.

Note: The steep downhill on Sierra, just before the stop sign, does not leave any margin for cyclist error or bicycle equipment failure before exiting onto two lanes of high speed traffic on SFD. Request: Due to the possible danger Sierra, should not be used as a bike route.

Tape Record #34 At Sierra crossing SFD to Broadmoor . start WALK 1 Flashing hand 7.97 sec 2 Solid hand 16.45 sec 3 SFD green 20.48 sec G: SFD, Butterfield and Oak Knoll.

The easiest crossing of SFD to Butterfield is from Oak Knoll, this connects to the island at the end of Butterfield, and allows a good path from Fairfax on SFD or from the Lansdale area of Center Blvd.

Request: Since stopped SFD traffic blocks the intersection at Oak Knoll, put “KEEP CLEAR� stripes on SFD at Oak Knoll.

Better, install second traffic light with pedestrian crossing at Oak Knoll , with its timing in sync with the light at SFD and Butterfield.

A: Tunstead and Sir Francis Drake.

Walk on for approximately 6 sec, too short to reach the center island of SFD., total time of 25 sec is too short to cross SFD. Tape Record #2 Tunstead and Sir Francis Drake (SFD) eastbound crossing SFD. start WALK light on 1 WALK off 5.87 sec 2 Auto traffic light yellow 25.76 sec 3 Auto traffic light red 28.91 sec Tape Record #3 Westbound, crossing SFD to tunstead. start WALK on 1 WALK OFF 5.66 sec 2 Red traffic on, SFD green 28.69 Tape Record #4 Crossing Tunstead northbound at SFD start WALK on 1 WALK off 6.08 sec 2 Red light for Tunstead traffic 1:33.72 sec Tape Record #6 Eastbound, crossing SFD to Bank St.

Appendix At Red Hill Shopping Center, crossing entrance , eastbound. start SFD green (autos turning left into Red Hill crossing pedestrian walkway) 1 WALK 10.30 sec (left turn on SFD red) 2 flashing hand 18.61 sec 3 solid hand 26.68 sec 4 yellow on SFD 1:49.16 5 red on SFD 1:50.85 Note: WALK for crossing entrance will respond as in sequence 18.

D: SFD at San Francisco and Tamal.

SFD traffic is green for a long time, see sequence 18.

Request: Shorten the green time for SFD or make the crossing WALK on demand.

Tape Record #29 Crossing SFD at San Francisco eastbound. start WALK (autos turning left from San Francisco crossing walkway.)

1 flashing DON’T WALK 4.94 sec 2 solid DON’T WALK 14.99 sec 3 SFD traffic green 21.60 sec Tape Record #30 SFD traffic at Tamal . start SFD green 1 SFD yellow 1’50.29 2 SFD red 1’53.70

Tape Record #11 At hub, crossing Red Hill Ave. start WALK on 1 blinking hand 2.76 sec (cyclist only has time to get off sidewalk) 2 solid hand 20.52 sec /s/o traffic light red 24.07 sec

E: SFD Blvd. at Drake HS. Request: Shorten delay between demand and WALK green. (See record 32.)

Tape Record #31 Crossing SFD at Drake HS. (SFD normally green) start WALK 1 Flashing Hand 6.92 sec 2 Solid Hand 15.00 sec 3 SFD green 18.43 sec Tape Record #32 Crossing SFD at Drake HS, signal for SFD green. start push WALK button 1 SFD yellow 1’03.83 2 SFD red 1’07.26 3 WALK 1’08.53 4 Flashing hand 1’14.90 5 Solid hand 1’23.05 6 SFD green 1’25.95

Record #13 At hub, crossing Red Hill Ave. from center island to sidewalk

by Red Hill Cleaners start WALK on 1 flashing DON’T WALK 3.92 sec /s/o solid DON’T WALK 11.43 sec record #15 At hub, westbound crossing SFD to Center start WALK 1 flashing DON’T WALK 4.00 sec 2 solid DON’T WALK 20.84 sec /s/o red light 24.86 sec C: Red Hill Shopping Center.

Walk time is sufficient for pedestrians to reach the center of SFD, however, autos making left turn leaving Red Hill Shoping Center block the pedestrian walkway. And, because of the long timing for through traffic on SFD, pedestrians do not wait for the WALK light, they cross SFD against the traffic flow.

Request: Close the east side walkway to prevent conflict with the two lanes of autos leaving Red Hill Shopping Center, and reduce the time SFD light is green ( or make the crossing on demand), to allow pedestrian and cyclist access to the Red Hill Shopping Center and Memorial Park. record #17 At Red Hill Shopping Center, crossing SFD to Red Hill Shopping Center. start WALK (two lanes of autos crossing east walkway) 1 flashing hand 6.29 sec 2 solid hand 16.92 sec /s/o light red for cars leaving red hill 19.80 record #18 At Red Hill, crossing entrance of shopping center, westbound. start SFD traffic green 1 WALK on 13.73 sec 2 flashing DON’T WALK 21.65 sec 3 solid hand 28.89 sec /s/o yellow for SFD traffic 1:42.18 sec Note: when SFD traffic is green WALK across entrance will light after operation of pushbutton. record #21

F: SFD Blvd. at Sierra and Broadmoor.

Note: The steep downhill on Sierra, just before the stop sign, does not leave any margin for cyclist error or bicycle equipment failure before exiting onto two lanes of high speed traffic on SFD. Request: Due to the possible danger Sierra, should not be used as a bike route.

Tape Record #34 At Sierra crossing SFD to Broadmoor . start WALK 1 Flashing hand 7.97 sec 2 Solid hand 16.45 sec 3 SFD green 20.48 sec G: SFD, Butterfield and Oak Knoll.

The easiest crossing of SFD to Butterfield is from Oak Knoll, this connects to the island at the end of Butterfield, and allows a good path from Fairfax on SFD or from the Lansdale area of Center Blvd.

Request: Since stopped SFD traffic blocks the intersection at Oak Knoll, put ìKEEP CLEARî stripes on SFD at Oak Knoll .

Better, install second traffic light with pedestrian crossing at Oak Knoll , with its timing in sync with the light at SFD and Butterfield.

Tape Record #35 Crossing SFD to Butterfield. start SFD traffic red, push WALK button 1 WALK 1.19 sec 2 flashing DON’T WALK 7.35 sec 3 Solid DON’T WALK 16.87 sec 4 cars start moving from Butterfield 21.43 sec

99

SECTION FOUR

Appendix

Signal Timing 5 SFD green 33.00 sec Tape Record #36 Through traffic on SFD Blvd. with traffic on Butterfield , autos waiting on Butterfield, Butterfield red. start SFD green 1 SFD yellow 29.13 sec 2 SFD red 31.97 sec Tape Record #37 Through SFD traffic at Butterfield, no autos waiting on Butterfield. start SFD green 1 SFD yellow 1’23.51 2 SFD red 1’26.59 /s/o watch off 1’28.51 Note: when SFD is red stopped traffic will block the intersection with Oak Knoll, preventing cyclists from crossing SFD to Butterfield.

H: SFD Blvd. at San Anselmo & Ross Aves. There is not enough time to cross all six traffic lanes from Ross. Request: Lengthen the time the WALK signal is on, make the WALK across SFD respond to demand. Tape Record #38 Crossing San Anselmo and SFD at Ross. start WALK Note Walk does not come on until SFD right or left turn signals are red.

1 flashing DON’T WALK 5.93 sec 2 solid DON’T WALK 26.64 sec 3 SFD green 36.52 sec Note: Pedestrian still crossing San Anselmo Ave. when DON’T WALK comes on.

Tape Record #39 Crossing Ross at San Anselmo. start WALK (after SFD turns green) 1 flashing DON’T WALK 7.34 sec 2 Solid DON’T WALK 14.02 sec 3 San Anselmo yellow 52.97 sec 4 San Anselmo red 46.14 sec Note. WALK does not start until SFD left turn for autos to Ross turns red.

Tape Record #40 Crossing SFD from Barbara Ave. start WALK 1 flashing DON’T WALK 4.85 sec 2 solid DON’T WALK 25.99 sec 3 SFD left turn green 36.15 sec 4 SFD through green 46.14 sec Tape Record #41 Crossing Barbara at SFD. start WALK 1 flashing DON’T WALK 12.98 sec 2 solid DON’T WALK 19.85 sec (will change to WALK on demand) 3 SFD yellow 1’31.48 4 SFD red 1’34.33 Tape Record #42 SFD lights at Ross/Barbara intersection start SFD left turn green 1 SFD through green, left turn red 17.02 sec 2 SFD through yellow 1’10.89 3 SFD through red 1’13.76

4. APPENDIX

start WALK on (autos turning left over pedestrian walkway) 1 Flashing DON’T WALK 5.92 sec 2 Solid DON’T WALK 23.27 sec /s/o SFD green 28.33 sec Tape Record #8 Westbound, crossing SFD from Bank st.

Start WALK on 1 DON’T WALK flashing 4.80 sec 2 DON’T WALK solid 20.68 sec /s/o SFD green 24.28 sec Tape Record #9 Eastbound, crossing SFD to Bank st. start WALK on 1 DON’T WALK flashing 6.15 sec 2 DON’T WALK solid 22.95 sec /s/o SFD green 26.07 sec B: The Hub, Red Hill Av, SFD & Center Sts. WALK is approx 4 sec, time for pedestrian to get only half way across two lanes. However, since WALK is parallel to traffic flow autos turning do not impact the crossing for pedestrians and cyclists.

Tape Record #10 At hub, eastbound crossing SFD from center start WALK on 1 blinking hand 4.26 sec 2 solid hand (stop) 21.20 sec /s/o traffic light red 25.97