Walk Bike Marin News

In this Issue:

- Alameda del Prado Bike Lanes
- EcoCounters Track Path Use
- Cal Park Tunnel Tours
- Fall Events with WalkBikeMarin

Visit the WalkBikeMarin website- the best place to go for current updates about project news and happenings in Marin. Recent highlights include:

Alameda del Prado bike lanes now open

About 40 Marin cyclists and residents gathered with Marin County Board President Judy Arnold on August 2nd to celebrate the ribbon cutting for the newly completed bike lanes on Alameda del Prado between Ignacio Boulevard and Posada del Sol in Novato. The half mile-long facility was made possible by $850,000 in federal funding from the Marin Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program and closes a key gap in the North-South Bikeway. There is now a continuous bicycle facility from Indian Valley College to Marinwood. With the soon-to-be-constructed Enfrente Connector, the continuous route will extend all the way to downtown Novato. The project included reconstructing the street to narrow the landscaped median in order to make room for the new bike lanes. Read more about the completed project in this fact sheet.

EcoCounters track multi use path usage in Marin

EcoCounters have been installed at two locations in Marin to measure usage on the Mill Valley-Sausalito path and the Corte Madera Creek path. The automated counters capture both cyclists and pedestrians as separate counts 24 hours a day, so usage trends can be tracked hourly.

The first numbers coming back from the EcoCounters are impressive. For the five months between March 14th and August 14th this year, the counters tallied 152,562 users on the Corte Madera Creek path, and 326,567 users on the Mill Valley-Sausalito path. On April 17th, 3,508 bicyclists were counted on the Mill Valley-Sausalito path in a single day!

The EcoCounters allow the County to track and compare the number of users on the two paths at various time increments such as daily, seasonally, or annually. Over time, the numbers will help evaluate bicycling and walking mode share and monitor commuting patterns and recreational trips. Soon, we'll begin posting periodic "traffic reports" on the WalkBikeMarin website to highlight usage trends on these paths – check the WalkBikeMarin homepage for a link to this feature in the next few weeks.

Way to Go! Program tours Cal Park Tunnel

On July 31st, WalkBikeMarin's Way to Go! team and 18 Marin residents were treated to an exclusive tour of the reconstructed Cal Park Tunnel by Dave Bernardi, the project manager. The group met at the San Rafael Transit Center and rode to the tunnel via Andersen Drive. Riders had the lucky distinction of being among the first cyclists to ride through the tunnel, and observed progress on the remaining parts of the project where a new bike path is being built to connect the tunnel to existing surface routes. Mr. Bernardi told the group about the history of the tunnel, the progress of the construction, and answered questions of all types about the project.

For more information about the Cal Park Tunnel, see the project fact sheet on the WalkBikeMarin project page. The pathway tunnel is scheduled to open for public use in November 2010. If you're a San Rafael resident, check the Way to Go! event calendar for other events being held through the rest of the summer.

Fall Events Calendar live on WalkBikeMarin website

Summer is winding down, which can only mean the start of Fall classes and workshops from WalkBikeMarin. Here are some of the events featured on the WalkBikeMarin website that will be held in the upcoming months.

Riding with Youth

Riding with Youth returns with the start of school in September. If you have a child in 2nd through 8th grade and are looking to improve their on-street bike riding experience, Riding with Youth is a great way to help your son or daughter start their year bicycling to school. Four Saturday morning workshops are currently scheduled at locations throughout Marin, beginning September 11th in Mill Valley. Check the WalkBikeMarin Event Calendar for more information.

Mill Valley to Corte Madera Bicycle and Pedestrian Corridor Study - Presentation to Marin County Board of Supervisors

The Final Mill Valley to Corte Madera Bicycle and Pedestrian Corridor Study was released on July 29th. You can download a PDF copy of the full study by visiting the project website. The consultant team that carried out the project will present the study to the Marin County Board of Supervisors at their September 21st meeting. Board of Supervisors meetings are held at the Civic Center in San Rafael. Check this page for the current BOS meeting agenda; the September 21st meeting agenda will be posted on September 17th.

Visit WalkBikeMarin at Biketoberfest

Biketoberfest is coming soon in October, and WalkBikeMarin will be there. While you're at the festival, visit the WalkBikeMarin booth in between browsing the works of over 30 West Coast bicycle frame builders and manufacturers and sampling beers from over 20 West Coast breweries. Also featured at Biketoberfest: live music, a cyclocross race, kids entertainment, a classic bike show, and both mountain and road group bike rides. Biketoberfest 2010 happens Saturday, October 16th at the FairAnselm Plaza in Fairfax from 11 am to 6 pm. Ride your bike! Valet bike parking will be provided by MCBC free of charge.