San Rafael embarks on bicycle-pedestrian plan update

San Rafael is taking a close look at how to improve the way people move through the city.

Work is underway to update the city’s bicycle and pedestrian plan, a five- to 10-year roadmap for new projects to make walking and biking safer with greater accessibility and connectivity. The plan was last updated in 2018.

The update “is an opportunity to conduct a comprehensive review of our current bicycle and pedestrian network and ensure alignment with community values, City Council-adopted goals and objectives and other transportation related plans,” said Kelly Abey, project manager.

Since the last update, the city has approved several related plans, such as a local roads safety plan and Canal neighborhood transportation plan, that will be incorporated into the development of the new bike and pedestrian plan. Both related plans have a strong focus on reducing the risk of collisions.

“Additionally, the conditions of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure have changed, such as the completion of cycle tracks on Grand Avenue and Second Street and various quick-build bicycle striping and pedestrian crosswalk enhancement projects,” Abey said. “It is critical that we reflect on the evolution that has occurred in the past seven years as we plan and develop an updated road map for future improvements.”

Staff expect recommendations in the plan to include prioritized short- and long-term projects. The plan would also include high-level cost estimates and next steps for funding, including grant opportunities, Abey said.

Those recommendations will be based on the existing network, as well as comments from San Rafael residents, workers and visitors, Abey said.

“A major part of the planning process is seeking to understand community needs and values,” Abey said. “Community feedback related to people’s experiences traveling around San Rafael, suggestions for bicycle and pedestrian improvements, and long-term vision for connectivity will be very helpful and informative for the development of the CBPP update.”

Community members are invited to provide comments online and in person, Abey said.

The city has launched an online survey to collect comments. There is also an interactive map that illustrates routes and enables participants to mark the areas with comments about what they like and what they think needs to be improved.

City staff in May are also participating in the upcoming Canal Alliance Nuestro Futuro Community Fair, where they will available to inform the public about the plan and field questions and comments.

An in-person event where residents can learn more, comment and ask questions is planned on May 14 at the San Rafael Community Center.

“Updating this plan gives us an opportunity to hear directly from the community about what’s working, what’s not, and where we can improve,” Mayor Kate Colin said. “Everyone should be able to move around San Rafael safely, regardless of how they travel. This process helps us work towards a more connected and inclusive city.”

The survey and information about the project and future meetings are online at bit.ly/3Grnqwb.

Warren Wells, policy and planning director of the Marin County Bicycle Coalition, said the organization looks forward to participating in the process and applauds the city for advancing road safety projects.

“However, many of the milestones set out in the city’s excellent 2018 bike plan have still not been met,” Wells said. “As plans are only as good as their implementation, we hope to see a better alignment between this plan and the streets of San Rafael that people ride on today.”

San Rafael resident Dave Rhoads, co-chair of the Walk/Bike San Rafael group, agreed. Rhoads said he is interested in calling attention to achieving the city’s “vision zero” goal. The initiative aims to eliminate traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries by 2050, while increasing safe, healthy and equitable mobility.

Rhoads said biking is often faster than driving for many trips in San Rafael.

“The best and easiest way to continue this trend is to make it safer to walk and bike,” Rhoads said. “Our focus will be to push the city to take every opportunity to go from plans to action.”