Sunday, November 29, 2009

Not a Meteor...A Thanksgiving Rainbow!


Just for Scale, see key & mushroom


A November newcomer to Lucas Valley Road!

NEW Winter Wild Life on LVR!


These enormous newcomers to Lucas Valley Road are probably Boletus mirabilis...big as your head!

Sunday, November 15, 2009

County employees install safety signs along Lucas Valley Raod


County Public Works Department employees Jim Mayo, Travis Fleetwood and Steve Mitchell installing "Bike Lane - No Parking " signs along the Las Gallinas to Los Gamos corridor of Lucas Valley Road.





A letter of appreciation was sent to the Chief Assistant Director, Robert Beaumont by the Safe Passage along Lucas Valley Road Campaign to recognize their dedication as they worked in the rain while cars were rushing past at 45 mph.

__________________________________________________

Robert Beaumont – Chief Assistant Director
Department of Public Works
County of Marin
3501 Civic Center Drive #329
San Rafael, CA 94903

Subject – Letter of Appreciation

On Friday November 20, 2009, we observed the County of Marin Department of Public Works employees Jim Mayo, Travis Fleetwood and Steve Mitchell installing No Parking / Bike Path signs along Lucas Valley Road.

The signs were being installed along the Las Gallinas Avenue to Los Gamos Drive corridor of Lucas Valley Road. This is the corridor that we discussed with you and Supervisor Susan Adams on Thursday, November 12. Needless to say that we were delighted to see the no parking signs being installed. As we discussed during our meeting, parking along this corridor is a hazard to the safety of bicyclists and pedestrians who need to share the road with cars traveling by at 45 mph.

To see your staff, working in the rain on the edge of the road while 45 mph traffic is rushing by in order to get these measures of safety installed rather than delaying the work until a nicer day, encouraged us to write to you to express our appreciation for their dedication and hard work in very dangerous and unpleasant weather conditions.

The employee dedication demonstrated by Jim mayo, Travis Fleetwood and Steve Mitchell is not observed very often. Their effort should not go unrecognized. Please express to them the appreciation of our community.

Ray Lorber
President- Mont Marin Homeowners Association
Co-Chair Safe Passage along Lucas Valley Road Campaign

Carolyn Lenert
President – Santa Margarita Neighborhood Association
Co-Chair Safe Passage along Lucas Valley Road Campaign

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Safe Passage along Lucas Valley Road Progress Report


Safe Passage Along Lucas Valley Road
c/o Five Upper Oak Drive
San Rafael, CA 94903








November 13, 2009

Hon. Susan Adams, District One Supervisor
Mr. Robert Beaumont, Chief Assistant Director, Department of Public Works
County of Marin
3501 Civic Center Drive #329
San Rafael, CA 94903

Dear Supervisor Adams and Mr. Beaumont:

Thank you for arranging our meeting yesterday.  We greatly value the opportunity to meet with you both.  Your leadership is especially appreciated at this time of scarce resources.

The meeting was informative, encouraging and clarifying.   We better understand the issues involved and the staff commitment required for a project of this scope.  We are proud of what has been accomplished to date.

Thanks to the County’s support and cooperation, the shrubbery has been cut back and the roadside is clearer, the surface shrapnel is being swept away, the survey has been completed, the lighting project for the north side is scheduled, repaving/re-striping is scheduled, and improved signage and reflector bumps are under consideration.

We will continue to do everything in our power to positively communicate the County’s progress and accomplishments.  We have built the “strong community support for these types of improvements,” per Amanuel Haile’s direction in October 2007.  We will continue to inform a caring community of more than 200 supporters of your efforts and the challenges ahead. 

We really appreciate your efforts and commitment to safety along this corridor.

Sincerely yours,

Ray Lorber            Carolyn S. Lenert             John Rojas
415 479-7193        415 499-9234                    Long Time Supporter
raylorber@yahoo.com                                    Mont Marin Resident
                             carolynrealestate@msn.com                 
                            



SafePassageLucasValleyRoad@msn.com   
http://safepassagealonglucasvalleyroad.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Reducing Trash in the Gallinas Headwaters

The Gallinas Watershed News:  San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board Puts Trash in its Place

Save the Bay reports that fish and wildlife may finally get some relief from pervasive trash pollution. On October 14, 2009, the San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board voted to approve historic and long-overdue requirements for cities to make significant, measurable reductions in trash flowing to the Bay. This is great news for the Bay! 

Under the new municipal regional permit, cities and other permittees must reduce trash getting into the Bay by 40 percent in the next four years, and achieve zero trash discharge from storm water within 12 years.  Save The Bay is urging the Water Board to work diligently to ensure full compliance with these groundbreaking regulations; and through the Clean Bay Project, will continue to work with cities to help them achieve these important trash reductions.


The Gallinas Watershed is a focus of the Safe Passage along Lucas Valley Road and the North San Rafael Coalition of Residents.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Patrick Siedler takes a "Walk with Us" along Lucas Valley Road


Patrick Siedler explains to Carolyn Lenert the technical challenges facing the Safe Passage along Lucas Valley Road Campaign.

Monday, November 2, 2009

NY Driving/Texting Banned

New York: Driving and Texting Ban Carries Fines Up to $150. New York's law against texting while driving went into effect Sunday. The new law forbids the use of mobile devices for reading, typing and sending text messages while driving. The ban on texting while driving comes with fines up to $150. It was already illegal in the state to talk on a cellphone while driving. The U. S. Transportation Department reported that 5,870 people were killed and 515,000 were injured last year in crashes connected to driver distraction, often involving mobile devices or cellphones. Wall Street Journal, November 2, 2009.