Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Supervisors vote for the Safe Passage along Lucas Valley Road Project


Community Action does work 

Together we are Better


The  Marin County Board of Supervisors voted on Tuesday, August 14, 2012 to approve the Safe Passage along Lucas Valley Road Project.

Supervisor Susan Adams opened the meeting with a discussion of the project.

Then, during the Open Time for the public to speak, Ray Lorber and Carolyn Lenert thanked the Supervisors, in advance of their vote, for their support for the project.

The Supervisors then voted for Consent Calendar B and the project received a unanimous vote.

See the video by clicking on the link below.

http://marin.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=33&clip_id=6317&meta_id=646422


Community Action does work 

Together we are Better

Lucas Valley Road 'Safe Passage' Project Breaks Ground After 6 Years

The sidewalk project, which first started in 2006, will go before the Marin Board of Supervisors at their Tuesday meeting.
Six years ago, neighbors in North San Rafael embarked on a plan to make a sidewalk along the south side of Lucas Valley Road safer for pedestrians. Next month, they will be celebrating their tenacity with a ground-breaking ceremony.

“We’re just elated,” said Ray Lorber, one of the directors for the Safe Passage Along Lucas Valley Road project. “I sent out an email to over 65 people who helped throughout the years thanking them.”

When complete, the sidewalk–which continues between Las Gallinas Avenue and Los Gamos Drive–will allow neighbors to access bus service at US-101, the 101 Lucas Valley Road office building and Marin YMCA.
The Marin Board of Supervisors will approve a $785,000-bid from San Rafael construction company Ghilotti Bros. for the project in their Aug. 14 meeting. The total construction will cost approximately $864,000.

The project is part of a larger plan to improve conditions for pedestrians throughout Marin. The Lucas Valley Road portion will see 2,200 feet of a new sidewalk and bike lane and four new curb ramps for those with wheelchairs.
“This gateway to San Rafael was one of the very few arteries off Highway 101 that had no place for pedestrians or cyclists.  It was a missing link,” said Carolyn Lenert, resident of the North San Rafael Coalition of Residents and co-director of the project.

Lorber and the Mont Marin Homeowners Association first initiated the project in 2006. At that time, pedestrians could not safely walk along the south side of Lucas Valley Road. “With 45 mph traffic, you might as well have been walking on a freeway,” he said.

Lenert and Lorber raised a small sum of money to fund the project. Minimal safety lighting and no parking signs have already been installed to improve traffic safety. Over the past 45 months, volunteers showed up for quarterly “75 Minute Saturday Clean-Ups” to remove the vegetation that prevented pedestrians from using the shoulder of the road.

“It has taken 7 years, but soon the pedestrians will have a better choice than walking on the road with 45 mph traffic or in the mud and dirt of the slanting shoulder,” Lorber said. “When completed, the corridor will be safer."

In March 2007, Mark McMillan survived after being hit by a speeding truck veering out of its lane in the area. “I do truly hope that the powers that be can come to a conclusion that will increase the safety for pedestrians and bicyclists alike. It will be better for wildlife, our pets, children, recreational and commuting neighbors," he recently told Lorber and Lenert.

"Finally, something wonderful has come from Mark’s horrific accident and his hope is realized," they said.
Want to join in the celebration? The ground-breaking ceremony will take place on Sept. 4 at 2 p.m. at the intersection of Los Gamos and Lucas Valley Road.

Friday, August 10, 2012

Ground Breaking Ceremony



Safe Passage along Lucas Valley Road
 

"Ground Breaking Ceremony"

 

This time
 - no weed, nor scotch broom pulling and no trash pickup - 
just celebrating the end to suffering 45 MPH traffic.

 
Join us for the Ground Breaking Ceremony that will begin the construction  (WE KNOW, YOU NEVER THOUGHT YOU WOULD SEE THE DAY) of the pedestrian pathway along Lucas Valley Road from Las Gallinas Avenue to Los Gamos Drive.


2:00 pm, Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Meet at the corner of Los Gamos Drive and Lucas Valley Road
in the south/west parking lot.
Safe Passage along Lucas Valley Road


Let us know if you can come to the Ceremony: Email safepassagelucasvalleyroad@msn.com 


Safe Passage Along Lucas Valley Road - The neighbors came together to get a safe pathway for pedestrians and bicyclists along Lucas Valley Road from Las Gallinas to Los Gamos.

NOW!  Checkout our http://safepassagealonglucasvalleyroad.blogspot.com/  
A sponsored project of MarinLink and the North San Rafael Coalition of Residents.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Safe Passage along Lucas Valley Road Ground Breaking Ceremony


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Safe Passage Success!  Ground-breaking Scheduled!
Federal STP Grants Deliver a Safe Pedestrian Pathway on
Lucas Valley Road between Las Gallinas and Los Gamos

SAN RAFAEL, California (August 9, 2012) – Safe Passage Along Lucas Valley Road announces its ground-breaking celebration for the County of Marin sidewalk along the south side of Lucas Valley Road between Las Gallinas Avenue and Los Gamos Drive in San Rafael, California.  When complete, this pathway will allow community members to access bus service at Highway 101, the 101 Lucas Valley Road office building, and the popular Marin YMCA.  On September 4, 2012, the ground-breaking ceremony will take place at 2:00 p.m. at the intersection of Los Gamos and Lucas Valley Road. 

Over the past 45 months, Safe Passage has conducted quarterly “75 Minute Saturday Clean-Ups” to remove the vegetation that prevented pedestrians from using the shoulder of the road.  Volunteers were regularly joined by County Supervisor Susan Adams.

Safe Passage Along Lucas Valley Road is a nonprofit fiscally-sponsored project of MarinLink and therefore eligible for tax-deductible donations.  Mont Marin Homeowner Association initiated the project in 2006 and it became an official project of the North San Rafael Coalition of Residents in the fall of 2009.  Safe Passage co-directors Ray Lorber and Carolyn Lenert are also members of the steering committee of this Coalition of Residents (www.94903Community.org)  which expedited this project.   

Lenert remarked, “This gateway to San Rafael was one of the very few arteries off Highway 101 that had no place for pedestrians or cyclists.  It was a missing link.”  Minimal safety lighting and bike lane/no parking signs have already been installed to improve traffic safety.   Lorber commented, “It has taken 7 years, but soon the pedestrians will have a better choice than walking on the road with 45 mph traffic or in the mud and dirt of the slanting shoulder.  When completed, the corridor will be safer."   Mark McMillan, who survived being hit by a speeding truck veering out of its lane in March of 2007 told the co-Directors, “I do truly hope that the powers that be can come to a conclusion that will increase the safety for pedestrians and bicyclists alike…It will be better for wildlife, our pets, children, recreational and commuting neighbors.”  Finally, something wonderful has come from Mark’s horrific accident and his hope is realized.
  
In 2010, Safe Passage along Lucas Valley Road announced their first Mark MacMillan Public Safety Award to volunteer, John Rojas, a past leader of the NSRCR.  Rojas exclaimed, “The Stepping Up/Stepping Out Campaign is a great success!”  The 2011 winner Preston McCoy (of San Rafael’s Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee) told the gathering, “This means concrete progress on the City’s plan for non-motorized transport!  And in 2012, the winner David Crowne said, “I had no idea when we started that together we could make a difference so quickly!" 
Safe Passage is also grateful for the support of hundreds of community members which we call Lucas Valley Road Lovers or LoVeRs, for short.  We give special recognition to Nader Mansourian, Traffic Engineer, San Rafael Public works department who was the first official to step up and release a lettter that stated "I would like to emphasize that we support the sidewalk installation:... This is a good project for future grants.  The City of San Rafael supports the project,....  A partial list of contributors includes the Supervisors and staff of the County of Marin, the elected officials and staff of the City of San Rafael, State of California CalTrans, multiple organizations and local businesses, including Wachovia Bank, Wells Fargo Bank, FastSigns, Kiki LaPorta of DesCom Studios, Craig Scheidt of 101 Lucas Valley Road office building, Kel Harris of Safe Routes to Schools, Tom Forster of LucasFilm Ltd., artist John Libberton, Marin YMCA leadership and staff,  Rachel Kamman of Kamman Hydrology & Engineering, Inc., Patrick Seidler and Transportation Alternatives of Marin, Metropolitan Transportation Commission, David Hoffman and the Marin County Bicycle Coalition, Preston McCoy and the Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee, Aref Ahmadia of West End CafĂ©, Ahmad Fillabi of Smith Ranch Deli and the Automobile Club of Northern California.
###
Media contact:  Carolyn Lenert 415.499.9234 - SafePassageLucasValleyRoad@msn.com
Safe Passage Along Lucas Valley Road
c/o Five Upper Oak Drive, San Rafael, CA 94903
Telephone:  415.499.9234 – Fax:  415.499.9234


 

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Ground Breaking Ceremony

Mark your calendar.

2:00 p.m., Tuesday, September 4, 2012 the County Public Works Department will be commencing work on the Safe Passage along Lucas Valley Road pedestrian pathway by holding a
Ground Breaking Ceremony.

More to come as soon as we work out the details.


Carolyn and Ray