PG&E is checking on the location of the gas line

In preparation for the construction of the Safe Passage along Lucas Valley Road sidewalk, PG&E is digging (for safety reasons - with a shovel) to locate their gas line.

Note how dangerously close the traffic is to the workers.

3rd Annual Celebration and Broom Buster - February 4, 2012

3rd Annual Volunteer Celebration 

featuring

Guest Speaker: 

Scott Schneider

Project Engineer

County of Marin

and the 2011 Award Winners

Presenters: Carolyn Lenert and Ray Lorber

2011 Mark MacMillan Safety Award 

Winner

Preston McCoy

From left to right:

Kathy McLeod, Patrick Seidler, David Crowne, Ray Lorber,

Scott Schneider, Laurelyn Borst, Mark MacMillan, Preston McCoy

 

Carolyn Lenert, Mark MacMillan, and Ray Lorber 
Mark was recognized for his many contributions to the 

Safe Passage along Lucas Valley Road Campaign

  

Clockwise from bottom right:
Laurelyn Borst, Mark MacMillan, Preston McCoy, Eugene Nishinaga,
Kel Harris, Kathy McLeod, Patrick Seidler, David Crowne

From left to right:  Kathy McLeod, Carolyn Lenert Scott Schneider, Gina Schneider, Laurelyn Borst, Mark MacMillan, Perston McCoy

Kathy McLeod discussing Tam Valley's needs with County Project Engineer, Scott Schneider

Eugene Nishinaga and Preston McCoy

Gina Schneider and Scott Schneider

Mark MacMillan

Lorelyn Borst

Ray Lorber

David Crowne and Preston McCoy

Mark your calendar for our next cleanup day and Annual Meeting

Saturday, February 4, 2012 is the date for our next clean up day along Lucas Valley Road.


It is also the date for our 3rd Annual Meeting.


Our Guest Speaker this year is the Marin County Engineer who has the responsibility to manage the Safe Passage along Lucas Valley Road project.

Scott Schneider, P.E.

Associate Civil Engineer

Department of Public Works

County of Marin

The Clean up begins at 9:00am on Saturday and will last for 75 minutes.

At 10:30 we will convene for our 3rd Annual Meeting and have the opportunity to learn from Scott how the pathway project is progressing.

Brunch included

We will meet in the 101 Lucas Valley Road parking lot and begin our attack on the rubbish and shrubs along Lucas Valley Road at 9:00am.

Smart Rally on Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Support the SMART Train and Pathway.  

Join the SMART Jobs for the Holidays Rally 

December 21st at Noon
San Rafael City Hall  1400 5th Avenue



Join the Marin County Bicycle Coalition and the SMART Riders Coalition for the SMART Jobs for the Holidays Rally on December 21st at noon at San Rafael City Hall, 1400 5th Avenue in downtown San Rafael.

SMART is under attack by a small group of individuals that are attempting to kill the SMART train and pathway project forever. 

Join us to let your voice be heard.  Support the SMART Train and Pathway project allowing for a world-class multi-modal transportation system for the North Bay.

Please bring signs in support of SMART and please join us for the SMART Board meeting following the rally (the public meeting begins at 2:30 PM, check the board agenda for aganda changes).   It is important for SMART supporters to attend this meeting to speak on behalf of the SMART Train and Pathway.

If you can make this rally and/or the meeting, please RSVP to Alisha@marinbike.org.

SMART will provide: A world class bicycle/pedestrian multiuse pathway from San Rafael to Santa Rosa (in its first phase) Approximately 900 jobs in the region Sustainable transportation choices for Marin and Sonoma counties An alternative to Highway 101 traffic congestion Transportation choices for our aging population Clean, green transportation for this and future generations Regardless of whether or not you can make the rally, there are several things you can do today, including: Decline to Sign- Anti-SMART people are working to gather signatures throughout our communities to kill SMART. Please do not sign the anti-SMART petition.     
             Help Leaflet- The SMART Rider's Coalition has a team of supporters that are working on the ground to educate the public about the importance of SMART for this and future generations. This is an important way you can directly help to keep SMART on track. If you can volunteer, please contact Ben Boyce at:  ben.boyce@sbcglobal.net.  
                    Support SMART using your favorite social networking site-  Please "like" SMART Riders on the SMART Riders Facebook page, or visit our website at:  www.smartriders.wordpress.com.You can follow SMART Riders on Twitter too.
The Marin County Bicycle Coalition is working as part of the SMART Riders Coalition, a group of individuals and union, business and environmental organizations formed to support the Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) Train and Pathway. The Coalition's mission is to educate the public about the benefits of SMART Train and Pathway for the North Bay community. 

San Rafael 2011 Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan

  

BICYCLE/PEDESTRIAN MASTER PLAN

Link to: City of San Rafael Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan

Supervisor Susan Adams' District 1 Newsletter

Lucas Valley Sidewalk Changes

Lucas Valley Road sidewalk:

       Staff is preparing documentation to complete the en-vironmental approvals for this federally-funded project. Final design needs to be completed in Spring 2012 to meet the funding deadlines. It is anticipated that construction will take place fall of 2012.

December 5, 2011

SRPD Program to Combat Traffic Deaths and Injuries

Author: PIO Margo Rohrbacher
Date: November 08, 2011 10:07 PM

San Rafael Police Department to Combat Traffic Deaths and Injuries with Special Program

San Rafael Police Department has been awarded a new traffic safety grant for a year-long program aimed at preventing deaths and injuries on our roadways.  The $129,992 grant awarded by the Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to San Rafael will aid in the city’s ongoing effort to improve traffic safety and the quality of life.  Special traffic enforcement measures will be instituted by the SRPD as part of an on-going commitment to keep our roadways safe through both enforcement and education.

The grant will assist in efforts to deal with traffic safety problems and to reduce the number of persons killed and injured in traffic collisions.  Traffic deaths from all causes declined in California by 11.9 percent, from 3,081 killed in 2009 to 2,715 in 2010.  While alcohol impaired deaths saw a sharp decline last year, DUI deaths remain the largest sector, at more than 30 percent of traffic fatalities.

The grant activities will specifically target motorcycle Safety, DUI offenders, drivers with suspended or revoked licenses, red light running, and speeding.  This will be done through the use of DUI/driver’s license checkpoints, special enforcement operations, and court stings where DUI offenders with suspended or revoked driver licenses get behind the wheel after leaving court.

“Thanks to the dedicated hard work of agencies like the San Rafael Police Department, California has the fewest traffic fatalities since 1944,” said OTS Director Christopher J. Murphy.  “While this is good news, we know that only by keeping the pressure on through enforcement and public awareness can we hope to sustain these declines and save lives.”

DUI/Drivers License Checkpoints are a key component of the grant.  These highly visible, widely publicized events are meant to deter impaired driving, not to increase arrests.  Research shows that crashes involving alcohol drop by an average of 20 percent when well-publicized checkpoints are conducted often enough.  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), checkpoints have provided the most effective documented results of any of the DUI enforcement strategies, while yielding considerable cost savings of $6 for every $1 spent.

  
For the second year in a row special motorcycle safety enforcement operations will be conducted under this grant. Motorcycle fatalities have finally dropped in California, following a decade long rise in deaths.  In 2010, 353 motorcyclists were killed, a 37 percent drop from the all time high for California in 2008.  SRPD officers will be conducting specialized enforcement efforts throughout the next twelve months.  Extra officers will be on duty patrolling areas and events where motorcycle crashes and incidents have occurred.  Officers will be cracking down on traffic violations made by regular vehicle drivers and motorcyclists that result in far too many motorcycle collisions, injuries and deaths.

“We are on the right path with declining fatalities,” said Murphy.  “We have to stick to that path so that some day we can reach the vision we all share – Toward zero deaths, every 1 counts.”

Funding for this program is from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
# # #

California Governor vetoes the 3-foot passing bill

Governor Brown vetoes Senate Bill 910

Submitted by Colin Heyne on October 10, 2011 - 1:22pm



Despite strong support in the State Senate and Assembly, and advocate letter writing campaigns, Governor Jerry Brown returned the three foot passing bill, unsigned, to the Senate on Friday afternoon. Citing concerns that a portion of the bill, which calls for passing a cyclist at no more than 15 miles per hour if it is not possible to leave three feet of room, might create a "long line of cars behind the cyclist," the Governor asked the Senate and proponents of the bill to come back with an "improved" version next year. 

The Governor's comments make it clear that he feels it is more important for autos to be able to quickly make it to their destination than for cyclists to be able to ride on safe roads. He writes that "On streets with speed limits of 35 or 40mph, slowing to 15mph to pass a bicycle could cause rear end collisions." Apparently, the Governor believes that, lacking a safe distance at which to pass a cyclist, motorists should keep up their speed, lest their sudden deceleration so surprise the cars behind them that they cause a pile up. Though this situation seems highly unlikely, wouldn't a couple of fender-benders be better than dead cyclists?
At 15 miles per hour, less than ten percent of cyclist-motorist collisions are fatal. At 45 miles per hour, the speed at which Governor Brown would like to keep traffic moving past a bicycle without even a three-foot buffer, over 80 percent of such collisions are fatal. 

This was a very unfortunate loss for California cyclists, and even worse for those in the community who would like to venture out more often on a bike, but just don't feel it's safe enough. 

California cyclists are close to a huge win on the 3-foot passing bill

California cyclists are close to a huge win on the 3-foot passing bill

Safe passing

The California Bicycle Coalition goal: Encourage more people to ride bicycles by ensuring that drives give bicyclists adequate clearance when passing from behind.

Please send a letter of support to Gov. Brown today.

California's bicycling community is close to a huge win! The California Legislature approved Senate Bill 910, our 3-foot passing bill, on Sept. 8 and sent it to Gov. Brown for his signature.

We've gotten this far because of the efforts bike advocacy groups, cycling clubs and individual bicyclists throughout the state who support this bill. But our work isn't finished -- in fact, we may face our biggest challenge yet.

The Governor has been vetoing bills he deems unnecessary -- bills we wouldn't have expected him to veto -- so we need you to act today to let him know why SB 910 is so important for the safety of everyone on the road.

Here's what you do:

1. Download this sample letter of support, and modify it by replacing the text in brackets (<>) with today’s date and your name and mailing address. If you’ve been buzzed or hit by a passing driver, briefly describe the incident to help the Governor more clearly understand why this law is needed.
2. You have three options for sending your message:

• Email CBC your message and we'll deliver it to the Governor's office
• Fax it to the Governor's office at 916-558-3177
• Mail it to the address on the sample letter.

We expect the Governor to make his decision on SB 910 in the next week or so. Please send your letter immediately.

You can find more information at the CBC website or at givemethree.org.

Saturday, September 17 - California Coastal Cleanup Day

Mark MacMillan, Ruth Whiting, Carolyn Lenert and Ray Lorber

 Mark and Carolyn helping Ruth unload her truck.

Ray Lorber cutting overhanging branches from the willow trees.

Mark MacMillan and Ruth Whiting loading the cut willow branches.

Saturday, September 17 - California Coastal Cleanup Day

The Safe Passage along Lucas Valley Road Campaign is calling for volunteers

 

The California Coastal Cleanup Day is only a  week away. 

This year we meet from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, September the 17th.  Mark your calendar.
We will meet at the 101 Lucas Valley Road office complex parking lot.

The bushes are again forcing the pedestrians to walk in traffic.  They need to be cut back again. 

It seems like they just keep on growing and growing.  Well we'll just keep on cutting them back again and again.



Come out and join us in our seventy-five minute battle against the invaders.

Gallinas Watershed Council Bike Tour

Members of the Gallinas Watershed Council Bike Tour stopped at the 101 Lucas Valley Road office complex.  They have installed a pedestrian bridge over looking Gallinas Creek and that is where we presented our project. 

 

Ray Lorber is showing the 2010 survey map that defined the County of Marin and City of San Rafael boundary.

Ray Lorber signing up new members to support the Safe Passage along Lucas Valley Road project.

Gallinas Watershed Council web site:

 www.gallinaswatershed.org  

Check out the Gallinas Watershed Council Bike Tour:

http://www.gallinaswatershed.org/bike-the-watershed-on-august-20.html 

Gallinas Watershed Council Bike Tour video.

PG&E moved the power poles out of the Gallinas Creek headwaters

Robert A. Merrick - Electric Construction Supervisor

North Bay General Construction

Holly Shepley -Wildlife biologist

Stillwater Sciences

 

Senate approves a 3 foot passing lane for bicyclists

Senate approves 3-foot passing bill 
 
 

California could soon become the nation's 19th state to enact a 3-foot passing law to protect bicyclists. Last week the California Senate approved CBC-sponsored Senate Bill 910 by a 27-9 vote, sending the bill to the Assembly.

SB 910, authored by Long Beach Sen. Alan Lowenthal and cosponsored by the City of Los Angeles, would establish three feet as the minimum clearance when a motorist passes a bicyclist from behind under most conditions. Three feet is the passing distance recommended in the California Driver's Handbook.

SB 910 is CBC's third try at enacting a 3-foot passing law in California. Six years ago the California Highway Patrol, truckers and transit drivers killed a similar CBC-sponsored bill in its first hearing. This year, a stronger campaign and hundreds of letters and from the state's bicycle clubs and advocacy organizations, including from the state's Republican-represented districts, helped the bill win a strong bipartisan majority.

The CBC's Give Me 3 awareness campaign, launched in Long Beach last month, is giving voice to hundreds of people who are concerned about the safety of our roadways.

Click here to see a video or Sen. Anthony Cannella of Ceres testifying in support of SB 910 about the number of times he's nearly been hit while bicycling.

Source: California Bicycle Coalition

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June 18th Clean up Crew along Lucas Valley Road

David Crowne

Mark MacMillan and David Crowne

Ladd Sievenpiper and Preston McCoy

Left to right - David Crowne, Preston McCoy, Carolyn Lenert, Mark Macillan and Ladd Sievenpiper