Make 2023 Your Green Commute Year!

Pro Tips To Get Started

Start small and develop a consistent routine. Pick one day per week and set alarms 15 minutes early to begin. Routine builds healthy habits, but most importantly, you will develop memories to cherish for a lifetime. There’s nothing like the simple joy of splashing in puddles or finding treasures enroute to bring smiles to faces. If the full commute from home is inconvenient or the traffic is hectic, drive partway, then park and walk from a neighborhood with quiet streets and few intersections.

Inviting others to carpool or park and walk solidifies friendships and may even give parents a much needed break from their hectic, daily commutes as they take turns bringing kids to school. Not surprisingly, parents say that kids get out of bed faster when they can look forward to traveling to school with friends.

Calendar of Upcoming
Task Force Meetings

• Ross Valley – Friday, Jan 13, 2023 at 10:00 AM
• Novato – Thursday, Jan 18, 2023 at 5:00 PM
• Kentfield – Thursday Jan 19, 2023 at 9:00 AM
• Reed – Thursday, Jan 25, 2023 at 10 AM
• West Marin – Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023 at 7 pm
• San Rafael – Thursday, Feb 2, 2023 at 5:00 PM
• Sausalito-Marin City – Tuesday Feb 7, 2023 at 5:00 PM
• Larkspur-Corte Madera – Thursday, Feb 9, 2023 at 3:30 PM
• Ross – Monday, Feb 13, 2023 at 10 AM
• Mill Valley – Thursday Feb 16, 2023 at 9:30 AM

Contact Wendi Kallins if you are interested in joining a task force or if you would like a copy of archived task force meeting notes.

Fall Walk Audits

Marin Safe Routes kicked off the fall with two new walk audits after having to suspend them during the pandemic. The engineering team worked with residents of Sun Valley Elementary and Strawberry Point to assess the walking and biking conditions for both schools. Elli Abdoli, Mill Valley School District Trustee, and Geoff Rubendall, Sun Valley co-team leader,  did an excellent job of inviting parents, neighbors, and the school principals to participate and of mapping out the route for our walk.

For each school, the audit started during early drop off time to observe some of the conflicts that occur between students and cars.

Sun Valley’s route runs along 5th Avenue in San Rafael, which does not have enough room for bike lanes and has conflicts at each intersection. Many parents park at Andy’s Market on California Street and walk from there,  but there is limited parking and no sidewalks on California Street.

Strawberry is a hilly neighborhood, with no or limited controls at intersections whose steepness makes visibility challenging. It is an older neighborhood that predates the school that has many streets with incomplete or missing sidewalks. Another issue is that  students cross Strawberry Drive as cars are rapidly turning from Tiburon Boulevard.

The good news is that the group observed a number of walking school buses for both schools. Supervised walking groups help to create more visibility and keep the kids safer.

The Safe Routes engineering team works with the local jurisdiction to come up with suggested solutions to these issues. In these cases, it is the County of Marin in Strawberry and the City of San Rafael for Sun Valley. The Safe Routes team will go back for further studies, to make suggestions to the jurisdictions, and, once approved, to bring back concept plans to the task forces. Most of the past recommendations have resulted in completed projects and safer routes to schools for Marin students.

Safety Improvements in Larkspur

The City of Larkspur constructed several Safe Pathways and Complete Streets projects in 2022 to make it easier and safer for students to walk and roll to school.

Doherty Drive, Magnolia Boulevard, and Bon Air Road in Larkspur received multimodal infrastructure upgrades in 2022, including pedestrian enhancements, bike lane improvements, and traffic calming.

Buffered bike lanes were installed throughout Doherty Drive, a separated bikeway was completed in front of the Redwood High School, and other improvements were made to the Doherty Drive corridor using TAM’s Measure A and AA Safe Pathways to Schools funding. This helps connect several schools, parks, and residences along Doherty Drive to existing multi-use paths and closes crucial gaps in the bike network.

New bike lanes were also added on Magnolia Boulevard and several uncontrolled pedestrian crossings were enhanced with traffic calming features near Marin Primary & Middle School. Bon Air Road saw the completion of the new multimodal bridge and intersection improvements. These improvements will give more students across the city an opportunity to safely walk and bike to school.

Novato Students Receive Free Helmets

Holiday gifts came early to 42 elementary school students in Novato. On November 9, Safe Routes to Schools along with School Board Trustee Diane Gasson and Eric Lucan of Mike’s Bikes coordinated the delivery of adjustable helmets to children who could not afford them. The student recipients were from Lynwood, Lu Sutton, and Loma Verde Elementary Schools.

“This [gift] is of great help to parents who don’t have enough money to buy helmets. For me, as a mother of a student, it is a great relief to think that my kids don’t have to ride their bikes without a helmet,” said Kelly Lopez, who has two children at Lu Sutton.

Staff members from Lu Sutton  were seeing children riding their bikes and scooters daily without the needed head protection. The office expressed concern to Safe Routes, which relayed the issue to Trustee Diane Gasson. Gasson started a GoFundMe campaign among members of the Novato community to help not only Lu Sutton students, but also those from Lynwood and Loma Verde.

Gasson also asked Lucan, who is both the mayor of Novato and chief marketing officer for Mike’s Bikes, if Mike’s Bikes  could pitch in.

“I coordinated with Eric Lucan and he was able to give me a [low] price for the helmets, with the adjusting dial in the back, in the bright colors that we requested. Between the two of us we could get 42 helmets for the kids,” said Gasson.

The story, covered by the Marin Independent Journal, can be found athttps://www.marinij.com/2022/11/09/safe-routes-to-school-donates-bike-helmets-to-novato-students/

Street Smarts Encourages Marin County to Keep Its ‘Eyes Up’

The end of November marked the end of another successful Street Smarts rollout. For six weeks, Marin County drivers, walkers, and cyclists were reminded to keep their ‘Eyes Up’ to improve safety for everyone.

The rollout saw the unveiling of bright new banners and signs as part of the campaign’s data-driven refresh. Marin County residents and visitors could spot the messaging on light poles, buildings, buses, and on lawns throughout the county.

Online, people shared safety-related images and used colorful email signatures to show their support and encourage safe behavior. Keep your eyes up for future rollouts in 2023.

Novelty Education Programs Implemented in Fall 2022

Safe Routes to Schools has implemented two new education programs this year promoting transportation mode shifts and increasing safety for Marin County students.

9th Grade Share the Road: San Marin High School, Novato

In early November, Safe Routes Returned to San Marin High School in Novoto to educate 150 ninth grade students. The primary goal of the Share the Road class  is to identify main causes of injury or fatal crashes on roadways and how students can avoid them as pedestrians, cyclists and emerging drivers.

Students remarked what they learned through the class:

• “Many collisions/ crashes are preventable. Sharing the road and knowing your roles and rules are very important to stay safe.”
• “[Appropriate] speed is extremely important, do not ever look at your phone when driving, walking, or biking.”

Students were also invited to join Safe Routes’ instructors to practice traffic safety skills on their bikes, and to participate in a contest by submitting a video about how to increase traffic safety among their peers.

This spring, Safe Routes will bring this class to other Marin high schools with the goal of increasing safety education for older students.

E-Bike Education: White Hill Middle School, Fairfax

Electric Bicycles have become popular with many of our middle and high school students. While Safe Routes to Schools celebrates healthier and greener shifts away from car trips, community members have expressed concern about the safety of young, emerging e-bike cyclists. In addition to the “hands on” instruction already provided to all Marin middle school 6th graders, White Hill Middle School requested Safe Routes teach a dedicated class for students who commute via e-bike. In November, 30 sixth to eighth grade students were taught the legal requirements to ride an e-bike, the rules of the road, and the skills necessary to maneuver a heavy and more challenging device. Students and their parents signed a pledge that they would ride safely, obeying traffic laws. Safe Routes Instructors, along with Marin County Bicycle Coalition’s E-Bike Smart Marin program, will develop additional classes in 2023.

Get Into the Groove to Move!

Safe Routes to Schools Has Exciting Activities This Fall

Won’t you join the thousands of families dedicated to healthy and happy active commutes to school?

HEALTH was the primary factor motivating families to walk and roll to school more, according to a spring survey conducted by Safe Routes among a group of 1,200 Marin County parents. Studies show that creating healthy active habits during your child’s  impressionable years will add length to their life, aiding in their circulatory and respiratory systems, cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength, diet, body fat, stress-reduction, and self esteem.  

Other studies show added benefits: children who walk and roll to school have higher  academic achievement, better reading fluency, and improved cognitive performance. Stanford researchers  found that walking outdoors also helps generate new, creative ideas. A different US study revealed that those who commute by foot or bike are happier than those who drive.*  

If you live within one to two miles from school, walking and biking are strongly encouraged.  Our recommendation is that you ask your kids to set their alarms 10 minutes earlier to get up and go to school by foot or two wheels. You’ll beat the morning traffic, too.

If you live too far away or have toddlers in tow, please consider parking ¼ mile from your child’s school and walking (Park and Walk) the short distance to school. This will reduce traffic congestion and give safer access for ALL students walking and rolling to school. 

*Resources on academic performance and attendance;  National Safe Routes Partnership

E-bikes are Electrifying the Future! What parents should know…

E-bikes are rapidly increasing in popularity, especially with teens, as they provide increased independence. E-bikes allow students to travel further and faster, allowing steep hills to be easily summited. Heavy school books and sports equipment are now easy to transport. One less vehicle on the road benefits all.

Yet, are students experienced enough to manage the increased speeds and challenging maneuverability of a heavy e-bike?

Parents are advised to do their own research and assess their children’s cycling abilities before purchasing one. Click here to learn the different types of e-bikes and recommendations to help you make an informed decision about purchasing an e-bike or e-scooter for your student.

The average speed of an adult cyclist is 12 miles per hour (mph), and 9.7 mph for 14 year olds. Yet e-bikes allow their riders to travel up to 20 mph (Type I and II) and 28 mph (Type III).  Communities are extremely worried about students e-biking at twice the speed of regular cyclists, many carrying helmet-less passengers, and dodging between and around vehicles, pedestrians and other cyclists.

Safety should never take a back seat to convenience, and manufacturers agree. One popular Type II throttle brand said, “Children under the age of 16 may lack the necessary judgment and skill to safely operate the e-bike.” The company’s website states that children “must be 16 or older” (roughly a junior in high school) to use their throttle bike even though the California law states otherwise for Type I and II. Under California law, Type III e-bikes are illegal for those 16 and under.

Type I, where students have to pedal and work harder to reach 20 mph, might be a more prudent and healthier choice for students than Types II and III. Regardless of which motorized or non-motorized device parents choose for their student, parents are urged to do their own homework, ensuring proper bike fit (size and weight) and their student’s reliability to lawfully ride on roads and pathways. 

When is a bike not a bike? If HEALTH is the number one reason parents want their children biking to school, it begs the question – do Type II and III e-bikes provide a justifiable health benefit when students do not have to pedal them?  Even more concerning, it puts youth at increased risk of crash and severe injury due to two to three times the speed of regular bikes.  For questions regarding education, contact saferoutes@marinbike.org

DOWNLOAD SR2S E-BIKE FLYER

Nevada Street in Sausalito
Will Get a Makeover

Nevada Street, the frontage of the Sausalito Campus of MLK Schools, will receive much-needed improvements. 

Pavement rehabilitation and re-striping will help reduce vehicle speed on Nevada Street and will improve sight distance for pedestrians. The project will also include a striped buffer between existing parallel parking and the travel lane between Bridgeway and Tomales Street

 Work consists of:

• Asphalt pavement rehabilitation
• Pavement restoration along Nevada St. from Bridgeway to the Lincoln Dr./Marin Ave. intersection
• New curb ramps at the Nevada St./ Tomales St. intersection
• Refreshed and extended no parking zones to improve sight distances near pedestrian crossings on Nevada St. uphill of Buchanan Dr. and west of Bridgeway
• New striping along Nevada St. to narrow the vehicle lanes and provide a buffer between parked cars and moving vehicles
• New pavement striping and markings 
• Updated signage
• Refreshed existing crosswalks at the intersection of Bridgeway and Nevada St.

The Nevada Street project, along with other improvements on Coloma Street, .were funded through the Transportation Authority of Marin(TAM).

Safety Improvements in the Works for the Butterfield Corridor

The Butterfield Safety Committee, a subcommittee of Butterfield Corridor Safe Streets, has been hard at work identifying the community’s concerns and coming up with improvements. This collaborative group, facilitated by Supervisor Katie Rice’s aide Nancy Vernon,  includes representatives from the Sleepy Hollow Homes Association, the San Anselmo and County of Marin Departments of Public Works, schools, Safe Routes, the Marin County Bicycle Coalition, and interested residents. Improvements are planned for both the San Anselmo portion as well as the unincorporated portion of Butterfield Road.

The Town of San Anselmo (in partnership with the Safety Committee) has been working on a comprehensive safety campaign on the southern side of Butterfield, including pavement patching in the bike lane, a slurry seal over the whole stretch of Butterfield Road from Sir Francis Drake Boulevard to the County Limit, wider bike lanes, additional speed limits signs, and targeted green bike lane markings at intersections. The Town will also install a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) at the crosswalk at Woodside Drive, and a radar speed feedback sign near the fire station. These improvements should help reduce vehicle speeds and increase awareness of bicyclists and pedestrians throughout this busy corridor. Funding for these improvements comes from Local Sales Tax Measure D.

The County of Marin (in partnership with the Safety Committee) has been working on concepts for a crosswalk across Butterfield Road at the intersection of Irving Drive (at the community center) and an extension of the bike lane on Butterfield Road from where it currently ends at the San Anselmo town limit to the intersection with Sleepy Hollow Drive. At this time, the bike lanes will not be extended to the end of Butterfield Road because of concerns about parking during large public events at the Sleepy Hollow Clubhouse and pool.  Both proposed improvements were approved by the Marin County Board of Supervisors on August 23.

The Butterfield Safety Committee conducted public outreach to gain community feedback to inform these improvements. An online poll was conducted between January 17, 2022, and February 7, 2022, and an online public meeting was held on April 21. Both the survey and community meeting indicated strong support from residents. This shows the positive results when a community decides to collaborate to create improvements in its neighborhood.

To learn more, visit the Butterfield Safe Streets webpage at www.shha.org (under Safety tab).

https://www.shha.org/page-18222

Crossing Guard of the Year 2021-2022: Carmel Morini, Lu Sutton Elementary

On May 26, after 44 years of service, Carmel Morini was recognized as Crossing Guard of the Year. Ms. Morini has been faithfully helping kids get to school in Novato since 1978. When she became a crossing guard, the program was managed by the Novato Police Department with funding from a variety of sources including cities, towns, and school districts. The passage of Marin’s ½-cent Transportation Sales Tax in 2004 (renewed in 2018) and the Vehicle Registration Fee in 2010, created a reliable source of funding for crossing guards. The program now funds approximately 100 crossing guards throughout Marin County. Safe Routes congratulates Carmel on a job well done.