safe routes to schools respecting the road - Marin County Bicycle ...

Volume 14 / Issue 4 FALL 2012 

SAFE ROUTES 

TO SCHOOLS 

RESPECTING 

THE ROAD

733 Center Blvd., Fairfax 

CA 94930 • 415-456-3469 

www.marinbike.org 

Volume 14 / Issue 4 FALL 2012 

STAFF 

Kim Baenisch, Executive Director 

Tom Boss, Membership Director 

Bob Trigg, Administrator 

Andy Peri, Advocacy Director 

Alisha Oloughlin, Planning 

Director 

Erik Schmidt; Off-Road Director 

April Spooner; Volunteer and 

Activities Coordinator 

Wendi Kallins, Safe Routes to 

Schools Program Director 

Laura Kelly, Safe Routes to Schools 

Volunteer Liaison 

Peggy Clark, Safe Routes to 

Schools Project Coordinator 

Gwen Froh, Safe Routes to 

Schools Teen Program Coordinator 

James Sievert, Safe Routes to 

Schools Instructor 

SR2S UPDATES 

see page 4 

CONTENTS 

President’s Message.....................................3 

23 Schools Achieve Green Status............ 4 

Text / Talk / Crash..........................................5 

New Green Guide for Green Teams..........5 

A Perfect Biketoberfest!...............................6 

Bicycles, Beer and Face Paint.....................7 

MCBC Members Appreciate New Bike 

Facilities ........................................................8 

Bike Locally Challenge ...............................10 

Mt. Tam Dirt Fondo......................................11 

DIRECTORS 

Maureen Gaffney, President 

Mark Comin, Vice President 

Don Magdanz, Secretary 

Ian Roth, Treasurer 

Philip Brewer 

Chris Hobbs 

Jennifer Kaplan 

Fred Morfit 

Scott Penzarella 

John Vipiana 

ADVISORs 

Mark Birnbaum 

Joe Breeze 

Tom Hale 

Deb Hubsmith 

Jim Jacobsen 

Patrick Seidler 

Julia Violich 

PEDAL PRESS 

Editor: Tom Boss 

Copy Editor: Connie Breeze 

Design: Jeremy Thornton 

Contributors: Jack Androvich, 

Tom Boss, Dan Freeman, 

Maureen Gaffney, Anna 

Garfink, Tom Horne, Wendi 

Kallins, Cheryl Longinotti, 

Janine Marr, Alisha Oloughlin, 

Andy Peri, Dwayne Price, Erik 

Schmidt, Terry Seaton, Jean 

Severinghaus, Scott Warner 

HOW ABOUT BIKE TOURING? 

see page 12 

MT. TAM DIRT FONDO 

see page 11 

REVIEW: YUBA MUNDO 

see page 14 

How About Bike Touring?.......................... 12 

Yuba Mundo Cargo Bike Review..............14 

Book reviews............................................................15 

Respecting the Road 

and Reflecting on a Tragedy....................16 

Fostering Safety and Harmony on Marin 

County Roads and Paths.......................... 17 

East-West Corridor Becomes 

More Bike Friendly.....................................18 

Sir Francis Drake Boulevard 

Through the Park.......................................19 

County Bicycle Parking Program 

Wraps up with Notable Success............ 21 

Twin Cities Bicycle / Pedestrian Projects 

Shine Brightly............................................. 22 

Measure A Passes...................................... 23 

MCBC Membership..................................24 

Cover photo of Sterling Guy and Joe Breeze 

by Eric Harger. 

2

President’s Message 

As summer slips into fall and kids return to school, I am once again reminded how 

much Marin traffic congestion is related to the shuttling of our children to and 

from their respective places of learning. However, I am heartened that every year, 

the number of parents and students participating in this great migration by foot or by 

human-powered wheel seems to increase. This shift is in no small part due to the great 

work of the Safe Routes to Schools program, in which 80% of all Marin elementary 

schools participate We’re making tremendous progress in middle and high schools too. 

The Coalition is asking members for stories about how our work has had impact on 

your life. While I’m clearly not an unbiased party, I would like to mention that MCBC’s 

work has made it much easier for me to ride my bike from Larkspur to San Rafael— 

via the Cal Park Tunnel. Whether I’m going to the Pacifics game at Albert Park or to 

my hair salon on Fourth, I love ditching my car for the cool, smooth whir of the tunnel. Now that the County 

has erected signage pointing users to this fantastic facility, I’m sure that many more folks will be joining me. 

The San Francisco Bay Trail Project has teamed up with the MCBC to implore the various agencies with 

jurisdiction over the south end of Alexander Avenue to make immediate safety improvements in this notoriously 

dangerous area. The MCBC, Bay Trail Project, Caltrans, National Park Service and the Golden Gate Bridge and 

Highway Transportation District have convened several on-site meetings where Alexander meets Highway 

101 to discuss the myriad issues. We are happy to report that the majority of our recommendations have been 

accepted and implemented on site. However, the challenges are monumental; truly solving them will require 

a significant investment of engineering expertise, time and money. The National Park Service has performed 

a study of the area and we continue to coordinate and advocate for long-term solutions. 

It was great seeing such an enthusiastic response to our first annual MCBC Mt. Tam Dirt Fondo. While I 

was nearly speechless at the end of my 46-mile route, the burgers and beer assisted nicely in my recovery. 

We earned $18,000 from this event. Thank You! 

See you on the road/trail. 

Maureen Gaffney, MCBC Board President 

PEDAL PRESS 

Submissions 

MCBC always likes 

well-written bicyclerelated 

stories. 

Advertising 

Advertise in the Pedal 

Press – reach 1000s of 

cyclists each issue. 

For either email 

Tom@marinbike.org. 

WE RIDE 

WE CARE 

Carter M. Zinn 

Andrew Davies 

Marin cyclists representing 

Bay Area cyclists since 2003 

THE 

415.292.4100 

zinn-lAW.COM 

FIRM 

3

Catching up with Safe Routes to Schools 

International Walk to 

School Day Attracts 

Record Number of 

Marin Schools 

Forty-nine Marin 

schools participated in 

International Walk to 

School Day this year. 

Thousands of children 

across Marin walked 

and rode bicycles to 

school on October 3rd’s 

annual International 

Walk to School Day. 

Photos by Justine Corey- 

Whitehead (right) and Peter 

Oppenheimer (below). 

23 Schools Achieve Green Status 

Marin Safe Routes to Schools (SR2S) has introduced a new evaluation tool to let each 

of our schools know how they are doing in increasing the number of green trips to 

school (walk, bike, carpool or bus). The new Report Card evaluates each school based 

on the percentage of green trips from our student surveys, plus extra credit is given for 

their level of involvement in the program. This allows each school to strive to achieve a 

Green status or higher through regular walk to school days, promoting SchoolPool and 

other encouragement techniques. Those schools that offer dedicated bus service are 

rated at a higher scale than schools that do not have that service. 

Schools That Have Achieved Green Status of 55% or Above 

Green Schools 55% Bus 65% 

Coleman 59% Bahia Vista 67% 

Edna Maguire 56% Bolinas 69% 

Manor 57% Laurel Del 68% 

Neil Cummins 56% Davidson 66% 

Old Mill 57% Mary Silveira 65% 

Hidden Valley 67% 

Forest Green 60% Bus 70% 

Bacich 60% Miller Creek 71% 

Park 61% San Domenico 74% 

Ross 60% 

Wade Thomas 64% 

Mill Valley Middle 65% 

Sinaloa 61% 

Kent 64% 

Deep Green 70% Bus 80% 

Drake 73% White Hill 88% 

Hall 75% 

4

Text / Talk / Crash 

Do you practice safe text? 3,000 teens die each 

year due to distracted driving with cell phone texting 

and talking the leading cause. “It’s a habit deadlier 

than drunk driving.” (Stop the Texts, Stop the Wrecks). 

Transportation Authority of Marin’s Street Smarts and 

Safe Routes to Schools Programs are collaborating 

with high school student leaders to bring awareness 

to peers, family and friends about the dangers of using 

cell phones while driving. 

This unit offers a series of activities that can be 

conducted as a 6-8 week classroom project or a 6-8 

week team project for selected students for classroom 

credit or community service. The unit’s goal is 

for the students to plan a week’s worth of activities 

that educate students about the dangers of texting 

and talking while driving and to promote safe texting. 

SR2S staff will work directly with the students to help 

them accomplish their goals. 

Drake High School Peer Resources students are 

eager to bring awareness about Distracted Driving 

Campaign to the campus and community. A week-long 

campaign will include an assembly with guest speakers 

and various activities to heighten awareness. They 

are also going to create a video which will be shown 

throughout the school. 

In early October, SR2S instructors presented a 

lesson on media awareness to Novato High School 

Psychology classes and the AVID program, with the 

assignment to come up with a video, PSA or poster on 

distracted driving. Safe Routes will use this opportunity 

to recruit students to participate in developing the 

week-long campaign for community service hours. 

The program can be presented at one more high 

school. If you are interested please contact Gwen Froh 

at gwen@marinbike.org 

New Green Guide for Green Teams 

Would your Green Team like 

to promote green transportation? 

Would your Safe Routes 

to Schools program like to partner 

with your Environmental Club? Safe 

Routes to Schools has completed a 

new on-line guidebook to help schools to introduce 

green transportation programs. The guide is interactive 

and allows the user to easily find the information 

and activities they need by just a few clicks. 

The Green Team Guide has curriculum, fact sheets 

and activities for elementary through high schools. 

Whether your green team is based within a classroom, 

through a student club or as a high level administrative 

effort, this guide will have information that will assist 

you in developing green transportation programs. 

The curriculum comes from around the Bay Area 

and includes new lesson plans developed in Marin that 

take existing standard based lessons and gears them 

toward raising awareness about the walking, biking, 

transit, carpool and other green forms of transportation. 

This curriculum was presented to teachers at the 

new School of the Environment at Terra Linda High 

school and was gratefully received by the teachers 

who were grappling for ideas on how to teach about 

transportation prior to the presentation. 

Access the new Green 

Guide at http://www. 

saferoutestoschools. 

org/greenteam.html 

5

A Perfect Biketoberfest! 

5,000 people, $50,000 raised 

It was an incredible warm October day in Fairfax 

on Saturday, October 13, as thousands of people 

celebrated the bicycle at Biketoberfest. The place 

teemed with kids on push bikes, families on cargo 

bikes, hipsters on classic hybrids, and some beautiful 

handmade bikes built from steel, carbon, and wood. 

Seventy exhibitors, a cargo-bike relay race, bicycle 

rides with frame builders, and great food and beer 

filled out the activities. The music lineup received lots 

of compliments. Blues, rock, oompah and soul—Biketoberfest 

had it all! 

Five thousand people attended the day-long event 

and MCBC raised $50,000, thanks to our winning 

combination of sponsors, exhibitors, brewers, food 

vendors, silent auction, music and group rides. 

A big MCBC “Thank You” to the 100 volunteers 

who contributed over 300 hours of time organizing 

and running the festival, and Access4Bikes for doing 

a fantastic job with the Brewfest. Thanks to our group 

ride leaders: Otis Guy, Curtis Inglis, Jeremy Sycip, Joe 

Breeze, Jacquie Phelan, Chris Chance and the Echelon 

Riders Club. Thanks to our sponsors Lagunitas Brewing, 

Pizza Orgasmica, Rahman Law Trial Attorneys, 

Marin Bikes, Breezer Bicycles, Mike’s Bikes, Law Office 

of Daniel H. Rose, Clif Bar, REI and Endurance Performance. 

And thanks to The Bicycle Works, Xtracycle, 

Yuba Bikes, Renee Goddard, Liz Canning and everyone 

else who contributed to the second annual Cargo Bike 

Jubilee, a festival within the festival. 

We’d also like to thank the Fair Anselm property 

management team and the many Fair Anselm tenants 

for their support and cooperation. They include the 

Good Earth Natural Foods market, host brewer Iron 

Springs Pub and Brewery and host bike shop Sunshine 

Bicycles. Last but not least, we want to thank the 

people of Fairfax for supporting (and putting up with) 

our annual bicycle party year after year. 

See you next year, when Biketoberfest returns on 

Saturday, October 12, 2013! 

6

Bicycles, Beer & Face Paint By Alisha Oloughlin 

Biketoberfest from a Parent’s Perspective 

Although some may argue that the best feature of 

Biketoberfest is the deliciously large variety of 

top-notch beer, I’d have to say otherwise (although 

I did enjoy a tasty beer or two). My family and I had 

a wonderful time participating in the family-friendly 

events, including making arts and crafts and riding in 

the whimsical parade of cargo bikes. 

We arrived in the early afternoon to see both parking 

lots hopping with activity. The food-and-beer garden 

was packed with joyous conversation, and old 

friends appeared to be reuniting all around us. Hugs 

and smiles were plentiful, as were the very cool and 

innovative bicycles, cycling gadgets, accessories, 

apparel, jewelry and much more. 

After seeing all of the great merchandise, services 

and samples being offered and having a sparkly blue 

butterfly painted on my daughter’s beaming face, 

we felt inspired to create some cool bike art. Fortunately, 

thanks to the fabulous and well stocked Cargo 

Bike Jubilee and Safe Routes to Schools tents, we had 

no shortage of artistic inspiration. The tents offered 

miscellaneous bicycle parts such as gears, derailleurs 

and parts unknown (at least to me) for constructing 

hanging wind chimes or mobiles. There were also 

bamboo poles and strips of fabric, beads, small toys 

and a plethora of other decorative items available, 

so we could construct and decorate flagpoles for our 

bikes. It was beautiful to see the kids smiling with pride 

as they flew their new masterpieces during the cargo 

bike parade, which was a huge success. 

Also, if seeing the awesome cargo bikes capable 

of hauling multiple kiddies, groceries and all other 

types of cargo (at the same time!) wasn’t cool enough, 

the parade was led by what appeared to be a huge, 

white-furred dragon on wheels. My daughter was 

fortunate enough to hitch a ride on this dragon during 

the parade and given her reaction, I’d say it was all 

that she expected and more! Our family had a joyous 

time and we can’t wait to see what surprises are in 

store for next year. 

7

MCBC MEMBERS APPRECIATE 

NEW BIKE FACILITIES 

The Cal Park Tunnel 

has opened up more 

communities and 

everything they 

offer to my family, 

all because the route 

has been made safer, 

flatter and shorter. 

Thank you! 

– Dan Freeman 

Tell us how our work is 

benefiting your bicycle 

commute! Send your story 

to tom@marinbike.org. 

In late September we asked members how 

the many new bicycle facilities completed in 

the past few years are changing commute 

patterns. Here’s what we heard. 

Cheryl Longinotti 

I live in Corte Madera. 

Before the Cal Park Tunnel 

opened, the available 

routes were scary 

(crossing Sir Francis 

Drake to reach Andersen), 

steep (over Wolfe 

Grade) or long (through 

San Anselmo). Now I 

make at least two or three weekly bicycle trips to San 

Rafael by that I would not otherwise make by bike. I 

ride to a weekly Weight Watchers meeting (and add 

a China Camp loop if I have time). I use the Tunnel and 

Lincoln paths to reach the Farmers’ Market at the 

Civic Center. And I ride to Terra Linda High School for 

tutoring. The Cal Park Tunnel opened new horizons 

for me. 

Dan Freeman 

MCBC has improved 

my life. The new 

facility that most 

contributes to the 

improvement in my 

life has been the Cal 

Park Tunnel. Prior to 

the tunnel’s opening, 

I could not ride my 

kids to Corte Madera/Larkspur/Greenbrae from my 

home in San Rafael without having to a) ride them 

down Andersen to Sir Francis Drake Blvd. and then 

navigate back along Sir Francis Drake Blvd. with rapidly 

moving traffic—dangerous and burdensome; or 

b) ride away from those towns to San Anselmo and 

then turn back down the ancillary roads through Ross 

and Kentfield—quite far; or c) ride up and over Irwin 

or Martens Blvd or Wolfe Grade and then down. I’m 

strong but not that strong. 

Using the tunnel, we have ridden as a family to 

restaurants in Larkspur Landing, ridden for work to 

Redwood High School, ridden for shopping and dining 

in the Town Center and The Village, ridden to the 

ferry to SF to catch a Giants game, and ridden to the 

Larkspur 4th of July Parade. That tunnel has opened 

up more communities and everything they offer to 

my family, all because the route has been made safer, 

flatter and shorter. 

Thank you! 

Jack Androvich 

This is in response to the 

request to share how 

MCBC is helping me with 

my commute etc. Here are 

a few nuggets: 

1. We chose where to 

rent a home in San Rafael 

in October 2011 based on 

access to the Larkspur Ferry 

through the Cal Park tunnel. Formerly I would 

have had to use Andersen Drive/Sir Francis Drake 

or Wolfe Grade, both of which are longer, more 

difficult and dangerous. 

2. The green bicycle route signs really help me find 

and maximize use of the safest routes in the area. 

3. I am anxiously awaiting any news about if/when 

the tunnel between Corte Madera and Mill Valley 

might be redone and opened. This will make 

that ride a lot more pleasant. Same goes for the 

SMART train and how bikes will benefit. 

Also the MCBC free valet bike parking at the recent 

Sausalito Art Festival was a nice surprise. We really 

enjoyed using the parking facility for worry-free storage 

while we perused the art. 

Janine Marr 

I use both the Lincoln 

Avenue pathway and 

the Cal Park Tunnel. I 

use the Cal Park Tunnel 

the most. I work in San 

Rafael and commute by 

bike every day from 

Corte Madera. The 

tunnel is a great addition 

to the paths in Marin. It makes what was a longer, 

more hilly ride around to San Rafael a quick, enjoyable 

one. The alternate routes into San Rafael are mostly 

hilly and if you opt for the southern Andersen route 

(not using the tunnel) you will find that flat tires are a 

common event. Mine usually come in sets of three— 

go figure! 

I find that if I am pressed for time in the morning 

I still hop on my bike and ride now that the tunnel is 

open. The bike commute through the tunnel is only a 

8

few minutes longer than my car commute. It ends up 

being less stressful and more enjoyable. I am always 

happier that I have opted for the bike once I have 

arrived at work awake and ready to go! 

The tunnel so far has been clean, not too crowded 

and users tend to stay on the correct side and are 

aware of other bikes passing. So far the closing time 

has not had an effect on my commute. I do sometimes 

work night shift. And I have not had to go around due 

to the opening time. 

During the few hot days we had here in September 

I especially enjoyed the break from the heat as I 

entered the tunnel every afternoon. It is refreshingly 

cool on hot days! 

I also use the Lincoln path, when my travels take me 

north. The Lincoln path is a great alternative to riding 

up and down (my favorite way) the heavily traveled 

Lincoln Avenue. Don’t get me wrong—I love to fly 

down Lincoln on my bike, but I am never quite sure if 

a car or a pedestrian is going to not see me or come 

too close leaving me little room to maneuver around 

road hazards. 

I do find the stairs coming up from Linden Lane a 

concern when heading south on the path. There is no 

sight distance to see if there are people coming up the 

stairs. And if they are walking a dog, the dog usually 

comes out first and that can be quite a surprise when 

you least expect it. 

Thanks for new additions. I look forward to a pleasantly 

cool ride through the Mill Valley/Corte Madera 

Tunnel in the near future. 

Terry Seaton 

The Cal Park Tunnel 

and the Lincoln Avenue 

Pathway have 

changed my commute 

tremendously! 

I’m so much safer 

going to and from 

work in my commute 

now. I leave 

home in Corte 

Madera at 4:45 

every morning (I used to leave at 4:30) to commute 

to Terra Linda Kaiser. Cal Park Tunnel has cut 15 minutes 

off my commute time as well as taking me off of 

dark streets and keeping me from having to weave 

through towns (at times on streets with no street 

lights). 

Newspaper delivery cars and large delivery trucks 

are on the road that time of the a.m. and can prove to 

be quite a frightening experience when they are not 

expecting cyclists to also be sharing the road at that 

time of the day. 

Having the Lincoln Avenue Pathway to use during 

very busy hours on my commute home has kept me 

away from car doors and out of the line of congested 

traffic on Lincoln. Amazing, wonderful ... and now I 

can also visit with friends in Novato and not have to 

drive to see them! 

Thank you MCBC for all that you do to make bike 

commuting and traveling around Marin a most safe 

and enjoyable means of transportation for all of us. 

I have two cars and they live on battery chargers 

because I never drive anymore. 

Jean Severinghaus 

My 90-year-old dad rides his bike daily on the newly 

repaved Corte Madera Creek path from Kentfield to 

Bon Air to visit my mom at her South Eliseo nursing 

home. My brother regularly takes his bike on the 40/42 

transit bus from El Cerrito Del Norte to San Rafael and 

uses the Cal Park Tunnel to visit Greenbrae. And I ride 

through the Cal Park tunnel to work in San Rafael as 

well as doing most of my errands in San Rafael from 

Greenbrae at least three to four days a week. It’s all 

good! 

Tom Horne 

Until I moved to Hamilton 

almost five years ago, I 

cycled to work in Marinwood 

from Mill Valley 

along the 101 corridor 

about once a week. The 

new Cal Park Tunnel and 

Lincoln Avenue pathway 

would have made a huge 

difference. Now, my commute is an easy three miles. 

The only strain is the Marin IJ hill [Pacheco Hill] northbound, 

more because the pavement surface is so rough 

than because of the grade. 

However, living in Hamilton can be isolating for 

some purposes. For example, my local hardware store 

and local bike shop are now Class Cycle and Pini Hardware, 

located side by side on Novato Boulevard in 

Novato. Running the typical weekend errands on a bike 

meant a roundabout trip out Ignacio Boulevard and 

over Sunset, or a steep climb from Enfrente, through 

the old Broderbund building parking lot and over Redwood. 

With the new Enfrente bike path, the trip is 

now a breeze, and I opt for the bike much more often. 

Next, I’m looking forward to a continuous bike path 

all the way from Hamilton to Rowland Plaza east of 101. 

Thank you MCBC 

for all that you do to 

make bike commuting 

and traveling around 

Marin a most safe 

and enjoyable means 

of transportation 

for all of us. 

– Terry Seaton 

9

Bike 

Locally 

Challenge 

By Anna Garfink 

It’s more of a way 

of life than it is 

a challenge. 

–Greg Bernson 

Photo: Viktoriya Weiss and family. 

For the third year in a row, the Marin County Bicycle 

Coalition is making the lives of six novice bike 

enthusiasts easier with its Bike Locally Challenge. 

The 2012 Challenge started in May and will end in 

November. 

This year’s Challenge, which added a seventh, 

“family” contestant, has provided riders with all they 

need to begin making the transition from car to bike. 

Each rider got a Globe by Specialized bike, a GPS system 

and even a personal mentor. All that remains for 

the riders are the journeys that they and their families 

face as they complete the Challenge. 

The riders came from all over Marin, each with his 

or her own reasons for joining the Challenge. While 

each contestant agrees that the exercise and the 

escape from their cars are major benefits of biking 

to work, to school or for running errands, they are 

enjoying infinite personal benefits as well. 

Bilkis Bharuch, from Marin City, holds the goal 

of eventually going car-free and decided that biking 

locally would give her the stamina and willpower to do 

that. Tamara Muizelaar, a high school counselor from 

Novato, also wanted to work on her physical stamina 

so that she would be able to complete a 50-mile ride. 

Anil Comelo, from San Rafael, wanted to feel more 

comfortable riding on the streets so he could feel safe 

riding with his young son. 

For Comelo, making the switch from driver to cyclist 

was daunting because he knew firsthand how irresponsibly 

car drivers could act around cyclists. “It was 

a challenge to feel comfortable on the roads,” Comelo 

says. “But I feel much more comfortable now than I did 

two months ago.” Now, he enjoys the physical benefits 

of riding and the joys of riding with his family. 

After an initial stall in getting on the bike, Muizelaar 

says she “rocked it” in July and met some of her 

personal goals. “I’ve realized that I don’t have to rely 

so much on my car,” she says with a smile. “[I’m trying 

to] get on my bike as much as possible.” 

Of course, the Challenge isn’t called a challenge for 

nothing. Both Greg Bernson, of Fairfax, and Bharuch 

cite the Camino Alto hill as their greatest obstacle. The 

Challenge has provided these riders with opportunities 

to face their obstacles, however, and Bharuch, who 

must ride over the hill to go on the longer-distance 

rides she seeks, now rides over it more than she 

thought she could. 

“Now I’m ready for it,” she says. It’s not easier, she 

admits, but it’s now possible. 

The third year of this Challenge features a family, 

acting as one contestant, riding a Yuba Mundo cargo 

bike as though it were their second car. The bike was 

given to the Brown family, from Fairfax. Eileen Brown 

says that for her family the challenge has mainly been 

leaving the Ross Valley area on their bikes. She says 

that having the cargo bike is helping them remain 

a one-car family. (See the Yuba Mundo review on 

page 14.) 

“It’s been really fun!” Brown says of her commute 

to and from San Rafael on the bike. The Browns also 

use the bike for trips to the grocery store, and Eileen 

says that she finds herself using their car a lot less 

often. “We really try not to drive,” she says. “So [the 

bike] supports that.” 

The other two contestants are Brian Jones and 

Viktoriya Wise, both from San Rafael. Wise joined 

with the main goal of ditching her car for her commute 

to downtown San Francisco. She now commutes by 

bike and public transportation a few times per week, 

and although the ride was initially a challenge, Wise 

says that now her bike gives her the gratification of an 

instant connection with the community. 

“[One of the changes in my life] has been connecting 

with other kinds of people that I ordinarily 

wouldn’t get to talk with, like other people bike commuting,” 

Wise says. 

Brown agrees, saying “It’s really fun to meet new 

people and with the cargo bike, I’ve had conversations 

with people that I’d never talk to.” 

Along with the fresh faces these contestants met, 

they have also encountered new trails, paths, and 

sights. 

“I’ve seen a lot of things that I’ve driven by and 

never noticed,” Bernson says. “At the top of Camino 

[Alto], the clouds are down low … so it looks like something 

out of a science fiction magazine!” 

Asked about the opportunities the Challenge has 

given him, Bernson sums up his experience: “It’s more 

of a way of life than it is a challenge,” he says. 

10

Mt. Tam Dirt 

Fondo a BIG 

SUCCESS 

MCBC’s first organized mountain 

bike ride goes off without a hitch 

On a beautiful September Sunday, a few hundred 

lucky mountain bikers participated in the first 

MCBC Mt. Tam Dirt Fondo, an all-day ride on Marin’s 

scenic fire roads and trails. Gary Fisher, Otis Guy, and 

Joe Breeze were along for the inaugural event, and 

MCBC raised $18,000 thanks to contributions from 

the riders. 

Gran Fondos started in Europe. They are rides, not 

races, but the routes are usually long and somewhat 

grueling and riders need to complete the ride in an 

allotted amount of time. Fondos often include a great 

cycling athlete such as Felice Gimondi or Eddy Merckx. 

In the US, fondos are usually on the road, but MCBC 

decided to take the activity off road and salute our 

local mountain bike pioneers. 

While the route was designed to take about six 

hours for an average rider, we were impressed with the 

times of a few of the strong riders who participated. 

Ben Capron of event sponsor Osmo Nutrition completed 

the 46-mile route in under four hours. Former 

MCBC Board Director Matt Adams finished the ride 

in four and a half hours and Dirt Fondo VIP Joe Breeze 

completed the ride in five and a half hours. Keep in 

mind that most of these riders were taking their time, 

stopping to chat and enjoy the spectacular views. 

While the 46-mile ride had shorter options of 10, 16 

and 32 miles, we were surprised by how many people 

made it to the 32-mile mark—almost 80 percent of 

the riders. More than sixty riders did the whole route! 

Certainly, being surrounded by such mountain bike legends 

as Gary Fisher, Joe Breeze and Otis Guy inspired 

riders to go the distance. The friendly faces at the four 

rest stops also helped. But we were truly pleased to 

see so many bicyclists of varying skill levels push on. 

Following a long day of riding, participants arriving 

at the start-finish area were allowed to use the 

showers at the scenic Point Bonita YMCA complex. 

A tasty barbecue lunch was waiting after the riders 

had a chance to clean up. The menu included burgers 

made with Sun Fed Organic Beef, tasty salads from 

Whole Foods Market and cold Lagunitas IPA. 

The MCBC Mt. Tam Dirt Fondo will return in September, 

2013. We’re working on another off-road 

adventure for the spring! 

It Couldn’t Have Happened Without You! 

Photo by Shelly Gerrish. 

big MCBC Thank You to presenter Cannondale Bicycles, who underwrote half the 

A costs and brought their demo truck to the event. Another big MCBC Thank You to 

Mike’s Bikes, who also underwrote a large portion of the costs and hosted the Cardiac 

Hill Rest Station. We also thank Osmo Nutrition for supplying the entire ride with their 

Active Hydration mix and for hosting a rest stop at the Golden Gate Dairy Stables near 

Muir Beach. A shout out and thank you as well to the Ocean Riders equestrian club for 

their hospitality—they really put out the welcome mat for us mountain bikers. 

Whole Foods Market supplied much of the food for the event; Clif Bar, Sun Fed 

Organic Beef, Straus Family Creamery, Green Shoots Distribution, and Thoughtful 

Foods donated food for the breakfast, rest stops and BBQ. Additional sponsors included 

Breezer, Marin Bikes, Rottua (maker of sandals made from tires and tubes), Sunshine 

Bicycles, Dirt Rag Magazine, Tam Bikes, Osmo Nutrition, REI, and Lagunitas Brewing. 

Another big “Thank You” to Shelly Gerrish for coming out and capturing in photographs 

the dirt, sweat and expressions of accomplishment on the faces of the riders; 

and to Chris Schierholtz at Good Collaborative for helping organize the photo shoot 

and for capturing the ride in video. 

We’d also like to thank the folks at the Point Bonita YMCA, who have the perfect 

facility for an athletic event, complete with kitchen, dining hall, outdoor spaces, showers 

and even dorms, if you want to hold an overnight event. 

Another huge thank you goes out to our hard-working volunteers. This great event 

couldn’t have happened without them. 

Lastly, a big thanks to Golden Gate National Parks (Marin Headlands), Mt. Tam 

State Park, and Marin Municipal Water District, the three land managers who granted 

MCBC permission to use their land for the Mt. Tam Dirt Fondo. Everyone on the ride 

knew they were participating in a unique event and MCBC considers it a privilege to 

have been granted a permit for our first large off-road ride. 

11

How About Bike Touring? 

By Dwayne Price 

Your bicycle can be more than a workout machine or beach cruiser. It can also be a 

tour bus opening up the world in ways you may never have imagined. People have 

been bicycle touring since the bicycle was invented and they keep doing it, young and 

old, solo and groups, wanderers and schedulers, with friends, with children, with pets 

even. Is it for you? 

It’s early evening in the hiker/biker site at Veterans Memorial Park in Monterey. I am 

sitting at a picnic table that’s loaded with food and cooking gear, and listening to a young 

couple, he from France, she from the UK, as they talk about their ride down the Pacific 

Coast and how they hope to get a job on a yacht out of Panama or Columbia heading 

to Morocco. Across the table, another young Brit is nursing scrapes from a minor spill 

earlier that day. 

Welcome to the world of bicycle touring, where you meet interesting people, eat all you 

want, see things in new ways, and find as much adventure as suits you. As you probably 

already know, riding a bicycle exposes you to the world and intensifies the experience in 

ways the insularity of an automobile will never enable: “Gee, I never knew that hill was 

there!” “Now if I leave a little early, I can get a tailwind.” “Will that little dog still be sitting 

by the steps when I go by this morning?” Traveling by bike will enrich your tourist 

experience in the same ways. 

It’s late morning as Amtrak’s Capitol Corridor train slows down to cross Suisun Bay. 

My wife Nancy and I got up early this morning at the Lake Solano Campground so we 

could enjoy our ride through Pleasants Valley to Suisun City, where we caught the train 

to Richmond. Now we can relax, enjoy the ride and take in the scenery while our bikes sit 

safely stowed in the racks that most of the Capitol Corridor cars have. We started this trip 

two days earlier, taking the train in the opposite direction into Sacramento so we could 

ride the American River Trail to Beal’s Point campground in Folsom, then head back down 

through Sacramento and Davis to Lake Solano near Winters. In the reverse of that trip, 

we will transfer to the Golden Gate Transit Route 40 bus to get over the Richmond/San 

Rafael bridge and back home. 

Bicycle touring doesn’t have to involve putting your bicycle in a box for shipment, getting 

a passport, and flying all night so you can ride around Italy for two weeks—though 

that would be a very nice trip that I would like to take someday. From Marin, you can go 

for an overnighter, a couple of days, a week or more just by riding out your front door 

and heading north, south, east or even west. By using the bicycle racks that virtually all 

transit systems now have (thanks in part to advocates like our MCBC), you can extend 

your trip and/or make it an easier ride. For instance, book a visit to the Pt. Reyes Hostel, 

and hop onto the West Marin Stagecoach to Pt. Reyes 

Station if you don’t want to ride the full distance. Or take 

a few days to ride down the coast to San Luis Obispo 

or Santa Barbara, then take Amtrak back to Emeryville 

(the Coast Starlighter requires bikes to be boxed, but all 

staffed stations have boxes for sale for $10). 

It’s still early morning as my brother Joel and I roll our 

bikes onto the Grafton/St. Charles automobile ferry. On our 

left, the Mighty Mississippi heads on down to its meeting 

with the Missouri River and the Gulf of Mexico. On our 

right, somewhere amid the jumble of trees, water, and river 

bank, the Illinois River has joined us. Straight ahead, a mile 

or so away, is the state of Missouri. Joel and I have ridden 

here from Jerseyville, the little Illinois town that we last 

called home more than 40 years ago. We stayed with an 

old friend from high school. Over the next few days we will 

be sampling the Midwestern motel scene as we ride down 

through a bit of the Ozarks, across southern Illinois, and 

into Kentucky (via another ferry across the Ohio River) to 

visit the village where we were born. But first, this gathering 

of waters to cross: a mile-wide ditch constantly flowing 

south, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It has to be seen 

to be believed—and seen from our level to be really felt. 

You see things from an automobile or bus, but you 

feel them from the seat of a bicycle. On a drive through 

Big Sur, the many pullouts and vista points offer amazing 

photo ops. But when you’re riding a bicycle, you also 

feel the sun, touch the fog, and become a continuous 

spectator as the murmur of the surf slowly follows you 

up and down. In the twelve years that my family lived 

in Jerseyville, I’d never taken that ferry at Grafton; the 

bridge at Alton was much more convenient for driving 

to St. Louis. But a bicycle trip begs, even requires, that 

things like ferry crossings be experienced. Touring by 

bike, you will see things you never saw before—and 

the things that you have seen before will be different. 

It’s been almost an hour since we set out with full panniers 

and empty stomachs. There has got to be an open 

restaurant around here somewhere. Well, ask someone. 

“Try over there around that building and down the stairs,” 

he says. Yep, there it is and the menu posted out front has 

BISCUITS AND GRAVY! They turn out to be big biscuits 

with lots of gravy just the way I like it, and I can eat as much 

as I want because I will be burning lots of calories for the 

next six or seven hours. 

Indulge! But instead of coming back from your trip 

with a few extra pounds you will probably be cinching 

in your belt a notch. Just make sure you don’t continue 

the habit when you’re not getting places by bike. 

It’s about midnight when another car rounds the bend 

and briefly lights up my bivy, my air mattress, and my 

pannier-laden bicycle. Not the best choice for a guerrilla 

camp, but no one bothers me and I will be up and out at 

dawn. Why am I here? Well, Golden Gate Transit got me 

and my touring bicycle to Santa Rosa. Mendocino Transit 

then took me to Willits before it headed west to the coast 

12

How About Bike Touring? (cont.) 

Josh Meier Photography 

and Fort Bragg. But I was going north to Leggett so I’d be 

able to ride back down the coast, and there is only this one 

bus a day, and it got me into Willits at about 5 p.m., and I 

am too cheap to book a motel... so my alternative was to 

ride ’til sundown and find a “secluded” spot for the night. 

Adventure is what you make of it. For some people, 

laying down a sleeping bag wherever you find yourself 

when the time comes is the height of adventure (or 

folly); for others it’s just “what else ya got?” I admit to 

considerable anxiety that night but it all went well and 

I probably won’t do it again. But as I said, adventure is 

what you make of it and I suspect that for most of us 

the very process of taking off on a multi-day trip on a 

bicycle would be a big adventure. It certainly was for me 

the first time I did it and, somewhere in my soul, it still is. 

It’s RAGBRAI (Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across 

Iowa) and I am holed up in a small Iowa town with 10,000 

of my best buddies. After picking up my gear from the 

shuttle provided by the Des Moines Register and setting 

up my tent, I am free to go searching for homemade 

pie, corn-on-the-cob dipped (yes, dipped) in butter, and 

barbecued pulled pork on bun. I admit to some envy of 

those who can retreat to the air-conditioned RVs awaiting 

them, and even of those who have reserved campsites 

with snacks prepared for their arrival. But my much less 

expensive situation satisfies me. Tomorrow after we’ve 

put our gear back onto the shuttle, we will leave and this 

little town can get back to normal and count its profits. 

There really is a RAGBRAI, it really does take 10,000 

cyclists across Iowa (from the Missouri River to the 

Mississippi River) over seven days every July, it really 

does stop each night in a different Iowa town (some 

much smaller than 10,000 in population), and it has 

been doing it since the early 1970s. With that history, 

you would think there would be a lot of people providing 

all kinds of services to riders, from the aforementioned 

RVs and homemade pies to hot showers and bike shipping, 

and you would be right (see ragbrai.org). Some of 

the many, many other annual organized rides are BRAG 

(Bicycle Ride Across Georgia), TRIRI (Touring Ride In 

Rural Indiana), the AIDS rides, etc. You can also find 

many private organizations, for-profit and non-profit, 

that will take you out on supported rides for a few days, 

across the country, or around the world at just about 

any level of service you could afford. 

It’s early afternoon in the sixth week of my coast-tocoast 

tour as I pull into a little town after an easy ride on 

an unusually mild Midwestern July day. Given the way 

things are going, I should be able to do an extra 30 miles 

today. The local grocery advertises a deli and since this 

is the first opportunity I’ve had to pick up some lunch, I 

stop to re-fuel. “What’s that little fair and all those cars 

I saw coming into town?” I ask the clerk. “This weekend 

is ‘Onton Hay-days’,” he says, “Those cars are hot rods 

and some old classic rides from all around this area.” 

“Cool,” thinks I, “why not stop and enjoy the local color? 

But those extra 30 miles?!” Glancing across the road, I 

see a small motel with a “vacancy” sign... 

So why not stop and enjoy the local color? A bike 

trip doesn’t have to be about “getting there” or logging 

the miles. Is a day supposed to be 25 miles, 50 miles, 75 

miles? Who cares? It’s not he who dies with the most 

toys (miles) who wins. Unlike the preceding vignettes, 

that last one is only my fantasy—but it’s based on some 

facts and backed by a lot of experience. Just what my 

decision will be when/if the above happens I know not, 

but when you yourself are there, please, please, just take 

it easy, stop and smell the roses. Be refreshed, ready, 

and looking forward to the next day instead of tired 

and sore and wishing you had never started. The only 

real things you are going to “win” are the memories, so 

make them good. 

This article is mostly for your inspiration, with little 

how-to. For the nuts and bolts, I suggest that you 

become well acquainted with www.adventurecycling. 

org; also, Google “bicycle touring” to find lots of books, 

blogs, and websites about specific tours and about 

bike touring in general. Most parks, transit systems, 

etc. have rates, fares, schedules, bike policies and so 

forth on the web. Ask your cycling friends, too. It might 

surprise you how many of them have experienced the 

joys (and some of the pains) of touring by bicycle. If you 

see me out there somewhere (perhaps at the Lagunitas 

grocery enjoying my carbs, caffeine, and endorphins), 

feel free to ask me questions (ontonboy@pacbell.net) 

—I will certainly share with you as much as I know. In 

the meantime, the best overall advice I can give to you is 

the same I’d give for all of life: Don’t take it so seriously 

that you drown out the wonder; give to yourself and 

those around you the space to make a few mistakes; 

listen with an open heart to the world and everyone in 

it. And happy riding! 

Don’t take it so 

seriously that you 

drown out the wonder; 

give to yourself and 

those around you the 

space to make a few 

mistakes; listen with 

an open heart to the 

world and everyone.in 

it. And happy riding! 

– Dwayne Price 

RAGBRAI photos by Josh 

Meier. Visit his blog at 

www.joshmeierphoto. 

wordpress.com 

13

REVIEW: YUBA MUNDO CARGO BIKE by Tom Boss 

The bike is a joy to ride. 

I find myself going out of 

my way to use it. Thanks 

to its large cargo capacity, 

I’m able to do about half of 

the trips that I would have 

done by car, on this bike. 

uba Bicycles is a cargo bike manufacturer based 

in Sausalito. Yuba’s goal is stated on its website: 

“To create a better world by giving people a practical, 

comfortable option for running errands and getting 

work done.” As a bike commuter and advocate, I 

was very interested in reviewing the Mundo (Yuba’s 

mainstay bike) to experience firsthand the impacts a 

cargo bike can have on one’s life. 

Cargo bikes, aka utility bikes, provide carrying 

capacity either in front of the rider (this type is called 

a “Long John”) or behind the rider (“Long Tail”). While 

most bikes can accommodate panniers to carry basic 

work accoutrements, cargo bikes are able to handle 

much larger payloads. They can carry two children, 

four grocery bags— any load that you can fit and 

balance in the cargo area. For more on cargo bikes 

see Cameron Falconer’s article, Cargo Bike 101, in the 

Summer 2011 Pedal Press. 

The Yuba Mundo is a Long Tail bike. It looks like 

a regular bike with a long rear. This design makes its 

handling very similar to that of a conventional bike. 

Behind the seat is an extended frame, with a cargo 

deck above the rear wheel and built-in sideloader bars 

that add cargo support on the right and left sides. The 

Mundo comes in three colors: Matte Black, Pacific 

Blue and Tangerine Orange (tested). The frame is 

one-size-fits-all and right out of the box it worked well 

for my 5’ 8” height. As a bonus the bike comes stock 

with fenders, a double stand-alone kickstand and a 

bamboo deck cover, all of which another manufacturer 

might instead sell separately as accessories. 

The steel frame is very stout and stiff, and that’s 

important if you’re going to be using it to haul loads of 

100-plus pounds. The geometry is well thought out, 

with lots of standover clearance. A low, sloping top 

tube enables you to easily throw a leg over the bike, 

which is important when balancing heavy loads on 

the rear end. 

The Mundo comes with a 21-speed drive train, 

with pretty good gearing for Marin’s hilly terrain. 

I was always able to find a good low gear 

regardless of the load or incline. The high 

gear is a little low at times, but it’s probably 

best not to go too fast on a long bike 

loaded with cargo. 

My Mundo came with V-brakes, 

but for an additional $130 you can get 

it with disc brakes. The frame and fork 

are disc-brake ready, so you can always 

start with V-brakes and upgrade later. I 

initially thought I’d want disc brakes, but 

found the V-brakes to be adequate, even under 

heavy loads. 

Speaking of heavy, the Yuba does weigh about 50 

pounds, and that’s before you add accessories such as 

a loaded pannier. My bike came with a Go-Getter side 

bag (sold separately for $130), which clips securely 

on either side of the rear end and is supported at the 

bottom by the sideloader bars. The bike can accommodate 

a bag on each side, which helps balance the 

load. I filled the bag with tools, tubes, spare water, 

tie-down straps and a towel. I also placed my computer 

case and jacket in the Go-Getter, which has a 

divider insert that separated the computer from the 

other items. Loaded with these basic supplies, the 

bike weighed about 70 pounds. The Mundo comes 

with a solid, 48-spoke rear wheel—to handle loads of 

up to 440 pounds—and rolls comfortably on a pair of 

Freedom Cruz tires from WTB. 

For this review, I commuted 15 miles round trip over 

White’s Hill and I ran local errands around Central 

Marin. The bike is a joy to ride. I find myself going out 

of my way to use it. Thanks to its large cargo capacity, 

I’m able to do about half of the trips that I would 

have done by car, on this bike. The bike’s rear end 

has many small vertical and horizontal tubes, which 

bungee cords and utility straps attach to easily. This 

provides seemingly infinite ways to secure different 

kinds of loads. My only criticism of the design is that 

cargo secured to the sides needs to be placed further 

back than I’d like, to keep my heels from hitting the 

cargo. This makes it difficult to attach and balance 

longer cargo. 

That said, during my review I strapped many items 

to the rear end without any problems. Half of the 

fun of this bike is seeing what crazy things you can 

14

strap down and ride with. Flattened cardboard boxes, 

A-frame signs, boxes of t-shirts, a bail of fencing— 

these are some of the many items I’ve carried on the 

Mundo. 

Riding a 70-pound bike keeps you in shape and is 

good cross-training for recreational riding. If you’re not 

a strong rider or if you have to climb hills on a regular 

basis, you may want to consider the E-Mundo, which 

comes with electric assist. The standard Mundo is 

electric-assist-ready, so you can always start off with 

this less expensive version, then add an electric motor 

later if you need that assistance. I look forward to 

trying electric assist in the future. It would enable me 

to maintain a consistent speed while hauling cargo, 

getting me to my destinations faster. 

The Yuba Mundo is one of the best selling cargo 

bikes on the market. It’s no wonder given its good 

design, affordable price, many accessories and supersize 

hauling capacity. At $1,199 for a complete bike, 

it’s a very affordable way to add a utility bike to your 

bicycle corral. 

BOOK reviews by Cheryl Longinotti 

It used to be that 

the few books 

published each year 

about bicycling were 

limited to repair 

and training guides, 

with a token touring 

or racing memoir 

thrown into the mix. 

Back then, if someone 

mentioned “bike 

culture” the likely 

response was a puzzled 

“Huh?” 

Times have changed. With bicycling a conscious 

choice and lifestyle, bicycle books offer everything 

from haiku poetry (Aaron Naparstek’s Honku) to archival 

photos of Hollywood stars on vintage bikes (Steven 

Rea’s Hollywood Rides a Bike). 

On Bicycles is, as stated on its cover, “The Whole 

Earth Catalog of Bicycle Culture.” Editor Amy Walker 

has selected fifty short essays “to inspire you, whether 

you are new to cycling or an expert.” The essays, each a 

quick read of three to five pages, fall into four sections. 

All the Right Reasons covers the well-known benefits 

of bicycling and some less commonly acknowledged 

ones. One learns in Gearing Up about freakbikes (aka 

tall bikes) as well as more conventional bikes. Community 

and Culture covers a wide range of topics from 

touring to bike collectives to rolling parties, while the 

last section, Getting Serious, deals with advocacy and 

bike-friendly and bike-based businesses. 

Walker presents practical information, but the 

book is not a buyer’s guide or a how-to book. Reading 

this book is like flipping through snapshots of bicycling 

in North America, 2012. Given the breadth and 

vibrancy of the current renaissance, every reader, 

regardless of his or her cycling experience, will find 

something new and interesting in this book. 

Although author Grant Petersen never mentions 

bike culture, his book, Just Ride, is about bicycling as 

an activity that’s fun for everyone, not just the young 

and fit. In that sense, the book is about making bike 

culture a norm, so commonplace that it is taken for 

granted. Almost everyone can just ride. 

Petersen has been designing bikes for over two 

decades, first at Bridgestone, now at Rivendell Bicycle 

Works in Walnut Creek. With this book, he aims “to 

point out racing’s bad influence on bicycles, equipment 

and attitudes” and “offer unconventional wisdom that 

works.” 

A former racer, Petersen doesn’t criticize racing per 

se. He questions racing as the model for how the rest 

of us should ride. He notes, for example, that serious 

riders often stop taking short rides. How often, he 

asks, is relishing a small spoonful of your favorite ice 

cream too much of a bother? When changing shoes 

and getting into a kit are too much trouble, perhaps 

we ought to ride in street shoes. 

The eighty-nine trimly edited entries cover a wide 

range of topics categorized into eight sections: Riding, 

Suiting up, Safety, Health and Fitness, Accessories, 

Upkeep, Technicalities, and Velosophy. Petersen 

debunks commonly held cycling beliefs (“Don’t pedal 

circles,” “You have way too many gears,” “Helmets 

aren’t all they’re cracked up to be”). Some entries 

are esoteric and geeky (“What 700 and C mean in 

700C”) and others display a quirky bias (“Stretching 

is overrated”) but Petersen will cause an expert 

cyclist to ponder at least one ingrained opinion, and 

to novices he gives practical information that is not 

otherwise readily available. 

Both On Bicycles and Just Ride are attractively illustrated 

and printed on sturdy stock paper with rounded 

corners—perfect for schlepping around and sharing 

with others. If enough people get their hands on these 

books, we will be closer to having a bike culture we 

don’t need to talk about, but can take for granted. 

On Bicycles: 50 Ways the New 

Bike Culture Can Change Your 

Life, edited by Amy Walker. 

Illustrated. 370pp. New World 

Library. Paper $16.95. 

Just Ride: A Radically Practical 

Guide to Riding your Bike, by 

Grant Petersen. Illustrated. 

212pp. Workman Publishing, 

2012. Paper $13.95. 

Reviewed by Cheryl 

Longinotti 

15

Respecting the Road 

and Reflecting on a Tragedy 

By Scott Warner 

Originally Published September 29, 2012 at Patch.com; updated for Pedal Press. 

The Bay Area endured three high-profile events this weekend involving bicycling—and 

emotions. They included the 20th anniversary of Critical Mass in San Francisco 

and the return of the Levi Leipheimer Gran Fondo in Sonoma County. In those first two 

events, a total of nearly 20,000 cyclists took to the streets. 

But the most important cycling incident and the one stirring everyone’s emotions 

occurred in Novato on Thursday afternoon, September 27, when an innocent 12-yearold 

girl’s life was taken with the collision of her bicycle and a several-ton, fast-moving 

vehicle on a well-known Novato roadway near schools and homes. 

The two formal cycling events and the tragic accident in Novato came at a time when 

Gov. Jerry Brown was considering authorizing Senate Bill 1464—the 3-foot Separation 

Law—to formally designate a safety space between cars and bikes on California’s 

roadways. 

My original rationale for writing this short piece was not to get into an argument 

one way or the other for the proposed legislation (although many local residents had 

been very vocal on both sides and I, in fact, supported the proposal) nor was it to blame 

drivers or cyclists for accidents. Instead, I wrote the piece to plead to the citizens of 

Marin County and others reading this to recognize that not one user—vehicle driver, 

cyclist, pedestrian—solely “owns” the roadways. 

I am here, however, to plead to each of us who drive: we must be patient, we must 

slow down, we must be aware of our surroundings and WE MUST NOT USE THE 

PHONE while driving. 

I also am here to plead to cyclists—young and old—to be more patient, follow the 

laws of the road including traffic signs and lights, ride with traffic and not against it, 

and be courteous to drivers, pedestrians and other cyclists. Too many times, while I am 

cycling and while I am driving, I see cyclists (assumed to be experienced), disregarding 

stop signs, disregarding stop lights, and riding in a way that threatens the safety of other 

cyclists, as well as drivers and pedestrians. 

The fact is, we have seen nearly a doubling in numbers of cyclists in the past decade 

or so. We also have seen increases in the number of drivers. Even with the much better 

cycling infrastructure in Marin County (including more and better marked bicycle 

lanes, separate bicycle pathways, and continued education by groups such as MCBC), 

my personal experience is that the frustrations and confrontations between driver and 

cyclist also are increasing. I do not have an explanation for the increase, but I fear it has 

to do with our faster-paced lives and general intolerance toward patience. 

Why does a driver need to pass me as I’m cycling down a narrow downhill road near 

Black Point in Novato while I am coasting downhill at 20 to 25 mph, still below but close 

to the legal speed limit? It only takes me 30 seconds to get to the bottom of the hill 

where the roadway opens up and the car can pass safely. 

Why does the road-warrior cyclist feel like he has to go through stop signs and stop 

lights, endangering not only himself but the other riders and vehicles and pedestrians 

around him? 

These situations make no sense to me. 

But what makes the least sense of all, is why does a 12-year-old girl have to die while 

riding her bike home from school? I, like many of you, have children whom we wish to 

encourage to be independent, to ride more to school and to the market as we did when 

we were kids decades ago. Cyclists are good for the environment, and are good for 

drivers because they take cars off the road. And drivers, you have to understand that 

physics dictates the result of a confrontation between 

a fast-moving several-ton vehicle and a lightweight 

bicycle. The bicyclist will not win. 

I love cycling. In September I rode 330 miles from 

Eureka to San Francisco to raise more awareness for 

bicycling and environmental causes. But the high of 

that ride is dashed by the tragic taking of a young life. 

I encourage—no, I plead—for all of us to be more 

empathetic toward each other. I plead for us to not just 

share the road but respect the road and the users of 

the road. And to do all we can, in our power, to prevent 

more instances of the tragedy that unfolded in town 

just a few short hours before this writing. 

Share the Road Legislation 

Now a follow-up to the failed authorization of SB 

1464. Governor Jerry Brown likely had no idea of 

the tragic accident in Novato that occurred just hours 

before he vetoed the proposed 3-foot-separation law. 

He may not have recognized the ironic timing of his 

veto, sandwiched between the tragic accident and 

the two highly publicized events promoting cycling 

as a way of life and as a way to provide value to others 

in society. He likely is very fond of cyclists and 

understands the benefits of a safer environment for 

cyclists, and all users of the public roadways. And 

truth be told, I actually believe that Governor Brown 

was very close to authorizing the proposed bill, even 

though the automobile lobby, as led by the American 

Automobile Association (AAA) was highly vocal in its 

opposition to the bill’s language the first time around. 

Instead, the Governor indicated concern about the 

potential liability issues regarding a provision in the 

proposed legislation that allowed motorists to cross a 

double-yellow line while passing a cyclist. No doubt a 

wording modification could have been worked out, but 

unfortunately, no such modification was entered into 

the bill before it was sent to the Governor’s desk. On 

the positive side, Governor Brown did sign Assembly 

Bill 819 , which requires the California Department 

16

Share the Road Legislation (cont.) 

of Transportation (CalTrans) to establish a process 

to conduct pilot projects for developing protected 

bikeways using updated standards. 

This law, even if authorized years ago, would not 

have prevented the tragedy in Novato. And many 

people claim that the 3-foot rule already is implicit 

within the California vehicle code and thus new legislation 

is unnecessary. Yet more than 20 states, 

including some of the more socially and politically 

conservative ones in the US, including Nebraska, 

Oklahoma, and Utah, have passed similar laws to 

protect cyclists. By rejecting the proposal, Governor 

Brown acted similarly to Governor Rick Perry of Texas, 

who vetoed similar legislation (note, however, that 

several cities in Texas did approve local ordinances 

providing for the 3-foot separation between cyclists 

and motorists). 

In the end, however, law or not, there needs to 

be a continued progression in the behavior of all 

who share the road. We must respect the road, and 

respect all users of the road. All taxpayers fund our 

roads, and all people—residents and visitors—have a 

right to use the public roadways. One opinion is that 

the most important benefit from authorization of a 

3-foot rule would be that cycling would finally gain 

statewide recognition as an important part of the 

transportation mix and this would promote greater 

safety awareness for all. This is a good opinion 

because it is safe to acknowledge that cycling will 

continue to grow in popularity, and there will be more 

demand for the limited shoulder space that many of 

our roads have. While we should continue to invest 

in roadway improvements, including those that widen 

roads for additional cycling and pedestrian access, 

we must also continue to promote safe riding and 

driving consistent with a Share the Road culture. 

Perhaps one day, California will join more than a third 

of the country in enacting new roadway legislation for 

cyclists. Until that time, our continued advocacy for 

safe and respectful use of the roads will have to be 

our Number One defense against more tragedies of 

the type experienced on September 27, 2012. 

Fostering Safety and Harmony on 

Marin County Roads and Paths 

The Marin County Bicycle Coalition recognizes the fundamental need for both safety 

and harmony on Marin’s roads and paths. Lack of understanding—or worse, hostility—on 

shared road or path facilities can result in a wide range of dangerous situations. 

MCBC is committed to promoting an ethic of shared use, harmony and understanding 

for all road/pathway users and we continue to promote the idea of sharing the road and 

path responsibly, for a safer and more enjoyable experience for all. 

Over the past months, MCBC has made a variety of efforts to help foster greater 

harmony among users of our facilities, including meeting with local law enforcement 

to gain better understanding of the concerns and perceptions of local agencies and the 

public regarding cyclists and shared facilities. Various police departments have relayed 

to us that they have been issuing, and will continue to issue, citations to cyclists who 

break the law. MCBC supports measures that reduce unnecessary danger and hostility 

on our roads and pathways, and we strongly encourage you to abide by the law and to 

ride respectfully. 

We recognize that many cyclists do abide by the law and ride courteously. However, 

for those of you who don’t always do so, here are some of the many reasons why you 

should: 

➤➤ 

to help facilitate better relationships in the community; 

➤➤ 

to promote tolerance and understanding with facility users and neighbors; 

➤➤ 

to reduce the probability of a hazardous accident; 

➤➤ 

to reduce the likelihood of receiving a costly citation; 

➤➤ 

to help ensure that your actions—which, if unlawful or careless create ill will 

toward all cyclists—do not adversely affect MCBC’s advocacy efforts throughout 

the County. 

If nothing else convinces you to ride responsibly, that last point should. Your actions 

do affect us all. It may not be fair, but it is a fact. Nobody seems to assume one driver’s 

(or driver organization’s) responsibility for, complicity in or ability to control a different 

driver’s behavior, but cyclists are often viewed as a group with each individual cyclist 

deemed representative of the whole. This affects our safety on the roads, and it affects 

our efforts to improve conditions and facilities for all. We urge every cyclist to ride like 

an ambassador of cycling. 

MCBC has produced a variety of literature on the topic of riding safely, riding respectfully 

and abiding by the law. You likely read our “Scofflaw Cyclist-Perception and Reality” 

article in our Summer 2012 Pedal Press publication. It was an adaptation of the San 

Francisco Bicycle Coalition’s “What About Scofflaw” article. We have also begun to 

include a series entitled “Share the Road and Share the Path” in our weekly e-bulletin. It 

17

Fostering Safety 

and Harmony on 

Marin County 

Roads and Paths 

(cont.) 

features articles on this topic from a variety of sources, 

including MCBC members and supporters. Furthermore, 

in addition to speaking with local press outlets 

on this subject and giving testimony in public forums, 

MCBC has reached out to neighboring San Francisco 

Bay Area Bicycle Coalitions, asking them to help spread 

the word to their members who ride in Marin. 

MCBC also offers classes and programs intended 

to improve the safety of cyclists and other facility users 

by providing guidance and information on sharing the 

road and better developing basic safety street skills. 

Through our Share the Road program, we educate 

bicyclists and motorists on how to share the road 

courteously and safely. This is accomplished through 

educational classes and workshops, informative print 

and online materials, bicycle check-points, and target 

audience presentations. Our Basic Street Skills-Bicycle 

Safety Class is for cyclists wishing to learn more about 

riding safely on the road. Cyclists are one of the most 

vulnerable users of public roads; this class will teach 

you how to ride and drive defensively and how to avoid 

conflict on the road. If you have received a bicycle citation 

recently, you can get your citation fee reduced by 

attending this class. We also offer Women on Wheels 

classes, bicycle education classes just for women, 

taught by women. We offer Riding with Youth classes 

as well. Currently, we are offering free Family Biking 

Workshops that can be taken as a series or individually. 

These two-hour workshops will teach your family how 

to safely navigate streets with the proper equipment 

and behaviors. 

As you can see, fostering harmony on Marin’s 

roads and paths requires a variety of approaches 

and constant diligence. So, the next time that you’re 

out riding around town, please remember that a little 

courtesy and respect goes a very long way in helping 

to create greater awareness, appreciation and sense 

of community amongst all roadway and path users, as 

well as helping to ensure the effectiveness of MCBC 

advocacy. We greatly appreciate your support and 

participation in this effort! 

East-West Corridor Becomes More Bike Friendly 

If you’ve cycled through the East-West Corridor 

(Route 24) lately, you’ve likely noticed some very cool 

improvements to Greenfield Avenue in San Anselmo. 

The entire western end, between Spring Grove and the 

Hub, formerly in terrible condition, now has a beautifully 

repaved surface. In addition, traffic lanes along 

this section were narrowed, to facilitate traffic calming. 

Also, it’s impossible to miss the impressive new 

white sharrows backed by vibrant green rectangles. 

These pre-formed, thermoplastic pavement markings 

are not only very visible, retroreflective and skid 

resistant, they are also extremely durable. According 

to the manufacturer, they have a lifespan six to eight 

times longer than paint. 

Did you also happen to notice the new reverse 

diagonal parking on Greenfield, between Lincoln Park 

and the Hub? Reverse diagonal parking is considered 

a safer type of angle parking. Instead of going forward 

into the parking spots, cars back into them. This allows 

drivers to make eye contact with oncoming road users 

when exiting the parking space. 

Overall, back-in angle parking improves the safety 

of cyclists and drivers by increasing visibility and making 

access to your car easier and safer. The many 

benefits of reverse diagonal parking include: improved 

visibility and increased field vision; decreased number 

of collisions, improving safety for cyclists and pedestrians; 

increased safety for children exiting cars (when 

car doors open they direct children to the rear of the 

vehicle, away from the street); improved handicap 

parking; improved loading and unloading; and traffic 

calming. The parking itself is simple; it is easier than 

parallel parking, and easier than blindly backing into 

an active traffic lane. 

So, all of this sounds great, but is it really safer? 

Yes, according to a growing number of studies in pilot 

communities. Tucson, Arizona reported an average 

of three to four bike/car crashes per month along 

two blocks near the University of Arizona before they 

implemented back-in angled parking there—and none 

in the five years following the implementation of this 

type of parking. We are extremely thankful to the 

Town of San Anselmo’s Department of Public Works 

Director, Sean Condry, for his creativity and ability 

to “think outside of the box” when necessary to help 

ensure the safety of all facility users. 

MCBC continues to have a productive dialogue with 

San Anselmo’s Department of Public Works about 

the multi-modal possibilities and potential funding 

opportunities for the eastern segment of this significant 

east-west bicycle corridor and active commercial 

area. Mr. Condry has noted that in considering any 

modifications to Greenfield Avenue, staff is taking 

into careful consideration the needs and safety of all 

stakeholders. Any future designs for this section are 

pending until further evaluation can be pursued. Given 

the impressive work completed on western Greenfield 

so far, we’re very eager to see what transpires on its 

eastern end. 

18

Sir Francis Drake Boulevard Through the Park 

Improvement Just Around the Bend! 

The long-awaited work on Sir Francis Drake Boulevard 

through Samuel P. Taylor State Park is well 

underway. The roadway through this majestic park of 

towering redwoods, beautiful ferns and lush riparian 

vegetation, surrounding a stunning creek containing 

a myriad of sensitive and endangered species, has 

been in a severely degraded condition for many years. 

After clearing a number of environmental and 

permitting hurdles, the County of Marin pushed the 

project to construction in August 2012. The project is 

being done in three phases. Work on the first phase, 

the construction of a retaining wall to repair a slide 

below the roadway just west of Shafter Bridge, was 

completed at the end of September. On October 1 

the second phase, between Shafter Bridge and Irving 

Bridge, began with the repair and replacement of many 

culverts. This is being followed by the current work to 

repair the roadway surface, which will be completed 

before the end of November, 2012. The third phase of 

the project, reconstructing the roadway from Irving 

Bridge to Platform Bridge Road at Tocaloma (at the 

northwestern end of the Park), will take place in the 

summer of 2013. 

MCBC recommends that during this construction 

work, cyclists use alternate routes. While the road 

surface will be rideable during construction there will 

be delays and congestion due to construction activity. 

Alternatives include Nicasio Valley Road or the 

(in some places unpaved) Cross Marin Trail, which 

parallels Sir Francis Drake Boulevard through the Park. 

Construction requires one lane with alternating traffic 

control during work hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., 

Monday through Friday and possibly on weekends 

depending on rain. 

While the third and final phase of the project will 

not be completed until the end of summer in 2013, the 

second phase will provide dramatic improvement in 

areas where the roadway has been most degraded, 

providing safety and comfort benefitting the thousands 

of cyclists who use this roadway each year. In addition 

to better pavement conditions for a smoother ride, 

the project will also improve existing shoulders for 

cyclists to use, providing refuge areas for safe passing 

of cyclists by cars and trucks. MCBC applauds the 

County of Marin for its great work on this project and 

looks forward to the project’s completion next year. 

Marin County Bicycle Coalition 

Pedal Press 

MCBC recommends that 

during this construction 

work, cyclists use 

alternate routes. While 

the road surface will 

be rideable during 

construction there will be 

delays and congestion due 

to construction activity. 

Making a Difference. 

At Bank of Marin you’ll bank with 

people who share your same values 

and commitment to the community. 

We invite you to get to know us. 

MCBC’s 

CALENDAR OF 

EVENTS 

For a list of upcoming 

bike-related meetings 

and events click here. 

www.bankofmarin.com | Member FDIC 

19

County Bicycle Parking Program Wraps up with Notable Success 

The County of Marin Bicycle Parking Program 

officially expired in August 2012, but not without 

great achievement. The Program resulted in the 

installation of 1702 bicycle-rack parking spaces and 

16 bicycle-locker parking spaces countywide. The box 

below shows their distribution. Forty-six bicycle parking 

spaces had previously been installed through the 

Non-motorized Transportation Pilot Program, bringing 

us a total of 1764 new bicycle parking spaces since 

2008. Racks were installed in downtown commercial 

areas and at private businesses, schools, public agencies 

and non-profit organizations throughout Marin. 

MCBC worked closely with the County of Marin to 

help facilitate the parking program, which was funded 

by a Transportation Fund for Clean Air grant from the 

Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) 

and the Transportation Authority of Marin. MCBC 

staff helped to identify areas in need of bike parking, 

coordinated with Departments of Public Works and 

private property and business owners, assisted with 

citing and installation of racks, and helped oversee 

administrative processes. 

So, what’s so special about having plentiful bicycle 

parking? Bicycle parking benefits individuals, the transportation 

system, and the community. Bicycle infrastructure—including 

parking—is helping to improve 

air quality, reduce traffic congestion, and minimize 

wear and tear on Marin County roads by encouraging 

bicycle use. Bicycle parking creates destinations and 

transfer points for cyclists and increases total (auto 

plus bike) parking capacity. 

A bicycle-parking network enhances the transportation 

system as a whole by adding viability to an 

underused mode. Without bike parking, a network of 

bikeways will mainly be viable for circulation (much of 

it recreation); bike parking allows for utilitarian uses 

that can replace more auto trips. A bicycle transportation 

system with adequate parking provides door-todoor 

options comparable to those of an automobile. 

In a society in which convenience often drives our 

transportation choices, making bicycling as convenient 

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and safe as possible will attract new users and free up 

capacity on other modes. And of course it provides 

both personal health and environmental benefits. 

Also, more bike parking adds to the visibility of 

cycling as a transportation mode. In the book Traffic, 

Tom Vanderbilt points out that perhaps the most 

effective way to make cycling safer is more bikes: 

which is to say, visibility. Bike facilities beget riders. 

As increased facilities increase the number of riders, 

they reduce the number of drivers. The result—calmer 

and safer streets—benefits all users. Bike parking that 

is located in a safe and convenient place (well-lit and 

near entrances) serves as a positive reminder that 

bicycling is a viable transportation option. Bike parking 

that is unattractive, unsafe or inconvenient can deter 

people from choosing to ride. 

Furthermore, bicycle access to business districts 

promotes community vitality and livability. Like drivers, 

cyclists are potential customers, and our businesses 

are well served when we enable cyclists to properly 

secure their bikes in convenient locations. Provision 

of bike parking also helps ensure that bikes are parked 

in designated areas and are not impinging upon the 

streetscape or interfering with pedestrian or other 

access. 

Given the many benefits of bicycle parking infrastructure, 

it’s no wonder our community responded to 

the County Bicycle Parking Program with such enthusiasm. 

We are pleased to report that we continue to 

receive inquiries about the Program by those desiring 

to put in their first bicycle parking facilities or increase 

their number of spaces. The BAAQMD is expected to 

implement a Bay Area-wide program for bicycle racks 

sometime in the upcoming year. MCBC is following this 

process closely; if and when funds become available, 

we will be sharing this opportunity with all of those 

interested. Collectively, we can continue to expand 

Marin’s bike parking network! 

San Rafael 432 

Novato 42 

Corte Madera 10 

Mill Valley 155 

Larkspur 102 

San Anselmo 207 

Fairfax 135 

Belvedere 14 

Tiburon 53 

Unincorporated County 566 

National Park Service 2 

Total: 1718 

21

Twin Cities Bicycle / Pedestrian Projects Shine Brightly 

MCBC would like to take a moment to reflect 

upon the many wonderful bicycle and pedestrian 

improvements that have taken place in the Twin Cities 

area within the past few years. MCBC offers praise and 

appreciation to the Transportation Authority of Marin, 

the City of Larkspur and the Town of Corte Madera! 

Larkspur 

Most recently, on November 2nd, the City of Larkspur 

Department of Public Works (DPW) Director, 

Hamid Shamsapour, officially cut the ribbon to reopen 

Doherty Drive to the public! To echo Mayor Rifkin’s 

opening celebration speech, “The name Doherty Drive 

does not do this beautiful new multi-modal facility 

justice; it would be more aptly named Doherty 

Boulevard!” Among the project’s many benefits, this 

amazing new facility includes Class II bicycle lanes on 

both sides of the roadway and a 12’ wide pedestrian 

walkway along the south side of the road. 

Other recent and notable multi-use project’s within 

the City of Larkspur include the Meadowood Pathway 

from Heatherwood Park to Meadowood Drive; the 

paved pathway from Heatherwoood Park to Doherty 

Drive; reconstruction of the East Sir Francis Drake 

wooden bridge under the Highway 101 undercrossing; 

installation of in-pavement bicycle detection at signalized 

intersections; and the construction of Americans 

with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant ramps at two 

key intersections of the Sandra Marker Trail- Apache 

Road and William Avenue. These new ramps have 

increased the capacity of users of all ages and abilities 

to access the trail. 

With regards to recent bicycle-specific projects, 

the City of Larkspur’s are almost too numerous to list! 

Class II bicycle lanes have been striped on Magnolia 

Avenue, Bon Air Road, and along a short section of 

Redwood Highway, just north of the Lucky Drive/ 

Highway 101 pedestrian overcrossing. Also, sharrows 

were installed Downtown and on South Eliseo Drive. 

In addition to the many wonderful bicycle facility 

improvements, a couple of noteworthy pedestrian 

projects have been completed as well. The City also 

recently completed two Nonmotorized Transportation 

Pilot Program (NTPP) pedestrian projects, the 

Elm Avenue Stairs Project and the Post Street Stairs 

Project, both of which resulted in safer and more direct 

travel options for pedestrians. 

An additional project that will greatly benefit 

cyclists is the City of Larkspur’s proposed improvements 

to East SFDB at Larkspur Landing Circle. This 

project is underway; when completed, it will improve 

bicycle and pedestrian crossing of the Larkspur Landing/SFDB 

intersection and will improve wayfinding 

from the southerly end of the Cal Park Tunnel, across 

Larkspur Landing, to the Larkspur Ferry Terminal. 

Corte Madera 

In addition, the Town of Corte Madera is currently in 

the planning/design phase of two significant pathway 

projects. The first, the continuation of the Paradise 

Drive Multi-use Pathway eastward from Westward 

Drive to Upland Circle, is fully funded and anticipated 

to go to construction in 2013-14. This project will 

vastly improve the safety of students travelling to/ 

from Marin County Day, Marin Montessori and Lycee 

Francais La Perouse. Paving and improvements are also 

planned for the High Canal Pathway, which bisects 

the Sandra Marker Trail in the north-south direction. 

This project would create a continuous Class I bikeway 

from Tamalpais Drive in Corte Madera to Lucky Drive 

and Doherty Drive in Larkspur. As a result, students 

attending Redwood High School, Hall Middle School 

and Neil Cummins School would have a much safer 

commute with less on-street travel than presently. 

22

Twin Cities Bicycle/Pedestrian Projects Shine Brightly (cont.) 

Adult recreational and commuter cyclists would also 

benefit greatly from these two projects. 

Bicycle Parking 

Of course, with all of these amazing new bicycle facilities, 

one must have a place to park his/her bike! That 

should not be a problem, however, due to the success 

of the County Bicycle Parking Program and the efforts 

of the City of Larkspur, Town of Corte Madera, private 

property owners and the Tamalpais Union High 

School District. Collectively, these entities provided 

approximately 112 bicycle parking spaces within the 

Twin Cities area. (See page 21.) 

Transportation Authority of Marin 

So, now you’re probably asking, “given all of these 

fabulous new additions to the bicycle/pedestrian network, 

what does the future hold?” Rest assured, the 

future looks bright! The following projects are currently 

under discussion and/or planning. The Transportation 

Authority of Marin’s (TAM) Central Marin Ferry Connection 

Project (CMFCP), currently in the final design 

phase, will provide an elevated multi-use path crossing 

Sir Francis Drake Boulevard East (SFDB) which will 

serve to connect the Cal Park Hill Tunnel multi-use 

path with the existing multi-use path along the south 

side of SFDB. TAM is also responsible for funding and 

constructing the Highway 101 Greenbrae-Twin Cities 

Corridor Improvements Project (GTCCIP). Some of the 

GTCCIP elements proposed include a Class I multi-use 

pathway along the west side of Highway 101 from Corte 

Madera Creek to Wornum Drive, a multi-use pathway 

along the north side of Wornum Drive, Class II bike 

lanes on Tamal Vista Boulevard from Madera Drive to 

Fifer, and a 10’ wide sidewalk and southbound Class II 

bike lane on Redwood Highway from the Corte Madera 

Creek/Highway 101 overcrossing to Tamalpais Drive. 

MCBC is currently working with TAM staff, engineers 

and Board members to find a way of replacing 

the spiral-ramp pedestrian overcrossing that is 

planned to be removed as part of this project. 

There you have it! If you’ve recently thought about 

relocating to or visiting the Twin Cities area, you may 

want to seriously consider doing so. The area is already 

bursting with top-notch, not to mention exquisitely 

scenic, bicycle and pedestrian facilities and there is 

no sign of this trend coming to an end anytime soon! 

So, if you haven’t done so already, take some time to 

go out and experience these beautiful facilities firsthand, 

and if you plan to enjoy any of the numerous 

safe and separated pathways, be sure to bring your 

little cyclists along- they’ll surely thank you! 

MCBC would like to 

express our deepest 

praise and gratitude 

to Hamid Shamsapour 

who recently retired 

as the Larkspur 

Department of Public 

Works Director. 

Hamid will continue 

to work with Larkspur 

to complete much 

of the work he has 

begun, however. We 

wish him joy and 

success in whatever 

his future holds! 

Measure A Passes Easily with MCBC Support 

With ballots cast by mail and in the ballot booth 

on November 6, Marin voters gave resounding 

approval (74% in favor) to Measure A, a ¼-cent sales 

tax that will protect and preserve our parks, open space 

preserves and farmland. MCBC strongly supported 

Measure A because it will greatly benefit both on-road 

and off-road cycling throughout Marin. 

Benefits to the cycling community are expected 

to include implementation of trail projects as part of 

County Parks’ new Road and Trail Management Plan 

(RTMP); acquisition of land and easements for new 

preserves and trail connections; maintenance of paved 

multi-use paths, such as the Mill Valley-Sausalito and 

Corte Madera Creek pathways; and preservation of 

farmlands that are crucial to the county’s local food 

production, agricultural economy, and quiet back roads 

frequented by recreational riders. 

After MCBC’s Board unanimously endorsed Measure 

A in August, our staff, volunteers and Directors 

contributed many hours promoting the measure. We 

talked with voters attending a variety of events around 

the county, including MCBC’s well attended Biketoberfest; 

placed campaign signs at high-visibility locations; 

wrote an opinion piece for the Marin Independent 

Journal with Access4Bikes and the NorCal High School 

Cycling League; and explained to our members why the 

cycling community’s support for the measure was crucial. 

We joined a long list of environmental, agricultural, 

equestrian and other groups (see all the supporters 

at http://yesmarinparksopenspace.com/endorse/) in 

a broad, coordinated effort, and together, a winning 

campaign was assembled. [Continued on next page.] 

Measure A Allocations 

65% to County Parks and 

Open Space Preserves 

20% to Farmland 

Protection 

15% to Cities, Towns 

and Special Districts 

23

Measure A Passes Easily with MCBC Support (cont.) 

Now, with Measure A’s passage, an estimated $10 million per year in revenues will 

be generated for the coming nine years, allocated in the following proportions: 

➤➤ 

65% to County Parks and Open Space Preserves, 

to protect, restore and manage natural 

resources and facilities (including trails) 

➤➤ 

20% to Farmland Protection, helping ensure 

that Marin’s working farms and ranches 

remain in agricultural use and are not lost to 

subdivision and development 

➤➤ 

15% to Cities, Towns and Special Districts, 

boosting their parks, preserves, recreation 

programs and vegetation management 

Measure A requires that a seven-member citizens’ oversight committee be formed 

by the Board of Supervisors, to review proposed expenditures, conduct financial audits, 

and prepare annual reports describing how the funds are spent. In addition, the County 

Parks and Open Space Commission will take input from the public on the selection of 

projects to be funded by Measure A revenues. MCBC looks forward to contributing to 

these important processes in the coming years. 

Marin residents can be proud of their unwavering support for our spectacular parks 

and open space and the county’s outstanding agricultural heritage. Measure A is big 

win for the values that unite us here in our beautiful corner of the world. 

NorCAL 

CyCLEfest NOV. 9 

APPETITE SEMINAR – 

NOV. 22 

sfBC WINTERFEST 

DEC. 2 

BECOME AN MCBC MEMBER 

or Join Online: 

www.marinbike.org 

Name (first) 

(last) 

Street / PO Box 

City 

Zip 

Phone (day) 

(evening) 

e-mail 

How you heard about us 

• $40 Regular • $60 Family • $100 Century • $250 Tour de France 

For Century members and above select your t-shirt size: S M L XL 

• Do not share my name with other organizations 

Make checks payable to: Marin County Bicycle Coalition, P.O. Box 1115, Fairfax, CA 94978 

Credit Card # 

Exp. date 

Signature 

I want to volunteer! 

• Attending public meetings 

• Advocacy in your town 

• Data entry 

• Events 

• Newsletter/poster distribution 

• Phone calling 

• Safe Routes to Schools 

• Share the Road 

• Trail/land stewardship 

• Staffing an information table 

• Valet bicycle parking 

• Other 

24

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