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

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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
Page 1 and 2: Volume 14 / Issue 4 FALL 2012 SAFE
Page 3 and 4: President’s Message As summer sli
Page 5 and 6: Text / Talk / Crash Do you practice
Page 7: Bicycles, Beer & Face Paint By Alis
Page 11 and 12: Mt. Tam Dirt Fondo a BIG SUCCESS MC
Page 13 and 14: How About Bike Touring? (cont.) Jos
Page 15 and 16: strap down and ride with. Flattened
Page 17 and 18: Share the Road Legislation (cont.)
Page 19: Sir Francis Drake Boulevard Through
Page 22 and 23: Twin Cities Bicycle / Pedestrian Pr
Page 24: Measure A Passes Easily with MCBC S

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