San Rafael will forward community concerns about incomplete plans for a bicycle and pedestrian pathway along the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit line to the train district’s Board of Directors.
Twenty-four people stood in line at the podium at Tuesday’s City Council meeting to express their concern that sections of a multiuse path in San Rafael were left out of recent SMART documents. Speakers urged the council to work with SMART to make sure the segments are included in future plans.
Christopher Lang, founder of the Marin County Bicycle Coalition, said bicycle enthusiasts have been trying to complete the North-South Greenway, a 25-mile multimodal path from Novato to the Golden Gate Bridge, since the 1970s. The passage of Measure Q in 2008 promised such a path along the SMART rail corridor from Cloverdale to Larkspur.
Lang said San Rafael needs to take a leadership role by making sure SMART completes the pathway and doesn’t leave vital sections out of its planning process.
“The cycling community is asking the City Council to hold SMART’s feet to the fire as it were, to try to make sure the greenway is included in the future plans,” Lang said.
Members of the community, led by the bicycle coalition and Transportation Alternatives for Marin, said SMART’s 2014 strategic plan, which was approved in December, leaves out the following three pathway sections: North San Pedro Road to the top of Puerto Suello Hill, Mission Avenue to Second Street and Second Street to Andersen Drive.
In addition, speakers said SMART’s environmental assessment for the train extension from San Rafael to Larkspur, released last month, doesn’t include the pathway from Second Street to Andersen Drive.
Maureen Gaffney, of San Anselmo, said she’s concerned about the gaps, especially the one from Second Street to Andersen Drive.
“To not build Second to Andersen would be like building the yellow brick road and stopping 200 feet from Oz,” Gaffney said.
Don Herzog, of San Rafael, agreed.
“These three gaps totally destroy the continuity and integrity of the bike path,” Herzog said. “The bike way is an important transportation route and connects two transit centers. It’s critical.”
During the meeting, Bill Gamlen, SMART’s chief engineer, said the strategic plan is a financial planning document and not an exhaustive list of all of the train’s operations. He said the environmental assessment lists the pathway sections the train district has the environmental clearance and funding to construct. The gaps in question are unfunded and haven’t received permits from regulatory agencies.
“We are implementing what we can,” Gamlen said. “The vision for the SMART pathway system was always to work with, leverage, or enhance other pathway systems that existed or were planned.”
But City Council members raised concerns about Gamlen’s explanation.
Councilwoman Kate Colin said the segments should be included in both documents if SMART indeed plans to build these pathway sections at some point.
“Strategic plans are a primary way that organizations communicate what they’re doing and so to say it’s a financial plan is a little short-sighted and it looks less transparent,” Colin said.
Councilwoman Maribeth Bushey said it seems like SMART has no intention to build and pay for the identified pathway gaps.
“Unless SMART finds money from somewhere else, these gaps aren’t going to get closed,” Bushey said. “The message I’m getting is very similar to the message we got on the so-called station design. If we, San Rafael, want it done, we need to fund it.”
Gamlen disagreed, stating more money needs to be found to build the pathway sections in question.
“It probably depends on the time frame. I can’t predict out maybe 20 years. Are they currently funded? No. But you know, opportunities may arise,” Gamlen said.
The council plans to work with its Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, city employees and the SMART subcommittee — comprised of Bushey and Mayor Gary Phillips — to discuss the issues raised by the public. Points of concern will be forwarded to SMART’s Board of Directors.
Phillips, who sits on the SMART board, said he will pass along concerns.
“If I don’t feel that it’s well received, I’ll bring it back (to the council),” he said.
Follow Megan Hansen’s blog at http://blogs.marinij.com/bureaucratsandbaking.
