San Rafael, CA – A big-picture evaluation of one of Marin County’s most important thoroughfares, Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, is taking place now and it’s time to hear from the public.
The Marin County Department of Public Works (DPW) has set up a workshop for May 2 in Kentfield to hear local viewpoints about Sir Francis Drake Boulevard’s functions between Highway 101 in Larkspur, Greenbrae, and Kentfield up to the Ross town limit. That 2-1/2-mile stretch of the boulevard is scheduled for rehabilitation over the course of the next three years. Funding for the project, approximately $13.2 million, is from Measure A, Marin’s 2004 transportation sales tax.
During morning commutes, the Sir Francis Drake corridor is the primary feeder to southbound Highway 101 from communities in the lower and upper Ross Valley. In the evening, it’s particularly busy off Highway 101 back toward the upper Ross Valley. Sir Francis Drake also serves as the key road to reach Marin General Hospital, College of Marin’s Kentfield Campus, Marin Catholic High School, Bacich Elementary School, Bon Air Center shopping area, the Larkspur Ferry Terminal and the Marin Country Mart shopping area.
“This is such an important and heavily used artery for a significant portion of our county’s population; it needs to work as well as possible,” said Katie Rice, District 2 Representative and President of the Board of Supervisors. “We’d like to share the basics about the project and hear community members’ opinions about possible improvements to vehicle flow, transit operations and circulation for cyclists and pedestrians. The goal is to improve safety, accessibility, and traffic flow for the corridor’s many users.”
Following the informational and brainstorming session, public input and other reports will be the basis for developing design alternatives, which will be presented to the public this fall.
The workshop is scheduled between 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. at the Bacich Community Center, 699 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, Kentfield. More information about the project is available on the project web page: http://www.marincounty.org/depts/pw/divisions/transportation/sir-francis-drake-boulevard-rehabilitation