San Rafael, CA – With a new traffic-calming roundabout now in place, the Mill Valley-Sausalito Multiuse Pathway is ready for even more enhancements that will promote safe use of the popular path.
On May 6, the County of Marin will launch a pilot program called Share the Path in conjunction with Bike Month, Bike to School Day on May 6 and Bike to Work Day on May 14. The upbeat educational effort is part of a larger campaign to improve functionality of the paved path, highlight the recent physical upgrades, educate about a new 10 mph slow zone adjacent to Bayfront Park, and bring heightened awareness of the top priorities: safety and enjoyment.
Share the Path was initiated by a partnership comprised of the County of Marin, the City of Mill Valley and the Marin County Bicycle Coalition. While the partners were already working to improve safety on the path, a serious accident between a cyclist and pedestrians in September 2014 underscored the need for immediate action.
“We’d like all path users to be aware of their surroundings and courteous to other users,” said Marin County Parks’ Region 1 Superintendent Brian Sanford. “With this public education outreach, we’re confident that people enjoying the pathway will remember that it’s used by the young, old and everyone in between.”
Share the Path includes:
- Tables with public education materials at several coming events
- Targeted outreach to local schools, bikers, dog walkers, and other path user groups
- An “I share” pledge for path users to promote courteous use
- Colorful temporary signs along the pathway with simple, positive messages enticing people to “look and listen,” “use safe speeds,” and “keep right, pass left”
- Permanent signs reminding visitors that they are sharing the path with others
- The launch of sharethepathmarin.org
- Promotion of a #sharethepath hashtag for social media sharing
- Additional speed enforcement
Share the Path was designed with an audience of all ages and cultural backgrounds in mind, prioritizing bold, positive messages paired with internationally recognized pictograms. The signage employs bright colors that stand out in the environment but are differentiated from traffic enforcement signage.
Down the line, additional planned improvements to the pathway include the application of street graphics depicting traffic flow, pedestrian crossing treatments in key locations, and installation of a speed feedback sign. At the completion of the pilot program, the partnership members will consider employing the campaign at other locations.
The Share the Path campaign is funded by Measure A, a quarter-cent tax officially named the Marin Parks, Open Space and Farmland Preservation Transactions and Use Tax Ordinance of 2012. The campaign will be evaluated periodically for its effectiveness.