San Rafael, CA – With the first day of school upon us, organizers behind a pilot program called Share the Path are re-energizing the campaign to promote safety and enjoyment of the popular Mill Valley-Sausalito Multiuse Pathway.
In May, Marin County Parks and its partners launched Share the Path in conjunction with Bike Month, Bike to School Day and Bike to Work Day shortly after the debut of a traffic-calming roundabout at a key point in the pathway. The roundabout, built at the east end of Sycamore Avenue, is within a few steps of Mill Valley Middle School, the Mill Valley Community Center, Bayfront Park, Hauke Park, Mt. Tamalpais United Methodist Church and The Redwoods retirement community. The path is popular with pedestrians, bike riders, non-motorized scooter riders, bike commuters and equestrians.
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. The new Share the Path launch is in coordination with local Back to School Day on August 26 and International Walk & Roll to School Day on October 7.
Temporary signage was installed for six weeks during the springtime debut, and it will be re-installed in mid-August to coincide with various back-to-school promotions. Classroom education will start in October in partnership with Safe Routes to School. Permanent pathway graphics along the path and at intersections will be implemented by the end of 2015.
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.
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 and behavior
- 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
- Bayfront Park slow zone speed measurement signs and devices
- 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.
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.