San Rafael, CA – The popular Mill Valley-Sausalito Multiuse Pathway was constructed more than 30 years ago and has never had a significant pavement upgrade. With federal grant money in hand, the County of Marin plans to lay a fresh coat of smooth asphalt and make accessibility improvements on almost a mile of the pathway by late 2017.
The pavement on the Mill Valley-Sausalito Multiuse Pathway is the same surface first laid about 30 years ago. Next year it will get a fresh coat of asphalt.
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Marin County Department of Public Works (DPW) will oversee the design and construction of the project on a 4,900-foot-long stretch of the pathway between from East Blithedale Avenue on the north end and Almonte Boulevard to the south. That portion runs along the waterfront of Richardson’s Bay’s Pickleweed Inlet, adjacent to the Mill Valley Community Center, Mill Valley Middle School, the Sewerage Agency of Southern Marin, Bothin Marsh and Tamalpais High School. The pathway is heavily used for recreation and bike commuting.
The County of Marin was awarded $320,000 of federal Priority Conservation Area funding, with a $320,000 local match provided by County Parks’ Measure A fund, a quarter-cent retail and use tax passed by local voters in 2012.
DPW aims to design and acquire environmental clearance this year for the work, which will include asphalt resurfacing and installation of new benches with accessible sitting areas.
The County of Marin (DPW, Marin County Parks, and Marin County Sheriff’s Office), the City of Mill Valley, the Marin County Bicycle Coalition and the Marin County Bicycle Advisory Group are collaborating to improve access and safety along the route. Fresh striping and stencils were added recently. In addition to the physical improvements from DPW, there are three other parts of the overall plan:
- a Share the Path campaign, which promotes safety, trail communication and friendliness;
- regulatory changes including an enlarged “slow zone” of 10 mph adjacent to Bayfront Park, and;
- increased enforcement of safety rules and regulations.
The overall project plan includes resurfacing the rest of the 3.1-mile pathway and replacing the bridges when funding becomes available. In May 2015, a first-of-its-kind roundabout intersection was installed on the pathway near Mill Valley Middle School to enhance safety. In 2014, the City of Mill Valley added a short connector pathway at Sycamore Avenue to help people reach the main pathway.
Bike riders and pedestrians will use detour routes during pathway construction. Learn more about DPW’s construction schedule online.