San Rafael, CA – The Marin County Department of Public Works (DPW) has completed improvements to a half-mile leg of Olive Avenue that connects downtown Novato to Highway 37.
An "after" photo of Olive Avenue on Novato's east side.
A popular route for cars and bicycles, the 2,700-foot portion of road from the county line to Atherton Avenue has been in need of upgrades for a while. The $496,495 undertaking was funded by a one-time project reserve from the County’s General Fund.
Team Ghilotti Inc. of Petaluma handled the construction, which began August 29 and was completed November 15. The entire section of Olive Avenue now has 4-foot-wide bike lanes on both sides of the two-lane road. Prior to the project, the road did not have a formal bike lane despite being a regular route for cyclists. A new retaining wall was installed to accommodate the pavement widening and improve line-of-sight vision where the road curves at Club Drive.
In addition to the bike lanes and retaining wall, the half-mile length of road was resurfaced and drainage was improved at key points. Traffic striping and pavement markings were implemented to increase safety through the area.
The City of Novato recently completed a similar bike lane project within its city limits on an adjacent section of Olive Avenue. The city and County planned the projects together in a move that was announced at a public meeting in April 2015. The updating of Olive Avenue is in line with the 2008 Marin County Unincorporated Area Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan.
“The combination of these projects marks a significant gap closure in the greater bike lane network of Marin,” said Eric Miller, DPW Associate Civil Engineer. “These improvements add a new level of safety for all travelers along this stretch of road.”