Update from Kate - Making Steady Progress on Traffic

Update from Kate:
Making Steady Progress on Traffic

Before summer begins and people start leaving for vacation, I wanted to report progress we’re making on traffic. It’s working; the multijurisdictional collaboration I’ve helped foster is helping us get where we need to go.

Here’s a quick summary of the steps we’ve taken to ease congestion in key areas of Southern Marin.

Solving Congestion with Collaboration and Action
By convening a series of meetings including key stakeholders (Caltrans, City of Mill Valley, County of Marin for Strawberry and unincorporated Marin, Belvedere and Tiburon), we’ve now implemented the following actions to reduce congestion and help restore traffic flow at each of these key locations:

East Blithedale/Tiburon Blvd/Redwood Frontage Road Overpass

• Coordinated traffic signal timing on Tiburon Blvd at Redwood Highway Frontage Road and the northbound Highway 101 off-ramp
• Installed larger signal heads, signage and lane markings to reduce driver confusion causing delays and better direct traffic at the northbound Redwood Frontage Road at Tiburon Blvd
• Piloted prohibiting U-turns at Redwood Frontage Road and North Knoll to help clear traffic on the overpass and prevent delays
• Studied the feasibility of converting the shoulder to extend access to the southbound Highway 101 on-ramp

Seminary Drive Interchange and Off-Ramp

• Upgraded traffic signal hardware and lighting, optimized signal timing, added bike lanes both north and south of the intersection, crosswalk striping, new ADA curb ramps and an audible pedestrian signal with new pedestrian push buttons for safer crossing

Shoreline Highway and Tam Junction

• Installed lane delineators at Tam Junction to restrict left-turns into the Arco Station, reducing back-ups and restoring flow westbound and northbound
• Provided further modifications to the Shoreline Highway/Tennessee Valley Road traffic signal
• Restoring (by the end of June) the permissive left turn (currently only a protected left-turn arrow) from Shoreline Highway into Tennessee Valley Road and adjusting through-traffic light timing

Initiating School Bus Service to the Mill Valley Schools

• A partnership between the City of Mill Valley, the Mill Valley School District, Marin Transit, and the County of Marin is bringing yellow school bus service to Mill Valley to reduce congestion on the 101 overpass, taking 600 plus car trips a day off the road during the morning and afternoon peak travel periods
• Piloting this 2 year program targeted to get students from the key trip-generating areas of Mill Valley and Strawberry across the overpass in school buses rather than automobiles

Further Actions Coming Soon

There’s more planned and more to do. The key to reducing traffic congestion is to remember the role we all play in creating traffic in the first place. We average 11 car trips a day which includes services coming to us like landscaping, package deliveries and in-home childcare. We can all do something. If we all give a little, we all gain a lot!

We become part of the community solution with each trip we don’t take, each time we link together our errands, each time we flex our schedules to drive outside of our morning, afternoon (school) and evening peaks, each rideshare we arrange and with each bike ride or walk. I’ve enjoyed hearing stories and ideas about how to avoid traffic. Let me know yours about how you’ve gotten around traffic.

Enjoy a safe and relaxing summer. Write to me at ksears@marincounty.org . Share this information with friends and urge them to subscribe to my news and information by signing up.