CORRECTED COPY - Interested in NPS Proposed Muir Woods Visitor Access Improvements? Supervisor Sears here with meeting/comment information.

Planning for for Improved Visitor Access at Muir Woods

Now Accepting Public Comments

Dear Park Friend,

Golden Gate National Recreation Area, in cooperation with Mount Tamalpais State Park and the County of Marin, invites the public to help develop options for better managing visitor demand and congestion at Muir Woods National Monument. The three organizations are asking the public to be involved in the planning process for two separate projects, and will hold public meetings (see below for more information) to solicit input on a range of possible operational and physical improvements, and the issues and concerns that should be addressed in the plans and environmental compliance documents that will be prepared.

Vehicle congestion on Muir Woods Road

 

The Issue

Muir Woods National Monument, adjacent parts of Mount Tamalpais State Park and Marin County roadways experience substantial traffic and parking congestion during periods of peak visitation. The congestion, combined with gaps in the park's trail and pedestrian circulation systems, routinely result in visitors parking on the unimproved road shoulder along Muir Woods Road some distance from the park entry and walking on the narrow busy road. These conditions contribute to pedestrian safety concerns and negative visitor experience at the entry area of the monument. Muir Woods also has aging and undersized visitor support facilities, including parking lots, restrooms, and trails near the entrance that are in need of improvement.

The following two projects are being proposed to address these issues:

Muir Woods Parking Reservation and Shuttle System

This project focuses on operational improvements; namely, a reservation system for parking with an expanded inter-park shuttle service. The reservation system is necessary to allow the park to better manage visitation and reduce congestion and related impacts.

Muir Woods Transportation and Access Site Improvements

This project would include physical changes to the entrance areas at Muir Woods and nearby Mount Tamalpais State Park such as replacement of facilities, improvement to trails and pedestrian paths, and limited new construction of parking areas and other facilities mostly in previously disturbed areas.

These two independent planning processes are related, but are considered separate actions. Both projects are meant to address longstanding transportation and access challenges at Muir Woods. However, they differ in their planning and implementation schedules, and potential environmental impacts..

Public Meetings

 To solicit comments on these two projects in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, the public is invited to attend a public meeting:

Public Scoping Meeting
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
6:30 - 8:30 P.M.
Tam Valley Elementary School; Multi-Purpose Room
350 Bell Lane; Mill Valley, CA 94941

A second public meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 20, also at Tam Valley Elementary School. At this second meeting, the project team will summarize the comments received during the scoping period, update participants on plans for the parking reservation system, and present a range of alternatives for site improvements at Muir Woods. Participants will be invited to discuss and refine the concept alternatives in a workshop format. Another message will be sent in regards to this meeting as the date approaches.

 

Submitting Comments

Scoping comments will be accepted through October 4, 2013, and can be submitted in the following ways:

• In person at the September 18 public meeting,
• Online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov.goga
  [Projects are listed alphabetically],
• Or by mail to:
  Golden Gate National Recreation Area
  Attn: Muir Woods Transportation Projects
  Building 201, Fort Mason
  San Francisco, CA 94123

In order to help us manage the comments for each project separately, we ask that you please clearly identify which project you are commenting on within your written comments. All correspondence will be shared with the planning teams for both projects.

Thank you for participating in this important planning process.