MarinIJ: Mill Valley Updates Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan

Mill Valley has adopted a new bike and pedestrian plan for the first time since 2017.

At its meeting on Monday, the City Council approved a graded list of more than 90 possible projects for bike routes, paths, intersections, sidewalks and routes to schools.

The council also updated the Traffic and Mobility Advisory Committee timetable for listing the projects from once a decade to every 12 to 24 months.

“Things change a little faster than every 10 years,” said Bill Hoppin, chair of the committee.

“Cargo bikes didn’t exist 10 years ago. That’s how a lot of people get around our city right now. A lot of concerns that parents have around their kids biking and walking to school have changed.”

“The big thing here is being collaborative with the Department of Public Works, with the community, and really bringing those things together in a set of ranked priority projects that represent what we as a community care about and want to have happen,” he said. “And the ranking measures safety, it measures efficiency, how easy is it to get done.”

In 2024, the council renamed the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee as the Traffic and Mobility Advisory Committee and expanded its portfolio. Last year, the committee conducted a community survey, asking, “What do you think would be the biggest way to reduce traffic congestion?” The survey received 600 responses, according to a city staff report.

“The Subcommittee combined the survey results, with their own experiences, knowledge of the city, its existing conditions, past challenges and successes, to inform an updated project list,” the report said. “Please note, this project list is not carte blanch approval for staff to begin to work on, or to implement the projects. Most projects and programs will require Council approval, funding, community outreach and support, environmental clearance, etc. prior to implementation.”

The top-ranked projects for cyclists involved improving bike lane striping and signage and designating routes along stretches of Camino Alto, Miller Avenue, Boyle Park, East Blithedale Avenue and the North-South Greenway and Mill Valley-Sausalito Path.

The priority walkway projects are new or improved sidewalks along stretches of Elm Avenue, Sycamore Avenue, Camino Alto, Montford Avenue, Gomez Way and Buena Vista Avenue.

The priority intersection projects include the key arteries of Camino Alto, Miller Avenue and East Blithedale Avenue.

The list also included studying “areas of concern” that frequently raise safety issues. For example, it cited “speeding, cut-through traffic, and pedestrian/bicyclist safety” on Sycamore Avenue. On Throckmorton Avenue, it cited “safety on corridor heavily used by children going to library, parks and schools.”

On East Blithedale Avenue, it cited “parked cars blocking sidewalks.” On Montford Avenue, it cited “confusion over vehicle intention at partially stop controlled intersection.”

For “safe routes to school” programs, the project list said safety and road congestion should be studied around the various public schools.

“The projects on this list, as Bill alluded to, represent changing norms and changing culture in our community,” Councilmember Katherine Jones said.

“This is a really important document because staff is always looking for grant opportunities,” Councilmember Urban Carmel said.

Mayor Max Perrey said the city could tap other funds if it fails to find project funding.