Tiburon commission forms Old Rail Trail safety subcommittee amid ebike, crowding concerns

The Tiburon Parks, Open Space and Trails Commission on Sept. 30 established a two-member subcommittee to develop recommendations for bicycle and pedestrian safety improvements along the Old Rail Trail.

Commissioners said the trail has recurring safety issues: conflicting speeds between bicyclists (including e-bikes) and pedestrians, high weekend volumes near McKamey Green and other access points, and multiple crossings of Tiburon Boulevard. The commission cited the town’s pavement-management schedule and a forthcoming traffic study that will examine crossings and mobility as related projects that should be coordinated with any trail changes.

The commission nominated and approved Commissioner Holbrook and Commissioner Ghaffari to serve on the Old Rail Trail Bicycle & Pedestrian Safety Subcommittee. Commissioners said the subcommittee’s scope should include short-term low-cost measures (signage, striping, paint, bollard maintenance), coordination with the Caltrans repaving project on Tiburon Boulevard and the pending traffic study, and longer-term engineering options such as widened paths, separated bicycle lanes, or intersection changes.

A number of public commenters urged clearer and more enforceable signage and asked whether police could ticket speeders; a commissioner noted limitations on enforcement when ownership or road classification complicates citation authority. Commissioners also suggested the subcommittee should consider data collection (collision reports, e-bike incident details) to support policy recommendations.

The nomination passed by unanimous roll call vote; the subcommittee will report back to the commission with recommendations for both near-term improvements and longer-term projects that may require capital funding or interagency approvals.