Caltrans proposes phased Tiburon Boulevard repaving with protected bike lanes; residents and school officials warn bus-stop safety risks

Caltrans presented a phased plan for repaving and safety upgrades on SR‑131 (Tiburon Boulevard) at a public forum hosted by the Town of Tiburon, proposing to move forward with a partial, Phase 1 package while reserving more complex safety fixes for a Phase 2. The agency said the work is funded now but must be designed and delivered on a tight schedule to avoid losing about $12.7 million in construction capital.

The project as presented by Wajahat Niaz, deputy district director for design at Caltrans District 4, calls for preserving existing pavement across about 12.5 lane‑miles, upgrades to 42 curb ramps, roughly 100 linear feet of new sidewalk, guardrail updates and a mix of Class 1, 2 and 4 bike facilities totaling about 5.5 miles. Niaz said CAPM projects are intended to “preserve existing pavement and extend service life of the pavement,” and that the funding program imposes limits on scope and timing. “This particular project has estimate of $12,700,000 construction capital,” he said.

Why it matters: Caltrans warned that pausing the project to redesign could risk losing the current funding, increase pavement deterioration and raise future repair costs. Residents and school officials countered that an early build of on‑street protected bike lanes between Trestle Glen and Blackfield Drive would block existing bus stops and create safety risks for children unless bus stops are redesigned or moved.

Caltrans’ phased proposal and constraints

Caltrans offered two options: (1) advance a Phase 1 that delivers most pavement rehabilitation and some bikeway, guardrail and curb‑ramp work (and to incorporate broadband if detailed plans and funding agreements are ready), then program a Phase 2 (proposed for FY2027) to address remaining issues; or (2) pause and redesign everything for a later single delivery. Niaz said the agency prefers the phased approach because the funding has an expiry date and delaying risks emergency repairs and higher costs.

Niaz summarized the Phase 1 scope and limitations: “they are not intended for major geometric changes or for project that require a lot of significant amount of right away,” and the SHOPP‑style funding “has some restrictions,” including limits on work outside the state right‑of‑way. For issues that require additional right‑of‑way or utilities relocation, Caltrans said it plans to include them in Phase 2 if possible.

School buses, ADA and bus‑stop conflicts

Several school officials and the operator of the peninsula’s yellow bus system said the proposed Phase 1 bike layouts would prevent buses from safely using existing stops. Bob McCaskill, chair of the public agency that operates the yellow school buses in Belvedere and Tiburon, said: “Due to safety risk to students and cyclists, the company providing our buses and drivers will not allow their buses to cross or stop in the proposed bike lanes.” He said that would eliminate all Tiburon Boulevard stops between Trestle Glen and the Union 76 station and urged Caltrans to preserve bus access.

Reed Union School District board trustee Liz Webb urged Caltrans to remove the contested bike lanes from Phase 1 and put them in Phase 2 so student safety can be addressed properly: “Phase 1 doesn't address student safety. If we could take the bike lanes out of phase 1 and put them in phase 2 and do it right, that would be our proposal.” Trustee Shelby Tsai and Superintendent Kimberly McGrath echoed the need for ADA‑accessible bus loading/unloading areas for young students.

Support for bike facilities and broader safety improvements

Representatives of Safe Routes to Schools and local bicycle organizations said decades of planning and safety concerns support adding protected bike lanes on Tiburon Boulevard. Wendy Callens, Safe Routes task‑force coordinator, said Safe Routes “has been working with Caltrans on this for over a decade even before the paving project began,” and described route planning and school travel training the program provides. Warren Wells, policy and planning director for the Marin County Bicycle Coalition, and Terrell Cullaway, executive director of the same coalition, praised Caltrans’ willingness to add bikeways rather than only repave.

Residents divided over Greenwood Beach Road vs. Tiburon Boulevard

A central point of contention was a roughly one‑mile section between Trestle Glen and Blackfield Drive. Many Greenwood Beach Road residents urged keeping higher‑speed cyclists off their narrow residential street and supported protected facilities on Tiburon Boulevard. Residents described repeated crashes and near‑misses on Greenwood Beach Road. Pam Snelgrove said, in part, that “in a 10 day period ... I witnessed 3 road bike accidents,” and other neighbors described frequent collisions and safety concerns for drivers backing out of driveways.

Opponents of the specific Trestle Glen–Blackfield configuration argued that putting a protected lane in that short segment will not stop fast road cyclists from using neighborhood streets, and that alternative fixes — including targeted calming and upgraded routing on Greenwood Beach Road — should be studied before building the on‑street lane. Tom Knauer and other opponents urged redesign and more study rather than phasing forward quickly.

Other design elements and requests

Speakers asked Caltrans to: incorporate broadband conduit in project works so adaptive signal timing and other traffic management could be added; adjust signal timing at Trestle Glen; add protected crossings and bulb‑outs; and consider lane‑narrowing from 12 to 11 feet in places to make room for bike facilities. Mayor Holly Theer reiterated a town request to “include broadband in this project,” saying broadband would help adaptive traffic signals and reduce congestion. Caltrans said it is willing to incorporate broadband but needs complete plans and an agreement to fund the work in order to include it in Phase 1.

Next steps and stakeholder process

Caltrans said it will update Phase 1 plans, produce cost estimates and continue coordination with towns, transit operators, Safe Routes and other stakeholders. The agency also expressed willingness to work with a task force of elected officials and neighborhood representatives to resolve the contested segment before seeking Phase 2 funding: “We will be glad to work with you on put together a task force that is representative of the different neighborhoods,” a Caltrans representative said. Construction for Phase 1 is expected to occur beyond 2026; Phase 2 would be programmed later and is not guaranteed.

Where it stands

The forum produced no formal vote. Caltrans left the community with a narrow choice: accept a phased delivery that preserves current funding but requires later fixes, or pause to redesign and risk losing the currently programmed $12.7 million and facing higher future costs and emergency repairs. Local officials, school trustees and residents will continue coordination with Caltrans, while some neighborhood groups pushed for additional study or redesign for the Trestle Glen–Blackfield section.