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Draft San Rafael bicycle and pedestrian plan proposes new pedestrian priority network, equity criteria and design guidelines
Summary
Staff presented a draft update to the Citywide Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan that adds a pedestrian-priority network, new design guidelines, and an equity criterion to project prioritization. Public commenters urged stronger emphasis on regional pathways, class 4 separated bikeways downtown, and clearer implementation timelines; staff aim to return a final plan to Council in August.
City staff and consultants presented the draft San Rafael Citywide Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan update to the Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee on June 10 and invited public comment through June 24.
Project manager Abby and consultant Jimmy Jessup said the update is a targeted improvement to the 2018 plan, adding a pedestrian-priority network, a design-guidelines appendix prepared with Alta Planning & Design, and revised project-scoring that introduces equity as a separate criterion while reducing the sole weight of public-comment input.
Staff noted a number of implementation and process changes: the plan groups projects into three geographic areas rather than seven, prioritizes pedestrian needs more explicitly, and increases the emphasis on connectivity and access to destinations. The project team said they aim to incorporate public feedback mid-July and present the final plan to Council in August.
Public commenters urged the city to (1) elevate regional pathway projects like the North San Rafael Promenade in the plan language so segments read as part of a larger corridor, (2) give higher near-term priority to class 4 separated bikeways connecting downtown and transit as multiple high-rise residential projects move through permitting, and (3) provide a clearer implementation timeline and tracking mechanism to measure delivery against plan targets.
Committee members recommended adding clear definitions (for example, for "bike boulevard") to the design guidance, ensuring coordination with fire and emergency access, and clarifying how growth and near-term development should influence project scoring. Staff agreed to add definitional language and to document what was changed between iterations.
