San Rafael Adopts Bike and Pedestrian Plan as Renters Push for Protections

San Rafael now has a grant-ready roadmap for walking and biking. The City Council voted 5-0 on Oct. 19, 2026, to adopt the 2026 update to its Citywide Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan, but only after the mayor questioned how little weight safety carries in project rankings. The council also approved a $2.3M rebuild of the 2nd and 4th Street intersection, while a long line of renters warned that waiting until November for tenant protections is too long.

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• Bike and Pedestrian Plan adopted 5-0, ranking 23 top projects worth $70 million to $90 million
• Mayor challenges safety weighting after it fell from 48% to 15% of project scores
• $2.3M contract for the 2nd and 4th Street intersection passes 4-0, closing the westbound left onto Marquard Avenue
• Renters and Parent Voices demand emergency protections now, ahead of a November council discussion
• $817,000 wildland fire apparatus approved 5-0 after a councilmember pulled it from consent

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A Bike Plan Built for Grants

The basics: The 2026 plan is a targeted update of the city's 2018 Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan. Consultant Parametrics prepared it, and it adds a pedestrian priority network, design guidelines, demographic equity scoring and a 122-project list. Twenty-three of those projects are ranked top priority.

Why it matters: An adopted plan keeps San Rafael eligible for outside funding. "The city's been awarded $47 million in grant funding for these projects," said Jimmy Jessup, transportation planner, Parametrics, referring to the past eight years. The 23 top projects alone carry an estimated $70 million to $90 million price tag.

Where things stand: Staff ran two rounds of public engagement, and the Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee reviewed the plan before a public draft was released. Better east-west connections across Highway 101 were the top theme in public input. Councilmembers asked how the plan fits with other city plans and how often it will be updated. They also raised coordination with paving, bicycle boulevards that were never built, painted Class 2 lanes versus separated Class 4 bikeways, e-bikes, growth in Northgate and grant matching requirements.

Vision Zero tension: Mayor Kate Colin said she had expected Vision Zero safety factors to total 20 points, not 15. "My knee-jerk is those numbers are too low as opposed to totaling to 15," she said. Jessup explained the shift. "In 2018, safety added up to 48% of the overall prioritization score. And as noted, that has reduced to 15% of the 2026 priority score," he said.

Connectivity is now the leading scoring criterion because the city's Local Road Safety Plan already targets collision hotspots. High-collision locations still get 5 baseline points, and crash history adds up to 10 more. Public Works Director April Miller said capital projects get a second safety screen. Assistant Public Works Director and City Engineer Joanna Kwok said safety-driven work can also move forward through traffic calming or the roadway safety program. On collision trends, Miller said preliminary data suggest "our numbers are actually decreasing."

Measuring results: Councilmember Eli Hill asked how the city could track KSI, or killed or seriously injured crashes, along with pedestrian counts. Vice Mayor Rachel Kertz pressed for accountability. "I do think there needs to be some sequence for a reporting cycle," she said. She also asked staff to track each project's current and prior rankings and to put more focus on older adults and accessibility. "We need to reprioritize in terms of that focus," she said. Colin framed the end goal plainly: "We need to get that first year with having no KSIs."

The other side: No one opposed the plan at the hearing. Phil Mooney, a member of the Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee, called it thoughtful and practical. Shane Trimmer, policy and planning director, Marin County Bicycle Coalition, thanked staff for adding the coalition's recommendations and asked for a level-of-traffic-stress map. Earlier, during general public comment, public commenter Danielle Mahoney said neighbors on Point San Pedro Road fear permanently losing parking to bicycle striping.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Kertz moved adoption and Councilmember Maika Llorens Gulati seconded. The resolution passed with For: 5 (Colin, Kertz, Llorens Gulati, Bushey, Hill), Against: 0, Absent: 0. Cyclists, pedestrians and grant-dependent capital programs gain the most. Residents who rely on street parking along future bike corridors are the likeliest source of friction as projects reach design.

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Rebuilding a 45,000-Car Intersection

Why it matters: About 45,000 cars pass through 2nd and 4th streets every day. The roughly $4.1M project aims to improve safety and ADA access and cut the number of pedestrian crossings from five to two. It also removes the westbound left turn onto Marquard Avenue.

Where things stand: The design adds a business-access lane, a raised median with delineators to block non-emergency left turns while keeping emergency access, a pedestrian refuge island and high-visibility crosswalks. Gas tax revenue and regional OBAG 3 grant funds pay for the work. A Kimley Horn study found less delay at the intersection itself. Parametrics found more delay at nearby signals, though those signals still operate at level of service A, the best rating. "Construction is estimated at about 4 months," Miller said. The work will run in five phases, coordinated with Marin Water and PG&E.

The other side: Public commenter Mike Moore, a West Street resident, said he supports the safety goals. He worries that closing the turn will push traffic onto narrow, steep neighborhood streets, and he asked the council to keep the turn or commit to more study. Public commenter Victoria DeWitt asked staff to answer questions about turning movements, routing apps, delivery vehicles and mitigation before any vote.

Miller put the volume in context. "The study was showing that there's 300 vehicles a day that make that left," she said, adding that many drivers already use West End Avenue. Staff said signal timing changes could be made quickly. They also outlined striped medians, signage, large-vehicle restrictions, keep-clear markings and possible turn-radius changes. Staff said they rejected Parametrics' recommendation to add red curb in order to protect parking, though state law requires some red curb near crosswalks.

Colin asked about local-traffic-only signs and outreach to Google, Apple and delivery companies. Supporters Dave Rhodes and Matthew Hartzell backed the design and asked for larger bike queue boxes, a pedestrian bollard and a sign map for complex projects. Staff agreed to review those requests.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Hill disqualified himself because his residence is within 500 feet of the project. Kertz moved both resolutions:

• The construction award passed with For: 4 (Colin, Kertz, Llorens Gulati, Bushey), Against: 0, Absent: 1 (Hill). It covers a $2,297,267 contract, with total authorization capped at $2,875,767 including contingency.
• The construction management, inspection and testing agreement, capped at $573,908, passed by the same 4-0 vote.

"But I absolutely support it. I think it's time to move this forward," Kertz said, while asking for a project feedback loop. Colin called the design "a great solution for a very constrained site." Pedestrians and businesses gain the most from the redesign. Neighbors near Marquard and West End will carry the risk of cut-through traffic.

What's next: Staff committed to post-construction monitoring of neighborhood impacts.

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Renters Say November Is Too Late

Why it matters: Families told the council they have been asking for help since August and fear displacement as storms approach. Staff confirmed tenant protections are slated for a November agenda. No action was taken at this meeting.

Where things stand: The open-time comment period was clearly organized, with many speakers addressing the council in Spanish. Public commenter Beatriz Chan, a child-care provider, described what housing instability does to children in the Canal neighborhood. Aura Sarat of Parent Voices asked the city to close coverage gaps for subleasers and shared housing and to protect tenants' right to return after repairs. Cecilia Gramajo asked for a moratorium on rent increases and on no-fault evictions tied to natural disasters, within the city's legal authority. Another resident said her building faces a possible red tag and eviction, and she asked for an emergency plan.

Dalia Chan Rosado and Amarantha Silva, community organizer, Parent Voices California, pressed three demands:

• Adopt every legally available emergency protection now.
• Publish a timeline for comprehensive protections, including rent stabilization, relocation assistance and right of return.
• Say what the city will do before November.

A commenter named Kira and a Marin Tenant Power Committee speaker called for rent stabilization, just-cause eviction protection for all tenants and a ban on RUBS billing, the practice of charging tenants for utilities by formula rather than metered use. They cited a Bay Area eviction report and objected to the topic being handled at a weekday-morning subcommittee.

The other side: Colin pushed back on the claim that the subcommittee operates out of public view. "Our subcommittee meetings are actually open public meetings that are both recorded," she said.

What's next: The November agenda is the next decision point. Advocates have made clear they will measure the city by whether it adopts interim protections before then.

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Fire Engine Pulled, Then Funded

Councilmember Maribeth Bushey pulled item 2G from the consent calendar. "I'd like to request that item 2G be held from the consent calendar due to the amount of the appropriation and the importance of wildfire preparation," she said.

City Manager Paul Navazio called the item a cleanup. The vehicle was requested during the budget process but left off the final replacement list, and it will cost $817,000, including outfitting, from the vehicle replacement fund. "This specialty apparatus is a 4-wheel drive machine," said Fire Chief Abe Roman. He said it carries a 500-gallon-per-minute pump and 500 gallons of water, handles steep roads, helps keep fires small and joins California mutual aid strike teams.

Navazio acknowledged that rising costs have left the replacement fund behind. Bushey moved approval, and the item passed with For: 5, Against: 0, Absent: 0.

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Minor Items

• Consent items 2A-2F passed 5-0 after public commenter Gregory Andrew questioned a $106,000 versus $159,000 value gap on item 2C and the Northgate plan agreement.
• Mayor Colin proclaimed Oct. 28, 2026, National First Responders Day, honoring police, fire, paramedics, public works and dispatchers.
• City websites and emails will move from cityofsanrafael.org to sanrafael.gov, Navazio announced.
• Central Marin Sanitation Agency consolidation is nearing its final steps after more than two years, including a $5M payment toward unfunded pension liabilities.
• Colin urged residents to sign up for Alert Marin ahead of possible El Niño storm conditions.

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Looking Ahead

Tenant protections, including rent stabilization, a RUBS ban and just-cause eviction rules, are expected on a November council agenda.