Safe Routes to Schools Neighborhood Meeting

On Tuesday, Feb. 7, San Anselmo held a community meeting to receive input on the proposed Safe Routes to Schools project, which would provide for new sidewalks, crosswalks, traffic signal improvements, ADA compliant curb ramps, safety barriers, and traffic calming measures around our schools. A $620,000 grant for the project was obtained through Cal Trans.

The included projects are:

• Sir Francis Drake Boulevard Proposed Pedestrian Safety Barrier: Install pedestrian safety barrier along southwest side of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard from Butterfield Road to Broadmoor Avenue.
• Neighborhood of Lower Brookside Elementary School: Install 1,450 feet of new sidewalk, seven ADA-compliant curb ramps and restripe four crosswalks along Arroyo Avenue, The Alameda, Berkeley Avenue, and Broadmoor Avenue. Install a raised intersection to calm traffic at Berkeley Avenue and the Alameda.
• Sir Francis Drake Boulevard and Tamal Avenue/San Francisco Boulevard: Reconfigure existing four-way traffic signal to split phase timing, re-stripe three crosswalks across Sir Francis Drake, Tamal, and San Francisco, and construct three ADA-compliant curb ramps at the new crosswalks.
• San Francisco Boulevard Neighborhood Route to School: Install 150 feet of new sidewalk, six ADA-compliant curb ramps, and restripe ten crosswalks along Santa Cruz Avenue, Veterans Place, and Los Angeles Boulevard.
• Barber Avenue Route to Wade Thomas Elementary School: Install 100 feet of new sidewalk, four ADA compliant curb ramps, and restripe one crosswalk along Barber Avenue. Install raised intersection to calm traffic at Barber and Prospect Avenues.

About 50 people attended the community meeting to give their input on the various projects. Concerns were expressed regarding speeding, parking, and drainage, as well as safety concerns at crosswalks and visibility after improvements. Support for the projects was expressed as well. Public Works Director Sean Condry has all the comments recorded and will be taking all of them into account as he begins the preliminary design of the project. Many thanks to all who participated and gave their input.

Overnight Parking

The San Anselmo Municipal Code prohibits overnight parking on the town’s streets and roadways. The rule is that no person may park a vehicle on any street for a period of time longer than 30 minutes between the hours of 2 and 6 a.m. of any day. 

The overnight parking ordinance was enacted with considerable resident input to protect our citizens, as well as to maintain the aesthetics of the community. Many of our streets are very narrow and winding, and were not intended for current levels of traffic. The ordinance allows traffic to flow smoothly and helps to ensure clearance for emergency vehicles, such as fire engines, paramedics and police vehicles.

Another benefit of the overnight parking ordinance is crime prevention. Cars that do not belong in a particular area become more visible to our officers on patrol. This has netted the Police Department arrests of criminals who otherwise might have gone unnoticed parked amongst other vehicles.  

Lastly, the overnight parking ordinance enhances the aesthetics of our community by keeping the streets uncluttered, helping to maintain home values and enhancing the quality of life for all those who live and traverse our town.

Library Programs 

Tuesday, Feb. 14, noon – 1 p.m. – Art Talk Tuesday: Doris Duke and the King of Siam, held in the Council Chambers.

Tuesday, Feb. 21, 7:30 p.m. -- Friends of the Library present: Istanbul! The Visual Culture of a City, a One Book, One Marin event, held in the Library.

Saturday, Feb. 25, 3 p.m. -- Saturday afternoon lecture at the Library: First Aid from your Pantry, held in the Council Chambers.

News from the Red Hill Dog Park 

The Red Hill Dog Park is eager to hear from you. Please take five minutes to tell us about you and your canine companions and to provide feedback about the Red Hill Dog Park. Everyone who completes this survey will be entered into a raffle to win prizes.

The survey is at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FDJ8L6K.