Outlook
City council item 5 AB43
From Susan Nawbary
Date Thu 2/13/2025 5:02 PM
To Lindsay Lara <[email protected]>
We urge the San Rafael City Council to direct staff to
implement AB 43 by updating the city ordinance and lowering the speed limit on 4th Street by at least 5 miles per hour. 4th Street is used by almost every resident in San Rafael and is the primary route for cyclists across downtown. It is a distressing experience traveling by bicycle or by foot on 4th Street, as drivers often exceed the speed limits and fail to yield to pedestrians when turning right or left from 4th Street, as demonstrated by the pedestrian injury on B Street, as well as a fatality on 4th Street and G Street in 2021 and the recent fatality nearby on 2nd Street and Lincoln Avenue.
Between 2011 and 2020, there were 125 people injured in traffic crashes on 4th Street between the Transit Center and Miracle Mile - more than one per month. Half of the people hurt were walking or biking. Among those who suffered serious injuries, over 90% were outside of a car.
The importance of 4th Street for people walking or riding bikes is addressed repeatedly in our city plans. 4th Street is currently the only east-west bicycle route through downtown.
It is a Class 3 bicycle route, which is a designation that encourages cyclists to share the street with vehicles despite providing no dedicated space for them. Additionally, the recent Downtown Precise Plan 2040 names 4th Street as
part of both the bicycle and pedestrian priority networks. 2nd 2/14/25, 8:49 AM Mail - Lindsay Lara - Outlook
https://outlook.office365.com/mail/inbox/id/AAMkAGE4NDc2ZDVlLWQxMTYtNDBiOC04NTI0LTRjYTQzNTJlMTJkMQBGAAAAAAAyY1qsYIBjQ6ajfUyz… 1/2 Street and 3rd Street are reserved as vehicular priority routes.
At the end of the day, safety should be our number one
priority. The council can demonstrate that it values the safety of our residents by adopting AB 43 into its own ordinance and implementing a lower speed limit on 4th Street. No one should leave their home, only to never return to their loved ones, or return permanently injured from preventable traffic collisions
Sent from my iPhone
2/14/25, 8:49 AM Mail - Lindsay Lara - Outlook
https://outlook.office365.com/mail/inbox/id/AAMkAGE4NDc2ZDVlLWQxMTYtNDBiOC04NTI0LTRjYTQzNTJlMTJkMQBGAAAAAAAyY1qsYIBjQ6ajfUyz… 2/2