From: Alice Ostrovsky
Sent: Saturday, July 19, 2025 1:19 PM
To: Distrib- City Clerk <[email protected]> Subject: Public Comment, City Council Meeting 7/21/25 - Freitas/Lea Intersection My name is Alice Ostrovsky and I’d like to share my family’s very personal experience related to the intersection of Freitas Parkway and Lea Drive in Terra Linda. In light of the recent deadly bike v. car accident there, the City MUST improve that spot.
On Friday, September 15, 2023 my son Zander, who had just started his senior year in high school at TLHS, went out “for a spin around the neighborhood” before dinner. It was only the 3rd time he’d been out on his brand new dream MTB which he’d been saving for years to purchase. Since it was approaching dusk, he confirmed he had his bike light and said he’d be back for dinner.
At some point my husband and I got tired of waiting dinner on him and sat down to eat, when my cell phone rang with a call every parent dreads. It was a stranger, a lady calling from his phone: “Your son has been hit by a car on his bike on Freitas, the paramedics are here tending to him, they’re taking him to Marin General.” I told her to please tell them we are Kaiser, after a bit of back & forth she put one of the EMT’s on the phone who said they had to take him to Marin General because of the speed of the collision, that’s the “trauma center” and don’t bother to come to Freitas, meet him at the hospital.
My son was coming off trail on his bike when he was ploughed through by a woman driving a Rav4 making the left onto Lea. As near as we can tell he jettisoned his beloved bike in the moment (given the minimal damage to the bike), and was thrown over the front top of her car, landing on the side of the street. The SR Police officer told me more than once if he had not been wearing a helmet it would have been “catastrophic.” He also told me the woman’s windshield and hood of her car were badly damaged. To which I said no wonder, my son is 6’3’’ tall and she drove through him! We later learned from the police report there was a husband and wife in a car waiting to make the left, behind the car that hit Zander. The husband, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, told police he could see the bicyclist coming down the hill. So no excuse why the driver who hit him did not. No matter, it should never have happened. Zander reported seeing a car that was headed up the hill when he crested the hill heading down but he knew he had the right of way and did not think there would be an issue.
As he approached the intersection and realized she was not stopping, he attempted to brake but it was too late. We were shocked once this happened to him, how very many people told us about their own or people they knew having crashes or near misses in the same spot, both on bikes and on foot.
Her insurance accepted full responsibility. My son suffered a fractured clavicle, Level 4 shoulder separation, and several fractured ribs. This occurred 5 days before his 18th birthday. He awaited 10 days in excruciating pain for the first of 2 surgeries to repair his shoulder. So much pain. He missed 5-6 weeks of school at the beginning of his senior year of high school, and yet he made up the work, got his grades back up, applied to all the colleges he’d planned, got accepted by all of them, and now attends Vassar College in NY, his first choice.
We are fortunate, Zander survived. Two major surgeries later, tons of PT, a senior year in high school nobody would want, and emotional and physical scars that will likely never heal. But he is an amazing strong smart kid and I am happy to report he is back to enjoying the rock climbing and mountain biking he loves.
In the case of this recent incident, my son knows the driver and passengers of the car as well as the daughter of the bicyclist killed. The tragedy for all involved is absolutely devastating, unthinkable. This must be the final catalyst that causes remediation of this roadway. It is absolutely shocking that drivers turning left onto Lea have a Yield, not a Stop sign. It is unacceptable that there are any plantings at all in the median - bushes, trees, anything. Further remediation, I leave to the experts, whether it be flashing lights warning those coming downhill of cars approaching the intersection, signage in both directions, speed bumps or other changes to the road surface, I’m sure there are many options.
I don't have to tell you, the trailhead at the top of Freitas is one of the heaviest used, popular entrances to the beautiful open space we all treasure. Bikes, runners, pedestrians with and without kids or dogs are crossing the street and/or traveling downhill there constantly. In my opinion, when you mix cars, bikes and pedestrians there is always going to be some inherent risk. But how can the City knowingly continue to allow what has been decades of tragedy in that spot? Please fix this on your watch.
Sincerely,
Alice Ostrovsky
San Rafael, CA 94903
-----Original Message-----
From: Craig Sarachene
Sent: Sunday, July 20, 2025 5:03 PM
To: Distrib- City Clerk <[email protected]> Subject: Public Comment - 7/21/2025 CC Meeting - Chris Brignetti Chris is the second person I know who has had a serious accident at that intersection. My dentist, Theodore Schwartz sustained career-ending injuries there. It’s time to get this figured out, before the next tragedy hits.
Thanks,
Craig Sarachene
From: Kathi Ellick
Sent: Sunday, July 20, 2025 10:26 PM
To: Distrib- City Clerk <[email protected]> Subject: Public Comment - 7/21/2025 CC Meeting - Chris Brignetti •
Hello City Clerk of San Rafael, I would like my comments to be recorded for the meeting scheduled for July 21st.
I just found out about the accident that took the life of Chris, an important person to the community. As a resident of Terra Linda and a volunteer with Marin County bike coalition. I feel that Six crashes at the same intersection are six too many! It seems that the city of San Rafael chose not to implement its own 2018 Bicycle Master Plan recommendations, which would have narrowed the travel lanes. Freitas Parkway’s wide, high-speed design is obviously unsafe. I hope that the time has come to redesign this road and others like it in San Rafael before more lives are lost.
Kathi Ellick
Los Ranchitos
From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of lauraschepps
Sent: Friday, July 18, 2025 2:10 PM
To: Distrib- City Clerk <[email protected]> Subject: Bicyclist fatality | New submission from Contact the City Clerk's Office Name
laura schepps
Email
Subject
Bicyclist fatality
Message
Almost 3 weeks ago a bicyclist and car collided at the intersection of Lea and Manual Freitas in Terra Linda .
The bicyclist died of his injuries and the lives of the driver and occupants will forever be traumatized by this event. I live in the Meadows of Terra Linda and have contacted San Rafael Dept of Public Works and the police department several times with no positive response. The speed limit needs to be changed from 30- 35mph to 20 or 25 mph. The speeding up and down that hill with cars and bicyclists was a tragedy always in the making. In my opinion there needs to be a stop sign at the left hand turn onto Lea. There needs to be caution blinking lights to alert bicyclists and cars of the danger. There needs to be CAUTION'pedestrian, bicycle and animal crossing ' signs. There needs to be YOUR SPEED signs along the street leading up and down this stretch of Freitas. Also there needs to be caution signs along Lea. People speed down and up that street around the entrances to both Surrey and Forest Lane. There are pedestrians, pets, cars and bikes always...Caution signs need to be installed.
That is my 2 cents including that this was a perfect storm which includes the citys inaction with signs, too high speed limits of both cars and bicyclists. I am thankful more of this has not happened.....praying the city will take action!
From: Matt Farber
Sent: Monday, July 21, 2025 7:42 AM
To: Distrib- City Clerk <[email protected]> Subject: Public Comment - 7/21/2025 CC Meeting - Chris Brignetti Hello San Rafael City Council,
I live in San Rafael and will be attending today's Council Meeting. As a cyclist, pedestrian, frequent user of public transportation, and caring citizen, I am writing to express my concern and frustration about the crash last month on Freitas Parkway that took the life of Chris Brignetti. Six crashes at that intersection is way too many, and something must (and can) be done to prevent crashes like this in the future. Please help do something to make this dangerous road less dangerous for all.
Thank you,
Matt Farber
-----Original Message-----
From: Miles Raphael
Sent: Sunday, July 20, 2025 8:07 AM
To: Distrib- City Clerk <[email protected]> Subject: Public Comment - 7/21/2025 CC Meeting - Chris Brignetti To the Honorable Mayor Kate Colin and The City Council of San Rafael:
I have lived in Terra Linda, near the Freitas Parkway, for over 26 years. I am a licensed driver with 52 years of driving experience, and a cyclist with 60 years of experience riding in Berkeley, Oakland, Los Angeles, and Marin.
A bicycle offers many benefits to the rider and the community for transportation and heath yet, far too many drivers see cyclists as a nuisance. In my opinion, the City of San Rafael, has failed to recognize the benefits cyclists bring to the community and failed to adequately address cyclist safety.
Without getting into too much detail, suffice it to say that I participated in many of the public meetings, when the ALTA consulting firm was contracted to design bike lanes in conjunction with the Smart Train design and implementation. Mr. Mansourian, the primary city official in charge, chopped these plans up, and allowed the north south hodge podge that we currently have in downtown San Rafael and across Eastern Terra Linda.
It is deeply troubling that this lack of concern for cycling safety continues today, and likely resulted in the most recent tragic loss of life on the Freitas Parkway. It is my understanding that a 2018 Bicycle master plan addressed safety issues across the city, and yet the city chose not to implement the plan.
With the several accidents that have occurred recently, at the same intersection where Chris Brignetti lost his life, and Ted Schwarz sustained life changing injuries in a 2006 crash, isn’t it time to give cyclists equal protection under the law. These are residential neighborhoods, with lots of pedestrians, runners, children and cyclists. Won’t you please turn the Freitas Raceway back into a Parkway and make it safe for everyone?
I was able to get a City of San Rafael crew to trim a tree in the median, above Lea, on Freitas, on Wednesday, July 16. This simple act, improved line of sight for all drivers approaching the intersection.
However, drivers still need to LOOK for cyclists. After the trimming, I had a discussion with Ken Rice, and he proposed a two way bike lane on the uphill side of Freitas. This proposition is quite clever, with minimal impact and could be implemented with relatively low cost.
Won’t you please turn the Freitas Raceway back into a Parkway and make it safe for everyone? I would be happy to work with the community and city staff to make riding safer in San Rafael.
Thank you for your support to our community.
Sincerely,
Miles Raphael
From: Susan Nawbary
Sent: Sunday, July 20, 2025 4:35 PM
To: Distrib- City Clerk <[email protected]> Subject: Public Comment - 7/21/2025 CC Meeting - Chris Brignetti Dear San Rafael City Council Members,
Question: how many injured or dead people does it take to make a critical infrastructure improvement?
Answer: 6 and counting.
It should not take five injuries and one death, or more for the intersections on Manuel T Freitas at Mission Pass be improved so that vehicles do not blindly turn into oncoming traffic, vehicle or otherwise. Please fix this intersection immediately. For the cost of paint, you can prevent the cost of losing a life.
It’s time for the blood sacrifices to stop. Implement the entirety of the 2018 Bicycle Master Plan. No more paying for infrastructure improvements with the blood and death of our loved ones. If the city took their own plan seriously, Chris Brignetti could be alive today.
How many deaths and life-altering injuries must the council take as payment for the full implementation of the bicycle master plan?
Thank you for taking the time to give my comments serious thought.
Sincerely,
Susan Nawbary
Sent from my iPhone