Let's connect!
Enjoy Mill Valley
  • HOME
  • EVENTS & GUIDES
    • 2020-21 EMV Guide
    • 2020 Mill Valley Wine, Beer & Gourmet Food Tasting
    • Winterfest >
      • Activities, Food & Entertainment
      • About Winterfest
    • Calendar
    • Special Events
  • EAT
  • Stay
  • VISIT
    • Muir Woods
    • PLAY
    • Tour
    • Map
    • PRESS
  • SHOP
    • Enjoy Mill Valley Store
    • Shopping Areas
    • Apparel and Jewelry
    • Automotive
    • Banking & Financial Services
    • Biz, Consumer & Professional Services
    • Beauty & Grooming
    • Fitness & Sports
    • Food & Wine
    • Home & Garden
    • Kids & Pets
    • Health & Wellness
    • Nonprofit Organizations
    • Real Estate
    • Specialty Shops
  • A&E
  • EMV Films
  • BLOG
  • Mill Valley Chamber
  • City of Mill Valley
  • CONTACT US
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise on Enjoy Mill Valley
  • ShopMV

Dazzling Array of Art Draws Thousands to 58th Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival in a Gorgeous Redwood Grove

9/21/2014

0 Comments

 
Here's a selection of favorites from the 58th Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival, Sept. 20-21, 2014 in Old Mill Park.

Want to know what's happening around town? Click here to subscribe to the Enjoy Mill Valley Blog by Email!
0 Comments

Zero Breast Cancer's Dipsea Hike Draws Hundreds, Raises Nearly $70K

9/16/2014

0 Comments

 
More than 600 people turned out for the Zero Breast Cancer's 12th Annual Dipsea Hike on Saturday, Sept, 13 in Old Mill Park, raising nearly $70,000 in the process. 

The San Rafael-based nonprofit organization, which focuses on research, prevention and education, has been hosting the event since 2002, seeking to both heighten awareness of the benefits of physical activity in reducing breast cancer as well as raise mont for continued research. The event has raised more than $300,000 in support of ZBC’s research and educational programs and more than 3,100 people have participated.

The Dipsea Hike for Zero Breast Cancer is an all ages noncompetitive 6-mile course starting at the Dipsea steps in Mill Valley. This year’s honorary event chair, inspirational speaker and lead hiker was Astronaut Yvonne Cagle, who graduated from Novato High in 1977. Dr. Cagle Yvonne Cagle was a member of the Astronaut Class of 1996. 

Zero Breast Cancer was founded in 1995 and is a community based organization dedicated to prevention and finding the causes of breast cancer through local participation in the scientific research process. They focus on identifying environmental factors and the role they play in breast cancer at all stages of life and across generations. To find out more about Zero Breast Cancer’s work, visit zerobreastcancer.org

Want to know what's happening around town? Click here to subscribe to the Enjoy Mill Valley Blog by Email!
0 Comments

Hundreds Turn Out for Marin Bicycle Coalition's "Robin's Ride" to Honor Late Local Legend

9/14/2014

4 Comments

 
One month after the passing of Robin Williams, the legendary comedian and actor and longtime Mill Valley fixture, hundreds of cyclists gathered at Blackie's Pasture on Sunday morning to begin "Robin's Ride," a jaunt around the famed Paradise Loop ride that Williams loved to do himself for years. The event was organized by the Marin County Bicycle Coalition and featured brief speeches by Coalition Director Jim Elias and famed American cyclist and commentator Bob Roll. Even organizers seems taken aback by the massive turnout.

Want to know what's happening around town? Click here to subscribe to the Enjoy Mill Valley Blog by Email!
4 Comments

Ronnie's Awesome List of Family-Friendly Events for September 2014

9/2/2014

1 Comment

 
Picture
A scene from "The Tempest," which runs on weekends at 2pm through Sept. 14 in Old Mill Park Amphitheatre, Mill Valley. Photo by Russell Johnson.
The following is part of Ronnie's Awesome List, an unbelievably comprehensive roundup of family-friendly events throughout the Bay Area. Click here for the full list!

Overnight Adventures
Sleepovers at a favorite spot are a wildly popular experience and is as exciting as ever for families. Each one offers a unique and special way to enjoy a beloved place and they sell out fast. Bring your pj’s and sleeping bag and sleep next to your favorite exhibit, under the stars or on an historic ship and let your imagination run wild.

Animals:
  • Seals and Slippers, Marine Mammal Center, Sausalito
  • Family Campouts, Slide Ranch
  • Penguins + Pajamas, California Academy of Science
  • Wild Nights, San Francisco Zoo
  • Youth Group Sleepovers, Aquarium of the Bay
  • Bedtime With Beasts, Oakland Zoo
  • Seashore Sleepovers, Monterey Bay Aquarium
Historic Ships:
  • Balclutha
  • Jeremiah O’Brien
  • Pampanito
  • Family Live-Aboard Experience, USS Hornet
Museums:
  • Summer Sleepovers, Children’s Fairyland.
  • Slumber with the Stars, Chabot Space & Science Museum
  • Museum Sleepovers, Tech Museum of Innovation, San Jose
  • Charles M. Schulz Museum, Santa Rosa
Do you know any other fun overnights at a museum or any other place in the Bay Area? Please let us know.

Special Note:
  • Bay Area Discovery Museum is closed September 8–22.
  • The Children’s Creativity Museum is closed September 1-12.

Tuesday, September 2
First 5’s “Hands-On Health Express” van will be visiting the San Geronimo Valley Community Center, 10am-2pm, lots of activities for young children to learn about fitness and nutrition. Bring the kids for hula hoop fun, a little farmers market, coloring, stories and more!

Ghostbusters, 11am, 1:40pm, 4:20pm, 7pm, 9:40pm, Corte Madera Theatre.

Wednesday, September 3
Family Fun Day 2014- Grand Opening Stroller Strides San Anselmo, 8:45am, free, join us for children’s activities, music class, local vendors and FANTASTIC giveaways, San Anselmo Memorial Park, San Anselmo.

Ghostbusters, 11am, 1:40pm, 4:20pm, 7pm, 9:40pm, Corte Madera Theatre.

Free Bike Repair Day for kids and families, 1-4pm, Bay Area Bike Mobile presents a free day of bike repair for kids and families. Bring your bike to the San Anselmo Library lawn. We can fix most everything! Arrive Early. Space is Limited!

Tote-Decorating Event, snacks and refreshments, The Poppy Store, Marin County Mart, Larkspur.

Legends and Myths of the Prairie Wolf, 10am-12pm, learn why the coyote is such a successful survivor and the topic of so many stories on this family-friendly, two-mile walk is easy to moderate with some steep hills, Muir Woods.

Thursday, September 4
High Line Festival of Surfing, Mill Valley

An Overture to the 2014-15 Opera Season, 8pm, conducted by our own fabulous Dawn Harms and feature Operatic Favorites such as music from Tosca, La Forza Del Destino, Manon Lescaut as well as some special surprises! San Francisco Conservatory of Music, 50 Oak Street, San Francisco.free,

Click here for the full list of events through September!

Want to know what's happening around town? Click here to subscribe to the Enjoy Mill Valley Blog by Email!
1 Comment

Zooks Zoom at Rotary's 2nd Annual Zucchini Race

8/25/2014

0 Comments

 
Event raises money for the Dictionary Project, which seeks to provide a dictionary to every student in the United States and help them to improve their communication skills and make the most of their education.
The following was provided by Susan Royce of the Rotary Club of Mill Valley.

Wheeled zucchinis raced for the second time at the Rotary Club of Mill Valley’s 2nd Annual Zucchini Race on August 17. The event, held at the Mill Valley Golf Course Clubhouse, was a benefit for the Dictionary Project, through which the Rotary Club of Mill Valley provides a dictionary to every third grader. Scores of people showed up for racing and fun. Although there were a few catastrophic crashes that ended in variations of ratatouille, we had many winners in various categories.

The Rotary Club of Mill Valley is an organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world. In more than 160 countries worldwide, approximately 1.3 million Rotarians belong to more than 32,000 Rotary clubs. The main objective of Rotary is service in the community, workplace and throughout the world.  Rotarians develop community service projects that address many of today's most critical issues, such as children at risk, poverty and hunger, the environment, literacy and violence. They also support programs for youth, educational opportunities and international exchanges for students, teachers and other professionals.  
Rotary club membership represents a cross-section of the community's business and professional men and women. The world's Rotary clubs meet weekly and are nonpolitical, nonreligious and open to all cultures, races and creeds. The Rotary motto is Service Above Self. For more information about the rich history of the Mill Valley Rotary Club, visit its website.

Want to know what's happening around town? Click here to subscribe to the Enjoy Mill Valley Blog by Email!
0 Comments

Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival Seeks Volunteers

8/19/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture

The 58th annual Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival is looking for volunteers to make this class event a great success.  

Many volunteers are needed for this year's event starting Sept. 19 through Sept. 21. Get free admission to the event, a T-shirt, snacks and lots of praise.  

Positions include:
  • Friday pre festival set up
  • Sunday post festival tear down
  • Gate greeter and money taker
  • Artist booth sitter
  • T-shirt and poster sales
  • Parking attendants and traffic control
Click here to visit the website and sign up.

Contact Trez the volunteer co-ordinator with questions at: 925.323.7735 (cell) or email: vol4mvfaf@gmail.com.

Want to know what's happening around town? Click here to subscribe to the Enjoy Mill Valley Blog by Email!
0 Comments

Watch: Breathtaking Videos of Fog-Soaked, Moonlit Mill Valley and Bay Area from Atop Mt. Tam

8/13/2014

0 Comments

 
From his widely lauded film "The Invisible Peak" to his viral video time lapse from the Mount Tamalpais fire lookout, with a bevy of films throughout the 94941 in between, Mill Valley filmmaker Gary Yost has shown boundless creativity in casting his lens from and upon the Sleeping Lady.

Over the past weekend during his shift at the Mt. Tam fire lookout, Yost created a pair of breathtaking videos of the mountain, Mill Valley and the Bay Area. The first shows them blanketed in fog under a silvery-blue full moonlight. "I
t’s a new way of looking at something we all deal with during the summer but never are able to see for what it is… a magical mysterious tsunami of vapor that erases almost all traces of civilization every evening," Yost says.

Full Moon Pacific Blanket - SF Bay from Gary Yost on Vimeo.

The second video, 30 seconds long, features a Sun Glory, which is "an optical phenomenon that resembles an iconic saint's halo about the shadow of the observer's head. This Glory manifested in the fog below me as a rainbow halo around the Fire Lookout’s moving shadow as I was leaving my shift on Sunday morning — and it’s amazing," Yost says.

Mt. Tam Fire Lookout Glory from Gary Yost on Vimeo.

Brilliant work as usual, Gary!

Want to know what's happening around town? Click here to subscribe to the Enjoy Mill Valley Blog by Email!
0 Comments

Library's 2014 Reading Challenge Celebrates Mill Valley's Steps, Lanes & Paths

7/21/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
Reading and walking at the same time aren't often a good idea – just ask the folks walking and texting in the "No Cellphones" lane on a DC sidewalk – but at the Mill Valley Public Library, the two make for the perfect combination for the Library’s 2014 Adult Reading Challenge: Steps, Lanes, and Paths. Inspired by Mill Valley’s extensive network of over 175 heritage paths dating back to the 1880s, the Library is serving up a literary expedition that encourages readers to explore new literary landscapes while becoming actively acquainted with the city that many call home.

The Adult Reading Challenge centers around a “reading map” featuring the steps, lanes, and paths of Mill Valley. The 133 steps, lanes, and paths featured on the reading map correspond to a particular reading challenge category relating to peoples, places, genres and much, much more. Participants are challenged to read one book for each path by the challenge’s end on December 31, 2014. As participants undertake the literary challenge, they are also encouraged (but not required) to explore Mill Valley and celebrate its perambulatory heritage by walking the corresponding steps, lanes, and paths on the reading map.

“It’s been a personal goal of mine to walk every step, lane, and path in Mill Valley,” said Ali Birnbach, reference librarian and organizer of the reading challenge. “I know how enjoyable and unexpectedly refreshing it can be to explore the city through its back roads, and a reading challenge seemed like the perfect way to share the experience. A good reading challenge gives participants a general guide and lets them decide how they want to approach it. This year’s theme lets you literally choose your own path(s).”
 
The breadth of categories in this year’s challenge is extensive, from “Voyages of Discovery and Adventure” and “International Female Authors” to “How Can I Help You? The Service Industry” and “An Event or Experience Your Parents Lived Through,” among many others. Categories serve as inspirational starting points and are open to readers’ personal interpretation, meaning that readers are sure to find books to spark their interest. If that wasn’t motivation enough, over the duration of the challenge participants will have chances to win fantastic prizes, including an iPad Mini. For each book read, participants will earn one raffle ticket. The more books read, the more raffle tickets earned, and the more chances to win.

The Adult Reading Challenge is open now. Adults ages 18 and older are invited to register online through the Library’s website. Registrants should then stop by the Library Reference Desk to pick up a reading map. If participants are looking for reading suggestions, librarians at the Mill Valley Library can offer book recommendations. The Library’s website also features a wide array of book lists. 

“We announced our reading challenge last Monday and we currently have nearly 100 participants,” said Birnbach. “It’s a great start to what we hope will be one of our best reading challenges yet!”

In addition to the Adult Reading Challenge, the Mill Valley Public Library offers separate summer reading programs for kids, middle schoolers, and young adults. Visit the Library’s website for more information about any of these programs. 

Want to know what's happening around town? Click here to subscribe to the Enjoy Mill Valley Blog by Email!
0 Comments

Check Out Ronnie's Awesome List of Family-Friendly Events for July & August 2014

7/2/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
The following is part of Ronnie's Awesome List, an unbelievably comprehensive roundup of family-friendly events throughout the Bay Area. Click here for the full list!
Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food

My daughter loves food and will try anything. Part of having such an adventurous palate stems from knowing where her food comes. Which is why we do everything we can to support our local farms. By visiting the farms and getting to personally know the farmers we have learned how precious our organic farms are.

A spring trip to Windrush Farm and last autumn to Skyline Chestnuts gave us a reality check on how the farms we love struggle to keep their operations going. Because of the lack of rain this year, Skyline had no chestnuts and Windrush Farms has to give up half their flock.

So this summer, I‘m urging you to do what you can to support local organic farms. It’s easy to do and is a valuable lesson for us all. Start with the farmers at the market, look into Community Supported Agriculture (or CSA) boxes, venture out to a Pick Your Own farm, visit a local farm and try growing your own. Here are some simple suggestions to help get you started.

Farmers Markets
Buy food “in season” and make a list of what you plan to purchase. Food “in season” is usually less expensive and tastes better. Let your child pick one thing from that list they love to eat and encourage them to try something new. Set an example by picking something new too. Talk directly to the farmer at the stand with your child, let the farmer show you how to pick the best produce, ask for a taste and ask questions.

Pick out something that might not be on your list such as honey from Marshall’s Farm, olive oil from McEvoy Ranch, raw milk from Strauss, yogurt from Saint Benoît Creamery, butter from McClelland’s Dairy, and, in the case of Windrush Farm, Mimi’s gorgeous yarn!

Enquire about visiting their farm and the best time to go. Last year, I gathered our 4H group to visit the Achadinha Cheese Farm and learned all about making goat cheese. We went when they had baby goats to play with, milked the goats, learned all about making goat cheese and had a very memorable time.

You can also take a guided group tour of the farmers markets and let them introduce you to the farmers. Contact your local farmers market for more information.

Check out the full list of local farmers markets.

CSA
CSA stands for Community SupportedAgriculture. CSA gives us direct access to high quality, fresh produce grown locally by regional farmers. When you become a member of a CSA, you’re purchasing a share from a regional farmer. Here in Marin, we have a wide variety to choose from which include meat, produce, flowers, and home products. Just to name a few: Betty’s Organics, Eatwell Farm, Frog Hollow Farm, Full Belly Farm,Bloomfield Farm, Marin Sun Farms and you can meet many of these farmers at our local farmers markets too. When you open the box, expect to see something that you are not familiar with and get excited about it! Most CSA boxes include excellent recipes too.

U-Pick
The Bay Area has access to so many amazing farms that encourage visitors to pick your own food. Another amazing opportunity to teach kids about healthy seasonal eating. Check out the website PickYourOwn for a list of farms nearby. Dress for getting messy and bring your own bags you and your child can carry. Show your child how to look for the ripe produce. Even a 2 year old knows the red strawberries are the ones to pick.

Grow Your Own
And finally, have your child pick out one plant to care for over the summer. Nothing beats the hands on learning experience of caring for your own plant. You don’t need a garden, you can grow a plant in a pot. Sproutbot is a great website to learn what and when to start planting in your neighborhood. Some guidance and reminders are necessary but they will squealed with delight to pick and eat from their own plant.

Support our local organic farms and have a wonderful summer!

Tuesday, July 1, New Moon

Turbo, Century Rowland Plaza, Novato, 10am, 10 shows for $5 or $1 per show.

Little Sprouts: Jump and Dance, 11-11:45am, 5 and under, Jaime Lee Currier of Your Song My Song rocks classic kids’ songs, funky originals, and unique covers on her ukulele. With felt board puppetry and imagination adventures she leads the kids in a magical, interactive exploration, Mill Valley Library.

Julian Sterling Magician, 3:30pm, all ages, Mystery and magic from Julian Sterling, a local (young!) magician, Sausalito Library.

Lego Club, 3:30-4:30pm, Bring your imagination and we will supply you with everything you need to create with LEGOs, San Anselmo Library.

Click here for the full list of events through August!

Want to know what's happening around town? Click here to subscribe to the Enjoy Mill Valley Blog by Email!

0 Comments

Watch the Marin Bicycle Coalition's Cool 'Get on a Bike with MCBC' Video

7/1/2014

0 Comments

 
Fairfax filmmaker John Vigran recently unveiled this “Get on a Bike with MCBC” video to help promote the Marin County Bicycle Coalition, with the help of a team of coalition volunteers. On the heels of the coalition's fantastic work providing complimentary valet bicycle parking at the 2014 Mill Valley Market Wine, Beer & Gourmet Food Tasting event, we thought it was a good time to share the love. See more of Vigran’s work at Wild Heart Pictures.

Get on a bike with MCBC (short version) from John Vigran on Vimeo.


Want to know what's happening around town? Click here to subscribe to the Enjoy Mill Valley Blog by Email!
0 Comments

Dozens Turn Out for Dedication of Charles McGlashan Pathway in Tam Valley

6/30/2014

0 Comments

 
Dozens of local and regional leaders, as well as a bevy of bicyclists and bike-ped advocates, turned out on June 27 for a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Charles F. McGlashan Pathway, named for the former Marin County Supervisor who passionately advocated for nonmotorized transportation options.

The paved bike-pedestrian pathway, which has had sections opened to the public gradually since 2012, runs along the southern bank of Coyote Creek for about half a mile from its intersection with the Mill Valley-Sausalito Multiuse Path to the intersection of Tennessee Valley Road and Marin Avenue. The path is in District 3, the district represented by McGlashan from 2004 until his death in 2011.

The ceremony took place at the Log Cabin at 60 Tennessee Valley Road in Tam Valley, with former U.S. Rep Lynn Woolsey, Mill Valley Mayor Stephanie Moulton-Peters, Supervisor Kathrin Sears and Tamalpais Community Service District President Jeff Brown, among others, in attendance.

Initial funding for the pathway was secured by Woolsey and former Marin County Supervisor Annette Rose. Later, the pathway became a key part of the Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program (NTPP), a federal program begun in 2005 that launched Marin and three other U.S. communities in a nationwide program to reduce car trips by promoting safe bike and walking options. McGlashan once reassured a local resident that the pathway would be built so children could get out of Tam Valley to the Mill Valley-Sausalito Greenway and up to local schools. 

“It has been a long hard project to get this designed and cleared for permits … and we’re close,” he said at the time.

McGlashan saw the pathway not just as a practical and safe means to get around the community, away from cars and busy roads, but as a way to get people of all ages into nature to enjoy the beauty of Coyote Creek and the scenic views of forested hills. “For Charles, it was about bringing people together,” said Andy Peri of the Marin County Bicycle Coalition.

Before McGlashan died while on vacation in March 2011, he was renowned for boundless energy, passion and the promotion of projects aimed at reducing Marin’s greenhouse gas emissions. His achievements included the formation of Marin Clean Energy and supporting infrastructure for nonmotorized transportation choices. Naming the Tennessee Valley pathway after McGlashan was unanimously supported by the Marin County Parks and Open Space Commission and affirmed by the Marin County Board of Supervisors in 2013.

“Naming this pathway after Charles is a fitting tribute to his vision,” said Sears, McGlashan’s successor in District 3.

The dedication ceremony commemorated the 12-year collaboration among community members, agencies and individuals who helped create the beautiful community connector that the pathway is today.
0 Comments

A Day at the 104th Dipsea Race, in Photos

6/11/2014

0 Comments

 
Diana Fitzpatrick of Larkspur defended her Dipsea title on Sunday, June 8, becoming the first person to win consecutive Dipsea Races since Shirley Matson in 2001. As regular Dipsea runner and longtime Sports Illustrated writer Austin Murphy wrote in an excellent pre-race look at the iconic event, each of the race's participants are "Warriors. Calling them runners feels inadequate." Here's a look at the latest edition of the legendary, grueling Mill Valley-to-Stinson Beach race. 
Want to know what's happening around town? Click here to subscribe to the Enjoy Mill Valley Blog by Email!
0 Comments

Are You Ready for the Mill Valley Backyard Campout?

5/13/2014

1 Comment

 
The City of Mill Valley is taking its celebrated emergency preparedness efforts to the backyard – your backyard, that is. 

In an effort to spread the word about the emergency-ready gear and skills that residents already have at their fingertips, the City is hosting on Saturday, June 7 its first-ever Ready Mill Valley Backyard Campout, an exciting, fun-filled event that promises to give every member of your family a greater sense of resiliency in the face of a disaster – without feeling like homework. 

"Summer is almost here! Let's all dig out our camping gear and spend a night under the stars with our family and friends to celebrate the inaugural Backyard Campout and show off our emergency preparedness skills!" Mill Valley Mayor Stephanie Moulton-Peters says. 

The Backyard Campout has two arenas: residents can participate with other families, neighbors and friends by pitching a tent outside the Mill Valley Community Center for a night of fun-filled games, entertainment, activities, a barbecue and campfire (S’mores!) – or they can camp in their own backyards and test their resiliency from afar.

“It’s tough to prioritize the What-IF of a disaster over the What-IS of daily life,” says Mike Jacobs, the CERT training officer and vice chair of the City’s Emergency Preparedness Commission. “To make that easier for folks, we started with what people already prioritize (fun, family time and outdoor adventure) that could also be useful in a disaster … and the Backyard Campout was born.” 

Activities at the Community Center will include: 
  • CERT Ride Along Relay – Join your CERT strike team leader as you deploy through an earthquake-ravaged Mill Valley, assessing building damage, communicating via radio to command and locate and assisting an injured neighbor.
  • Fun games and arts & crafts, such as making (and decorating) your own first-aid kit.
  • Family-friendly entertainment, including a sing-a-long and magic show.
  • A host of emergency preparedness displays and info.
  • Tours of Mill Valley’s newest fire engine.
  • Fire extinguisher demonstrations.
While those camping in the comfort of their own backyards won’t get to experience all of the great food, activities and entertainment at the Community Center in person, we’ll provide plenty of suggestions for games and activities to make the most of this unique experience. 

The foundation of the event, according to Mill Valley Fire Department Chief Jeff Davidson, is realizing that the basic elements of camping go a long way in getting you ready to deal with the aftermath of a disaster. 

“If you can camp out at your home or at the Mill Valley Community Center for one night, you are demonstrating a level of resiliency,” Davidson said. 

Click here for more details and to register for the Ready Mill Valley Backyard Campout. 

Want to know what's happening around town? Click here to subscribe to the Enjoy Mill Valley Blog by Email!
1 Comment

City of Mill Valley Readies Two Major Bike-Ped Projects

4/15/2014

0 Comments

 
At a cost of nearly $1.1 million from local, state and federal funding sources, projects on Camino Alto and Sycamore Avenue will allow bicyclists and pedestrians to connect safely to the Mill Valley-Sausalito Multi-Use Path.     
Picture
One of the Bay Area’s most heavily trafficked thoroughfares for people on two wheels or two feet is about to get easier to reach for Mill Valley residents and visitors. That’s because the City of Mill Valley’s Public Works Department in June will begin building a pair of bicycle and pedestrian improvement projects – along Camino Alto in front of The Redwoods and along Sycamore Avenue between Camino Alto and the Mill Valley-Sausalito Multi-Use Pathway – designed to provide safer transit to and from the multi-use path for bicyclists and pedestrians. 

“These projects are going to improve the central connections for kids coming to school from all different directions,” said Mill Valley Mayor Stephanie Moulton-Peters, the chair of the Southern Marin Task Force for Safe Routes To Schools. "These new multi-use paths will really change the way we, and most importantly our kids, move around town." 

Both projects date back to at least 2008, when they were identified as priorities by the City’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee.  “This has been a top priority for the committee for many years – we’ve been trying to find the funding to build something and now we’re ready,” Director of Public Works Jill Barnes said. 

Work Begins in June

The construction kicks off soon after school ends on June 17, beginning with the Sycamore Avenue project, which involves building a separated multi-use path along the southern stretch of Sycamore Avenue. The first phase of that project actually finished on March 3 with the removal of eucalyptus trees fronting the Wastewater Treatment Plant. The trees will be replaced with native, non-invasive species with lower fire risks associated with them. 

The Sycamore Ave. path has a projected cost of $468,464, funded by Measure A sales tax revenue ($129,000), Federal Transportation Enhancement funding ($249,654) plus matching fund from the state ($32,346), and other local funds ($57,464). 

Soon after the beginning of the Sycamore project, work will begin adjacent to the northbound lanes of Camino Alto, where a 10-foot-wide, multi-use path will be built for the entire stretch from Miller Avenue to Sycamore Avenue. 

The Camino Alto project has an estimated cost of $606,914, primarily coming from Federal Safe Routes to School Program funding ($565,286), with some additional local funds. Both projects are projected to last about 30 days.  “We expect to have these facilities ready when students come back to school in August,” Barnes said. 

Alisha O’Loughlin, the Planning Director for the Marin County Bicycle Coalition, credited City officials for their leadership in moving both projects forward. O’Loughlin noted that the two new paths will link Tam High and the Mill Valley Middle School to the multi-use path, “giving our children a safe and separate from traffic path of travel to school,” she said. Hopes are high that this new path will allay many parents’ fears about allowing children to ride their bikes to school. 

Bicycle Roundabout

In September after the two projects are finished, the County of Marin’s Public Works Department will complete the direct link to the multi-use path by building a bicycle roundabout at the intersection of Sycamore and the path. 

Scott Schneider, an Associate Civil Engineer with the County’s Public Works Department, said the County is working to finalize a roundabout design, incorporate input from the Mill Valley Parks and Recreation Commission, the Mill Valley Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee as well as Marin County Parks, which maintains the path and much of the Bothin Marsh Open Space Preserve through which the path weaves. 

Because work on the roundabout will be happening after the 2014-2015 school year begins, the County will pave a temporary bypass on the eastern edge of the path to allow for safe north-south travel on the multi-use path, Schneider said. The $250,000 project is expected to take two months to finish. 

One of the goals of the roundabout is to improve safety and reduce tension on the path, where the interface of many different types and large numbers of users often creates friction. There are well over a half-million people who use the path between March and November each year and as many as 700 pedestrians and bicyclists use it over a two-hour period each day, according to the annual WalkBikeMarin Path Counts. 
Picture
Multi-Use Path: To Pave or Widen? 

Schneider said the trio of new links to the multi-use path are a big step, particularly because an update of the path itself is at least two years away. Extending from Vasco Court near Edna Maguire School all the way south to Mike’s Bikes in Sausalito, the path was built in 1981, more than four decades after the Northwestern Pacific railroad stopped using the tracks the path replaced. Other than minor touch-ups, it hasn’t been repaved since it was built. 

The Marin County Board of Supervisors voted to accept a $320,000 state grant more than three years ago to repave the path, and the Transportation Authority of Marin backed another $320,000 of federal money for the path rehab in Sept. 2013. 

But, because of other funding hurdles and delays – a repaving of the path has an estimated price tag of $1.75 million – and deadlines to use some state and federal funding, money has been diverted to shovel-ready projects like the update of the multi-use path that runs past Bacich School and College of Marin near Kentfield. 

Some of the delay is also a result of the tension around safety, since so many different user groups are on the path at the same time. The challenge is providing a path that is useful and safe for all – from fast-moving cyclists to pedestrians, the very young, as well as the elderly. Those safety concerns have caused Marin Parks officials to explore the possibility of widening the path, Schneider said. 

The County has $640,000 of the estimated $1.75 million it will need to repave the entire path. The work ahead entails hiring an environmental consultant to explore the environmental impacts of a simple repaving and a larger widening project and determine the feasibility of each. That process, which will allow regulatory agencies like the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, the National Marin Fisheries Service and California Fish & Wildlife to weigh in, can begin in late summer and will likely take up to two years, Schneider said. That process will determine if the County proceeds with a repaving project or a widening of the path as well, he said. 

In the meantime, Mill Valley residents and visitors are expected to have a pair of safe new pathways to travel to and from the multi-use path. 

“We're looking forward to celebrating their completion,” O’Loughlin said. 

Want to know what's happening around town? Click here to subscribe to the Enjoy Mill Valley Blog by Email!

Enjoy Mill Valley Blog is sponsored by the following local businesses:

Picture
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

Parks & Recreation Commission Sends Two Downtown Public Bathroom Options to City Council

1/10/2014

7 Comments

 
PictureResidents and visitors relax on the Depot Plaza. Photo by Jim Welte.
The longstanding effort to bring a public bathroom facility to downtown Mill Valley took a step forward this week when the Parks & Recreation Commission recommended a pair of proposals that the City Council will weigh in on the coming months.

The commission considered five proposals for a bathroom on or near the Depot Plaza. Four of them were part of a feasibility study by longtime local architect Kim Jessup, while the fifth was proffered by resident Bob Silvestri. The commission whittled those five down to two:

  • A stand-alone bathroom at the bus shelter near the southeastern edge of the Depot Plaza adjacent to Sunnyside Avenue. Jessup estimated the cost of construction of such a facility at around $30,000.

  • A new bathroom in the northern part of Depot building closest to the parking lot by "improving the functionality and efficiency of the interior spaces within the renovated area," particularly the building's storage area, according to Silvestri.

Click here to read the city's staff report on the issue, and click here to read the dozens of comments submitted by residents on the matter. Watch the meeting here.

The City Council is not required to limit its discussion to the two proposals recommended by the commission. 


Enjoy Mill Valley Blog is sponsored by the following local businesses:

Gina Seaborg RPM Mortgage
Marin Boutique Hotels
Cannell Insurance Group
7 Comments
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Subscribe to the free Enjoy Mill Valley Blog

    * required
    Click here to subscribe to the free Enjoy Mill Valley Blog by Email!

    RSS Feed

    Blog Archives

    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013

    Categories

    All
    142 Throckmorton
    Art
    Arts & Entertainment
    City Council
    City Of Mill Valley
    County Of Marin
    Depot Plaza
    Downtown Mill Valley
    Emergency Preparedness
    First Tuesday Artwalk
    Food & Drink
    Holidays
    Kiddo!
    Live Music
    Local Laws
    Marin Mommies
    Marin Theatre Company
    Miller Avenue
    Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival
    Mill Valley Film Festival
    Mill Valley History
    Mill-valley-in-the-news
    Mill Valley Library
    Mill Valley Market
    Mill Valley School District
    Mount Tamalpais
    MV Chamber Biz Buzz
    Parks & Recreation
    Philanthropy
    Public Restrooms
    Restaurants
    Shopping
    Strawberry Village
    Sweetwater Music Hall
    Tam High
    Tam Junction
    Tam Valley
    The Redwoods
    Volunteerism

Picture
   
85 Throckmorton Avenue
Mill Valley, Callifornia 94941
415.388.9700
info@millvalley.org



Copyright 2018 Mill Valley Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center
All images used with permission and/or source attribution.
Site Design by Linda Rosso Marketing and Communications