Body of News Release
Marin County, CA – A major pavement preservation and Complete Streets project along Point San Pedro Road is nearing completion in the San Rafael area, with remaining striping, signage and finishing work scheduled through October.
The approximately three-mile project extends from San Rafael High School to the east of Biscayne Drive and combines needed pavement preservation with improvements for people walking, bicycling and driving. The two agencies worked together to deliver the improvements as a single, continuous project because Point San Pedro Road crosses between City of San Rafael and Marin County jurisdiction five times along the project corridor.
Point San Pedro Road serves residential neighborhoods, schools, businesses, recreational destinations and China Camp State Park and is an important transportation connection through eastern San Rafael and the Point San Pedro Peninsula.
In addition to extending the life of the roadway, the project creates more continuous bicycle lanes, updates roadway striping and signage, and adds pedestrian-activated rectangular rapid flashing beacons at three marked crosswalks. These features are intended to more clearly define how the roadway is shared and increase the visibility of bicycle and pedestrian facilities along the corridor.
“Point San Pedro Road is used every day by residents, students, families, bicyclists, pedestrians,” said Marin County Supervisor Mary Sackett, who represents that area. “This project making the roadway more predictable for everyone who uses it. The new bicycle enhancements provide clearer space for different roadway users and greater visibility along the corridor. We know that students are biking to high school, and we want to provide every opportunity for them to get there safely.”
Creating a Safer, More Continuous Bicycle Lane
A central element of the project is new striping that creates a more continuous bicycle lane along Point San Pedro Road, improving safety and reducing the need for bicyclists to merge into vehicle travel lanes. While gaps in the bicycle lane remain in several locations, the improvements provide more consistent bicycle space along portions of the corridor.
As part of the new roadway configuration, some on-street parking was removed to provide space for the bicycle lane to continue through those portions of the corridor. Vehicle travel lanes were also generally narrowed to 11 feet, providing additional space for bicycle lanes and separation where roadway width allows. Green pavement markings are being added at select locations to increase the visibility of the bicycle lanes and provide additional guidance for roadway users.
Pedestrian improvements include new rectangular rapid flashing beacons at marked crosswalks at Knight Drive, Peacock Drive, and Riviera Drive. When activated by a pedestrian, the flashing lights increase the visibility of the crossing to approaching drivers. The project also includes curb extensions and updated pavement markings at select locations.
“Point San Pedro Road connects neighborhoods and destinations on both sides of the City and County boundary, so working together on improvements like these is important,” said San Rafael Mayor Kate Colin. “This project demonstrates what can be accomplished when our agencies work together to maintain an important roadway while also improving conditions for people walking, biking and driving.”
Making the Most of a Pavement Project
Both the City of San Rafael and the Marin County Department of Public Works (DPW) incorporate Complete Streets principles into transportation planning. Complete Streets is an established approach to planning and designing roadways that considers the needs of everyone who uses them, including people walking, bicycling, and driving.
Pavement preservation projects provide an opportunity to apply these principles because new pavement must be restriped from curb to curb. Rather than simply replacing the previous roadway markings, agencies can evaluate how the available roadway space can best serve the different people who use the corridor.
“Pavement preservation gives us an opportunity to do more than maintain the road surface,” said Marin DPW Director Christopher Blunk. “When a roadway is freshly resurfaced, we have a clean slate from curb to curb and an opportunity to consider how that space can best serve everyone who uses the corridor. New striping, signage, pedestrian crossing features and bicycle lanes can modernize the roadway and enhance mobility and safety for people walking, biking and driving.”
Significant Investment
The pavement and Complete Streets project is part of a broader investment in the Point San Pedro Road corridor in 2026. A new High-Intensity Activated Crosswalk, or HAWK, pedestrian signal was installed at Summit Avenue this summer, and the County completed a landslide repair near Buckeye Point in China Camp State Park. The County is also replacing a retaining wall east of Marina Boulevard, with completion expected by the end of October. Over the next few weeks, the contractor will replace the sidewalk, restore the site, and remove the temporary traffic controls as the project nears completion.
Together, these investments are preserving and modernizing an important transportation corridor while making the roadway and supporting infrastructure more resilient for the future. The work extends the service life of the pavement, strengthens infrastructure affected by hillside conditions, and updates the corridor to better serve the people who rely on it.
Some construction activity will continue through October as crews complete the remaining work. Drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians are encouraged to use caution around work areas and follow posted traffic controls.
Additional information about Point San Pedro Road improvements and other transportation projects is available on the Marin DPW website.