ADULT WITH CAR USES REG AS A RIDER
An Interview with Tracy Richardson
by Anny Owen
GO GERONIMO: How did you find out about GO GERONIMO?
Tracy Richardson: I saw a copy of the newsletter and read about it.
GG: Where do you live?
TR: I live in Woodacre and work in Fairfax. I just moved here from Hawaii.
GG: How often do you use the Reg?
TR: Well, I just got a car, but two months ago I was using it three to four times a week. I like using it. It_s an incredible tool to get back and forth. I could hitchhike, but using GO GERONIMO is safer . . . I feel like I_m part of a progressive program that I think other areas are going to mimic or learn from ... maybe Bolinas; it would be great in Santa Cruz.
GG: So you used GO GERONIMO as a transition means of transportation?
TR: Yes, but I was so inspired that I still use my bicycle or GO GERONIMO. If it_s late at night, I use my car. If it_s daytime, I ride my bike, and if I_m bringing back a bag of groceries I use GO GERONIMO. I actually used GO GERONIMO to do my laundry in Fairfax and it worked. It makes it possible - with no bus system, no trains.
GG: Can you tell me about a registered ride you got?
TR: I used GO GERONIMO with my 11 year old daughter. We got a ride with a sweet woman who had her mother and her daughter in the car. It was a mutually positive experience. It was great.
GG: Do you tell people about GO GERONIMO?
TR: Yes, I tell people about it all the time. I work at the Good Earth in Fairfax. I showed the owner my laminate because he was interested. Everybody that heard about it was like, "Right On!"
GG: Now that you have a car, how do you feel about your transportation situation?
TR: I drive as little as possible. I_m as conscious as possible. I keep my car in good working order. I wish we weren_t in a position where polluting the planet is the way to get around. I_m looking toward solar cars, etc.
GG: Last thoughts about the GO GERONIMO rideshare program?
TR: It makes sense to share and get to know people. I like the fact that it goes through the Sheriff; it makes it legitimate. GO GERONIMO is a really good use of energy because there_s so many people going back and forth. It_s convenient, and it promotes community.

WEST MARIN TRANSPORTATION PLANS & SURVEY
By Debbie Hubsmith
MarinRIDEshares recently conducted a survey on transportation for West Marin residents. The survey followed two transportation forums which took place last fall in Point Reyes and Bolinas, sponsored by West Marin Senior Services and led by Barbara Khurana and Roger Kovach. Although survey responses were low, much useful information emerged. For example, while 3/4 of the survey respondents commute to work alone, 2/3 said that they_d be willing to share a ride with someone who needed one.

Here_s a quick look at the summary of suggestions for how to improve West Marin_s transportation troubles (in order of number of responses):

· Small buses with regular schedules

· Ride sharing with a local dispatch center, perhaps coordinated by GO GERONIMO
· Expand and support GO GERONIMO
· A van for medical appointments
· Improve bike paths
· Weekend and holiday tourist buses
· Golden Gate Transit to Point Reyes through the Valley
· Pick-up for the disabled

West Marin Senior Services has set up a collaborative committee to further discuss these issues and come up with a plan. If Measures A and B pass this November, West Marin is looking at receiving $2 million, or $100,000 per year. An additional $15 million for the County is allocated for paratransit, bringing substantially more transportation funds for West Marin; a high percentage of those who need better transit are the elderly and the disabled.

Stay tuned for notice about upcoming meetings, which will be announced in the Point Reyes Light, and through the help of GO GERONIMO and West Marin Senior Services.
In addition to the new Transportation Committee of West Marin Senior Services, a Bolinas/Stinson Beach task force has also recently formed. They have two goals: 1) improve communication systems with Whistlestop Wheels and 2) implement a ridesharing registry similar to GO GERONIMO_s.

GO GERONIMO is an innovative grassroots approach to a community solving its own transportation needs using as its primary resource the generosity, trust and good will of its community members. GO GERONIMO is an outgrowth of the San Geronimo Valley Healthy Start Collaborative, a state funded initiative that addresses the needs of children and families of the Lagunitas School District. Surveys conducted during the Healthy Start planning process determined that "Better Transportation Options" was a top priority among children and adults alike. GO GERONIMO currently features three programs:

THE RIDE REGISTRY, "THE REG." Registered riders can get safe and convenient rides without prearrangement simply by waiting at designated GO GERONIMO stops. Registered drivers can pick up riders while making their normal trips in and out of the Valley. Both drivers and riders have photo ID laminates, and all adults must pass a background check by the Sheriff_s Department.
THE RIDESHARING SCHEDULE, "THE SKEDGE." Regular ongoing or one-time-only rides may be arranged through consulting a bulletin board centrally located at the San Geronimo Valley Cultural Center, or by phoning the Healthy Start office (488-8888) where a ridesharing database is being maintained and updated. This program will also soon include an interactive ride-sharing schedule on a Web site.
BICYCLE ADVOCACY. GO GERONIMO is repairing and restoring existing bike trails, planning for new trails, working to install bike racks in key community locations, and encouraging Golden Gate Transit to install exterior bike racks on all buses.

BIKE ACCESS ON BRIDGES
by Debbie Hubsmith
Bicycle activists have always advocated for bike access on Bay Area bridges. Seismic retrofitting on the Richmond/San Rafael Bridge and the Bay Bridge have now forced the issue into the limelight. Protest rides and demonstrations have raised the stakes, and now bike advocates are sitting at the table with CalTrans, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, and other decision makers to talk about the particulars. Here_s a quick summary of what_s happening.

BAY BRIDGE
Since the summer of 1997, the Bay Bridge Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee has been meeting to lobby for the inclusion of a bike/ped path. This June, a path was approved by CalTrans! The group is now continuing to meet to work on the details of the design for the East Span, and to hash out an alternatives analysis of designs for the West Span. More public input is being solicited now to develop paths on both spans which will be safe, encourage the most use, and be cost effective. Funding for the rebuilt Bay Bridge is coming from the increased toll for the bridge (the bike path is an estimated 4% of the total cost). It is noteworthy that there is also a proposal to study rail for the Bay Bridge, as 100,000 people commute daily from the Central Valley. The train issue will go to East Bay an San Francisco voters in November.

RICHMOND/SAN RAFAEL BRIDGE
For the past year, CalTrans has been studying if bicycle, pedestrian and wheelchair access on the bridge is safe and feasible. The draft study, released August 24th, says it "supports advocates_ claims that motorized and non-motorized traffic could share the bridge decks." The plan looks into short-term, interim, and long-term plans for bicycle and pedestrian access on the bridge. To date, no funding has been located for this project. Under the current plan, bikes would not be permitted on the bridge until seismic retrofit work has been completed, which begins this spring and will last about 3-5 years.
Bike the Bridge! Coalition and many other cycling advocates are calling for "Immediate Access Now" on both bridges. The process continues . . .

CRITICAL MASS AND BIKE $$$
Critical Mass Marin will hold it_s last, scheduled ride of 1998 on Friday, October 16th. The group will meet in Peri Park on Bolinas Avenue in Fairfax at 5:30 PM and leave at 6 PM, riding on bike routes and paths to the Larkspur Landing Ferry terminal. The theme of this ride centers on supporting Measures A & B when Marin residents take to the polls on November 3rd.

If they pass, these initiatives will bring $300 million to Marin over the next 20 years for transit improvements, including at least $10 million for bicycle projects. Revenue would also be used for: construction of a light rail system between Sonoma and Marin, local bus service, funding for local roads, the completion of the high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane through San Rafael on 101, paratransit funding, and money to purchase open space lands to protect development. Measures A and B have been endorsed by many groups, including the Marin Conservation League and the Marin Chapter of the Sierra Club.

As far as bikes go, if Marin passes this sales tax, we are then seen as a "self help County." Marin bike projects could then be eligible to receive four times the amount of funding (or an additional $40 million) in federal and state funds, many of which are coming through the Transportation Enhancements Act for the 21st Century (TEA 21) by way of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and our local Congestion Management Agency (CMA). TEA 21 is federal legislation which was approved in June of 1998, allocating $218 billion for transportation improvements throughout the country over the next six years.

During 1998, Critical Mass Marin created rides with focused themes, drawing attention to important and timely bicycling issues. The Marin Mass group started planning rides to stay out of traffic, showing how bicycles, pedestrians and cars can all share the road. Until monthly rides resume next Spring, we will mobilize for needed public action if urgent issues arise. As they say, "direct action gets the goods . . ."

Other Mass rides include Berkeley Critical Mass on the 2nd Friday of each month leaving from the downtown Berkeley BART station, and San Francisco Critical Mass on the last Friday of each month leaving from Justin Herman Plaza. For both events, riders meet at 5:30 PM and the Mass leaves at 6 PM.

CLEAN AIR CHAMP
Debbie Hubsmith (pictured below) poses with her new Voodoo bike which was given to her in recognition of being named the 1998 North Bay Clean Air Champion. GO GERONIMO nominated Debbie for this award, which is given annually by: The Bay Area Air Quality Management District, The American Lung Association of the Bay Area, RIDES for Bay Area Commuters, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
After a serious car accident in February of 1996, Debbie decided to go car free. She now states that living without a car actually gives her more freedom.
In addition to working with GO GERONIMO, Debbie_s efforts to promote clean air include: working as Education Coordinator for the North Bay Environmental Institute, serving as a Board Member of the Marin County Bicycle Coalition, helping to organize Critical Mass Marin bike rides, and advocating for better bicycling conditions throughout the Bay Area.Other winners were South Bay transit advocate Dena Mosser, and the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and it_s Executive Director Dave Snyder.

INKWELLS BRIDGE PLAN UNVEILED
by Brent Harris
Drawings for a multi-use bridge at The Inkwells were presented to the public on January 25 at the San Geronimo Valley Cultural Center. The plan, which is the result of four community design meetings hosted by the Planning Group, was presented by David Early and Lisa Howard of Design, Community and Environment, a Berkeley-based design firm hired by the Marin County Parks and Open Space Department.

The plan is for an eight foot wide bridge to carry hikers, cyclists, and equestrians across San Geronimo Creek to the old railroad right of way on the other side. This bridge will create a swift connection across the creek, permitting cyclists to avoid several miles of narrow, windy road conditions on Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. The bridge will be directly above the existing MMWD pipeline.
Valley residents worked with the design firm and with representatives of the Marin Horse Council, Bicycle Trails Council, Bay Ridge Trail Committee, the Marin County Bicycle Coalition, and GO GERONIMO at the four design meetings to come up with a plan which would accommodate everyone_s needs. Of primary importance to several members of the San Geronimo Valley community was the need to protect the creek and the natural beauty of the spot. The proposed bridge, which will cover the existing MMWD pipe and a new pipe MMWD is adding, will reduce the number of concrete footings in the creek bed. The design includes a "Disappearing Fence" guardrail design to minimize the visual mass of the bridge.
The Parks and Open Space Department has already applied for federal funding to pay for about half of the anticipated construction costs. If all goes well, people will be able to use the new bridge to get to Samuel P. Taylor Park within two years.