Blog Post < Previous | Next >
Google Maps
TAKE ACTION - Stop increased traffic congestion on Miller Avenue at Almonte Blvd.
ACTION ALERT! Please endorse Sustainable TamAlmonte's letter or send in your own about the Miller Ave Streetscape Plan's provision to shorten the right lane and eliminate the right turn lane on outbound Miller Ave. leading to Almonte Blvd. If implemented, the adopted plan would increase traffic congestion for all vehicles heading from the City of Mill Valley to the back of Tam High, the Almonte Neighborhood, Tam Junction, and Highway 101 and worsen safety conditions.
Diagram of the City of Mill Valley's Miller Ave Signage & Striping Plan at the intersection of Miller Ave & Almonte Blvd.
See the street design diagram by CLICKING HERE
On July 25, 2016, Sustainable TamAlmonte wrote a letter to the Mill Valley City Council and Department of Public Works requesting them to revise the Marsh “Room” of the Miller Avenue Streetscape Plan and retain the full length of the existing right turn lane from outbound Miller Ave. to Almonte Blvd.
Under the adopted Miller Avenue Streetscape Plan,
outbound Miller Avenue through the Marsh will have its
lanes reduced from two to one at roughly the middle of
the Tam High football field. In addition, the plan
eliminates the large radius right-turn lane and
provides the right-turn within the single through
lane. Moreover, the plan unsafely weaves bicycle
traffic from the right hand side of outbound Miller
Ave. to the left hand side to allow bicyclists to turn
left from outbound Miller Ave. to the multi-use
pathway along the marsh.
If implemented, such changes would increase traffic
congestion for all traffic heading from the City of
Mill Valley to the back of Tam High, the Almonte
Neighborhood, Tam Junction and Hwy 101 and worsen
safety conditions. Currently during peak traffic
volume, the back up extends from the Stinson Beach/Hwy
1 freeway entrance to the middle or end of the Tam
High football field. The planned reduction of two
lanes to one lane on outbound Miller Ave. would force
the back up to extend even further down Miller Ave.
towards Camino Alto.
Encouraging bicyclists to weave through congested
traffic and travel from the right hand side of
outbound Miller Ave. to the inside of outbound Miller
Ave. would exacerbate the unsafe conditions.
Currently, bicyclists use the
crosswalk at Almonte Blvd. to cross over Miller Ave.
to the multi-use pathway, a much safer solution.
Signage advising the bicyclists to cross at the
crosswalk would make this option even safer.
Implementation of the Miller Avenue Streetscape Plan
would also worsen conditions along the Marsh Section
of Miller Ave. during flooding. When flooding occurs
in the area, the outbound Miller Ave. left lane
usually floods. However, the outbound Miller Ave.
right lane often remains dry because it is higher than
the left lane. As a result, motorists use the dry
right lane during times of flooding. Yet, the new
Miller Avenue Plan would preclude this safer option by
eliminating the dry right lane.
The Miller Avenue Streetscape Plan was adopted in 2011. At that time, our economy was still recovering from the "Great Recession" and the housing crash, which had reduced traffic. Since then the economy has improved, the local population has increased (particularly school children), visitation to Muir Woods and other Marin recreational areas has risen, flooding has become more frequent, the light at the intersection of Tennessee Valley and Hwy 1 was installed, which has caused significant new delays, and traffic congestion has worsened tremendously between Hwy 101 and the City of Mill Valley. Any traffic study of the Marsh "Room" completed before 2011, when the plan was adopted, would be invalid at this time. It is imperative that the Miller Ave Streetscape Plan be updated to meet these new challenges before funding is wasted on inappropriate construction.
Please open the attachment or click here to read the letter from Sustainable
TamAlmonte to the City of Mill Valley. In addition, please send in an
endorsement of the organization's letter or send in your own
letter/email to the below decision makers and request
that the Marsh "Room" of the Miller Ave Streetscape
Plan be revised to retain the full length of the
existing right-turn lane on outbound Miller Avenue
that leads to Almonte Blvd.
Decision Makers:
John McCauley, Mayor - jmccauley@cityofmillvalley.org
Jessica Sloan, Vice Mayor - jjackson@cityofmillvalley.org
Stephanie Moulton-Peters, Councilmember -
smoultonpeters@cityofmillvalley.org
James P. Wickham, Councilmember - jwickham@cityofmillvalley.org
Sashi McEntee, Councilmember - smcentee@cityofmillvalley.org
Andrew Poster, P.E.,T.E., Director of Public Works - aposter@cityofmillvalley.org
Scott Schneider, Senior Civil Engineer – sschneider@cityofmillvalley.org
Cecilia Zamora, PE, Associate Engineer - czamora@cityofmillvalley.org
Denise Andrews, Operations Superintendent - dandrews@cityofmillvalley.org
Robert Zadnik, Public Works Manager - rzadnik@cityofmillvalley.org
Jim McCann, Mill Valley City Manager - jmccann@cityofmillvalley.org
Becky Murray, Administrative Assistant - bmurray@cityofmillvalley.org
Supervisor Kate Sears - ksears@marincounty.org
Supervisor Aid Maureen Parton - mparton@marincounty.org
Thank you in advance for your participation and making a difference.