One of the most troubling aspects of the County’s proposal for improving Sir Francis Drake Blvd. is a street-level crosswalk across SFD at Wolfe Grade.
It’s a location that is dangerous and a nexus for congestion and gridlock.
Two schoolgirls died at this intersection in 1965, before the existing overhead crosswalk was built. The community put many years of effort into forcing the construction of the overhead crosswalk. As Sue Devinny, Greenbrae resident, is quoted in the book The Heart of Marin: “[T]he overpass stands as a memorial to Lisa and Leslie Grady and should remind us all of how fragile life is and of the importance of maintaining a constant vigil for the safety of our children.” Unfortunately, it is not ADA-compliant and if the intersection is re-paved an ADA-compliant crossing must be provided.
A street-level crosswalk would cause more congestion on both SFD and Wolfe Grade. Children and parents crossing there will multiply congestion and gridlock, especially during morning commute hours when SFD is already clogged. Bear in mind that parents walking kids to school will need to cross twice. Kids crossing when a Crossing Guard is not on duty are at risk of being hit, just like in 1965.
If an ADA-compliant crossing is required at Wolfe Grade, it should be replaced with an ADA-compliant overhead crossing. The consultants ruled it out due to a lack of space. Let’s figure out a way to make this happen.