One day, the California sun is shining, and you’re on your way through the Woodacre hills, perhaps to the beach, or maybe San Domenico through Butterfield. Either way, you’re pumped to get to your destination! The sounds of your blasting music, likely Bruno Mars, is playing through your ears and out your vocal cords. You’re cruising until bikers, side by side in the minuscule “bike lane,” are on the road. Did the bike lane start taking Ozempic or something? Why are they so small?
While driving, you are forced into a crawl. You are stuck. Want to pass them? You can’t, it’s a windy road — every turn is blind. Want to brake? You will put the driver behind you at risk of their car rear ending you. Let’s be real, who wants whiplash and back issues? Maybe you can just stay in your lane and squeeze past – nope too dangerous! You may hit the biker because there isn’t enough space.
The biker senses your impatience, displaying their middle finger loud and proud, only making the driver to biking tensions increase.This is a Marin county driver’s cannon event.
But, is the biker really to blame? (Maybe) Are the drivers to blame? (Maybe)
Perhaps, Marin county infrastructure is to blame. Many of the roads clearly do not supply sufficient bike lanes. And even when there is a bike lane, they are incredibly small. This could explain why some bikers aren’t using the bike lane. Cyclists are fit but jeez! Who fits in that sort of lane? Can anyone?
According to the Marin County bicycle coalition (MCBC), only 21 percent of roads in Marin have bike lanes or shoulders of a size sufficiently wide enough. Of course bikers and drivers are struggling when less than half of roads have sufficient bike lanes.
This takes a personal toll on cyclists. MCBC states that over 60 percent of cyclists report feeling unsafe on local roads due to insufficient infrastructure. Cyclists shouldn’t go out on a ride and feel like they are at risk; they should be enjoying the beautiful Marin horizon.
This lack of bike lanes has serious impacts. Nationally, about 850 cyclists died in crashes in 2023 (NHTSA), with many of these fatalities occurring on roads without bike lanes.
Yet, Marin has some of the highest rates of cycling in the Bay Area. The contrast of the rate between bike usage and investment for bike safety is disconcerting.
This issue is more than an inconvenience. It’s a daily safety hazard. Every day in Marin, drivers are left with no good options. Cyclists are put in vulnerable positions. Traffic crawls, tempers rise and accidents increase.
In communities like Fairfax, San Anselmo and Mill Valley, roads like Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Butterfield and Shoreline Highway are notorious for being narrow and poorly equipped for mixed traffic and road sharing.
In order to resolve this issue, county planners need to prioritize funding for expanding and maintaining bike lanes. This issue is undermined in Marin, thus to raise public awareness, there should be more campaigns to reduce tension and improve safe road sharing.
In my experience, the roads with sufficient bike lanes such as the Mill Valley bike path have been increasingly pleasant for the experience of biking and driving. This allows decreased tension and increased enjoyment.
Marin county has the landscape and lifestyle of a cycling paradise, yet without the infrastructure to support safe riding. Until changes are made, both cyclists and drivers will remain at risk
For city officials, for planners and for every road user who’s ever been stuck behind a biker or feared for their own safety while biking, it’s time to put effort towards making our roads safe for everyone.
