New North Bay bike path aims to offer cyclists a safer option
By CBS Bay Area
In less than two weeks, cyclists will be able to enjoy a new paved path to head down to Sausalito and the North Bay.
“It’s such a gorgeous view,” Tarrell Kullaway, the executive director of Marin County Bicycle Coalition, told CBS News Bay Area.
The new Vista Point Trail, just beneath the Golden Gate Bridge North Vista Point, spans about 1,600 feet. Locals and visitors biking through the Golden Gate Bridge head down Alexander Avenue to reach Sausalito.
But Alexander Avenue has been problematic for many cyclists.
“That is definitely by far the most dangerous mile in Marin,” Kullaway said. “They’re riding into this intersection. They’re not sure where they’re supposed to be going. And it’s a freeway off-ramp, so people are going really fast.”
“In that section, we’ve had 83 injuries between the period of 2011 and 2020. And those are just the injuries we know of. We know so many people are injured and don’t even report them. Usually, it’s 10 times that,” she added.
With this new paved road, it’s offering the biking community a sense of relief.
“We’re not going to have to remind them, okay, ‘just be careful there’s going to be cars beside you. There might be cars just zooming down the hill.’ There’s not going to be problems like that anymore. We’re just going to tell them there’s a new trail, and a very safe route going to Sausalito,” Jason Isep, the manager of Marina Bike Shop in San Francisco, told CBS News Bay Area.
The bike shop serves customers, mostly tourists, who want to explore the beauty of the bay.
“This is very good for San Francisco and our people that come with us, the customers, they are very happy crossing the bridge,” he said.
The neighboring region of the new trail was once the preferred cycling route before it closed in 1999. And now nearly three decades later, cyclists say things are looking up.
“The goal is to make Marin County the best place for biking in America. And we have a whole vision network that spans from the Golden Gate Bridge to Sonoma to east to west. And this is just part of that. We believe that roads should be prioritized based on safety,” Kullaway said.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony for Vista Point Trail is scheduled for Sept. 30.
