TAM talk at Marin Coalition.

The State of Transportation in Marin”
Speaker: Dianne Steinhauser, Executive Director,
The Transportation Authority of Marin

Many Marin County residents cite increased traffic congestion, lack of public transportation alternatives and the failure to adequately maintain existing transportation infrastructure as major areas of concern. The ability forgovernment agencies to help address these issues is crucial to economic health and well-being of the County.

   What Fixes are Planned for Highway 37 and the Richmond Bridge”
=======================================================

Speaker: Nicholas Nguyen, Principal Project Manager

The Transportation Authority of Marin.



Highway 37 and the Richmond/San Rafael Bridge are two of the major roadways in which people travel into and out of Marin County. On a daily weekday, more than 40,000 vehicles use Highway 37 to travel to and from Marin from Sonoma, Napa and Solano Counites. By 2040 the number to expected to increase to 70,000. The Richmond/San Rafael Bridges accommodates 83,000 vehicles on a weekday traveling between Marin County in the East Bay and this number is also expected to grow in the future.

Nicholas Nguyen of the Transportation Authority of Marin will provide us with a presentation on the state of each of these roadways, what is being planned to address immediate issues and what options are being considered for the long term. 

FABLES: King Canute on the Seashore

by: James Baldwin, The Book of Virtues

Long ago, England was ruled by a king named Canute. Like many leaders and men of power, Canute was surrounded by people who were always praising him. 

Every time he walked into a room, the flattery began. "You are the greatest man that ever lived," one would say. "O king, there can never be another as mighty as you," another would insist. "Your highness, there is nothing you cannot do," someone would smile. "Great Canute, you are the monarch of all," another would sing. "Nothing in this world dares to disobey you." 

The king was a man of sense, and he grew tired of hearing such foolish speeches. One day he was walking by the seashore, and his officers and courtiers were with him, praising him as usual. Canute decided to teach them a lesson. 

"So you say I am the greatest man in the world?" he asked them. "O king," they cried, "there never has been anyone as mighty as you, and there never be anyone so great, ever again!" "And you say all things obey me?" Canute asked. "Absolutely!" they said. "The world bows before you, and gives you honor." "I see," the king answered. "In that case, bring me my chair, and we will go down to the water." "At once, your majesty!" They scrambled to carry his royal chair over the sands. 

"Bring it closer to the sea," Canute called. "Put it right here, right at the water's edge." He sat down and surveyed the ocean before him. "I notice the tide is coming in. Do you think it will stop if I give the command?" 

His officers were puzzled, but they did not dare say no. "Give the order, O great king, and it will obey," one of then assured him. "Very well. Sea," cried Canute, "I command you to come no further! Waves, stop your rolling!. Surf, stop your pounding! Do not dare touch my feet!" He waited a moment, quietly, and a tiny wave rushed up the sand and lapped at his feet. "How dare you!" Canute shouted. "Ocean, turn back now! I have ordered you to retreat before me, and now you must obey! Go back!" 

And in answer another wave swept forward and curled around the king's feet. The tide came in, just as it always did. The water rose higher and higher. It came up around the king's chair, and wet not only his feet, but also his robe. His officers stood before him, alarmed, and wondering whether he was not mad. 

"Well, my friends," Canute said, "it seems I do not have quite so much power as you would have me believe. Perhaps you have learned something today. Perhaps now you will remember there is only one King who is all-powerful, and it is he who rules the sea, and holds the ocean in the hollow of his hand. I suggest you reserve your praises for him." The royal officers and courtiers hung their heads and looked foolish. And some say Canute took off his crown soon afterward, and never wore it again.

Marin traffic is mostly local, study finds

Morning traffic crawls on southbound Highway 101 toward Terra Linda. The average daily trip length in Marin is 8.1 miles, 17 percent longer than the Bay Area average, according to a new study. (Robert Tong/Marin Independent Journal) 

By Mark Prado, Marin Independent Journal

POSTED: 07/09/18, 5:40 PM PDT | UPDATED: 7 HRS AGO

40 COMMENTS

The Marin traffic study showed that 72 percent of trips were within the county and 24 percent were to or from the county. Pass-through traffic accounted for the rest. (Alan Dep/Marin Independent Journal) 

Much of the traffic in Marin is from residents traveling within the county, according to a study using data collected from mobile devices that will be reviewed by the Transportation Authority of Marin later this month.

The agency commissioned the $30,000 study to get a better understanding of Marin’s travel patterns to help it make policy decisions.

More specifically, the agency wanted to examine the origin and destinations of commuters on Highway 101 at the Marin-Sonoma county line, Highway 37, the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge.

“It helps us understand the traffic patterns in the county,” said Kevin Johnson, of Walnut Creek-based Fehr and Peers, a transportation consultant group that produced the study, which was discussed Monday at TAM’s programming and projects executive committee meeting.

Marin residents might want to look in the mirror to see who causes county traffic woes. The data show that about 72 percent of trips are within Marin. Another 24 percent are trips in or out of the county, while 4 percent are passing through Marin during morning and afternoon peak periods.

See full article in the Marin IJ HERE

Editor's Note:  This report doesn't surprise the local residents who are not pushing housing and transit projects.  Hopefully, the politicians will recognize that "one size doesn't fit all" when it comes to development. This is why Plan Bay Area and regional government is doomed to fail.  Unless we move to 100% command economy like socialism, people will exercise their free choice and will seek to maximize their freedoms.  Simply building the SMART train and declaring it as a "traffic reduction" strategy doesn't make it so.  Building tax payer subsidized housing will never meet the need for affordable housing.  Unfortunately the progressives pushing all this nonsense never achieve their utopia and destroy freedoms instead. Just why are we funding TAM if they are not doing their job of improving transportation? 

TAM pitches Marin Board of Supervisors for more Sales Taxes

“The State of Transportation in Marin and Why TAM proposes Yes on the $3.00 Bridge Toll increase

“The State of Transportation in Marin”

Speaker: Dianne Steinhauser, Executive Director,

The Transportation Authority of Marin




Many Marin County residents cite increased traffic congestion, lack of public transportation alternatives and the

failure to adequately maintain existing transportation infrastructure as major areas of concern. The ability for

government agencies to help address these issues is crucial to economic health and well-being of the County.

On January 10th, Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) Executive Director Dianne Steinhauser will discuss the

State of Transportation in Marin. Her presentation will cover current conditions, upcoming improvements and

their status. She will address major transportation issues Marin is facing, and the likelihood of successfully

addressing those issues. Her talk will also provide updates on the Marin/Sonoma Narrows Project, the Richmond

Bridge Third Lane Project, the proposed Highway 101/580 Connector Project, construction of a new San Rafael

Transit Center, and plans to address sea-level rise on Highway 37. TAM’s programs and projects to encourage

use of walking, biking, and transit will also be covered.

In addition, Ms. Steinhauser will speak about the various programs under SB1 (the State’s recent gas tax and

vehicle registration fee increases), the status of RM3 (the proposed bridge toll increase measure), and a

proposed measure to extend or increase Marin County’s half cent transportation sales tax.

The question and answer period of the presentation will give luncheon attendees a chance to provide Dianne

feedback and to ask questions about their concerns on transportation related issues in Marin. Attendees should

expect an informative and interesting discussion of this issue.




Ms. Steinhauser has over 30 years managing transportation in the Bay Area and is the Executive

Director for the Transportation Authority of Marin. For the past 12 years, Dianne has managed Marin’s

1⁄2-cent transportation sales tax, which generates over $25 million per year for Marin. Through Marin’s

sales tax, TAM has enabled substantial growth in local transit services, local street and road

rehabilitation, and has grown its very successful Safe Routes to Schools program including managing

crossing guards, travel plans, School Pool, and student education around walking and biking to school.

Dianne managed the development of Marin County’s $10 Vehicle Registration Fee increase for transportation, which was

successfully passed by voters in November 2010, bringing an annual $2 million to Marin for transportation needs.

She brings a background in funding, finance, consensus building and engineering management. Diane began her career

at Caltrans, where for 20 years she rose from construction inspector to Deputy Director managing the activities in six Bay

Area counties. Prior to taking over as Executive Director of TAM, she spent 5 years as the Manager for Programming

and Allocations for the Bay Area Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC). Her work at MTC helped her fine tune

her technical engineering experience with a vast array of knowledge about funding sources, the legislative process and

planning; tools in which she uses in her present position.

TAM Measure A sales tax presentation 4/25/2017

TAM director Diane Steinhauser seeks support for a sales tax increase in Marin.  She is one of the highest paid employees in Marin.  The sales tax will hurt people with low income the hardest. Shrimp cocktails for our political elite and stale crackers for the public.

The survey was flawed and had multiple submissions per computer IP Address.  It is another example of manipulation of data by TAM .  How can trust TAM?? They have consistently hidden embarrassing data, misappropriated funds meant for road repairs for the SMART train and bicycle  lanes.  

They must either do their job or disband and redirect 100% of the revenue to road maintenance.

The Mark McGuire Tax "choice" for you!

Marin Voice: Time for a consensus plan for solving transportation woes

By Mike McGuire

POSTED: 02/06/17, 12:37 PM PST | UPDATED: 13 HRS AGO

16 COMMENTS

In this space, just a few weeks ago, I wrote about the need for a long-term solution to our transportation nightmares — congestion and our crumbling highways, local roads and streets.

I discussed new funding streams to tackle this massive liability, our crumbling highway and road infrastructure, via Senate Bill 1.

The bill is the state Senate’s comprehensive transportation solution and it continues to advance in the Legislature and we’re hoping to get it passed by the end of summer.

Separately, over the past couple of weeks, we’ve seen a healthy community discussion about the potential of the Transportation Authority of Marin’s proposal to seek legislation that would lift the sales tax cap in Marin. I was happy to see this dialogue, since lifting the sales tax cap is a big deal and the issue deserves a sincere and robust evaluation and community-wide conversation about the potential positive and negative impacts it could have here in Marin.

This discussion started a few months ago, when TAM approached our office to see if it was possible to raise the local sales tax cap, in anticipation of a possible ballot measure for road and street projects along with transit. As always, when we’re working on issues affecting local communities, we wanted to make sure there was consensus from county and city leaders, stakeholders and residents of Marin, before moving forward.

That’s why we asked TAM to present the idea to each of the city councils, the Board of Supervisors and meet with key organizations to discuss the issue.

It became obvious to TAM that there was not yet a consensus on how to move forward to solve the significant transportation issues in Marin — especially around raising the sales tax cap. Clearly more time is needed to study alternatives and for community input.

Additional feedback is needed from city councils and the Board of Supervisors for TAM to develop a detailed expenditure plan and show residents how lifting the cap will benefit their hometowns and the county as a whole.

TAM will also need to meet with local groups and residents to solicit feedback on what — if anything — they want. At that point, TAM would develop a detailed transportation project expenditure plan focused on each city and the county — which would again be a public process.

TAM would then go back out to each city council and the Board of Supervisors to see if there is consensus on a detailed transportation project plan. See article HERE

Our state senator, Mark McGuire broke the "Pants on Fire" meter on the TAM tax.

Lifting sales tax cap is unfair to struggling households

Marin Voice: Lifting sales tax cap is unfair to struggling households

By Randy Warren

POSTED: 01/30/17, 12:01 PM PST | UPDATED: 2 HRS AGO

14 COMMENTS

Perhaps they will call it the McGuire Tax. Unelected officials are pressuring state Sen. Mike McGuire to kill the protective sales tax cap for Marin.

That cap is a covenant between government and the people: Our total sales tax will never exceed 10 percent.

This conversation so far is only within government, as though we the people have no say in whether to give up this covenant.

Many of us manage sales tax via our good incomes or Visa cards.

But sales tax is a racist tax. It puts the tax pain disproportionately onto the most economically vulnerable in our community.

It is harsh also on single parents and seniors trying somehow to remain in Marin.

Property tax is targeted. Income tax is scaled. But no family escapes sales tax. The dollar payments apply equally but the impact is disparate.

Marin approves nearly all taxes on which it votes. And most proposals are worthy.

That is the problem: There will always be more worthy projects, but tens of thousands in Marin already cannot afford them. They are struggling.

Even so, affluent Marinites keep raising the tax bill without thinking about those less fortunate than themselves. Tax promoters feed that thinking: “Oh, but THIS tax is so small it won’t make any difference.”

Yet at a certain point, one more straw breaks a camel’s back.

The aggregate of these supposedly harmless sales taxes now take away about $1 for every $10 that we spend. Do you realize how oppressive that is to the poor?

This is money they do not have available to spare. They must not be asked to pay more.

Fortunately, we have protection: the covenant of the protective sales tax cap.

The proposed McGuire legislation would unlock that cap in Marin (but not Sonoma where the senator lives). The cap can be moved or eliminated without public consent. In communicating only with government officials, Sen. McGuire proceeds in an absence of community engagement, bypassing the people who must pay those taxes.

The Novato City Council, in a 3-2 squeaker, supported the McGuire Tax, topped with this impressive arrogance: They called it a vote “to remove a state procedural obstacle to allow a community conversation.”

That is like President Donald Trump saying he will build a wall with Mexico so the people can choose its color.

The first community conversation, Novato, should be about whether the people are willing to change the protective sales tax cap. It is not a “procedural obstacle.”

Doing it otherwise may, ironically, cause Marin’s generous voters to start voting down new taxes. Note that most recent taxes passed on razor-thin margins. The McGuire Tax may shift enough voters.

San Rafael exhibited greater wisdom, declining to presently support it. The entire county should follow this leadership, and then reject the McGuire Tax.

Yachts may produce only a small wake, but to the person barely keeping their nose above the water line, small wakes make big differences.

Can Marin be so tone deaf as to complain how the high cost of living makes it impossible for people to afford housing but at the same time sling yet another arrow into tens of thousands of our poorest neighbors?

Think not in terms of your First World problem of how well you could manage losing the sales tax cap. Think about what it means to those struggling just to put bread on the table.

Or will Sen. McGuire tell them to eat cake?

Randy Warren is a San Rafael lawyer. He was a candidate for San Rafael City Council in 2013.

See the article HERE

Editor's Note:  Here is the voting score so far for the TAM TAX scam

The Board of Supervisors (Dennis Rodoni was not seated yet) and the TAM Commissioners unanimously approved lifting the sales tax cap.

In San Rafael it was defeated 4-1 with Mayor Phillips for approving.

Fairfax was 4-1 for eliminating the sale tax cap :Renee Goddard, John Reed, David Weinsoff, Peter Lacques approved and Barbara Coler opposed.

Novato vote 3-2 for in favor. Josh Fryday, Denise Athas, and Eric Lucan voted for increasing the sales tax cap and Pam Drew and Pat Eklund opposed the measure.

TAM commissioners approved unanimously

From the TAM website: http://www.tam.ca.gov/index.as...

MEMBERS (TERMS) AFFILIATE PHONE #
Alice Fredericks (exp. 2020) Town of Tiburon 415.435.7377
Judy Arnold - Vice Chair (exp. 2020) County of Marin District 5 415.499.7331
Dan Hillmer (exp. 2018) City of Larkspur 415.927.5110
Diane Furst (exp. 2018) Town of Corte Madera 415.927.5086
Eric Lucan (exp. 2020) City of Novato 415.226.0815
Tom McInerney (exp. 2020) Town of San Anselmo 415.226.0815
Gary Phillips (exp. 2020) City of San Rafael 415.485.3074
John Reed (exp. 2020) Town of Fairfax 415.226.0815
Kathrin Sears (exp. 2020) County of Marin District 3 415.499.7331
Katie Rice (exp. 2018) County of Marin District 2 415.499.7331
Thomas Theodores (exp. 2018) City of Sausalito 415.997.8650
P. Beach Kuhl (exp. 2018) Town of Ross 415.453.1453
James Campbell (exp. 2018) City of Belvedere 415.435.3838
Stephanie Moulton-Peters - Chair (exp. 2018) City of Mill Valley 415.388.4033
Steve Kinsey (exp. 2020) County of Marin District 4 415.499.7331
Damon Connolly (exp. 2018) County of Marin District 1 415.499.7331

TAM is making a blanket request for SALES TAXES but no spending plans.

Maribeth Bushey votes NO to the sales tax cap increase so that Transportation of Marin (TAM ) may have funds for future un named projects. Diane Steinhauser acknowledges that it is a ridiculous request

The full TAM Tax Discussion in Novato on 1/24/2017

Pam Drew challenges TAM for hiding tax measure

January 24, 2017. Novato Councilperson Pam Drew challenges TAM director Diane Steinhauser and TAM chairperson  Stephanie Moulton Peters of Mill Valley with their confusing language of the sales tax measure and rush for approval.  Ever defiant, Moulton Peters rudely interrupts Drew to stop her inquiry.

TAM hides the Tax Measure from the public

Jan 24, 2017  Novato council person Pat Eklund calls out TAM for the confusing language concerning increasing  the Sale Tax.  It reads,

"CONSIDERATION OF SUPPORT FOR THE TRANSPORTATION
AUTHORITY OF MARIN IN THEIR EFFORT TO REMOVE A STATE
PROCEDURAL OBSTACLE TO ALLOW A COMMUNITY
CONVERSATION AND MAXIMUM FLEXIBILITY FOR LOCAL
JURISDICTIONS"   .

The language is clearly meant to confuse the public.  The city manager placed it on the agenda as instructed.  TAM director Diane Steinhauser and TAM chairperson Stephanie Moulton Peters use the same language everywhere in Marin . It is a Brown Act violation to obscure language on agendas.

Lifting the sales tax will most certainly be the first step to a permanent sales tax increase.

Josh Fryday v. Al Dugan "More TAX on the Poor"

Novato Mayor Pro-Tem Josh Fryday scoffs at Al Dugan for suggesting that a higher sales tax hurts low income people.  Dugan, a retiree points out that the TAM Tax is regressive, hurting the people that Josh Fryday says that we all need to support.  The politician Fryday is caught defending a sales tax for the poor.  Josh Fryday a relatively new resident was backed from billionaire investor, Tom Steyer in 2014 to run for Novato City council.  Fryday was also a political aide for disgraced presidential candidate Jon Edwards in 2008.

Marin Politicians want to increase the cap on Sales Taxes!

TAM seeks support for Marin local sales tax cap exemption

Local Marin school bus service is one of several transportation services that could benefit if the state Legislature grants a 0.5 percent local sales tax cap exemption for the county. Frankie Frost – Marin Independent Journal

By Janis Mara, Marin Independent Journal

POSTED: 01/18/17, 4:12 PM PST | UPDATED: 2 HRS AGO

21 COMMENTS

The Transportation Authority of Marin is seeking support from local municipalities for state legislation that would authorize a local sales tax cap exemption.

The existing half-cent sales tax that funds the authority’s Marin transportation projects expires in 2025. Lifting the cap would make it possible for the authority to ask voters to increase that sales tax.

“We’re on the agenda of every city in Marin,” said Dianne Steinhauser, the authority’s executive director. The Fairfax Town Council was slated to discuss the item Wednesday; the item is on Novato’s agenda for Jan. 24.

The San Rafael City Council voted 4-1 Tuesday to take no action on the proposed legislation, with Mayor Gary Phillips dissenting.

“I think we need more community input, both on transportation projects and on how a high sales tax rate would affect our community,” said Councilwoman Kate Colin. “How does it affect our ability to attract businesses? How does it affect people’s ability to pay it, especially in low-income communities? What are the ramifications of raising a sales tax cap?” Colin added that she wanted more information on which transportation projects were proposed.

Steinhauser acknowledged that the expenditure plan hasn’t been developed yet and staffers don’t know what might be included.

See story HERE

Editor's Note: Well that sort of comes first doesn't it? TAM wants a blank check. Yeah right.  Of course they want more of our money. 

VIDE0: Will the SMART train be any more efficient than the VTA?

25 years later, VTA light rail among the nation's worst By Mike Rosenberg mrosenberg@mercurynews.com San Jose Mercury News Posted:

MercuryNews.com

A quarter of a century ago, Santa Clara County's first light-rail train left the station as excited supporters heralded a new wave of state-of-the-art transportation to match the region's burgeoning high-tech industry.
But there was no grand celebration this month as Silicon Valley marked 25 years of light rail.

The near-empty trolleys that often shuttle by at barely faster than jogging speeds serve as a constant reminder that the car is still king in Silicon Valley -- and that the Valley Transportation Authority's trains are among the least successful in the nation by any metric. Today, fewer than 1 percent of the county's residents ride the trains daily, while it costs the rest of the region -- taxpayers at large -- about $10 to subsidize every rider's round trip.

Even light rail's supporters concede the train has not lived up to expectations thus far, but they are optimistic that slow and steady increases in rider counts will continue.

"I believe we are ultimately going to realize the (original) vision," said Kevin Connolly, VTA's transportation planning manager. "But I think what's happened is that it wasn't quite as easy or quick as originally conceived of 30 years ago."

So what exactly has gone wrong, and what needs to change to make the next 25 years a smoother ride for Silicon Valley's trolley line?

Bumpy start

The VTA system, which cost $2 billion to build and $66 million per year to operate, is one of the most inefficient light-rail lines in the nation:

• Compared with the U.S. average, each VTA light-rail vehicle costs 30 percent more to operate and carries 30 percent fewer passengers.

• The cost to carry one passenger round trip, $11.74, is 83 percent more than the U.S. average and the third worst in the nation, ahead of only trains in Pittsburgh and Dallas.

• Taxpayers subsidize 85 percent of the service, the second worst rate in the nation.

The network that officials envisioned in the 1970s and '80s wound up being twice the size, more expensive, less efficient and less popular than first thought.

"It is an unmitigated disaster and a waste of taxpayer money," said VTA critic Tom Rubin, a transportation consultant based in Oakland. "I think the original concept was very seriously flawed."

Still, light-rail supporters argue the trains have put a dent in Silicon Valley's notoriously nasty freeway traffic, providing more than 32,000 one-way trips each day. For perspective, if all those riders drove on Highway 101 in the South Bay, traffic would increase more than 6 percent.

"If we didn't have the current system, we would have terminal gridlock," said the train's godfather, Rod Diridon, a transit advocate who pushed for the network as a county supervisor decades ago.

Reasons are clear

Still, VTA light rail has struggled -- and it's mostly because of the valley's sprawl, transportation experts and agency officials say.

Connolly noted that the South Bay's first light-rail line was built along onion fields, where planners had expected homes and businesses to pop up along the route. That contrasted with the strategy in most other cities, which is to put light rail along existing, dense corridors.

For the most part, the density never materialized in Silicon Valley. As Connolly spoke at VTA headquarters along its main light-rail line on First Street, he noted the orange groves across the street.

"In our case we tried to graft a big-city transit type of mode onto a suburban environment, and it's still kind of a work in progress," Connolly said.

San Francisco's Muni light-rail system, which carries five times as many passengers as VTA, features dense housing and jobs near stations that riders can walk to, avoiding traffic jams and the huge parking costs.
More commuters in the South Bay, on the other hand, stomach awful traffic and record gas prices because the region offers plenty of free parking, and its businesses and homes are spread out. And that's not changing any time soon.

"Changing land-use patterns is something that is hard work and takes a long time and a lot of political will. It happens in an incremental way, property by property," said Gabriel Metcalf, executive director of SPUR, a Bay Area planning nonprofit.

Riding the rails

Many riders say they use light rail because they don't have any other way to get around -- and they like that it's clean, affordable and consistent.

"It's very convenient for me," said Mark Vindiola, 47, who takes the train from his home in Milpitas to school and work because he doesn't drive. "I'm happy it's there and I want (the service) to continue."

But their main complaint is speed, which is often less than 10 mph in downtown San Jose.

"It just takes a while to get through downtown," said Sabrina Baca, 17, as she sat on the train with 18-year-old Fernando Fernandez and their 7-month-old daughter. Asked why they and most people ride the train, the couple said, in unison: "Because they have to."

Light rail is generally less economically efficient than long-haul heavy train service such as BART or Caltrain, though San Jose's system is especially feeble.

Light-rail agencies in Minneapolis, Houston, Newark, N.J., and Phoenix each run less service than VTA yet carry more passengers than the South Bay's network. Several cities that are much smaller than San Jose -- from St. Louis to Salt Lake City to Portland, Ore. -- also feature light-rail systems with more riders than VTA.

Sacramento -- which also opened its light-rail network in 1987, operates with approximately the same level of service and runs through a similarly sprawled-out region -- carries nearly 40 percent more passengers per day than VTA.

Connolly pointed out that the Sacramento line has a built-in customer base of state workers who take the line, at a 75 percent discount, to their jobs. The closest VTA has to that: San Jose State students, who make up a large chunk of VTA's riders largely because the line carries students to the university for no additional charge, a cost built into their tuition.

Another issue is that San Jose's downtown -- while denser than most parts of Silicon Valley -- is still not the jobs destination seen in the urban cores of other cities. For many riders, it's a place to get through, not to.

Future changes coming?

Acknowledging the need to improve, the VTA is undergoing a $27 million project to make the service more attractive, largely by adding tracks to launch express trains. VTA is also kicking off an efficiency effort to cut service costs 5 percent, which could help land new grants from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the Bay Area's transportation agency.

Expansions to Los Gatos and East San Jose are also proposed, but those, too, are forecast to attract very few riders and carry large, unfunded capital costs.

"In general, we can't lose sight of the fact that we have to do the basics better," Connolly said. "We have to be faster, we have to connect with better destinations."

VIDEO: Agenda 21. -John Birch Society (JBS) view on Smart Growth and One Bay Area Plan

This is a slick video on Agenda 21, presented by the John Birch Society (yeah, the same one that was active during the cold war warning people about communism). 

Although, we personally do not subscribe to the point of view illustrated in this video,  we present this to you so that you may understand what people are talking about.  The objection to  One Bay Area Plan in Marin and elsewhere spans cultural, political, ethnic and economic lines. We find allies with every group that values individual liberty over government and corporate control.  Quite literally we have allies in the Occupy Wall Street movement,  Democrats, Republicans, Tea Party Activists, Progressives and Environmentalists.  We are indeed all Americans fighting against government over reach and corporate profiteering to transform our communities. If Roosevelt could form an alliance with Stalin to defeat Nazism in World War II, surely the people of the Bay Area can join together to fight ABAG and the One Bay Area Plan.

Although, we recognize the essential facts of Agenda 21,  this writer is far too cynical to believe anyone could pull of a massive conspiracy of this magnitude.  We believe that Agenda 21 is merely Smart Growth driven by political ambition and fueled by capitalism.  In other words- money and power.

"Let them take a bus to Larkspur Ferry"

Marin County Supervisors, Kinsey, Connolly & Rice plus Dan Hillmer comments against a parking structure for cars at the Larkspur Ferry.  They feel that people should take the bus regardless of personal inconvenience, time spent or weather.  It is yet another example of "Smart Growth" ideology trumping the practical considerations of the people.  None of these politicians will need to take the ferry on a daily basis.  Fortunately, the majority of the Transportation Authority of Marin board voted for the consideration of a parking garage at the October 22, 2015 meeting.

Marin deserves practical traffic solutions

Marin Voice: Marin deserves practical traffic solutions

By Mimi Willard

POSTED: 11/28/15, 2:11 PM PST |

3 COMMENTS

The recent effort of Marin supervisors Steve Kinsey and Katie Rice to kill the Transportation Authority of Marin’s consideration of a parking garage at the Larkspur Ferry terminal illustrates the lunacy of letting rigid ideology overrule common sense.

At its October meeting, the TAM board voted on its submission to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission of the required Regional Transportation Plan. Only projects that TAM puts on this list can get funded by MTC over the four-year planning cycle.

Putting a project on the list does not commit TAM to pursuing the project. It simply keeps the option open.

No one loves parking garages. But sometimes they’re a sensible solution or at least worthy of consideration.

Parking availability is a real problem at Marin’s ferries, which are currently the county’s most effective, convenient and popular mass transportation. Besides being a green commuting alternative, the ferry relieves vehicular traffic congestion, which tops residents’ list of what they want their elected officials to fix.

Doctrinaire rather than pragmatic, Rice and Kinsey voted to kill consideration of a Larkspur ferry parking garage by removing it from the TAM’s list. Their rationale?

Taking the ferry isn’t green enough.

Residents should get to the ferry by bus, or the as yet unproven Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit train.

Rice and Kinsey’s way to make that happen is to limit parking availability.

Rice and Kinsey seem to prefer prescriptive top-down planning over practical solutions to Marin’s current, real, traffic problem.  See the full article in the Marin IJ.

Marin Voice: Why Marin’s traffic is bad and getting worse

By Kevin Haroff

POSTED: 10/03/15, 10:22 AM PDT |

50 COMMENTS

Most people agree that traffic congestion in Marin County is out of control.

Sir Francis Drake Boulevard is gridlocked for miles with commuters trying to drive to work each morning. The backup on 101 brings cars and buses to a grinding halt each night at the Greenbrae interchange.

Conditions are hardly better anywhere else.

Meanwhile, there is no coherent strategy for dealing with these problems at the county level. That grim reality was brought home at a recent meeting of the Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM).

Read the story HERE

VIDEO: Plan Bay Area is a 19th Century Solution for 21st Century Problems

Charles Gagnon comments eloquently about the limited vision of Plan Bay Area which ignores  innovations in green technology which drastically have reduced pollution.   ABAG  aims to replace efficient automotive technology with 19th century solutions of rail and street car which is inadequate for modern economies.  Even China, where bicycle and mass transit was common only a few decades ago has switched to the automobile to keep up with the demands of a modern decentralized economy.

Marinwood/Lucas Valley must not be destroyed for the vain ambitions of a few Smart Growth zealots.

Portland Oregon has failed to achieve its green revolution. Check out this video from the comedy show "Portlandia
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