A fight over renovations on Sausalito’s Bridgeway Promenade is getting heated.
The city council is exploring options to remove the center lane and add a two-way designated bike lane. However, some residents are adamant that removing the center lane will hinder emergency response times on the busy road. Dozens protested on the Bridgeway Thursday, arguing against removing the center lane.
Currently, bikes and cars share the main vehicle lanes. There’s also a center two-way turn lane that is often used for truck deliveries, parking, and passenger drop-offs.
“You get rid of the median, and there’s a fire on this side of town; ambulances will not be able to get through, and the firetrucks. It’s just insane, especially with climate change,” said Sausalito resident James Gabbert. He is also the former chair of the California State Emergency Communications Committee.
The city’s report says the center lane, built in 1965, was originally intended for emergency response. However, it also claims that the city’s emergency services do not specifically rely on the center lane.
“It became kind of a de facto chaos lane. Now people use it to pass other cars, they use it to pass bikes, you see people parking here a lot, you see people loading. Really, it's used for everything except emergencies now, and it’s dangerous,” said Sausalito resident Adrian Brinton, who is in favor of the proposed bike lanes.
The city says its new design will allow drivers to pull over into the bike lane to let emergency vehicles pass.
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According to the city’s study, there were 50 collisions on the Bridgeway between 2013 and 2022, of which 24 involved a cyclist or pedestrian.
The project has been approved for $504,600 in funding from the Metropolitan Transportation Committee but is facing an August deadline to accept the grant.
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The city council has scheduled a special meeting on Saturday, March 29, at 1 p.m. More than a hundred people have already submitted public comments for and against the plan.
