The Alten construction team is nearing the completion of the new Fire Station 57 project. After many hours spent putting together innumerable details and materials, the contractor is nearly ready to bring the building to life. In the last few weeks, crews installed concrete pavers, a generator and fuel tanks, building signage, as well as,...
The Streets division crews have been busy preparing San Rafael’s waterways for the 2019/20 rainy season. Over 300 tons of debris and sediment have been removed in the last 10 days because of last year’s storms. Eventually, over 700 tons of material will be removed from San Rafael’s waterways, headwalls, and containment basins. This work...
The 2019 goat grazing contract is in its final stages. So far, the goats have helped reduce the fire hazard in 14 locations covering nearly 100 acres. The goats started the year on Robert Dollar Drive and are currently concluding their work in Peacock Gap and East San Rafael.
The SMART Larkspur Extension is moving into the next phase as construction winds down and testing of trains begins. The City has coordinated with SMART on the installation of new traffic signal lights at the railroad tracks on 2nd and 3rd Streets. These lights will work in tandem with nearby traffic signals and serve the...
In early July, Bayside Stripe & Seal, Inc. began refreshing traffic striping along 12 miles of city streets. This project updates the paint on all traffic markings along selected streets to meet current Caltrans standards. Lane markings are now thicker and traffic legends such as “YIELD” or “STOP” are slightly larger. The contractor used thermoplastic...
Wildfire season is here and Marin County residents need to be prepared for prolonged power outages related to PG&E’s efforts to reduce wildfire risks. Having key items, such as a working flashlight and 3-day supply of water and food, is one important component of a preparedness plan and can make it easier to cope with power...
About Alert Marin If you live, work or go to school in Marin County and are 18 and over, you may now register your cell phone or VoIP (voice over internet protocol) phone to receive emergency alerts sent by call, text, email, or smartphone application from the County of Marin. Listed and unlisted/blocked Marin County...
SMART will be performing overnight track maintenance in San Rafael from North San Pedro Road to Civic Center Drive on Friday, July 19, Tuesday, July 23 and Wednesday, July 24. Maintenance work will involve the movement of on-track equipment from 9 p.m. to approximately 3 a.m. As a part of this work, the crossing bells...
Though the first phase of the MUP is done, Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit district (SMART) is continuing to construct the extension to Larkspur Station, located behind Larkspur Landing. While the majority of the infrastructure, such as rail and ties are in place, SMART is testing the systems that support the rail service. On July...
We are in the final stages of construction at Fire Station 57! Alten Construction has been taking full advantage of the beautiful, sunny weather this summer and has accomplished a lot in the last few months. They have installed windows, storefronts, roofing, and various site walls. The installation of stucco and site work helps illustrate...
The Public Safety Center construction team has been working tirelessly. Currently, there is an average of 35-40 workers on site, on any given day. They are installing mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems in the basement, first, and second floor. The underground work finalized last week. All the plywood has been installed on the perimeter of...
This week, the City’s contractor, Valentine Corporation, paved the section of Irwin Street that has been closed for the past two years. After Valentine Corporation finishes installing a fence along the top of the retaining wall and removes all of their equipment, Irwin Street will be open to through-traffic on Friday, July 26th.
In the United States, about 40% of the population lives near the coast. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, sea levels continue to rise about 1/8-inch every year and this rate is likely to increase. Some studies have estimated that by 2050, water levels could rise by one foot, and by 2100, it...
The Parks Department is in the middle of its busy summer pruning season. Pruning entails the trimming of trees by cutting away dead or overgrown branches in order to stimulate growth. The maintenance crews recently finished pruning the mile-long stretch of median islands on Las Gallinas Ave. The Parks crews will now be working on...
Following an 18-month long process of planning and construction, the Multi-Use Pathway from Andersen to Rice Drive is complete and open for public use! This is a vital link for bicyclists and pedestrians as it connects downtown San Rafael to the Larkspur Ferry Terminal. It is Phase I of the SMART Larkspur Extension project and...
As part of the beautiful new Multi-Use Pathway (MUP) from Rice to Andersen Drive, a HAWK signal was installed at the intersection of the MUP and Rice Drive. HAWK actually stands for High-intensity Activated crossWalK (hey, we are not responsible for the name!). It provides a controlled midblock crossing for bicyclists and pedestrians utilizing the...
For the past year, Caltrans has been making progress to the highly anticipated bicycle-pedestrian pathway on Richmond-San Rafael Bridge (I-580). The 10-foot bi-directional pathway will be separated from traffic by a movable concrete barrier system, similar to the one installed on the Golden Gate Bridge. As a part of these improvements the bike path will...
Project Description: These two projects include installation of hot mix asphalt and/or micro-surfacing treatments at various locations throughout the City. This project also includes installation of American’s With Disability Act (ADA) compliant curb ramps, curb, gutter, and sidewalk. Curb ramps must be installed prior to resurfacing of streets per federal law. Project Status: Below is a list of roads that will potentially be...
Work in Gerstle Park continues with the City completing the longest continuous stretch of new sidewalk yet at over 250 feet. In addition, two new ADA compliant curb ramps were installed next to Short Elementary School. These new curb ramps include the yellow dots which are called "raised truncated domes." Work is anticipated to be...
The Andersen to Rice Drive Multi-Use Pathway is inching towards completion. The last phase to install the SMART tracks next to the Multi-use Pathway is nearing its finish; however, the HAWK pedestrian traffic signaling still needs to be installed. SMART anticipates completing the track installation within the next few weeks and will start testing trains....
On Thursday, June 13th, Mayor Phillips, City staff, and project stakeholders descended on the newly opened pedestrian bridge to celebrate with a formal grand opening. The bridge is a long-awaited connection to east San Rafael communities and provides better accessibility for bicyclists and pedestrians. Approximately 40-50 residents, employees, and key stakeholders, including members of the...
Replacement of the Pickleweed Park play structures is on schedule. By the end of this week, both playground areas at Pickleweed Park will have been filled with engineered wood fiber. This will provide a safe, impact-cushioned play surface. On the week of June 24th, the contractor will be working on adding the final touches, including...
Land Systems Management is the City of San Rafael’s 2019 goat contractor. The goats are currently up on Robert Dollar Hill working (eating) their way towards the Falkirk Center. Afterwards, the goats will be covering other City open space from Terra Linda to Peacock Gap.
Work continues in the Gerstle Park neighborhood as the City and Van Midde and Son Concrete passed the 3,000 square foot milestone in the neighborhood. That's enough new sidewalk in the neighborhood to stretch two football fields long. Over 400 feet of curb and gutter have also been replaced. Work has slowed a little in...
Marin County, CA -- The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for the North Bay Mountains and other parts of the Bay Area above 1000 feet, which is in effect from 9 PM this evening (Friday) to 5 PM Sunday. A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are expected...
**We are currently not accepting applications to paint utility boxes but will re-evaluate as budgeting and policy changes. Please check back here for any future updates.** The San Rafael Chamber of Commerce Leadership Institute Class project wrapped up this week, with the completion of six painted utility boxes downtown. The project was developed to enhance...
The spinning climbing structure at Freitas Park was due for another resurfacing. The Poured-in-Place (PIP) surface previously used was wearing out faster than expected. The Parks Department was able to find a better product with a lifetime warranty! The new tile was installed last week, and the Parks crew put the spinning structure back together...
The City’s contractor, Valentine Corporation, has installed the rebar in the final retaining wall and is almost done securing the forms. They are anticipating pouring concrete early next week. While the concrete is curing, they will work on the new drainage ditch on the other side of the road. Once the new concrete wall has...
On May 28th, Community Playgrounds Inc. began work on the installation of our new playground structures at Pickleweed Park. We see the excitement of the community with several residents stopping by the site to ask questions, reading the posted multi-language banners, and some even bringing their children to watch the construction. The structures themselves should...
