A:
A key issue that will influence the preferred site for the new transit center will be circulation and access to the site. Congestion is a primary concern for those who live, work, visit, and attend school in San Rafael. The 2nd & Hetherton and 3rd & Hetherton intersections are among the busiest and most congested in the entire county. High traffic volumes also create an undesirable environment for pedestrians and bicyclists, which is evidenced by a history of collisions. It is critical to locate and design the transit center in a way that benefits bus and auto circulation while creating a safe environment for pedestrians to access the transit center, transfer between transit services, and connect with Downtown San Rafael. The project team performed detailed analysis of how cars, trucks, buses, pedestrians, and bicyclists travel through downtown San Rafael and how congestion would be altered with each of the project alternatives. The analysis found that the Move Whistlestop and Under the Freeway alternatives would slightly improve traffic flow in downtown by shifting buses away from the congested 3rd and 2nd Streets. The 4th Street Gateway would result in little change to traffic flow as the improvement on some streets would be offset by increased congestion on others. See the "Alternatives Description and Trade-Offs Summary" document posted on the Project Documents & Materials page for more information.