By Matthew Pera
Bay Area transportation officials have allocated the needed $10.6 million for an overhaul of the bicycle and pedestrian path over Corte Madera Creek in Larkspur. The project is set to provide a safer travel route for cyclists and pedestrians through the central part of the county.
The money comes from Regional Measure 2 — approved by voters in 2004 — which increased tolls on state bridges by $1 to pay for transportation projects. The funds are managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, which oversees transportation planning and financing throughout the Bay Area.
The Transportation Authority of Marin, which is managing the project, also received a $280,000 grant from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District for the effort.
Construction is set to begin next spring. Workers will replace the 4-foot-wide sidewalk along Highway 101 over Corte Madera Creek with a 12-foot path and extend the path along a section of Old Redwood Highway in Larkspur.
“The existing sidewalk is just not wide enough to accommodate the heavy usage we’re seeing,” said Bill Whitney, a project manager for the transportation authority.