CA: EDITORIAL: Editorial: Highway 101 bus lane idea is worth another look

It is unlikely that Highway 101 will be widened through populated stretches of Marin. The real estate cost alone would be prohibitive.

But local transportation officials are taking a fresh look at a longstanding proposal to turn the freeway shoulder between Novato and San Rafael into a dedicated lane for buses during the morning commute.

The Transportation Authority of Marin has budgeted $750,000 for a thorough look into the lane's design, transit benefits and safety concerns.

The goal of the lane — a comparatively low-cost opportunity at $7 million — is to allow buses to zip past traffic jams, reducing their travel time and turning more commuters to public transit.

By doing so, the shift would not only cut 15 minutes off the commute by bus, but should also meet environmental "green" goals in helping to reduce air pollution.

Pre-pandemic counts had 350 bus trips, predominantly Marin Transit and Golden Gate Transit buses, on that stretch of Highway 101 during the daily commute.

Along Highway 101, TAM's target is an oft-gridlocked 10-mile stretch between DeLong Avenue in Novato and North San Pedro Road at the foot of Puerto Suello Hill in San Rafael.

At its peak, before COVID19's restrictions affected commute traffic, it could take 40 minutes to travel that stretch.

The commute was often cited as one of the reasons why employers in central and southern Marin had trouble attracting and retaining workers.

Both Golden Gate and Marin Transit are optimistic about the benefits of the change.

"This type of project is a relatively low-cost project that can really improve the efficiency of the existing system in an innovative way," said Anne Richman, TAM's executive director.

It's also the kind of improvement — enhancing public transit — that attracts state and regional transportation funding.

The idea has been pondered by TAM before. It was first advanced more than a decade ago by the late Marin County supervisor Hal Brown.

It was shelved due to safety and engineering hurdles.

But, since then, the state has had more experience in making transit use of those highway shoulders, having made such shifts in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties.

Officials need to take a close look at the safety involving the merging of traffic in highway exits and entrances. There should also be consideration of the role the shoulders play in being able to move disabled vehicles out of highway traffic. Both from a safety standpoint as well as keeping traffic flowing.

These are important considerations that deserve to be priorities in terms of overall public safety.

The cost and possible viability of the option is worth a close look and the state's experience in making the shift work could help address concerns raised previously.

Originally Published: February 23, 2025 at 12:58 PM PST

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