Good morning! Yesterday I sat down with a local legend in Cascade Canyon to interview another local legend for our first podcast episode. I’ll share more details here in the coming days and will drop another hint at the bottom of this email.
🌤️ Today's weather: Sunny and warm, high near 75°F. Mostly clear overnight, low around 52°F. (Source: National Weather Service)
Today's newsletter: A national ranking will show Mill Valley just how bike-friendly it really is, the County wants you to bike to work today and is even offering monetary rewards and Manzanita Park & Ride is now officially closed due to high tides. This Briefing is about 765 words, a 3-minute read.
- Written and edited by Franz Strasser-Galvis
Mill Valley picks a yardstick for bike progress
Mill Valley is partnering with PeopleForBikes, a Boulder-based advocacy organization, to measure and track the city's cycling infrastructure on an annual basis. The Transportation Mobility Advisory Committee (TMAC) announced the collaboration alongside a PeopleForBikes feature highlighting the city's work on Miller Avenue.
The background: Bill Hoppin, who chairs TMAC, said they chose the organization because it offers "the best and most objective data driven approach to measurement and progress" and because the ranking comes out annually. The organization advocates for cycling infrastructure nationally and publishes the ratings in part to encourage cities to invest in improvements.
The League of American Bicyclists certified Mill Valley as a Silver city in 2024, but Hoppin said that program runs every four years and is "less granular in its methodology." Mill Valley currently scores 37 out of 100 in PeopleForBikes' most recent ratings, ranking 79th in California and 531st in the country. The score has been largely flat since 2018, according to PeopleForBikes. The latest 2026 City Ratings drop in June.
Where it’s working: Miller Avenue is the clearest example of the city's approach. The city lowered the speed limit from 30 to 25mph, added a buffered bike lane in each direction and narrowed the road in sections to make room for it. A city-commissioned safety study presented to TMAC in March is examining draft improvement concepts at six locations along the Miller Avenue corridor, including the Miller/Montford/La Goma intersection, which recorded 31 crashes over ten years.
A rendering of a then future-Miller Avenue corridor from the Mill Valley Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan. (City of Mill Valley, 2017)
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