Vote on NB101 – EB580 Direct Connect Design Alternatives

Complete the survey through Monday, May 24

​Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) has assembled a Stakeholder Working Group (SWG) to study and provide feedback on different design alternatives being considered for a new direct freeway to freeway connector between Northbound 101 and Eastbound 580 (see the project website).  The SWG has met five times between June of 2020 and now. Bret Harte is being represented by BHCA members Betsy Swenerton and Jim Draper.  The project goals are to make pedestrian and bicycle improvements on Bellam Blvd (this work is included with all design alternatives), and to reduce travel time from 101NB to 580 EB (currently 7.6 – 16 minutes, depending on if you go through Bellam or Sir Francis Drake). A total of 9 different design alternatives are being considered; the top 2 or 3 will move on to the Environmental Impact phase. Many of the designs being considered make changes to the Francisco / Bellam / Andersen area, which directly impacts Bret Harte, California Park and the East San Rafael and Canal neighborhoods. We need to show TAM which alternatives Bret Harte residents support the most.

The Stakeholder Working Group and TAM design team are focusing on potential Equity impacts for each design alternative.

TAM has provided this Project Handbook to be shared with the communities most impacted by the proposed design alternatives.

BHCA has created a simple survey for Bret Harte Residents to indicate which design alternative they support most – ranked choice, top 3.

Below is a summary of each design alternative, highlighting elements important to Bret Harte.  Please review the summary along with TAM’s Project Handbook, and complete the survey ranking your top three choices of design alternatives.  This information will be shared directly with the TAM design team.  Feel free to reach out to Betsy Swenerton at betsyswen@gmail.com with any questions.

As a Bret Harte resident who’s been participating in the stakeholder working group meetings, I support Hillside Options A and B first, and then Design Alternative 6. I feel that any design option that closes the SB 101 exit to Bellam (Options 2 and 4) would have a negative effect on the Canal neighborhood. I also feel that all of the low speed (35 mph) options (3A, 3B, 3B Mod, 4) do not offer enough positive change to justify the expense of building them. And finally, I’m generally against adding more congestion and overhead bridges to the Bellam area (5), which is why I prefer Hillside Options A and B first, and Alternative 6 second.

—Betsy Swenerton, betsyswen@gmail.com

Summary of NB101 – EB580 Direct Connect Design Alternatives
 
Hillside A (1A)

• High speed option at 50 mph design speed
• Caltrans prefers high speed freeway interchanges; anything below 50 mph requires a waiver from Caltrans
• Estimated peak travel time of 7.1 minutes (vs. no-build peak travel time of 27 min)
• Potential environmental hurdles
• High cost at $292M
• Alleviates traffic at Bellam
• Retains SB 101 Exit to Bellam
• Farthest from Bret Harte so noise (during construction and after) will be lowest

 
Hillside B (1B)

• High speed option at 50 mph design speed
• Estimated peak travel time of 7.1 minutes (vs. no-build peak travel time of 27 min)
• Potential environmental hurdles
• High cost at $379M
• Alleviates traffic at Bellam
• Retains SB 101 Exit to Bellam
• Far from Bret Harte so noise (during construction and after) will be lowest

 
Simms Street (2)

• Medium speed option at 45 mph design speed (will require a waiver from Caltrans)
• Estimated peak travel time of 7.1 minutes (vs. no-build peak travel time of 27 min)
• New 40’ high bridge over Andersen at Simms Street
• Very close to Bret Harte, high likelihood of noise impacts
• Impacts 6 parcels with existing businesses, 16 parcels total
• $168M
• Alleviates traffic at Bellam
• Retains SB 101 Exit to Bellam

 
Low Speed A (3A)

• Low speed option at 35 mph design speed (will require a waiver from Caltrans)
• Estimated peak travel time of 11.4 minutes (vs. no-build peak travel time of 27 min)
• New bridge over Bellam at same height as existing
• Impacts 2 parcels with existing businesses, 3 parcels total
• $138M
• Utilizes existing Bellam off-ramp from 101NB
• Retains SB 101 Exit to Bellam
• Very close to Bret Harte, high likelihood of noise impacts

 
Low Speed B (3B)

• Low speed option at 35 mph design speed (will require a waiver from Caltrans)
• Estimated peak travel time of 11.4 minutes (vs. no-build peak travel time of 27 min)
• Wider bridge over Bellam at same height as existing
• Impacts 2 parcels with existing businesses, 2 parcels total
• $114M
• Utilizes existing Bellam off-ramp from 101NB
• Requires CLOSURE of SB 101 Exit to Bellam (impacts access to Canal neighborhood and Bellam area from SB 101)
• Forces SB 101 drivers to exit at Francisco Blvd for Bellam Blvd
• Very close to Bret Harte, high likelihood of noise impacts

 
Modified Low Speed B (Mod 3B)

• Low speed option at 35 mph design speed (will require a waiver from Caltrans)
• Estimated peak travel time of 11.4 minutes (vs. no-build peak travel time of 27 min)
• Wider bridge over Bellam at same height as existing
• Impacts 2 parcels with existing businesses, 2 parcels total
• $139M+
• Utilizes existing Bellam off-ramp from 101NB
• Builds a new SB 101 bridge to access 580 and Bellam Blvd
• Very close to Bret Harte, high likelihood of noise impacts

 
Swing Out (4)

• Low speed option at 35 mph design speed (will require a waiver from Caltrans)
• Estimated peak travel time between 7.1 and 11.4 minutes (vs. no-build peak travel time of 27 min)
• New 90-100 foot bridge over California Park neighborhood at end of Woodland
• Impacts 0 parcels with existing businesses, 8 parcels total
• $225M
• Requires CLOSURE of SB 101 Exit to Bellam (impacts access to Canal neighborhood and Bellam area from SB 101)
• Forces SB 101 drivers to exit at Francisco Blvd for Bellam Blvd
• Not compatible with a future WB580 – SB101 connection
• Extremely close to Bret Harte, high likelihood of noise impacts

 
Medium Speed (5)

• Medium speed option at 40 mph design speed (will require a waiver from Caltrans)
• Estimated peak travel time between 7.1 and 11.4 minutes (vs. no-build peak travel time of 27 min)
• New 40 foot high bridge over Andersen and 25 foot high bridge over Bellam
• Impacts 4 parcels with existing businesses, 12 parcels total
• Runs right through new Marin Square shopping center
• $189M
• Not compatible with a future WB580 – SB101 connection
• Extremely close to Bret Harte, high likelihood of noise impacts

 
Andersen Dr Mid-Way (6)

• Medium speed option at 45 mph design speed (will require a waiver from Caltrans)
• Estimated peak travel time between 7.1 and 11.4 minutes (vs. no-build peak travel time of 27 min)
• New 60 foot high bridge over Andersen
• Impacts 2 parcels with existing businesses, 3 parcels total
• Impacts to Golden Gate Transit Authority bus yard facility on Andersen near Marin Airporter
• $256M
• Not compatible with a future WB580 – SB101 connection
• Very close to Bret Harte, high likelihood of noise impacts

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