GREENBRAE INTERCHANGE

"Marin's share of money from Regional Measure 2 was supposed to deal with this ever-increasing traffic. Instead of addressing the underlying dilemma of poor access to the Richmond bridge, after years of dithering the Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) ended up spending almost $40 million on  projects that will have zero effect on Traffic Congestion. ( two miles of new bicycle paths and SMART train to Larkspur) .

Other than spending $10 million to employ a brigade of consultants and its own staff, the only meaningful result from TAM's aborted plans to rebuild the 101-Sir Francis Drake interchange was the concept of restoring the Richmond bridge's third eastbound lane. But even that obvious move is on the slow track.

While our county supervisors give the idea just enough lip service to get them off the hook, they show no enthusiasm. Without someone with clout pushing, Caltrans and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission will do nothing". Dick Spotswood http://www.marinij.com/ci_24626808

Clearly a solution is 2 lanes ( each way ) on Sir Francis Drake Blvd and a 2 lane freeway exit with negligible traffic-light impairment. (plus 3 lanes on the bridge).

I hope the study doesn't waste time on coming up with that obvious conclusion and figures out all the steps and costs necessary to accomplish this, fast.

It is disgraceful that ANY money should be spent on changes that will make zero effect on traffic congestion. We need to be prodding these politicians at every opportunity to get this done as fast as possible and not flushing away any more money.

But what about the more than 50% commuters who are struggling home to places outside of Marin?
Shouldn't their politicians also be motivating those responsible for getting this done?

Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) & MTC's flyby video of their Interchange http://www.youtube.com/embed/RtaEVbK4gXM . 

Difference is the Community Plan includes a large loop as well as a flyover on ramp from west-to-south from Francis Drake Blvd !
 
Though both eliminate the southbound Lucky Exit -- the Community Plan, with a LANE BARRIER, makes you go all the way to the Madeira to exit -- whereas TAM's is the earlier exit Wornum Dr.
 http://www.tam.ca.gov/index.aspx?page=195 
In the Community Plan there is a lane barrier to stop southbound traffic on 101 from exiting at the "Lucky exit" and Fifer.
The MTC Plan allows for a right and a right turn onto Tamal Vista after the Wornum exit, ( there is no Wornum exit in the Community Plan).

The Community plan erroneously says
"7. It will deliver Larkspur-bound traffic from southbound 101 onto Wornum, and then to Tamal Vista, increasing traffic congestion on already busy two-lane Tamal Vista."
whereas clearly in TAM's you can see a new extension to the southbound offramp directly to Sir Francis Drake  east which will enable east Larkspur access.
West Larkspur is accessed the same in both plans except MTC's adds the Wornum exit.

MTC's Plan is to be compared to The Community Plan  (Map of Greenbrae Interchange) as proposed by "Marin Deserves Better" http://www.marindeservesbetter.org/ .

The freeway is already raised at Wornum (which goes under it).

Both plans may need a flyover from the North off-and-on-ramp to the northernmost onramp  -- 
and sequenced lights on Sir Francis Drake which should be 2 lanes all the way to the Richmond Bridge.