San Rafael’s brand-new Public Safety Center is nearing the finish line. Earlier this week, the project team gave the Department Directors and City Manager a tour of the new building. Mayor Gary Phillips was also able to join in. The building has begun occupancy. San Rafael Police started to move in this week and Fire...
The Southern Heights Bridge replacement project, a fully state-funded project, is moving closer to construction. The City recently selected a firm to lead construction management for the complicated project and will be seeking Council approval on August 3rd for the $425,000 professional services contract. AT&T also recently moved their lines away from the bridge, readying...
Dining under the lights has been such a huge success that an additional day has been added to the event. This meant changing the signage downtown and our Streets Division was ready for the task. Tyler Nord and Brendan Smith were hard at work posting over 100 signs downtown on the parking meters notifying motorists...
In order to assure safe passage for our sidewalks and streets, Paving Crew employees Arturo Tinoco, Jeremy Quintal and Matt Gaehwiler are hard at work in the Peacock Gap area paving back the asphalt after the sidewalk, curb and gutter had been replaced as part of the sidewalk repair program.
Last week, Public Works Streets Division crew members Tyler Nord and Brendan Smith assisted Johnny Doughnuts to install their temporary outdoor dining space in two parking spaces adjacent to their business. Johnny Doughnuts applied to use the parking spaces through the City’s new Outdoor Dining & Retail Application, but shortly after they applied they reached...
During the first week of July we received information from an irate disabled resident that he was not able to access the Harry Barbier Memorial Park near the Nike missile site due to the lack of clearance at the entrance. Unfortunately, his mobility device could not fit in between the metal posts. Bill Guerin, Director...
Parks Department employee Rene Ramos completed some much-needed weed removal around the Corporation Yard. The Parks Crews also started doing their annual pruning of bottlebrush in the median along Las Colindas. The crews are expected to finish this work next week.
Vehicle Mechanic Angel Lopez has been working on the upfit of a newly acquired car for PD. This includes installing and wiring all the emergency lighting/siren and Police radio. DPW purchased this vehicle Certified Used from a Ford Dealer which saved the City half the cost of purchasing new. One of the many ways the...
In with the new out with the old. Many of the police facilities and equipment have been moving to the Public Safety Center. This means that as they are moving, repairs and cleaning are needed in the previously occupied spaces. For the last few weeks the Facilities Division have been making numerous repairs to the...
The team has been sprinting to get various jobs done around the city which has saved the City money by completing many of the jobs in-house. The team of three (3) had to jump back into the fray completing several electrical modifications for the new public safety center in nine (9) office spaces. The existing...
It has been a hectic few months for the Facility Division, as well as, assisting in the move for the Public Safety Center current existing buildings still need attention. For the last few weeks, Omar Garcia, Michael Rieser, and Anthoney Heaven have been sweating buckets, moving at an extremely fast pace, and going above and...
The Sidewalk Repair Program resumed work in East San Rafael in early June. Since then, the City's contractor, Van Midde and Son Concrete have completed sidewalks at another 30 locations on San Marino and Riviera Dr with an additional 70 properties scheduled in the neighborhood. Work will continue on Riviera Dr and start heading back...
The Department of Public Works and ERA Construction are planning to resurface the pavement on D Street and Via Sessi as part of the Public Safety Center Resurfacing project and in preparation for the opening on the City’s new Public Safety Center in August. WHAT: D Street will be closed to ALL vehicle travel, while...
The Sidewalk Repair Program resumed work in East San Rafael in early June. Since then, the City's contractor, Van Midde and Son Concrete have completed sidewalks at another 20 locations on San Marino and Riviera Dr with an additional 50 properties scheduled in the neighborhood. Work on Riviera Dr. will continue and will start heading...
Many positive changes are taking place in downtown San Rafael. The City is taking on street rehabilitation work around the Public Safety Building, converting B and C Streets to two-way operations and we are installing conduit and fiber underground to strengthen the communication infrastructure in order to improve the operation of traffic signals. Work is...
The Parks Dept did quite the clean up along the pedestrian walkway next to Spinnaker II. Shrubs and groundcover were pruned, and garbage and weeds were removed from the area as well. Several of the neighbors called or sent messages thanking the staff for their hard work, willingness to address requests, and their general great...
For the last few months acts of graffiti have slowed down. However, tagging is still an ongoing issue that our Streets Division must tackle. Our “eye on the path” City Manager Jim Schutz, reported some very offensive graffiti and Tyler Nord and Gabe Dias immediately addressed it with a fresh coat of paint. Though we...
Homeless camps are never fun to cleanup for anyone, but our DPW Streets crews assisted the San Rafael PD with this task. Sometimes the location of these sites is not the easiest to get to, but Tyler Nord, Brendan Smith, and Gabe Dias made the challenging trek and cleaned out 2 campsites. One campsite was...
The Streets Division’s paint crew has been trying to catch up with maintenance upkeep in the Terra Linda neighborhoods. Trevor Thomas and Matt Von Bima were hard at work repainting all the crosswalks, stops, limit lines, turn arrows and many more. The duo painted for three (3) days to help make the traffic markings for...
DPW garage staff and PD just put the last of three recently purchased Hybrid Patrol vehicles into service. These new hybrid models are expected to save up to 30% on fuel costs per vehicle and are better for the environment.
The Vehicle Maintenance Division has stayed busy keeping up with routine maintenance and unscheduled repairs on city vehicles. Staff has been wearing masks and are able to maintain social distance as they work on vehicles and equipment. They also sanitize high touch areas as necessary.
The east side office library wall and wall-mounted bookshelves were removed to create more space for library staff. This created a more open floor plan to help staff navigate the area more freely. In addition to the wall removal, old carpeting was removed and replaced with already existing carpet squares.
Repairs to the Falkirk rear gates were made due to damage caused by Homeless people attempting to gain access to under deck area. The lattice was torn off and broken in several places. To help reinforce the gate we added 2’x4’s and plywood to strengthen the lower section. We removed the old material and garbage from below the...
Terra Linda Pool and Community Center was having some issues with the pressure regulator for the water main. The unit developed a crack in the brass body and needed to be replaced. Out Facilities Team found an exact replacement locally and were able to make the repair same day
As our Facility staff were looking at issues at the Public Safety Center, they found two glaring safety risks. Since the building is now in City of San Rafael’s possession, they wanted to address these issues before they became problematic. On the backside of the building there was a four (4) foot drop with no...
Coleman Childcare Center had issues with a sinking subfloor at the entrance. Due to deferred costs for larger projects, the flooring became costlier. As our team was removing the flooring, they found pests under the modular and pest control services were needed to remedy the issues. All damaged subfloor area was removed, and additional framing support added for new subfloor going in, linoleum was patched in. Pest control work...
Parkside Preschool had plumbing issues with their sink. The damaged sink plumbing was leaking from multiple connections, the faucet was worn and damaged beyond repair. The water damage to the surrounding area was significant. Our facilities team had to replace the sink basin, faucet, water shutoff valve, and removed and cleaned up the damaged area....
Albert J. Boro Community Center received a wiring upgrade for future computer stations. Our team added several new 120v electrical receptacles on walls as needed. While doing this upgrade, they also ran new wiring for the computers to have online capabilities. The team installed cat6 cable throughout the lab which will be concealed in walls to create a clean look...
The Pickleweed Childcare ADA ramp was in need of an upgrade. The ramp was slick and was creating a dangerous situation for the staff and children that use the facility. The team repainted the ramp with a non-slip paint and touched up the railings for a simple yet elegant solution to the problem!
Our facilities division provided the retaining wall behind City Hall with a much-needed paint job to keep our City Hall clean and well-maintained. It’s amazing what a pressure washer and a new coat of paint can do to brighten the area and enhance the public’s perception of the City
The City’s contractor ERA Construction has demolished the South-West corner of Fifth Ave and D Street and is planning on pouring the new bulb-out to match the South-East corner on Monday. This project will also involve the replacement of the C Street parking garages lower driveway which will take place next week. These improvements will...
In a project managed by Junior Engineer Shawn Graf, the City’s contractor Ghilotti Bros., Inc. and their electric subcontractor, Columbia Electric, are replacing the traffic signal poles in the intersection for the new configuration of the crosswalks.
We are very excited to announce that the Public Safety Center Project has achieved substantial completion. On July 1st, the last items required to operate the facility were substantially completed by the Contractor. The surveillance cameras and building security, as well as the heating and air conditioning systems were commissioned and finalized. The Fire and...
Big thanks to our DPW facilities team led by Supervisor Omar Garcia, and his crew Michael Reiser and Anthoney Heaven for their hard work and positive, can-do attitude! The Public Safety Center Project is complete but miscellaneous additions continue to come up to make the building and its surroundings safe and 100% ready for occupancy....
Starting this month, Pubic Works Admin employees Erika Spencer (Administrative Assistant II) and Iman Kayani (Administrative Analyst) will be taking on new duties with other departments. Anne Derrick of Community Development will be retiring at the end of the month, and with the hiring freeze, a replacement won’t be made for some time. To assist...
Huge Thank you to Matt Von Bima and Trevor Thomas! These two have a combined work experience of over 20+ years working for the City of San Rafael. Recently, these two took on the task of painting seven (7) crosswalk intersections, stop legends, many directional arrows, and 22 bike lane symbols on Las Gallinas Ave –...
The City is seeking proposals for a team of professionals to provide construction management, inspection, and material testing services for the Southern Heights Boulevard Bridge Replacement project. Among other items, the project scope of work consists of the following elements as more fully shown in the RFP below. Request for Proposals Addendum No.1 Addendum No....
The Sidewalk Repair Program, like most construction in the State stopped and took a pause in March and April. With the amendments to the Shelter in Place order allowing construction to resume, the City and contractor, Van Midde and Son concrete have slowly started repairing sidewalk again. Additional protective and preventative measures are being taken...
The City is seeking proposals for COVID-19 Third-Party Job Site Safety Accountability Supervisor (JSAS) for the Francisco Boulevard East Sidewalk project. Request for Proposals Addendum No. 1 Addendum No. 2
We are partnering with the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Business Improvement District to support our incredible business community as best as possible. Starting next week, the latest Marin County Public Health order will allow outdoor dining and retail based on the following guidelines: Guidelines for retail Guidelines for restaurants To facilitate outdoor dining...
With Shelter in Place, there has been a surge in illegal dumping around the City. Maintenance crews have been busy responding and notify adjacent property owners accordingly. The issue has been particularly worrisome as there are more people out than ever using sidewalks for their Shelter-in-Place walks – and they do not want to have...
The Shelter-in-Place order has been in effect for two months now. The State has issued a four-phase plan for counties and cities for businesses to reopen especially the ones that can operate outdoors like car washes, golf courses, constructions, etc. In San Rafael, the impact of the modified restrictions showed a slight increase in traffic. ...
The Parks Department completed vegetation management projects around the City this week. The areas included the sides of Oakwood and Maywood Drive in the Sun Valley neighborhood well as a stretch of medians out on Point San Pedro Road.
With the nicer weather and shelter in place, Paint & Sign crews have been able to catch up on some much-needed work on faded stops/crosswalks. With less traffic, it's easier to set up traffic control in various areas. Crews have also been able to stripe the roadways that have been faded including Biscayne, 3rd Street...
The construction team is working hard to meet the anticipated completion date. Interior finishes such as carpet, wall panels, whiteboards, and counter tops are currently being installed. Additionally, audiovisual, fire alerting, surveillance and other integral systems are being completed. In the next few weeks, we plan on finishing the site walls, brick stairs and planting....
Staff reported late last year on the funding by Transportation Authority of Marin to install a signalized crosswalk on Third Street in front of San Rafael High School. We are glad to report the design plans are at 95% complete and the project will soon be sent out for bids. The crosswalk will bring safety...
Public Works is making the necessary repairs to modular during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure the safety of our city staff. Water damage in subfloor was detected under this window. All of the compromised areas were removed, replaced and made safe and solid. Exterior siding was removed and an area where water had penetrated was...
The Parks Department completed some much-needed work along the pathway behind Spinnaker IV. The crew focused on removing weeds and trash as well as pruning shrubs and reducing encampment sites.
To continue to slow the spread of COVID-19, the Marin County Health Officer has issued a new Shelter in Place Order (“Order”) that extends the shelter in place mandate through May 31, 2020 with some modifications. Under this new Order, small construction projects may continue if Construction Safety Protocols per Appendix B-1 of the Order...
Paint crews installed new stop signs at Martens Boulevard at Octavia Street. The streets division also changed the intersection at C Street and Taylor Street from a two-way stop to a four-way stop.
This week, the Streets paving crew took advantage of the Shelter-In-Place order to pave 3rd Street, that normally would have been congested with traffic. The Parks Division also got some much-needed vegetation maintenance done on Pt. San Pedro Road and Andersen Drive.
Over the last few weeks, we have been experiencing a massive influx of gang graffiti in San Rafael. The Public Works sign crew has been painting over the tags, but the walls get tagged again. These tags in the image below are located on Caltrans property under the freeway at Mission.
The COVID-19 Stay-in-Place order statewide has impacted many aspects of the way we conduct our daily activities especially outside of our homes. Limiting it made a significant influence in the way we conduct business whether it's personal or business. Traffic was impacted as many cannot travel or have no place to go except to procure...
This week, the Parks Crew removed an old water tank from near the playground at Bret Harte Park. Also, the pump and paving crew pulled and repaired a clogged pump at the N. Francisco pump station. They also buttoned up a couple of sidewalk repair pave backs in the Peacock Gap area so that there...
The Engineering group is continuing to work hard (while sheltering in place at their homes) on multiple essential public works design and construction projects. We have implemented several ways to stay on track and check in with each other. The team has followed management's recommendation to track time through a Telework tracking spreadsheet. In addition,...
Public Works Staff is working with the Public Information Office to help with translating the outreach messages that the City has posted at our parks as well as the city website and social media. Here is an example of a translated message: APARCAMIENTO SOLO PARA RESIDENTES LOCALES Para proteger la salud y seguridad pública mientras...
Effective March 31st, all parks, sports fields and open space are closed to motorized access. Playgrounds, basketball courts and picnic and barbeque amenities are completely closed. Parking lots serving parks and open space are also closed. Community members may walk or bike to nearby parks and pathways for necessary exercise, while maintaining social distancing. In...
Crews are making steady progress as the end of construction comes into sight for the City's new Public Safety Center building. The Public Safety Center is an essential project, therefore exempt from the March 17 Shelter in Place order. The contractor has been taking the coronavirus pandemic very seriously. They have been diligently enforcing the...
DESPLAZARSE HACIO ABAJO PARA ESPAÑOL On March 16, 2020 PG&E released the following press release regarding their work and efforts to continue providing gas and power service to its customers: PG&E is Committed to Providing Safe, Reliable Energy and Ensuring Business Continuity in These Challenging Times Unwavering Focus of Company’s 23,000 Employees, Many of Them...
In 2017, the City applied for a grant to the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority Measure AA grant for the restoration of Spinnaker Marsh and Shoreline Flood Protection measures. The project would restore tidal marsh, wetland-upland transition habitat, and adjacent upland habitats – while simultaneously reinforcing natural protections against future shoreline erosion and sea level...
Are you Street Smart? San Rafael is participating Street Smarts - an educational campaign to promote safe driving, biking, and walking here in San Rafael and Marin County. Look for the Street Smarts banners around San Rafael in the near future. Please visit http://www.streetsmartsmarin.org for more information and educational materials. Street Smarts is funded by...
With all the development and movement in and around the Bettini Transit Center, we realized we were missing one thing: the bike connection! Public Works is applying for a Housing Incentive Pool (HIP) grant that provides $300,000 to transportation projects within a Priority Development Area (PDA) and adjacent to high frequency transit and/or affordable housing....
Development activity has skyrocketed in recent years in San Rafael and, as a result, we’ve had a backlog of encroachment permits still awaiting inspection. We recently re-organized to lend support to our amazing permits team and we are beginning to chip away at the backlog. We are using a systematic approach by taking small sections...
The Solar panel installation is well underway in the lower parking lot at City Hall. SolarCraft Services will be starting the roof mounted system at City Hall on Monday, March 9 and should be done with the roof mounted system by the end of March. The system is set to start augmenting PG&E power by...
Due to active construction at 815 B Street, lane closures and a detour will be required on the night of March 5, 2020. Starting at 7:00 PM lane closures will occur on 2nd Street between B Street and C Street. From 9:00 PM to 5:00 AM, the area will go into a full closure and...
We are proud to announce that the Fire Station 57 project has received LEED® Gold certification. This is now our second City-owned building to obtain this green building hon or. This follows Fire Station 52 which also received LEED® Gold certification last year. The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system was developed...
With the Spring-like weather, Public Works crews have been able to get a jump on some much needed preventive maintenance this month. The Parks Division was able to take care of a few safety concerns such as, a line of sight issue at the Mission and Alice Street crosswalk located behind San Rafael High School....
With the help of interns and maintenance crews, the Traffic Engineering division is making huge headway with improvements at uncontrolled crossings throughout the City. An uncontrolled crossing is any marked crosswalk that is not controlled by a traffic signal or STOP sign. Improvements include painting red curb for visibility, installing signs in advance, and at,...
The City is one step closer in securing battery back-up (BBS) units at signalized intersections along major arterials. After selecting the equipment last year, Public Works recently procured three units and tested them in real conditions. The test at Second Street at Lindaro Street, Third Street at Lindaro Street, and Andersen Drive at Bellam Boulevard...
San Rafael’s new Public Safety Center (PSC) is nearing completion and we plan to open this summer. The contractor, Alten Construction, is working on the sidewalks around the building and a sidewalk “bulb-out” is required to create a safer crosswalk between the City Hall and the new PSC. In order to accomplish that work, the...
In 2019, the Department of Public Works completed reviews for approximately twice as many building permits than in 2017 and 2018. The increase in demand was accommodated by existing staff working with applicants directly whenever possible to ensure that projects met the necessary standards. We also provided positive recommendations on improvements. Even though there were...
Up until last week, the intersection of Park Street and Belle Avenue was a two-way stop controlled on Park Street. The Traffic Engineering Division determined that an All Way Stop was warranted at the intersection, so Public Works maintenance crews freshened up the paint on the intersections and added STOP signs to Belle Avenue. Notifications...
The Sidewalk Repair Program is nearly complete for residents who signed up for the 2018 program in the Gerstle Park and the Bret Harte neighborhoods. The last of the nearly 90 properties will completed in the next two weeks. 13,000 square feet of new sidewalk were poured during this round, which would be enough to...
In collaboration with Andrew Hening and PD, Public Works installed new signage encouraging residents to donate to local charities and nonprofits that offer services for the homeless, rather than donating to panhandlers. The Marin IJ covered this story, as well!
Construction of the Public Safety Center continues to progress. The exterior brick installation is well underway, despite the recent rainstorm. The City’s contractor, Alten Construction, is currently working on the interior finishes. Painting of the interior walls, as well as, installation of T-bar ceilings and lighting is around 90% complete. In addition, the first and...
With the recent break in the rainy weather, Public Works Streets and Parks crews have been able to get a jump on some much-needed maintenance, including the City storm drain systems on Gold Hill Grade and Main Drive. City crews removed deteriorating metal drainage pipes in both locations and replaced it with high density plastic...
Ever biked to the San Rafael Theater and had nowhere to lock your treasured two-wheeled steed? Well, that should no longer be an issue because Public Works has been busy installing 20 additional bike racks downtown! There are at least four racks per block of Fourth Street, from Lincoln Avenue to D Street. Additionally, Public...
The project was presented to the California Transportation Commission on December 5th and was approved for federal funding allocation. Once we receive clearance from Caltrans to proceed with the project, we will be advertising for bids, which is anticipated by mid-January 2020. The project is on schedule with a proposed construction start time of early summer...
For over one year, City staff and the design team have coordinated with impacted utilities on the Southern Heights Bridge replacement project. In late October, PG&E gas crews began the process of installing a new gas main on both approaches to the bridge and deactivating the gas line currently attached to the old bridge. Work...
The City's contractors are putting the finishing touches on the newly remodeled bathrooms at the B Street Community Center. All new tile and fixtures were installed, and the project was designed to ensure both bathrooms were fully complaint with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In addition, baby changing tables were installed in both bathrooms...
Construction of the Public Safety Center is currently on schedule for completion in Spring 2020. The gypsum board (drywall) is to be complete this week with tapping and plastering to follow. Final painting of the interior walls is ongoing. The T-Bar Ceiling is currently being installed along the first floor and lighting is being installed...
This past week, Public Works partnered with the Fire Department and their AmeriCorps team to plant 22 new trees in the Sun Valley neighborhood. The trees were planted in conjunction with the City's Sidewalk Repair Program; a joint program between property owners and the City to repair and replace damaged sidewalks. Many times, sidewalk displacement...
PG&E crews have closed Southern Heights Boulevard between addresses 78 and 94 to perform emergency work on a main gas line. Please avoid the area and use alternate routes until the work is complete and the road is reopened. More information regarding the reopening of Southern Heights Boulevard will be provided when it becomes available....
Construction of the Public Safety Center continues to move forward despite the weather conditions. In fact, the rainfall gave the contractor’s team the opportunity to test the building’s waterproofing. The facility’s basement is completely built, and its walls are painted. Additionally, rollup doors have been installed. Currently, the first-floor is being painted. The exterior stucco...
The B Street Community Center restrooms were last renovated in June 1998. Since then, thousands of patrons have been using this facility. The Community Center is open 12 months of the year, 7 days per week. As can be imagined, the wear and tear of the facilities are evident. Last October, the City bid the...
On Wednesday, December 4th, City staff met with SMART, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), and City consultants to visit each of the railroad crossings along the Larkspur Extension. The review was to verify that all required safety measures necessary for implementation of a Quiet Zone were installed. While both the City and SMART have minor...
Collision history is an important part of any analysis that the Traffic Engineering division prepares. We need to know the collision history at an intersection or roadway segment in order to determine the appropriate traffic control. Controls might include installing an all-way stop, adding more red curb, lowering the speed limit, or restricting right-turns on...
This past weekend’s storm dropped almost 6 inches of rain in the North Bay. Public Works maintenance crews worked around the clock responding to local flooding and downed trees. This weekend we are expecting another storm that is predicted to bring 3 to 4 inches of rain to the North Bay. Public Works crews have...
The Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) has announced commercial service on the Larkspur Extension from Downtown San Rafael to the Larkspur Station will start on December 14th. A ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled at 1:00 PM on December 13th at the Larkspur Station to celebrate the completion of this second segment of SMART’s rail service. The new service...
On Sunday, November 17th, SMART began pre-revenue service by running empty trains between downtown San Rafael and Larkspur. It is anticipated that the pre-revenue service will last for several weeks until SMART receives authorization to begin carrying passengers to Larkspur. SMART is running their regular weekday/weekend schedule allowing them to perform their final tests. City...
The emergency power shut downs by PG&E generated high traffic volumes in San Rafael. The California Vehicle Code states that signalized intersections should be treated as all-way stops when the traffic signals go dark. However, many motorists did not abide by these traffic rules and regulations. The Public Works’ Parks and Streets Divisions worked quickly...
On November 19th, City staff and members of the San Rafael community celebrated Chief Gray’s career and the grand opening of Fire Station 57. Chief Gray devoted 12 years of his life to the San Rafael Fire Department. Among those in attendance were guests from fire departments across the State, retired firefighters, the Police Department,...
The City of San Rafael has been working with SMART to begin the Quiet Zone to coincide with the start of commercial operations. Since SMART intends to begin commercial operations on the second or third week of December, on Thursday, November 21, the City of San Rafael issued its Notice of Establishment of a Quiet...
SMART has completed 100% of all the required testing for the Larkspur extension, and the next step in preparing to open the Larkspur station for service is to begin simulated service to the new Larkspur station on Sunday, November 17. Simulated service will demonstrate the operational functioning of the full system from Sonoma County Airport...
On Saturday, November 16, 2019 at 10:00 AM, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA), Caltrans, Contra Costa Transportation Authority, and the Transportation Authority of Marin will be celebrating the opening of a new six-mile Bay Trail segment, allowing bicyclists and pedestrians to travel between Contra Costa and Marin County. The event will...
Recently, Grand Avenue was resurfaced from the bridge deck to 2nd Street. Fresh roadway provides us with an opportunity to make improvements to the lane configuration. On the south leg of the intersection, the road is wide enough to add a northbound right-turn pocket. Therefore, motorists trying to get to Montecito Shopping Center and Point...
