San Rafael Adopts Updated Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan: Projects Still Need Funding and Design

SAN RAFAEL, Marin County — October 31, 2026. San Rafael has updated its long-range blueprint for improving how people walk, cycle and use mobility devices across the city. The City Council adopted the 2026 Citywide Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan update on October 19, replacing a plan last comprehensively updated in 2018.

What the new plan covers

In its October 16 briefing ahead of the meeting, the city said the plan maps out possible network improvements over the coming five to ten years. The update draws on public feedback collected in spring 2025 and identifies a set of priority candidates, including sidewalks, safer crossings, paths and bicycle facilities.

Public records of the October 19 meeting show that the council adopted the plan. A citywide strategy helps staff prioritize, coordinate and compete for grants. It is not an appropriation for every listed project, nor does it mean the city can immediately build every proposal without engineering and environmental review.

What this means for individual neighborhoods

A resident trying to cross a busy street near downtown may have a different priority from someone seeking safer routes to a school or a transit stop. The plan provides a way to track those needs through a common citywide framework, but future project schedules and costs will be set through separate budgets and decisions.

How to follow progress

The city’s transportation and municipal project information can help residents locate the adopted plan, review local proposals and identify upcoming opportunities to comment. Look for a dated project notice before assuming a new lane or crossing is operational.

Sources: City of San Rafael, October 16 municipal Snapshot and October 19 City Council public meeting record. Adoption is confirmed; individual project completion is not implied.

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