Council Eyes Fixes For Crosswalks, Intersections And Bike Routes In Novato

NOVATO, CA — Novato may soon take a more targeted swing at some of its most pressing traffic, pedestrian and bike‑safety trouble spots.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the Novato City Council signaled support for a new agenda item that would bundle a series of previously studied, shovel‑ready intersection, crosswalk and road‑safety improvements into a focused capital project.

Councilmember Tim O’Connor proposed the idea, saying the city has already invested significant staff time analyzing problem locations across town.

“Over the years, a considerable amount of staff time has gone into analyzing a number of intersections, crosswalks and other safety improvements across Novato,” O’Connor said.

The new item would let the council look at the viability of a targeted approach that could move several of those projects forward in the coming budget cycle.

O'Connor suggested limiting the list to projects that are already studied, staff‑supported and vetted by the Complete Streets and Pathways Oversight Committee, often referred to informally as “shovel‑ready” projects.

“One of the things I found as we were working and advocating for Measure M is people have road safety, and pedestrian safety is front of mind for a lot of folks across the city,” he said.

Councilmember Pat Eklund called it a great idea but pressed for coordination with the Safe Routes to Schools committee, where she serves, to avoid duplication. She also asked for a clear look at funding tradeoffs.

“I think it would be helpful for us to have a discussion so that we can provide more direction to staff,” Eklund said. “I’d like to have an understanding about how much of Measure M would be devoted to this versus other projects.”

City Manager Amy Cunningham said staff could bring the item back as early as March, if there was council support, with a list of candidate projects and funding options.