The Transportation Authority of Marin adopted a plan Sept. 24 calling for new sidewalks, solar canopies and safer crossings at Larkspur and Tiburon transit stations.

The TAM board voted unanimously to accept the Marin County Mobility Hub Plan, which lays out improvements for nine ferry terminals and rail stations across the county, as first reported by the Marin Independent Journal. The plan, funded by a $400,000 grant from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, is intended to help position Marin transportation projects for future state and regional grant funding.

At the Larkspur SMART station, the plan calls for sidewalk, landscaping and curb ramp rehabilitation along Larkspur Landing Road, a new bus stop on Highway 101 and a solar canopy over the parking lot. In Tiburon, the recommendations focus on enhancing pedestrian crossings near the ferry terminal, increasing bus stop visibility and improving signage between bus stops and the ferry dock.

But Tiburon Town Councilmember Alice Fredericks, who sits on the TAM board, said the plan overlooks a basic problem: residents in the town's hilly neighborhoods have no easy way to reach a bus stop for a trip to the ferry. Parking at the Tiburon ferry dock is limited, she said, and ridership remains below pre-pandemic levels.

"While I really appreciate that there is a need to improve what is at the mobility hub itself, we really need to address how to get people there," Fredericks said.

Derek McGill, TAM's planning manager, acknowledged the gap. He said the planning team recognized access problems at the Tiburon terminal but was unable to identify specific fixes. Staff will continue working with the community on solutions, McGill said.

The plan covers the Larkspur SMART station, Larkspur Ferry Terminal, Tiburon Ferry Terminal and six other sites in Novato, San Rafael and Sausalito. Six of the nine locations received detailed concept designs. The Larkspur SMART station was among those six, while the Larkspur and Tiburon ferry terminals received gap assessments but not full concept designs, according to the plan document.

Adoption of the plan is a step toward compliance with MTC's Transit-Oriented Communities Policy, adopted in 2022, which applies to cities with rail or ferry stations. Future rounds of regional grant funding are expected to prioritize communities that comply with that policy.

A separate pool of Regional Measure 3 funds earmarked for North Bay transit access could also help pay for improvements in the plan.

McGill said the next step is seeking approval from each local jurisdiction named in the plan. That could mean cities formally adopt the document or fold its recommendations into their capital improvement programs.

No dates have been set for Larkspur or Tiburon council consideration of the plan.