Crews started tearing into two of downtown Mill Valley's busiest walking corridors Wednesday, July 15, kicking off a $350,000 pedestrian safety project that will add new sidewalk, curb ramps, and flashing crosswalk beacons along Throckmorton and Miller avenues.

Altor Construction received a Notice to Proceed from the city on Tuesday, July 14, according to the city's project page. The firm was selected as the apparent low bidder when the city opened bids on Tuesday, June 23. Work is scheduled to run through August 2026.

The money comes from a Caltrans Highway Safety Improvement Program grant awarded to Mill Valley in February 2025. BKF Engineers designed the improvements.

What's getting built

The project covers four locations:

Throckmorton Avenue — A new stretch of sidewalk will close a gap on the north side of Throckmorton, east of Cornelia Avenue. The city will also install ADA-compliant curb ramps at the Cornelia Avenue crossing. That section sits on the recommended walking route to Old Mill Elementary School, according to a Mill Valley Briefing post describing the council's approval of plans and specifications in June.

Miller Avenue — Three existing mid-block crosswalks will get Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons, the bright yellow LED panels that blink when a pedestrian pushes a button. The locations: Park Avenue, 430 Miller Ave. (near Super Duper Burgers), and 507 Miller Ave. (near Salon 171). According to the Federal Highway Administration, RRFBs can reduce pedestrian crashes by up to 47% and push motorist yielding rates as high as 98%.

Ashford Avenue at Leyton Avenue — Improvements to the westerly pedestrian crossing.

Catalpa Avenue at Fern Avenue — Improvements to the easterly crossing of Fern Avenue.

More construction on Miller

The pedestrian beacon work overlaps with a separate slurry seal project on Miller Avenue, from the city limit at Almonte Boulevard to Sunnyside Avenue, which began Monday, July 13. That resurfacing job, handled by DRYCO Construction, requires road closures of four to five hours while sealant cures, with crews working 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Shoppers and cyclists heading to businesses along Miller should expect intermittent disruptions from both projects through the end of August.

What's next

The city has not set a specific completion date, listing only "August 2026" as the project timeline. Project manager Mari Swim can be reached at [email protected] or (415) 720-9166 for construction updates.