The BID promotes diverse and vibrant businesses

We build community and
advocate for members

The BID stands for downtown businesses

Supporting San Rafael's downtown is our only job

Our eclectic downtown is something to celebrate

Upcoming Events & Downtown News

Member Mixer Thursday, June 27 at Bogie’s Too from 5:30-7:30pm

Join your BID friends and neighbors for a fun, informative evening with light refreshments, beer and wine. Bring your co-workers. We will hear a presentation by Barry Miller, San Rafael General Plan 2040 Project Manager Paul Jensen, San Rafael Community Development Director will also be there to answer any questions. Please stop by after work…

The 1st Annual Downtown San Rafael Hops and Vines Stroll

Saturday, July 13, 2019 2:00 PM – 7:00 PM Downtown San Rafael, CA This beer & wine tasting event will feature the numerous new (and established) Downtown breweries/taprooms boutiques and businesses offering tastes, with light refreshments, inside their stores along the Fourth Street corridor to the West End Village. Hop on and off of our…

Summer Sidewalk Sale – Sat. August 24, 11am-5pm

View Sidewalk Sale participants here. Free Parking in City garages on C Street, A Street and the West End lot at 1550 4th Street during this event. Have questions? Are you a merchant who’d like to participate? Get in touch. Get the word out! Download a poster and share this image on your website, social media and with your email…

Member Mixer Thursday, September 26 from 5:30-7:30 pm at Istanbul Rug

September Mixer: Thursday, September 26 from 5:30 to 7:30PM Hosted by Ogi Teker at Istanbul Rug 1504 4th St, San Rafael, CA 94901 Please suggest topics/speakers you would be interested in HERE.

DST Jesse Taylor-Vermont

Project Manager • Marin County Downtown Streets Team

DST's cleaning schedule: Fourth Street, D to Hetherton, M-F 8am-noon, Special Projects on Fridays.

West End and Under Freeway, rotate to clean 1 or 2 times per month. Pick up 5,000 gallons of debris per week, 1 million cigarette butts since started in San Rafael in 2013.

25 team members, Teams of 3-6, Peer-led to learn management skills, they don't go out in rain for safety issues. DST serving over 5 years with 112 folks placed back into the workforce and 86 in housing - Success!

Mobile On Demand? Visit http://www.dstclean.com/ send a picture and directions to debris and DST will attend to it as soon as they can.

Please contact Jesse Taylor-Vermont, Marin Project Manager at jesse@streetsteam.org for any questions about Downtown Streets Team.

San Rafael Clean: Cory Bytof

Created almost 10 years ago with 200 members.

Currently has 100 SR Clean Businesses, so they're planning to reinvigorate the program.

Take the Clean Business pledge here:

https://sanrafaelvolunteers.org/home/volunteer-opportunities/san-rafael-clean/

San Rafael Clean achieved litter reduction by placing the Downtown receptacles for cigarette butts, the Purple "Put Your Change To Work" Meters, and Oscar the Coaster, which reminded smokers to properly dispose of butts.

(Cory stated that San Rafael has the lowest smoking rate in the state!)

Public Works Department: Bill Guerin, Director

Schedule of Steam Cleaning of Sidewalks:

Done 12 times per year, usually before events, at 4am. Dates will soon be published on PW page of SR City Website.

Tri-Color is the Contractor. Ghilotti Brothers offered to do additional 3-4 times per year.

Mark Wright, Facilities Maintenance, supervises

For cracks and tripping issues, Precision 6 is doing Sidewalk Shaving and Van Midde is doing the concrete work.

Report an Issue on the Public Works page: https://www.cityofsanrafael.org/report-an-issue/

Bill Guerin, the Public Works Director wants feedback from our businesses.

Would Downtown folks like to keep/replace the Tree lights or do you prefer the Overhead lights like the new ones in the West End?

Trash can redesign to address rats and homeless, planter design on corners.

Plan/status of Landscaping - Street Trees: The City is planning a 10-year tree replacement program on 4th Street.

The corner trees are getting old and tearing up sidewalks/accessible ramps and making planting areas rootbound so they need to be taken out and replaced.

The mid-block trees are younger and will last for awhile. Considering tree grate replacements.

Marin Sanitary Service: Jennifer Grenier Selvig | Commercial Recycling Coordinator

Schedule of Garbage pick up: No set time, but per MSS contract with the city, they empty the city-owned garbage cans 6 days a week all over Downtown. The city provides, fixes and may have to buy lids for these cans, not MSS.

For missed Garbage pick up contact: Customer Service Commercial Dept 415-456-2601

"Recycling is the Law", businesses can call or make an appt. with Jennifer to help understand recycling and the upcoming Organic Laws like AB 1826 (rats). Attached is basic info on laws affecting businesses. Reach Jennifer at: 415-458-5542 or jennifer.grenier@marinsanitary.com, https://marinsanitaryservice.com/

Businesses can call for extra cardboard pick-up at no extra fee Call: 415-456-2601, if they have garbage service with us! Cardboard recycling service costs are included in your garbage rate.

Additional services available? Additional garbage cans/lids? Additional Costs involved? We have some locking carts available for a fee. We offer steam cleaning of our carts for $15/each cart. We can pick up extra trash or bulky items for a fee. Commercial composting has been available to businesses since 2015, and our Food to Energy program has been available to restaurants and grocery stores since 2014. There is a small fee but it is half of what it would be if it was landfill service.

Downtown San Rafael Garages Free on Weekends

Don't forget to tell your customers in person and through your social media and emails about the Free Parking on Saturdays and Sundays! FREE WEEKEND PARKING is in the A Street and C Street Garages, thanks to the Parking Department's pilot program. Let's keep it going by getting good participation! Win-Win.

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