San Rafael Transit Center – New Concept Revealed at June 25th Open House

The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District (Bridge District) has started a multi-year process to develop a new transit center for San Rafael. Several government agencies are partners with the Bridge District to identify a new transit center site and configuration that will provide for the current and future mobility needs of San Rafael and Marin County.

The ideal location and configuration for the transit center has been studied for more than a decade by the City of San Rafael and the District. Based on feedback from the community, partnership with project stakeholders, and technical analysis, over 10 project options were narrowed down to five alternatives for which a more detailed evaluation was conducted as part of the Project’s Environmental Impact Report (EIR). A Final EIR was adopted in December 2022 and the District selected the Move Whistlestop Alternative as the preferred alternative. Community engagement has continued throughout the process of advancing preliminary design of the project, including the formation of a Community Design Advisory Group and through several community meetings in 2023. Preliminary design is currently ongoing, along with environmental analysis to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act. Future efforts, not yet underway, will include final design and right-of-way acquisition.

The open house on June 25th, shared the following concepts about the project: Community Design Advisory Group (CDAG), Integrated Public Comments Into the Design, Proposed Site Plan, Bike Lane Configuration, Preliminary Plaza Design, Incorporating the Northwestern Pacific Railroad Depot Building, Customer Service Building Concept, & Proposed Canopy Concept.