Wonderful news! The Greater Marin (i.e., me) will be throwing a Happy Hour at the Marin Brewing Company on Tuesday, Dec. 27th, at 7pm! Come by, talk transit, and enjoy Marin's home brews. Until then, though, a lot has happened in the County, so on to the links:

Marin County

Negotiations between Marin Transit (MT) and GGT will continue for another two years. MT believes GGT is overcharging by $2.5 million per year to operate its local Marin routes. (IJ)
RepealSMART has gathered 7,500 signatures for its repeal effort, although how many signatures are required is still up in the air: RepealSMART says it needs only 15,000 but under some formulae it would need double that number. The deadline for signatures is January 27. (Press Democrat)
A new bikeway opened in Novato between the north and south halves of the city, allowing bikers to avoid the 101 shoulder. (IJ)
Performance parking isn't performing well in San Francisco, forcing broader spreads between cheap and expensive blocks. SFPark disputes the idea that it won't work, citing the fact that the zones are still just pilot projects, and new ones at that. Sausalito is running a similar program in its downtown. (Greater Greater Washington, Streetsblog)
SMART could lead to traffic and safety problems at San Rafael's Bettini Transit Center, according to the Golden Gate Bridge District. Officials cited concerns regarding transferring passengers crossing Third Street and bus delays caused by passing trains. (IJ)
SMART sold $191 million in construction bonds this past week, netting $171 million for the project. The money will be kept in escrow until the RepealSMART effort is resolved. (Press Democrat, IJ, Patch)
Bus service will be restored between Sir Francis Drake High and West Marin next semester. Coastal residents sought the route after Marin Transit officials eliminated the extremely underused Route 62. (IJ)
County planners panned development plans at the Golden Gate Seminary in Strawberry, saying the proposed 117 new residential units were "so out of sync" with the seminary's 1984 Master Plan they "cannot imagine approving" the development. (IJ)
Canal residents demanded better lighting, sidewalks, and crosswalks in the neighborhood at a march last Wednesday. San Rafael city planners said they had received no specific complaint. (IJ)
Caltrans will fix a sinking Highway 101 overpass in Corte Madera with $1.2 million in state funds. The money was accompanied by $28 million for SMART construction. (IJ)
"She was a very special lady who touched many lives... She will be greatly missed." Jomar Lococo died on Highway 101 as her husband tried to avoid another driver that had drifted into their lane. (Patch)

The Greater Marin

On-time performance is extremely difficult for bus systems to achieve. Whatever my gripes about GGT, at least they have this down. (Transit Manager)
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) only works when the right questions are asked, as Mountain View discovered in their draft Environmental Impact Report. As it turns out, building houses near jobs actually is good for the environment. (Atlantic Cities)