July 2005 - Transpo - list.sfgreens.org

FW: BAC Recommended: Golden Gate Park Circulation Resolution- 2B
by Susan King 25 Jul '05

25 Jul '05

Hi all, I have another meeting from 6-8, but will try to stop by. Here is a copy of the SF BAC recommended option for circulation in GG Park. I spoke with Ross office this morning, and they are probably going to pull Roos original resolution that called for no widening of MLK and no traffic allowed on the concourse. Ross has introduced a second measure allowing for cross traffic in GG Park (option 2A as promoted by the concourse authority). I am trying to get Ross to switch his support to option 2B as defined below. It would be great if you could sign on to support this as well. thanks, susan ---------- From: Susan King <funking(a)mindspring.com> Date: Mon, 25 Jul 2005 10:57:58 -0700 To: Bert Hill <echill(a)sfhills.org>, Susan King <funking(a)mindspring.com>, Hitesh Soneji <koolkwote(a)yahoo.com>, Jerry Ervin - Paragon Strategies <jerry(a)paragonstrategies.com>, Hernÿffffe1ndez Francisco <fhdz1962(a)yahoo.com>, Andy Bindman <bindman(a)itsa.ucsf.edu>, Lionel Shaw <lionelshaw(a)comcast.net>, Rufus Davis <davisru(a)sfha.org>, Casey Allen <the_greengardener(a)yahoo.com> Cc: <boris.delepine(a)sfgov.org>, Ross Mirkarimi <Ross.Mirkarimi(a)sfgov.org>, Andy Thornley <andy(a)sfbike.org>, Leah Shahum <shahum(a)sfbike.org> Subject: BAC Recommended: Golden Gate Park Circulation Resolution- 2B Hi all, Here is a copy of the resolution as amended and approved by the Bicycle Advisory Committee at our July 21 meeting. Please make any corrections that are needed. It would be good if each of you could give this to your Supervisor as well, so they know what our position is on this issue, as they will be voting on it very soon. Resolution- Golden Gate Park Concourse Circulation Plan 2 B WHERAS Proposition J (the Golden Gate Park Revitalization Act of 1998) was enacted by the voters of San Francisco to: (1) Create a pedestrian osisi in the Music Concourse Area of Golden Gate Park; and (2) take steps to reduce the impact of automobiles in the park while still providing long term assurance of safe, reliable and convenient access for visitors to the park, including its cultural institutions and WHERAS the Golden Gate Park Concourse project is nearing its first-phase completion, and the circulation plan for the Music Concourse area, defining whether and how vehicle traffic will move through and around the Concourse will be decided and the Concourse re-opened to the public by mid-October of this year; THEREFORE we recommend that the San Francisco Board of Supervisors modify the Concourse Authority's preferred option for design for Surface Vehicular Circulation in the Music Concourse area of Golden Gate Park, called Option 2A, in order to more fully meet the mandates of Proposition J, so: 1) Add bollards at the north entrance of the Music Concourse Area, which would be activated (raised) all hours and allow automatic access only to Muni buses and emergency and park vehicles, and would restrict general thru- traffic. 2) Add bollards at the south entrance of the Music Concourse Area, which would be activated (raised) only during the museum's non-operating hours (estimated before 9:30 am and after 5:30 pm and on days the museums are closed). This will allow for passeger drop off and disabled access during the museums' operating hours, as well as access for Muni buses and emergency vehicles at all hours. Resolve that the San Francisco Bicycle Advisory Committee urges the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to approve Golden Gate Park Circulation Plan Option 2B as described above.

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Tuesday Meeting
by christine mcclintock 25 Jul '05

25 Jul '05

Hi, Sue. I was planning on being there tomorrow, as well. Maybe it can be a short meeting? Thanks, Christine

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GAGH letter
by susan_e_vaughan＠juno.com 25 Jul '05

25 Jul '05

Hello everyone, Here is the letter from GAGH. Jeremy Nelson is hoping that we can endorse it at our Tuesday meeting. Sue July 29, 2005 Board of Directors UC Hastings College of the Law 200 McAllister Street San Francisco, CA 94102 Board of Directors YMCA 631 Howard St Ste 500 San Francisco, CA 94105 Dear Directors of UC Hastings College of Law and YMCA: Groups Against the Hastings Garage (GAHG) is an organization of local community groups, citizens, Hastings students and alumni formed to address common concerns regarding the proposed parking garage/YMCA gym at Golden Gate and Larkin streets. We are writing to express our deep concerns about the parking garage project and to urge you to reconsider the current proposal. The site at Golden Gate and Larkin has long been the focus of dispute. When Hastings purchased the lot in the 1970s, two residence hotels, home to over 80 low-income tenants, occupied the site. In 1978, residents were evicted and relocated from the buildings. Eleven years later, Hastings officials claimed that the buildings suffered irreparable structural damage from the Loma Prieta earthquake and demolished the valuable housing. After intense community resistance to a planned parking garage in 2002, Hastings formed a blue-ribbon committee to decide the future of the parcel in question. In February 2003, the committee adopted a revised plan for a mixed-use development on the site, featuring student housing, ground-level retail and a refurbished Central YMCA. The plan provided for additional parking located behind and underneath the new development and promised that over 100 units of affordable housing would be created in the current Central YMCA site to replace the demolished units. With its new plan, Hastings has reneged on the committees recommendations. The current proposal calls for a seven-story, above-ground parking garage with space for 450 cars, no housing, minimal retail space, and a new YMCA facility situated between the garage and the 200 McAllister Hastings building. The various groups comprising GAHG all have different interests at stake and different concerns, however, all are in agreement that the most objectionable aspects of the garage are the absence of housing, adverse impacts on the community, and the high number of parking spaces. The school and community need housing. Most alarming about the proposed parking garage is the absence of any housing. Lack of housing was a major factor in the defeat of the first garage project two years ago. It is remarkable and discouraging that Hastings has so easily forgotten that it, too, is a member of the local community and can best achieve its desired results by cooperating and communicating with its neighbors and its students. A failure to build housing would not only damage the community, but would hurt the school and the students as well. The 2004 Hastings Master Plan acknowledges that existing student housing is fully occupied and has a wait list of approximately 80 people. To emphasize the inadequacy of the housing situation, on 17 June, 2005, Pamela Serota of the Office of the LL.M. Program sent an email to the Hastings community searching for rooms to rent to incoming LL.M. students because the Tower is already full. This project is Hastings last chance to build student housing. The diverse, sometimes conflicting, needs of the student body must be carefully considered in their entirety in order to build the best project. A parking garage will harm those who already live in the neighborhood. The current proposal does not include housing, but this does not mean that no one will be living near, or impacted by, the garage. There are many long-time residents of the neighborhood who are less than eager to become neighbors to 450 noisy, polluting cars. The AIDS Housing Alliance, an organization which secures housing for people with AIDS, is particularly concerned about the potential adverse health effects of the pollution from the garage on sick and disabled residents living at 324 Larkin Street. It is imperative to Hastings continued institutional success to address these concerns and avoid either the reality or the appearance of hostility to the schools neighbors. Building more parking is bad transportation policy and bad urban design. This neighborhood has some of the best transit-access on the West Coast, some of the lowest rates of car ownership in the country, and at least 40% of the Hastings community gets to campus by transit, bike and on foot. Building a large parking garage in this environment is short-sighted and counter to community interests. More parking will attract more cars, causing more traffic congestion, defeating public transit, and threaten to increase already significant rates of automobile caused pedestrian and bicyclist injuries and fatalities. Sufficient parking already exists. There are 2,900 parking spaces within walking distance and the average weekday afternoon (1-3 pm) occupancy rate is 87% (2004 Hastings Master Plan). This means that at the time of highest parking demand from other uses in the neighborhood, there are still nearly 400 empty spaces available within walking distance of Hastings. Transportation for a Livable City surveyed Civic Center/Mid-Market parking facilities on weekday evenings (6-9 pm) and found occupancy rates ranging from 11% to 69% (2004 TLC Parking Occupancy Survey). This means that there are several thousand parking spaces available in the evening within a reasonable walking distance of Hastings. GAHG acknowledges that Hastings is currently struggling with a very serious financial situation, but we do not believe that Hastings has, in good faith, considered alternative uses for this property that would better serve the students, the community, the city and the school. Sincerely, Groups Against the Hastings Garage James - Aids Housing Alliance (AHA) / Rainbow Flag Apts. (RFA) Brian - Aids Housing Alliance (AHA) / Rainbow Flag Apts. (RFA) Daniel Frattin UC Hastings student representative Kyle Sosebee UC Hastings student representative [Jeremy Nelson - Transportation for a Livable City (TLC)?] Carmen - Transportation for a Livable City (TLC) Sam - Tenderloin Housing Clinic (THC) / Central City Collaborative (CCC) [Howard Sierra Club?] Don Willenburg (sp?) SF Bicycle Coalition

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Fwd: Pls Review: Draft opposition letter opposing Hastings Garage
by susan_e_vaughan＠juno.com 25 Jul '05

25 Jul '05

Hey everyone, I don't know if the attachment has been forwarded. It's a letter from Jeremy Nelson, formerly of Transportation for Livable City, opposing the Hastings garage. Please take a look so we can discuss endorsing it on Tuesday night. If you cannot read it, I have asked Jeremy to send it to my juno account so that I can forward it on to you. Sue Please note: forwarded message attached --- Jeremy Nelson <nelson.jeremy(a)comcast.net> wrote: > From: "Jeremy Nelson" <nelson.jeremy(a)comcast.net> > To: "Jeremy Nelson" <jnelson(a)nelsonnygaard.com> > Subject: Pls Review: Draft opposition letter > opposing Hastings Garage > Date: Sun, 24 Jul 2005 19:25:25 -0700 > > Dear members of GAHG (Groups Against the Hastings > Garage)- > > Kyle Sosebee, a student at Hastings and member of > GAHG asked me to forward > this letter all interested parties to get your > feedback, which I'm now doing > belatedly. > > GAHG decided to use this letter to circulate to > other groups and individuals > and ask them to endorse this position and join the > coalition, so if you see > an issue, perspective, or affected constituency that > should be addressed in > the letter to improve the project, reduce it's > negative impact, and help us > broaden the GAHG coalition, please let Kyle know at > sosebee(a)gmail.com. > > At a meeting later this summer, GAHG will be > developing our demands for an > alternative, community-based proposal for the site > and submitting this > letter at a public hearing of the Hastings Board. > > Please stay tuned for details for meeting details > and please come to add > your voice and the voice of your organization and > its members to the growing > coalition telling Hastings that the student body and > Tenderloin residents > need more housing for people, not more housing for > cars! > > Best- Jeremy > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Kyle Sosebee [mailto:sosebee@gmail.com] > Sent: Friday, July 01, 2005 4:39 PM > To: nelson.jeremy(a)comcast.net > Subject: GAHG position letter > > > Jeremy: > > I made some minor changes to the letter, as per > people's suggestions at the > meeting Wednesday. Please forward the document to > all involved and ask them > to edit as they see fit and then return the letters > to sosebee(a)gmail.com. > > Thanks, Kyle > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

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Re: [Transpo] who will be at the SFGP office to open the door for TWG meeting?
by susan_e_vaughan＠juno.com 24 Jul '05

24 Jul '05

The meeting starts at 7 p.m. See you then. Sue -- Eric Brooks <brookse32(a)netscape.net> wrote: I can attend and so will be able to open the office as well. Is 7:30 the plan? Eric susan_e_vaughan(a)juno.com wrote: >Hello everyone, > >I'm trying to find out > >1) Who will be in the SFGP office on Tuesday night to let me and other TWG members in; and, > >2) What members of the TWG are coming to the meeting on Tuesday night (if I'm the only one coming, I'll cancel the meeting) > >Also, we may want to discuss circulation in the Concourse AGAIN. Ross's resolution banning all traffic in the Concourse is stuck in committee and will not get out. The Concourse Authority is recommending something called Option 2a which discourages through traffic in the concourse but allows drop off traffic (it's really Option 1 which allows all traffic in the concourse with, as Susan King puts it, a beard on it). An ad hoc group of activists is recommending that the supervisors adopt Option 2b which would require the installation of remotely-operated bollards so that emergency vehicles and Muni buses could use the concourse as through traffic but that would restrict all other traffic to drop-off only with a southern entrance/exit, no northern entrance or exit. > >Ross is also authoring a ballot measure to amend Proposition J, passed in 1998, auch that language in Prop J requiring a dedicated entrance to the garage is removed. This ballot measure would abrogate the legal need to create a dedicated entrance -- such as the widening of MLK Drive from two lanes to four lanes. > >Susan King is suggesting that the TWG can remain resolved in its support of Ross's original resolution and support Option 2b as a back up only. > >Sue > > >_______________________________________________ >Transpo mailing list >Transpo(a)sfgreens.org >https://list.sfgreens.org/mailman/listinfo/transpo > >

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RE: [Transpo] who will be at the SFGP office to open the door for TWGmeeting?
by Jerry Path 24 Jul '05

24 Jul '05

Hi, I plan on being at the meeting tuesday nite - although I feel a little bit out of things. Jerry > [Original Message] > From: susan_e_vaughan(a)juno.com <susan_e_vaughan(a)juno.com> > To: <don_eichelberger(a)yahoo.com>; <transpo(a)sfgreens.org>; <dave(a)livablecity.org> > Date: 7/23/2005 11:17:31 AM > Subject: [Transpo] who will be at the SFGP office to open the door for TWGmeeting? > > > Hello everyone, > > I'm trying to find out > > 1) Who will be in the SFGP office on Tuesday night to let me and other TWG members in; and, > > 2) What members of the TWG are coming to the meeting on Tuesday night (if I'm the only one coming, I'll cancel the meeting) > > Also, we may want to discuss circulation in the Concourse AGAIN. Ross's resolution banning all traffic in the Concourse is stuck in committee and will not get out. The Concourse Authority is recommending something called Option 2a which discourages through traffic in the concourse but allows drop off traffic (it's really Option 1 which allows all traffic in the concourse with, as Susan King puts it, a beard on it). An ad hoc group of activists is recommending that the supervisors adopt Option 2b which would require the installation of remotely-operated bollards so that emergency vehicles and Muni buses could use the concourse as through traffic but that would restrict all other traffic to drop-off only with a southern entrance/exit, no northern entrance or exit. > > Ross is also authoring a ballot measure to amend Proposition J, passed in 1998, auch that language in Prop J requiring a dedicated entrance to the garage is removed. This ballot measure would abrogate the legal need to create a dedicated entrance -- such as the widening of MLK Drive from two lanes to four lanes. > > Susan King is suggesting that the TWG can remain resolved in its support of Ross's original resolution and support Option 2b as a back up only. > > Sue > > > _______________________________________________ > Transpo mailing list > Transpo(a)sfgreens.org > https://list.sfgreens.org/mailman/listinfo/transpo

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who will be at the SFGP office to open the door for TWG meeting?
by susan_e_vaughan＠juno.com 23 Jul '05

23 Jul '05

Hello everyone, I'm trying to find out 1) Who will be in the SFGP office on Tuesday night to let me and other TWG members in; and, 2) What members of the TWG are coming to the meeting on Tuesday night (if I'm the only one coming, I'll cancel the meeting) Also, we may want to discuss circulation in the Concourse AGAIN. Ross's resolution banning all traffic in the Concourse is stuck in committee and will not get out. The Concourse Authority is recommending something called Option 2a which discourages through traffic in the concourse but allows drop off traffic (it's really Option 1 which allows all traffic in the concourse with, as Susan King puts it, a beard on it). An ad hoc group of activists is recommending that the supervisors adopt Option 2b which would require the installation of remotely-operated bollards so that emergency vehicles and Muni buses could use the concourse as through traffic but that would restrict all other traffic to drop-off only with a southern entrance/exit, no northern entrance or exit. Ross is also authoring a ballot measure to amend Proposition J, passed in 1998, auch that language in Prop J requiring a dedicated entrance to the garage is removed. This ballot measure would abrogate the legal need to create a dedicated entrance -- such as the widening of MLK Drive from two lanes to four lanes. Susan King is suggesting that the TWG can remain resolved in its support of Ross's original resolution and support Option 2b as a back up only. Sue

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Re: [Transpo] September 20 event -- possible changes
by susan_e_vaughan＠juno.com 22 Jul '05

22 Jul '05

Hi JMC, The Bicycle Advisory Committee, which Susan King sits on, would like copies of all the letters we sent out to the supervisors regarding the Bicyle Plan Update. Do you have copies? Or are they posted to the TWG web page (and now that I have a new computer, I might actually be able to access that)? Sue -- John-Marc Chandonia <jmc(a)sfgreens.org> wrote: On Wed, Jul 20, 2005 at 11:39:07PM +0000, susan_e_vaughan(a)juno.com wrote: > We have a TWG meeting next Tuesday. John Marc has abandoned us temporarily and flown the coop to the far side of the Big Puddle. I'll bring back some pictures... there is some really fascinating bike lane + traffic calming technology in use here (a stark contrast to the 19th century plumbing technology). JMC -- John-Marc Chandonia (jmc(a)sfgreens.org) http://sfgreens.org/ _______________________________________________ Transpo mailing list Transpo(a)sfgreens.org https://list.sfgreens.org/mailman/listinfo/transpo

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TWG agenda for 7-26
by susan_e_vaughan＠juno.com 21 Jul '05

21 Jul '05

Per earlier e-mail, Dave Snyder wants to postpone the SPUR document until the August meeting. That's ok with me, though I migh not be at that meeting. So at next week's meeting, let's talk about having another event. Anything else? Sue -- John-Marc Chandonia <jmc(a)sfgreens.org> wrote: On Wed, Jul 20, 2005 at 11:39:07PM +0000, susan_e_vaughan(a)juno.com wrote: > We have a TWG meeting next Tuesday. John Marc has abandoned us temporarily and flown the coop to the far side of the Big Puddle. I'll bring back some pictures... there is some really fascinating bike lane + traffic calming technology in use here (a stark contrast to the 19th century plumbing technology). JMC -- John-Marc Chandonia (jmc(a)sfgreens.org) http://sfgreens.org/ _______________________________________________ Transpo mailing list Transpo(a)sfgreens.org https://list.sfgreens.org/mailman/listinfo/transpo

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Re: [Transpo] September 20 event -- possible changes
by susan_e_vaughan＠juno.com 21 Jul '05

21 Jul '05

Hello Again Everyone, We have a TWG meeting next Tuesday. John Marc has abandoned us temporarily and flown the coop to the far side of the Big Puddle. We could have on the agenda a document from SPUR re. transportation. A copy of it got forwarded to me, but I don't know if everyone else got it. It's long. What else do we need to discuss? Perhaps Option 2B, re. concourse resolution if this is not satisfactorily dealt with tonight at the GM. Perhaps organizing for an event at the Bazaar Cafe in the Richmond District, if Global Exchange gets space at New College for the September 20 appearance of Richard Heinberg (the owner of the Bazaar will be expecting me to do something). Also, I don't have a key to get into the GP office so I will have to arrange to get someone else to open it. Sue -- "susan_e_vaughan(a)juno.com" <susan_e_vaughan(a)juno.com> wrote: Hello Everyone, June Brashares is working to get space at New COllege for the September 20 appearance of Richard Heinberg. That way Global Exchange will pay Richard and shoulder most of the work of organizing the event. And that way Richard's message will get out to more people. I still want to tape it for public access TV -- I think I would be able to do that. If she can get that space (and Richard agrees to the change in venue), then I still feel that I owe the owners of the Bazaar Cafe and want to arrange for an alternative event at their space on a different night. We could perhaps do a free screening of The End of Suburbia. Pat Villano has offered the use of his DVD player, another person who lives nearby says we can take her TV into the cafe. If we did this, we would actually be able to fundraise for the Green Party (we would probably want to pause part way through the screening so that people could take breaks, buy drinks, etc.). In the event we cannot get ahold of a copy of the DVD, June told me that her boyfriend has a copy. Hey, if we did this, we could invite Dave Room over for a panel discussion and to sell books and DVDs. The event would probably have to end at 9 p.m., 9:15 at the latest, however (zoning laws). Sue _______________________________________________ Transpo mailing list Transpo(a)sfgreens.org https://list.sfgreens.org/mailman/listinfo/transpo

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