- Transpo - list.sfgreens.org

SFBG Report On Local Biodiesel
by Eric Brooks 25 Jan '08

25 Jan '08

Hi all, This report is much more responsible and realistic than the one a couple of months ago at beyondchron.com. However, it is a bit vague about exactly what specific locally sourced biodiesel the SFPUC plans to use, and I seriously wonder whether a lot of that fuel is planned to come newly produced from local field grown agriculture, rather than waste restaurant grease and oil... http://www.sfbg.com/printable_entry.php?entry_id=5495 From fryers to fuel /SFGreasecycle hits the restaurant circuit/ By Rachel Stern > news(a)sfbg.com <mailto:news@sfbg.com> *GREEN CITY* At Ar Roi Thai in Nob Hill, about 75 gallons of oil are left over every month from the creation of the restaurant's deep-fried cuisine, according to manager Theresa Shotiveyaratana. But instead of dumping it, the business donates its gunk to the newly established SFGreasecycle, which converts it into biodiesel that is now used to power San Francisco city vehicles such as Muni buses and fire engines. As of Dec. 31, 2007, the city completed a yearlong project proposed in Mayor Gavin Newsom's Biodiesel Initiative, which called for all 1,600 municipal vehicles to run exclusively on B20, a mixture of 20 percent pure biodiesel and 80 percent traditional petroleum diesel. The blend is compatible with most modern-day diesel engines and reduces carbon monoxide emissions by 12 percent and the particulate matter found in smog by 20 percent. But most of that biodiesel hasn't been generated locally: the city is halfway through its three-year master fuel contract with San Francisco Petroleum, which gets the stuff from soybean oil produced in the Midwest. "It's really not enough that a city looks at using biofuels to offset fossil fuels," said Karri Ving, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission's biofuels coordinator and one of SFGreasecycle's three staff members. "We don't want to go from one environmentally disastrous fuel to another. We want less shipping miles from the middle of the country." That's where SFGreasecycle, a $1.3 million program put into action by the SFPUC last month, comes in. It picks up used fats, oils, and grease (known in the program as FOG) at no charge from wherever people are willing to spare them. The list currently comprises mostly eateries, from chains like Baja Fresh and locals like Ar Roi, but also households, high schools, a synagogue, and museums such as the de Young. About 170 restaurants have signed up so far, allowing the organization to collect an average of 5,000 gallons of so-called yellow grease --- or what comes straight from the frying pan --- per month. Furthermore, its efforts are a way of keeping congealed grease out of sewer pipes, which costs the city roughly $3.5 million in cleanup efforts per year, according to the SFPUC. Ving said the organization has even loftier goals in mind. By the beginning of 2010 it aims to collect 100,000 gallons of grease per month. That's about 20 percent of the five to six million gallons of diesel that the Department of the Environment estimates the municipal fleet burns per year. Mark Westlund, the spokesperson for the Department of the Environment, said using the grease as a replacement for the imported fuel is a real possibility as they have "an almost one-to-one conversion rate." SFGreasecycle uses four biodiesel treatment plants in the Bay Area to convert the grease to usable fuel. And sticking with its zero-waste goals, it donates the small amount of unusable, low-quality grease to the plants, which convert it into methane, which in turn powers these facilities. Eric Bowen, chair of the city's Biodiesel Access Task Force, shares Ving's sentiment that "not all biodiesel is created equal," he told us. The task force is working with the Board of Supervisors to expand the local sources of biodiesel when the fuel contract expires in 18 months and to look into building a production facility in the city, where none currently exist. The United States Department of Energy estimates that biodiesel contains roughly 8 percent less energy per gallon than petroleum diesel, although that translates into only about a 1 percent difference in mileage and performance. Bowen said using biodiesel is a win-win situation since it acts as a natural solvent to clean fuel filters. And "the improved lubricity extends the vehicle life," he said. But before they use biodiesel for the first time, diesel tanks must be cleaned out, which the Fire Department found costs $2,000 to $3,000 per tank. SFGreasecycle also complements the city's Climate Action Plan, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2012. "The goal is not just to make San Francisco sustainable," Ving told us, "but to develop a program that can be implemented by other municipalities." /Comments, ideas, and submissions for Green City, the /Guardian/'s weekly environmental column, can be sent to news(a)sfbg.com <mailto:news@sfbg.com>./ Wednesday January 23, 2008 -- "I am not a liberator. Liberators do not exist. The people liberate themselves." -- Che Guevara

2 1

Meet This Thursday 6:30pm (7:30pm for Sustainability Only)
by Eric Brooks 23 Jan '08

23 Jan '08

Hi all, Since no one has stated a preference I am going to go ahead and plan to be at the SFGP office this Thursday at 6:30pm to facilitate a joint Transportation/Sustainability meeting like the one we had last month. A lot of very important stuff is happening on transportation, energy and gentrification policy so I hope all of you come. As before, let's take Transportation issues first because that group tends to prefer earlier meetings. Suggested Topics Transportation - Mayor's Ousting Of Leah Shahum From The MTA - McGoldrick's Charter Amendment For An Elected MTA Board - Mark Sanchez/Free Muni Sustainability - Serious Mayoral/PG&E Attacks On Community Choice - New SFPUC Member David Hochschild & His Involvement In Those Mayor/PG&E Maneuvers - Charter Amendment For Split Appointments To SFPUC - Very Important Update On Combustion Turbines - Lennar/Stadium/Treasure Island - Peak Oil Taskforce Update peace Eric -- "I am not a liberator. Liberators do not exist. The people liberate themselves." – Che Guevara

2 1

NYTimes.com: F.T.C. Asks if Carbon-Offset Money Is Well Spent
by anniegarrison＠mac.com 20 Jan '08

20 Jan '08

This page was sent to you by: anniegarrison(a)mac.com. I think the relevance of the FTC's questions as to the destination of carbon off-set credits, to the Transportation Working Group, is pretty clear, but if not, let me know. BUSINESS | January 9, 2008 F.T.C. Asks if Carbon-Offset Money Is Well Spent By LOUISE STORY Corporations and shoppers in the United States spent more than $54 million in 2007 on carbon offset credits, but where exactly is that money going? http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/09/business/09offsets.html?emc=eta1 ---------------------------------------------------------- ABOUT THIS E-MAIL This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service. For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help(a)nytimes.com. NYTimes.com 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018 Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company

1 0

Joint Sustain/Transpo Meeting On Wed or Thu the 23rd or 24th?
by Eric Brooks 20 Jan '08

20 Jan '08

Shall we go with a joint meeting this month, starting at 6:30pm with Transportation? I can be available either evening. peace Eric

3 3

Re: [Transpo] Green Party Debate on KPFA, Tues eve.
by Ann Garrison 12 Jan '08

12 Jan '08

From my friend Adrienne Lauby, KPFA producer of Pushing Limits. She called Sasha for me to make sure they're covering the Green Party Presidential Debate tomorrow. They are, but not live; they're re-broadcasting it Tuesday night, 01/15/2007. Details below. We might all think, between Sunday and Tuesday about any perspectives we want to call in, or perhaps whether we want, instead, to leave space to hear others responses. I know this isn't immediately related to Transpo, but that's the only list I'm on. On Jan 10, 2008, at 1:56 PM, Adrienne Lauby wrote: > Tell Yr Friends... > > Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:44:27 -0800 > From: Sasha Lilley <ipd(a)kpfa.org> > > Hi Adrienne, > > Despite all our efforts we are not able to broadcast it live > because of > technical constraints at the Herbst Theatre. We are going to > broadcast > it on Tuesday night, from 7-10pm, and Aimee Allison is going to > open the > phone lines in the last hour to get comments and perspectives from > listeners. > > Sasha > >> Join us for the First-ever Green Party Presidential Debate! >> Green Campaign 2008: A Presidential Debate that Matters >> http://www.acgreens.org/debate >> >> Sunday, January 13th, 2008, 2 PM >> Herbst Theater, 401 Van Ness Ave >> >> >> Not To Be Missed!! Come See and Hear... >> * Ralph Nader >> * Cynthia McKinney >> * Jared Ball >> * Jesse Johnson >> * Kent Mesplay >> * Kat Swift >> >> ...debate the Issues of the Day! >> >> Hosted by Gayle McLaughlin and Ross Mirkarimi > >

1 0

Muni Drivers Directed To Oust Political Sign Carriers?!
by Eric Brooks 09 Jan '08

09 Jan '08

from the SF Guardian: http://www.sfbg.com/printable_entry.php?entry_id=5384 Transit censors /Is the MTA infringing on the free speech rights/ By Steven T. Jones Is the San Francisco Metropolitan Transportation Agency infringing on the free speech rights of transit riders? That's the question raised by a pair of recent incidents in which a bus driver and a cable car operator ejected riders for carrying campaign signs. The most recent incident occurred New Year's Day, when more than a dozen sign-wielding supporters of Ron Paul for United States president boarded a cable car at Fisherman's Wharf, waving their signs and chanting their support as the number 12 car moved up the hill. Near the intersection of California and Powell streets, one Paul supporter who identified herself only as Terry told us, the operator stopped the car and said "we had to either relinquish our signs or the cable car couldn't move." Another MTA official showed up, and police were called to help carry out the order, as Terry told us and photos and video the Paul supporters shot seem to confirm. The group decided to debark rather than give up the signs because, Terry said, "This is a freedom of speech issue." A similar incident occurred on the evening of Nov. 6, 2007, Election Day, when Andy Blue boarded the 22 bus at 16th and Mission streets, where he had been campaigning for mayoral candidate Quintin Mecke and for the Yes on A--No on H campaign. "The bus driver refused to leave as long as I was there with the signs," Blue said, noting that he wasn't campaigning on the bus. "He told me he had been instructed not to allow people on the bus with political signs." Blue refused to back down, and after a tense five-minute standoff that agitated other passengers, the driver finally got permission from a supervisor to proceed. MTA officials did not respond by press time to our detailed requests for comment on the matter, but San Francisco Police Department spokesperson Steve Mannina said it was the MTA operator's decision and "Muni called the PD to assist, and they did." Terry and Blue say it's disturbing if those who rely on transit aren't allowed to participate in politics. Wednesday January 9, 2008 -- "I am not a liberator. Liberators do not exist. The people liberate themselves." -- Che Guevara

1 0

Mayor Cuts Leah Shahum From MTA
by Eric Brooks 09 Jan '08

09 Jan '08

The Mayor just got rid of a strong alternative transportation advocate on the MTA. See lower down in this SF Guardian Article; http://www.sfbg.com/printable_entry.php?entry_id=5385 Heads roll /Newsom accepts more than two dozen resignation letters/ By Steven T. Jones In the week leading up to Mayor Gavin Newsom's Jan. 8 second-term inauguration ceremony, he accepted more than two dozen of the resignation letters he demanded Sept. 10, 2007, from his senior staff. "Today I am proud to introduce a new team of 27 people that is a blend of fresh talent, extensive policy expertise, and proven experience in government," Newsom wrote in a prepared statement released at 5 p.m. on Jan. 4, a Friday, which is not considered the spot in the news cycle for "proud" announcements. "Other than the very unfortunate firing of Susan Leal from the [general manager job at the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission] --- who, by all accounts, has been doing a good job --- the rest of the changes are fairly perfunctory and far from the bold or audacious move he promised," Board of Supervisors president Aaron Peskin told us. Yet the changes --- which the /Guardian/ discusses in more detail in Editor's Notes, the editorial page, and our politics blog --- do seem to signal that Newsom is placing a high value on personal loyalty and political pragmatism. Some examples are the promotions of inner-circle members Mike Farrah (new director of the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services), Ben Rosenfield (controller), and Wade Crowfoot (now the newly created director of climate protection initiatives) and the hiring of former United States attorney Kevin Ryan, a conservative Republican, to head the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice. But gone are Leal and Metropolitan Transportation Agency board member Leah Shahum, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition director who has chided the mayor for not supporting alternative transportation. "The Mayor's Office was none too pleased that the SFBC did not endorse him," she told us, noting that she is urging Newsom to fill the spot with another advocate for sustainable transportation. "I hope this is not a sign of what's to come." Wednesday January 9, 2008 -- "I am not a liberator. Liberators do not exist. The people liberate themselves." -- Che Guevara

1 0

recommendation - No on 91
by John-Marc Chandonia 08 Jan '08

08 Jan '08

The Transpo WG recommends a NO vote on Prop 91; here's my draft language explaining our position. Please send concerns and suggested edits before Monday night's meeting: In CA, gas taxes and similar fees are collected by the state and are earmarked to pay for transportation projects rather than going into the general fund. Current law allows the governor, with the support of the legislature, to borrow the funds for other purposes for up to 3 years. Prop 91 would disallow such loans, except for very short term periods. The Green Party opposed the original proposition that earmarked gas taxes for transportation purposes, since only 20% of the money is spent on public transit. The remaining 80% funds more highways and suburban sprawl. We therefore support giving our elected representatives the flexibility to borrow these funds for other needs, such as education, health care, and other urgent priorities. We supported Prop 1A in 2004, which prevented the governor from borrowing local transportation funds to spend on state projects. This transfer of power from local communities to the state violates our key value of Decentralization. Since Prop 1A passed, the circumstance for borrowing funds that was of most concern to us is now illegal, so Prop 91 provides no additional benefits. Vote NO on 91. JMC -- John-Marc Chandonia (jmc(a)sfgreens.org) http://sfgreens.org/

2 2

Fwd: Europeans try to solve traffic woes by throwing out most road rules
by Eric Brooks 28 Dec '07

28 Dec '07

Wednesday, December 26, 2007 (SF Chronicle) Europeans try to solve traffic woes by throwing out most road rules Craig Whitlock, Washington Post (12-26) 04:00 PST Bohmte, Germany -- Like countless other communities, this western German town lived for years with a miserable traffic problem. Each day, thousands of cars and big trucks barreled along the two-lane main street, forcing pedestrians and cyclists to scamper for their lives. The usual remedies - from safety crossings to speed traps - did no good. So the citizens of Bohmte decided to take a big risk. Since September, they've been tearing up the sidewalks, removing curbs and erasing street markers as part of a radical plan to abandon nearly all traffic regulations and force people to rely on common sense and courtesy instead. This contrarian approach to traffic management, known as shared space, is gaining a foothold in Europe. Towns in the Netherlands, Denmark, Britain and Belgium have tossed out their traffic lights and stop signs in a bid to reclaim their streets for everyone. The assumption is that drivers are accustomed to owning the road and rarely pay attention to speed limits or caution signs anyway. Removing traffic lights and erasing lane markers, the thinking goes, will cause drivers to get nervous and slow down. "Generally speaking, what we want is for people to be confused," said Willi Ladner, a deputy mayor in Bohmte. "When they're confused, they'll be more alert and drive more carefully." The European Union has subsidized shared space programs in seven cities in five countries. Interest is spreading worldwide, with cities in countries from Australia to Canada sending emissaries to Europe to see whether the experiment works. In Bohmte, a town of 13,000 people in the state of Lower Saxony, residents were tired of all the trucks whizzing along Bremen Street, the main route through the city. Since the street is categorized as a state highway, German law prevented local officials from banning trucks. They considered building a bypass instead, but merchants worried it would suck too many vehicles out of the city center, hurting business. In 2005, city leaders learned about shared space and decided to give it a try. One of the biggest obstacles was persuading regional traffic bureaucrats to approve the unorthodox approach. "They were grinding their teeth, but finally they agreed," Ladner said. On Nov. 26, a small section of Bremen Street - absent signs and curbs - reopened to traffic. With no marked spaces, people can park their cars wherever they want, as long as they don't leave them in the middle of the road. The new pavement is a reddish-brick color, intended to send a subtle signal to drivers that they are entering a special zone. Only two traffic rules remain. Drivers cannot go more than 30 mph, the German speed limit for city driving. And everyone has to yield to the right, regardless of whether it's a car, a bike or a baby carriage. Peter Hilbricht, a Bohmte police officer in charge of traffic planning, said the main intersection in town generated about 50 accidents a year before the changes. He expects the number to plummet, citing the experience of other cities that have embraced the shared space approach. In Haren, the Netherlands, for example, the number of accidents at one intersection dropped by 95 percent, from 200 a year to about 10, Hilbricht said. "You can't deny the numbers," he said. "Half the world is eager to see what's going to happen with this program." Old habits, however, can be hard to break. Especially in Germany, a rules-obsessed nation where people who dare to jaywalk can expect a loud scolding from other pedestrians, even if no cars are in sight. Asked to give a personal demonstration, Hilbricht put Bohmte's lack of rules to the test. Picking a random spot, he bravely stepped into oncoming traffic and across the road - an act that could have earned him a fine pretty much anywhere else in Germany. Cars immediately slowed down and gave Hilbricht a wide berth, although he admitted that his police uniform may have worked to his advantage. When a reporter tried the same thing, two approaching drivers barely hit their brakes, including one guy in a van who babbled away on his cell phone as he sped past. Ladner, the deputy mayor, acknowledged that it could take a year or two before residents get used to the changes. But city officials are confident. They are spending $3.3 million to overhaul parts of Bremen Street by next summer and hope to expand the special zone gradually over the next 10 to 20 years. "We're very optimistic," Ladner said. "If others can do it, then why not us? It will be difficult for some people, yes, but it can be accomplished." Copyright 2007 SF Chronicle

1 0

Prop 91
by Eric Brooks 27 Dec '07

27 Dec '07

Here are three perspectives: for: http://www.yeson91.net/ against: http://ca.lwv.org/action/prop0802/flyer.html http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/2007/11/the_california_43.html My take on this is that increasing transportation outlays does not in any way guarantee transit funds, that such initiatives are an extremely blunt instrument through which to achieve mass transit goals, and that Prop 91 could result in actually amplifying undesirable road and highway construction. If we want to fund mass transit, we should put forward specific, targeted measures, which do so, not measures like Prop 91. cheers Eric susan vaughan wrote: > Hey Everyone, > > Here's the link to February 5 propositions on the state ballot. > Within is also a link to the Prop 91 text. > > Sue > > > http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/elections_j.htm#2008Primary > > Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! > Search. > <http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=51734/*http://tools.search.yahoo.com/newsearch/c…> -- "I am not a liberator. Liberators do not exist. The people liberate themselves." -- Che Guevara

3 7