- Transpo - list.sfgreens.org

Screening of End of Suburbia
by christine mcclintock 08 Dec '04

08 Dec '04

Hi, Everyone... So, I've gotten us a venue for the screening of The End of Suburbia (which I own, now, by the way). It's at the Off-Market Theater - on Mission between 5th and 6th... I have a few possible dates - January 23rd (Sunday) - January 24th (Monday) or January 26th (Wednesday). I checked with Richard and all of the days work for him. The only conflict I see is the Energy Working Group, which might meet on the 26th - I called Don the other day about maybe doing multiple showings as the film really relates to energy and land use as well as transpo. ANyways - if I could get some feedback on this, I'd really appreciate it so I can get the date reserved with everyone - maybe we want to think about other speakers, too? More details at tomorrow's meeting. Take care, Christine

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activist fight Muni rate increase
by Susan King 08 Dec '04

08 Dec '04

Beyond Chron story on the MTA hearing yesterday. Both Charles and I spoke at the hearing. My quote is at the bottom of the article. sk Battle Over Muni Begins by Casey Mills for BeyondChron.com http://www.beyondchron.org/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=110&twindow=&mad=&sde tail=1204 December 8, 2004 The fight over how to close a projected $9 to $15 million budget gap for Muni over the next fiscal year kicked into full gear last night, as Muni chief Michael Burns unveiled his proposals and concerned citizens weighed in on them at a Municipal Transportation Authority (MTA) meeting. The public voice remained almost unanimously opposed to fee hikes and service cuts, and supportive towards increasing revenue through taxation on car owners and downtown interests. Burns' proposals ranged from ideas as regressive as increasing Muni fares to $1.75, to as progressive as raising the fees at public parking garages. A coalition of environmentalists, pedestrian and bicycle activists, and public transportation advocates provided strong arguments for the latter. Perhaps the strongest testimony came for making car owners pay their fair share of the social cost of driving. Speakers strongly supported the fee hike and public garages, in addition to an increase in parking meter rates and an expansion of their hours of operation, a parking tax increase, and local vehicle environmental impact fee. "It's time the MTA, as a multi-modal transportation agency, to ask motorists to pay the full social, environmental, and public health costs that they impose on the rest of us," said Transportation For a Livable City's Jeremy Nelson prior to the meeting, "instead of balancing their budget exclusively on the backs of transit riders as they have in recent years." A sizable group of Muni employees also attended, speaking to prevent cuts in services. The cuts would decrease the salaries of many workers despite their union, Local 258, giving up more than 200 positions over the past two years. "They're trying to balance this budget on the backs of riders and drivers," said Ellen Murray, a 19-year employee of Muni. "There are provisions available to make downtown property owners and big-time C.E.O.s pay their fair share, but they're not being used. Instead, we have a menu of fee and tax increases aimed at the working class, and not the big guys." Murray wasn't the only one arguing that Burns did not provide enough options to raise revenue to the public. Green Party activist Susan King, for example, raised the possibility of a tax rate increase on private parking facilities. She also proposed a downtown tax assessment district to explore the benefit businesses there enjoy from Muni getting many of their workers to their jobs, as well as an in crease in the Transportation Development Impact Fee. "I just don't think they're looking at these options," said King. "Instead, they're looking to the riders, which is the absolute wrong place to be looking." In addition to a litany of possible cuts and new sources of revenue, Burns asked the MTA to declare a fiscal emergency. The emergency would allow the MTA to pass proposals for balancing the budget without obtaining an Environmental Impact Report first - otherwise, the process for all proposals, be they required to go to a ballot or to the Board of Supervisors, would remain the same. Burns claimed he hoped to obtain the declaration to speed up the balancing of Muni's budget, which by law must be done before the end of each fiscal year. The MTA will meet again on January 4 to decide on how to best solve their budget crisis.

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[info@mtc.ca.gov: Transportation 2030 Survey: You Make the Call!]
by John-Marc Chandonia 08 Dec '04

08 Dec '04

----- Forwarded message from MTC info <info(a)mtc.ca.gov> ----- Here's your chance to step into the shoes of a transportation policymaker and take the Transportation 2030 Web Survey. Log on to www.mtc.ca.gov/T2030 and voice your priorities for the San Francisco Bay Area's transportation future. Would you* * allow solo drivers to pay a toll to travel in underused carpool lanes - with the toll revenues going toward completion of the carpool-lane network? * require localities to cluster homes and businesses by public transit stations in order to qualify for regional transit expansion funds? * streamline the region's two-dozen-plus public transit operators to improve customer service and reduce costs? The Draft Transportation 2030 Plan lists five dozen potential policy and funding ideas for ensuring mobility in the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area over the next 25 years. Visit www.mtc.ca.gov/T2030 by January 7, 2005, and choose the ideas that make the most sense to you. The future of the Bay Area depends on the choices we make today. MTC Public Information ----- End forwarded message ----- -- John-Marc Chandonia (jmc(a)sfgreens.org) http://www.dolorespark.org/

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MTA Hearing Tomorrow Regarding Muni Budget Crisis
by John-Marc Chandonia 07 Dec '04

07 Dec '04

Hi, I got this notice from Rescue Muni, but of course we should go to promote the items that are part of our platform as well, especially increasing garage/parking rates and parking ticket fines. JMC ----- Forwarded message from dkrausemuni <dankrause(a)rescuemuni.org> ----- Please attend the MTA Board Meeting tomorrow regarding the Muni budget crisis and what they plan to do about it: WHEN: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2004 WHERE: ROOM 400, CITY HALL (1 CARLTON B. GOODLETT PLACE) TIME: 4:00PM (CLOSE DOOR SESSION WILL START AT 4:00 AND THEN REGULAR MEETING WILL BEGIN IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARDS) We are urging our members to attend this public hearing and make comments. Please urge the MTA board to make it their #1 priority to adopt creative funding solutions which will increase revenue rather than cutting service and increasing fares, such as increases in parking fees and fines. We also don't want Muni to eliminating the BART access from the Fast Pass, which they are considering. This will simply decrease transit ridership in the City and we feel it is a great program. BACKGROUND: Muni is facing a large budget shortfall for the remainder of this fiscal year as well as FY2006 because of the failure of Prop K & J on Nov. 2. Muni was depending on revenue from these two propositions to balance its books. Now that those have failed the MTA staff will be considering a variety of strategies on closing the budget gap, which includes service cuts, fare increases, an increase in parking garage rates and parking ticket fines, and elimination BART usage as part of the Fast Pass. For a detailed list and description of the proposals being considered go to http://www.sfmuni.com/cms/rptpub/documents/FY2005FY2006Budgetpolicymemo_v4.… Thanks. Dan Krause Managing Director, Rescue Muni You have received this email because you are a member of (or a subscriber to) Rescue Muni, a transit riders' association for San Francisco. Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rescuemuni-announce/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: rescuemuni-announce-unsubscribe(a)yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ ----- End forwarded message ----- -- John-Marc Chandonia (jmc(a)sfgreens.org) http://www.dolorespark.org/

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Re: [Transpo] GG Park Road Widening Protest Sunday
by susan_e_vaughan＠juno.com 05 Dec '04

05 Dec '04

I will try to find the TWG letter on the internet when next I go into Jake's office. My computer is old and slow and cannot accommodate anymore Adobe Acorbat reader upgrades because it doesn'thave enough memory. Sue On Fri, 3 Dec 2004 11:04:28 -0800 John-Marc Chandonia <jmc(a)sfgreens.org> writes: > ----- Forwarded message from Bruce Wolfe <brucew(a)fongha.com> ----- > _ _ _ _ _ _ _n_e_x_t_ _ _ _ _ _ _s_t_e_p_s_ _ _ _ _ _ _ > If you are mad as hell about the planned widening of > MLK Dr. in Golden Gate Park, don't just take it lying > down! Come out and join the Inner Sunset Merchants > and others opposed to this outrageous plan this > weekend: > > Protest GGPark Road Widening > Sun., Dec. 5 | 11am 9th Ave. and Lincoln Way (near Irving St.) > > Despite over 600 letters opposing the, the Recreation > and Park Commission voted to widen MLK Drive from 9th > Avenue to the Music Concourse from two lanes to four > lanes for a second entrance to the underground garage > under construction in Golden Gate Park. Neighbors and > merchants in the Inner Sunset area are outraged. We > need everyone possible to attend a rally this Sunday, > December 5th at 11am at 9th Ave and Lincoln. The press > will be there and it is crucial that we have as many > people as possible there to object to making Golden > Gate Park more dangerous and more hostile to > pedestrians. > > The road widening was opposed by a diverse array of > groups and individuals, including the > WalkSF, > Transportation for a Livable City, > SFBC, > Senior Action Network, > Sierra Club, > SF Greens, > HANC, > CVIA, > Inner Sunset Merchants, > SPEAK, > Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee, > SF Bay Guardian, > San Francisco Tomorrow, > and many residents and local business owners near the park. > > -- > John-Marc Chandonia (jmc(a)sfgreens.org) > http://www.dolorespark.org/ > _______________________________________________ > Transpo mailing list > Transpo(a)sfgreens.org > https://list.sfgreens.org/mailman/listinfo/transpo > >

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GG Park Road Widening Protest Sunday
by John-Marc Chandonia 03 Dec '04

03 Dec '04

----- Forwarded message from Bruce Wolfe <brucew(a)fongha.com> ----- _ _ _ _ _ _ _n_e_x_t_ _ _ _ _ _ _s_t_e_p_s_ _ _ _ _ _ _ If you are mad as hell about the planned widening of MLK Dr. in Golden Gate Park, don't just take it lying down! Come out and join the Inner Sunset Merchants and others opposed to this outrageous plan this weekend: Protest GGPark Road Widening Sun., Dec. 5 | 11am 9th Ave. and Lincoln Way (near Irving St.) Despite over 600 letters opposing the, the Recreation and Park Commission voted to widen MLK Drive from 9th Avenue to the Music Concourse from two lanes to four lanes for a second entrance to the underground garage under construction in Golden Gate Park. Neighbors and merchants in the Inner Sunset area are outraged. We need everyone possible to attend a rally this Sunday, December 5th at 11am at 9th Ave and Lincoln. The press will be there and it is crucial that we have as many people as possible there to object to making Golden Gate Park more dangerous and more hostile to pedestrians. The road widening was opposed by a diverse array of groups and individuals, including the WalkSF, Transportation for a Livable City, SFBC, Senior Action Network, Sierra Club, SF Greens, HANC, CVIA, Inner Sunset Merchants, SPEAK, Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee, SF Bay Guardian, San Francisco Tomorrow, and many residents and local business owners near the park. -- John-Marc Chandonia (jmc(a)sfgreens.org) http://www.dolorespark.org/

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Beyond Chron Editorial: Supes Must Stop Golden Gate Park Highway
by Jym Dyer 01 Dec '04

01 Dec '04

=v= Randy Shaw at BeyondChron.org gives a rundown on the garage and highway project and calls on Ross Mirkarimi and the Supes to intervene: http://www.beyondchron.org/default.asp?sdetail=1181 <_Jym_>

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"Freeway in the Park?" Story and SFGTV
by Jym Dyer 26 Nov '04

26 Nov '04

=v= Good little story about the growing coalition of people opposed to widening MLK for the concourse garage, by Savannah Blackwell in the _Guardian_: http://www.sfbg.com/39/08/news_ggpark.html =v= "SFGTV" provides a RealMedia stream of the Finance & Audits Committee meeting, for those of us who missed being there. Go to: http://www.sfgov.org/site/sfgtv_index.asp?id=11516#Finance_Audits Click on "Wednesday November 24, 2004" and then click on agenda item #9. Some really really great stuff in the public comments. <_Jym_>

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MLK Road-Widening in the SFBC Biker Bulletin!
by Jym Dyer 25 Nov '04

25 Nov '04

=v= Excellent news! The SFBC sent the update and action items below to the sfbike list and to its entire membership. While the SFBC has for years not opted to support our efforts against the garage, they are against the widening of MLK. <_Jym_> [From SFBC Biker Bulletin - November 22, 2004] UPDATE on GG PARK ROAD WIDENING - w/ ACTION ITEMS The plan to widen Martin Luther King Dr. in Golden Gate Park to 4 lanes (without bike lanes), opposed by the Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee, the Bay Guardian, Supervisor-elect Ross Mirkarimi, the Alliance for Golden Gate Park and the SFBC, is scheduled to be approved at the Recreation and Park Commission Meeting to be held Monday, November 29th. However, the Board of Supervisors have taken a keen interest in this issue, and we need to encourage them to translate this into action that will protect our Park. SFBC members have generated a record 600 individual faxes and letters to the Recreation and Park Commission since last week, and a successful protest was held on Saturday at the 9th Avenue entrance to the Park. But we need to do more to ensure that this plan gets reconsidered before it's too late. Here are some NEW ACTIONS you can take to DEFEND OUR PARK: ---> ATTEND SPUR's brown bag lunch tomorrow, Tuesday Nov. 23rd, 312 Sutter 5th Floor where Mike Ellzey, Director of the Concourse Authority and others will undoubtedly be touting the multi-modal benefits of their activities in the Park. Cost: $5 for non-SPUR members ---> ATTEND the Board of Supervisors' Special Hearing at the Finance and Audits Committee this Wednesday, Nov. 24th at 1pm in Room 263. Ask Supervisors Ammiano, Daly, and Peskin to halt the plans to widen MLK Dr, remove the illegal second garage entrance in the Park, and approve a circulation plan for the Concourse that prohibits cross-park vehicle traffic. ---> WRITE A BRIEF E-MAIL, send a letter, or call your district Supervisor and ask them to halt the plans to widen MLK Dr, remove the illegal second garage entrance in the Park, and approve a circulation plan for the Concourse that prohibits cross-park vehicle traffic. Click on http://www.sfbike.org/leaders for contact info for your Supervisor. ---> WRITE A LETTER TO THE CHRONICLE in response to Ken Garcia's misleading and misinformed op-ed today. Read his piece here: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/11/22/EDGD99EOUP1.DTL Now read the real story here, in this Beyond Chron feature: http://beyondchron.org/default.asp?sdetail=1135 You're now prepped to write letters! Chronicle guidelines here: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/submissions/#open

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Re: [Transpo] your snail mail address and more ...
by Jym Dyer 25 Nov '04

25 Nov '04

> have you, or anyone else, figured out how to e-mail or fax > the Recreation and Park Commission? =v= I poked around sfgov.org and found this: http://www.sfgov.org/site/recpark_page.asp?id=2192 | Commission Liaison | Margaret McArthur | Phone: (415) 831-2750 | Fax: (415) 221-8034 No email is mentioned, though. <_Jym_>

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