Here are two Mid-Market letters -- one for Sue Lee, president of the Planning Commission, and the other for Ramon Romero, chair of the SF Redev. Commission. Sue 1028A Howard Street San Francisco, Ca. 94103 May 1, 2005 Sue Lee President, San Francisco Planning Commission San Francisco Planning Department 1660 Mission Street San Francisco, Ca. 94103 Commission.Secretary@sfgov.org Dear Ms. Lee: The Transportation Working Group of the San Francisco Green Party promotes social, economic and environmental justice through the expansion of inexpensive and appealing public transportation services, improved pedestrian areas and safer bicycling, especially in underserved and low-income neighborhoods of San Francisco. We recommend that the housing under consideration for Mid-Market include as few parking spaces as possible, with the greatest share of what parking there is going to car-share vehicles. We remind you that Mid-Market is one of the most transit-rich parts of the city. It is served by all the light-rail lines, as well as by BART, most of the major Muni bus lines, and by Samtrans and Golden Gate Transit. We also remind you that San Francisco, according to city charter, is a transit-first city. For all these reasons, we also encourage you to eliminate the short-term parking garage planned for the project. Besides the fact that the project is in a transit-rich part of the city, as already mentioned, there are two other municipal garages nearby � the garage at 5th and Mission streets and the garage at the Civic Center. Below are several sections of the Transportation Plank of the San Francisco Green Party platform relevant to parking: C.3. The San Francisco Green Party recommends that the City prohibit new parking facilities in the downtown district north of Townsend and Division, east of South Van Ness and Van Ness Avenues, and within 500 feet of a transit-preferential street anywhere in San Francisco. A few cities in the U.S. and many in Europe have reduced parking in their downtowns as a means to reduce traffic and promote alternatives to the automobile; San Francisco should emulate these successful programs. C.5. The San Francisco Green Party recommends that the City eliminate parking requirements for new housing, starting with affordable, senior, and Single-Room Occupancy, and institute maximum parking limits for new housing. The specific maximum limits should vary by neighborhood, ranging from a high limit of one parking space per housing unit in less transit-friendly areas such as parts of the Sunset and Bayview, to a low limit of .25 parking spaces per housing unit in neighborhoods such as downtown, North Beach, and the Mission, which are densely populated, already congested with traffic, and well-served by transit. Parking requirements in new housing are subsidized by developers for the private benefit of relatively wealthy housing consumers. These changes will result in lower housing prices for consumers as well as higher profit margins for developers. Parking requirements should never be an impediment to housing construction. C.9. Mandate car-sharing parking pods in every neighborhood and in new developments, preferably in highly visible and accessible locations. Car-sharing permits residents to have access to cars without having to invest in permanent ownership. The pay-per-use system of car-share cooperatives and nonprofits saves residents money and reduces car use. Sincerely, Sue Vaughan and John-Marc Chandonia, co-chairs of the Transportation Working Group of the San Francisco Green Party CC: Ramon Romero, chair of the San Francisco Redevelopment Commission Jeremy Nelson, Transportation for a Livable City 1028A Howard Street San Francisco, Ca. 94103 May 1, 2005 Ramon Romero Chair, San Francisco Redevelopment Commission San Francisco Redevelopment Agency 770 Golden Gate Avenue San Francisco, Ca. 94102 Commission.Secretary@sfgov.org Dear Mr. Romero: The Transportation Working Group of the San Francisco Green Party promotes social, economic and environmental justice through the expansion of inexpensive and appealing public transportation services, improved pedestrian areas and safer bicycling, especially in underserved and low-income neighborhoods of San Francisco. We recommend that the housing under consideration for Mid-Market include as few parking spaces as possible, with the greatest share of what parking there is going to car-share vehicles. We remind you that Mid-Market is one of the most transit-rich parts of the city. It is served by all the light-rail lines, as well as by BART, most of the major Muni bus lines, and by Samtrans and Golden Gate Transit. We also remind you that San Francisco, according to city charter, is a transit-first city. For all these reasons, we also encourage you to eliminate the short-term parking garage planned for the project. Besides the fact that the project is in a transit-rich part of the city, as already mentioned, there are two other municipal garages nearby � the garage at 5th and Mission streets and the garage at the Civic Center. Below are several sections of the Transportation Plank of the San Francisco Green Party platform relevant to parking: C.3. The San Francisco Green Party recommends that the City prohibit new parking facilities in the downtown district north of Townsend and Division, east of South Van Ness and Van Ness Avenues, and within 500 feet of a transit-preferential street anywhere in San Francisco. A few cities in the U.S. and many in Europe have reduced parking in their downtowns as a means to reduce traffic and promote alternatives to the automobile; San Francisco should emulate these successful programs. C.5. The San Francisco Green Party recommends that the City eliminate parking requirements for new housing, starting with affordable, senior, and Single-Room Occupancy, and institute maximum parking limits for new housing. The specific maximum limits should vary by neighborhood, ranging from a high limit of one parking space per housing unit in less transit-friendly areas such as parts of the Sunset and Bayview, to a low limit of .25 parking spaces per housing unit in neighborhoods such as downtown, North Beach, and the Mission, which are densely populated, already congested with traffic, and well-served by transit. Parking requirements in new housing are subsidized by developers for the private benefit of relatively wealthy housing consumers. These changes will result in lower housing prices for consumers as well as higher profit margins for developers. Parking requirements should never be an impediment to housing construction. C.9. Mandate car-sharing parking pods in every neighborhood and in new developments, preferably in highly visible and accessible locations. Car-sharing permits residents to have access to cars without having to invest in permanent ownership. The pay-per-use system of car-share cooperatives and nonprofits saves residents money and reduces car use. Sincerely, Sue Vaughan and John-Marc Chandonia, co-chairs of the Transportation Working Group of the San Francisco Green Party CC: Sue Lee, president of the San Francisco Planning Commission Jeremy Nelson, Transportation for a Livable City __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com