JMC -- can you please add Pi to the TWG listserv (and Emily if she has not already been added)? I am going to write a letter on behalf of the TWG to the supervisors and the board of directors of the MTA re. the money that Harvey Rose found. It appears the supes and MTA want to use the money primarily to reduce parking fines and fees. DAVE -- I have just a few comments/corrections about the items below. I have capitalized my comments. Sue
1028� Howard Street San Francisco, Ca. 94103 [MAY 15, 2005]
City Hall, Room 244 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place San Francisco, Ca. 94102
Dear Supervisor:
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 believe that Bicycle Plan Update, which you will soon be considering, does not go nearly far enough in reflecting these values. The plan needs improvements in a number of areas, as enumerated below: 1) Most importantly, the update does not express a connected network of bicycle paths and lanes. The limited improvements envisioned will not provide the safety and protection demanded by most travelers. 2) The update does not specify quantitative standards for a minimum level of service (LOS) for bicyclists. Such a standard might include the creation of a minimum number of lanes or miles of lanes per year, and minimum standards for bike lanes, bike paths, and shared lanes. 3) The update should be improved to reflect best practices from throughout the world. For example, speed limits in residential areas throughout Europe are 18 mph; such a low speed limit should be recommended on San Francisco bike routes. Also, contra-flow bike lanes would facilitate safer bicycle travel on many small alleys in SoMa but are not recommended in this update. 4) ```The update does not commit the city to accomplish specific goals by any particular date. It does not tell us what we can expect, nor what might be necessary or desirable, in terms of the amount of safety education, new bicycle parking facilities, or marketing of bicycling.
The San Francisco Green Party urges you to support a stronger effort to improve bicycling conditions in this city than is represented by this plan. Specifically, we would like you to ask the Municipal Transportation Agency to propose a complete bicycle network. Such a proposal would provide bike lanes, paths, or other improvements to connect every neighborhood in the city. In and leading to your district, for example, improvements to the following streets should be included, at least conceptually or "for further study," in the official bike plan.
District 1: Although it's not under the city's jurisdiction, the bike plan should call on the Presidio to add bike lanes on Lincoln Ave. from 25th Ave. to the Golden Gate Bridge. Also, the bike network designates Geary Blvd. east of ___ as the bicycle network, although there's no reason it should not be extended all the way to the ocean. [WHERE DO WE GET THIS INFORMATION?]
Also, better bicycle access from the Avenues to Golden Gate Park with improvements to the paths at 22nd Ave. CHECK THIS [THE OFFICIAL ROUTE IS AT 23RD AVENUE, BUT THE ENTRANCE INTO THE PARK IS AT 22ND] and elsewhere should be included in the plan.
District 2: Although it's not under the city's jurisdiction, the bike plan should call on the Presidio to add bike lanes on Lincoln Ave. from 25th Ave. to the Golden Gate Bridge.
District 3: Mason Street from Columbus to Jefferson should be added to the bicycle network, in order to provide a connection from Columbus St. and the North Beach and Chinatown neighborhoods to the Pier 39 area. With a designation, most bicycle funding sources will be unavailable for a possible bicycle path next to the newly acquired park. Sansome Street from Washington to the Embarcadero is a necessary companion to Battery Street, which is being recommended for inclusion in the bicycle network. (Stockton Street from the tunnel to Market Street is included in the written list of possible improvements to the bicycle network, although it does not show up on the map.)
District 4: 20th Ave. should be traffic-calmed, both to provide bicycle safety and to limit overflow traffic from 19th Ave. Also, an improved connection through Stern Grove should be built to simplify and shorten by two blocks the current bicycle route.
District 5: Scott Street between Haight Street and Fell Street, and Baker Street between Oak and Fell, are both part of the "Wiggle," a key link between the Panhandle and Market Street; Scott Street should have a left-turn bicycle lane approaching Fell Street from the south and Baker Street should have a corresponding left-turn bicycle lane approaching Oak Street. Seventh Avenue between Kirkham and Lincoln is another key link that [FORMER] Supervisor Gonzalez worked on with Supervisor Hall but which has been left out of this bicycle plan. Stanyan Street (either on the street or on a path in the park) provides a critical north-south link to access the park paths that should be included. Noe Street from Market Street to Duboce Park is the most popular link between the Castro and the lower Haight; it should be considered for inclusion in the bicycle network.
District 6: While the Planning Department includes a continuation of the Howard Street bicycle lanes west of 11th Street, onto S. Van Ness and then onto Duboce toward Valencia, the current draft bicycle plan omits this link. Geary Street has been improved for bicycle travel already as part of the transit improvements and should be considered an official part of the bicycle network. Grant Street and Montgomery Street should be considered for addition due their sheer importance to bicycle travel in that dense neighborhood. Beale Street should be added as the link from Market Street to the Embarcadero between Rincon Hill and the Embarcadero. In Mission Bay, Mission Commons provides the main east-west link through that new neighborhood and is in fact designated as a class 3 route in the Mission Bay plan.
District 7: Teresita Blvd. must be added to the bicycle network to meet the plan's goal of reaching to within a quarter-mile of every neighborhood. Clarendon, though hilly, is the only reasonable link between the __[FOREST HILL???? LAGUNA
HONDA????] neighborhood and Corona Heights, and should be included. The link from Holloway to Ocean Ave. should be moved to Plymouth, per the Better Neighborhoods plan for the area.
District 8: Noe Street from Market Street to Duboce Park is the most popular link between the Castro and the lower Haight and should be considered for inclusion in the bicycle network. Church Street between 16th/17th Streets and Duboce Street, is flatter and has more potential for bike lanes than the currently designated route through that corridor.
District 9: Hampshire from Cesar Chavez to 17th Street should be considered as an official bike route, for people, including children, who may prefer this quiet side street to the adjacent officially designated Potrero Street. Bryant Street has room for adding bike lanes without traffic impacts through most of the Mission.
District 10: Bike paths around the eastern mouth of Islais Creek could provide a car-free connection for nearby residents and commuters. Bicycle routes to McLaren Park are being contemplated via Mansell, but Sunnydale should also be considered as a possible addition. Jennings from Carroll to Gilman, then Gilman from Jennings or Fitch to Third, provide an essential neighborhood street alternative to the officiall designated Third Street.
District 11:
Alemany Blvd. from Arch Street to St. Charles Street -- or DeLong Street -- provides direct access to the BART station, and should be preserved in the bike plan. Access to the Glen Park BART station has not been conceptualized in this bicycle plan, and a proposed ramp from Arlington to Monterey that would provide a safe connection for bicyclists was also neglected.
[I HAVE ALSO DISCOVERED A NEW BIKE ROUTE FROM DISTRICT ONE TO DOWNTOWN THAT AVOIDS THE TURK STREET HILL. I TAKE ANZA TO MASONIC, MAKE A RIGHT ON MASONICE, TAKE MASONIC TO GOLDEN GATE, LEFT ON GOLDEN GATE, RIGHT ON DIVIS, LEFT ON MCALLISTER, RIGHT ON PIERCE, LEFT ON FULTON AND SO ON ...] If we can get this done by Sunday night, we can get them e-mailed to the supervisors by May 18. Sue === message truncated === __________________________________ Yahoo! Mail Mobile Take Yahoo! Mail with you! Check email on your mobile phone. http://mobile.yahoo.com/learn/mail