Geneva-Harney BRT Feasibility Study

Two upcoming meetings of importance regarding the GHBRT study undertaken by SFCTA.

SFCTA-CAC meeting
Wednesday, June 24
6:00PM - 8:00PM
1455 Market St, 22nd Floor

GHBRT-CAC meeting
Thursday, June 25
6:00PM - 8:30PM
Visitacion Valley Library, Community Room
201 Leland Ave

SFCTA-CAC Meeting

Here are items of local interest coming up at tonight's SFCTA-CAC meeting in case anyone wanted to attend or had comments. They include:

Item 5: Re-programming $4M of Prop K funds to the Quint St connector road portion of the Quint St bridge replacement project

Item 12-1: $7.47M in Prop K funds for Caltrain Early Investment Program, upgrades and electrification

Item 12-3: $1.6M in Prop K funds for Environmental Study of an expansion of the Muni Metro East (MME) Paint & Body Shop and Historic Car Storage Structure

Item 12-9: Prop K allocation of $572,754 and a Prop AA allocation of $2,325,624 for the Mansell Corridor Improvement Project

Item 14: T-Third Phase 3 Concept Study

Please find links regarding these and all of tonight's topics for discussion at http://www.sfcta.org/citizens-advisory-committee-december-3-2014

 If you wish to attend tonight's meeting, it will be held from 6PM - 8PM at the SFCTA offices at 1455 Market St., 22nd Floor.

Jerrold Ave center turn lane

A few weeks ago SFMTA installed an ill-conceived new center turn lane on Jerrold between Quint and Phelps that is dangerous for drivers, pedestrians, and especially cyclists.

I received a call yesterday from Liveable Streets project manager Philip Louie to discuss it, and he left me even more displeased than I had been before.

Basically SFPUC had requested the new striping, in his words, to help their workers walk (jay-walk) across the street more safely by giving them a refuge area in the middle of the street. Wouldn't a midblock crosswalk have been a better option if trying to address pedestrian safety? Since when is a bidirectional center turn lane an approved pedestrian refuge? Since it has gone in, I've seen all manner of vehicle using the center lane as a travel lane because they're now pushed too close to the parked cars at be curb to drive through there safely. Check out the video I recorded the other day of a truck making a turn from Quint onto Jerrold and then never leaving the new center turn lane. Note the SFPUC workers standing in the narrowed travel lane and the empty angled parking on the north side of the street taking up space that could have been recovered and used for a bike lane.

He admitted the design was probably not the best, but my guess is that this is what SFPUC had designed and wanted, and SFMTA did no work to look at alternatives and just did what SFPUC proposed because it was cheap and easy.

Their idea of neighborhood notification was to put up small signage on a few light poles in the area, a technique that is useless if trying to engage motorists or cyclists and may as well not even be there. The project was brought before the SFMTA board, but because no one knew about it, it passed. It never showed up on MyStreetsSF or on Envista, so there was no way for anyone to find out about this unless they were walking through the area while the signs were up.

His attitude was that because traffic counts were so low on Jerrold, it really didn't matter that it's not the best design. I'll admit, I blew my stack at this because it speaks to the way we get shafted time and again like this from one city agency to the next. I try to give people the benefit of the doubt, but this was blatantly a "they should be happy we're doing anything for them" kind of attitude.

They're unlikely to change it unless they get negative feedback from users. For the record, my proposal to calm traffic speeds is to remove the underutilized angled parking on the north side, and install bike lanes to act as a buffer between parked cars and traffic, and a mid-block crosswalk for SFPUC workers to cross the road more safely.

I have asked Mr. Louie to send me the following information:
- when the SFMTA board heard and approved this
- where funds came from to do the work
- how much it cost
- what alternatives were looked at
- where this design originated (ie. was this what SFPUC asked for)
- when the follow-up traffic speed study will be done
- whether site-specific jobs like this are required to be posted on Envista or MyStreetSF
- data on traffic speeds and counts and dates and times measurements were taken,
- along with what MTA considers low volume.

If you're also not happy about the outcome or the lack of outreach to the community, I encourage you to contact Mr Louie by email at Philip.Louie@sfmta.com and cc his boss, Ed Reiskin at Ed.Reiskin@sfmta.com and let them know.

The great bike divide: why miniorites bike less

The Southeast communities of San Francisco have some of the highest vehicle ownership rates in the city. We also have some of the most unreliable and infrequent transit (T-Third, 52-Rutland), coupled with some of the absolute poorest bicycle connectivity.  This lack of infrastructure is one of the key reasons why people who live in affordable - and more distant - neighborhoods like Visitacion Valley and Bayview tend to drive more and bike and walk less.

An interesting article in Urbanful highlights some recent studies on this, and concludes that increasing infrastructure for our neighborhoods needs to be a priority, followed by extensive outreach to work to change peoples' perceptions of these different modes and to help them get used to using them.

Geneva-Harney BRT Feasibility Study CAC meeting

The next meeting of the GHCAC will take place:

Thursday, August 21
6:00pm to 8:00pm
Community Meeting Room
Visitacion Valley Public Library
201 Leland Ave, San Francisco, CA.

The agenda for this meeting should be posted in the next few days.

For information on the study, visit SFCTA.

The Geneva-Harney Bus Rapid Transit line is a proposed service envisioned to provide existing and future neighborhoods along the San Mateo-San Francisco County border with a bus connection to the border area’s key regional transit system hubs. The corridor extends from Balboa Park BART/Muni Station in the west to Hunters Point Shipyard in the east, including a connection to the Bayshore Caltrain Station. The study conducts conceptual feasibility planning and design work and initiates a cross-jurisdictional, community consensus-building process to prepare the bus project for implementation.

D-10 Transportation Open House

Join Supervisor Malia Cohen to learn more about Transportation 2030, a strategic infrastructure investment program proposed for November’s general election ballot. Transportation 2030 will invest in better roads, improved transit and safer streets throughout San Francisco, making it faster, safer and easier to get around. Representatives of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) and San Francisco Public Works will host the open houses, which will include a presentation and plenty of time to ask questions.

June 2, 2014

6-7:30pm

Southeast Community Facility

1800 Oakdale Ave

http://www.sfbike.org/event/transportation-2030-district-10-open-house/

h/t D. Froelich

Geneva-Harney BRT Meeting

The next meeting of the Geneva-Harney BRT Feasibility Study Community Advisory Committee will be held this Thursday:

Thursday, April, 24, 2014 6:00—8:00 PM
SFCTA, 1455 Market Street, 22nd Floor
Download the meeting agenda at genevabrt.org.

Should you have any questions, please contact the Study Team at 415.593.4800 or genevabrt@sfcta.org.

A Safer Potrero Avenue on the Way

From the SF Bike Coalition Newsletter,

San Franciscans won a major livable streets victory last week when the SFMTA Board of Directors approved key Potrero Avenue traffic modifications that include critically needed bicycle, pedestrian and transit improvements.

Friends of Caltrain Meetup

Do you use Caltrain in San Francisco? There are lots of projects and decisions coming up affecting how well Caltrain serves SF.

• Proposed November ballot measures will enable San Francisco to pay its annual Caltrain bills without annual last-minute heroics
• The Transbay team is exploring ways topay for and accelerate the Downtown Extension, which will bring Caltrain to a central location with many more transit connections and jobs
• San Francisco is studying the potential for new buildings where Caltrain currently stores trains
• Bike and pedestrian improvements are planned near 4th and King, including Embarcadero bike lanes, a 2nd street road diet, improvements on Howard and Folsom, and 8th street pedestrian improvements
• Bike share expansion is planned (though slowed due to bike vendor bankruptcy)

Do you want to support Caltrain in SF, and find out where to focus and how best to help? Do you want a lightning overview of what’s going on without slogging through many different city and transit agency web pages? Would you like to meet other Caltrain riders who also want to improve Caltrain service and access in San Francisco?

Friends of Caltrain San Francisco meetup

Wednesday April 2, 6pm

Panera on King Street across from the Caltrain station

Presenters include Gillian Gillett of the Mayor’s office, Darby Watson of SFMTA,  Sunny Angulo with Supervisor Kim.  

RSVP so we’ll be sure to have enough space.  Are there other topics you care about that aren’t on the list? Let us know, we can get an expert this time or at an upcoming meetup. Send email to adina.levin@friendsofcaltrain.com.

Bike Bayview

Bike Bayview Neighborhood Commute  Fri., Mar. 21 | 7:45AM (depart 8AM)| Mendell Plaza, Palou at 3rd St Join your neighbors for a 3rd Friday bike commute from the Bayview. Meet new people and make your commute a little more fun! All skill levels welcome. Split off at 16th St to either head toward Civic Center via 7th St or toward the Embarcadero via AT&T Park. Event Details

Sixth Pedestrian Fatality of 2014 - Higher Number than the City's Murder Rate

From CBS5,

A woman was killed in a hit-and-run crash Thursday as she ran across Bayshore Boulevard to reach a bus stop, police said.  

The woman was hit by a white Dodge Durango as she crossed Bayshore near Visitation Avenue without using the crosswalk around 11:17 a.m., according to a spokesman for the San Francisco Police Department.

Proposal to improve pedestrian and bicycle access and safety at the Alemany Maze

With the completion of the Bayshore Blvd road diet from Paul Ave to Jerrold Ave, bicyclists are more safely connected to the core of the City than ever before.  However, there are still gaping holes in the connectivity of the bike and pedestrian networks despite these improvements.  In 2012, the Planning Department issued a report that identified simple solutions that would improve the flow through the Hairball for all modes of transportation (cars, buses, bikes, and pedestrians).  While that study's implementation remains stalled on many levels, the Alemany Maze is another area that actively disconnects the Southeast from the rest of the City and is in desperate need of attention from SFMTA, DPW, Caltrans, and our Board of Supervisors.  The Maze and the Hairball are both busy connections to the freeway with low population density in the immediate area and outright hostile conditions for pedestrians and cyclists, yet neither area in currently slated for improvement in the near term.

Say you want to get from Bayview to a Glen Park BART by bike.  Riding the new lanes on Bayshore are now great, but get from Bayshore to the separated bike lane on Alemany at Putnam, and you're sharing the road with freeway-bound vehicles.

Or say you want to walk from the Portola to the Alemany Farmer's Market on Saturday morning.   You either cross illegally at the top of San Bruno Ave or walk an extra 1/4 mile each way to get to the light at Putnam.  And if you need one, it's too bad there's no ADA ramp for you when you get there.

The benefits of increasing pedestrian and bike access in the area are many:  reduced car traffic on Saturday mornings in and around the Alemany Farmers Market; safer access to the Farmers Market for Portola residents; greater access to amenities in the Portola by residents of Bernal Heights; safer access to BART for Portola residents; an opportunity for beautification of the median.

Pedestrian Access and Safety:

The Problem: Pedestrians often cross the triangular median between east/westbound Alemany Blvd to get to the farmer’s market from the Portola neighborhood.  This is a problem because although there is a traffic signal, eastbound Alemany at San Bruno Ave has no crosswalk.  

Figure 1. Pedestrians dash across eastbound Alemany at 
San Bruno Ave. on their way to the farmers market.

Figure 2. A pedestrian prepares to cross eastbound Alemany 

after shopping at the farmers market

Figure 3. Pedestrians accessing the farmers market use a well-worn dirt path 
on the median with no protection from passing vehicular traffic.

Figure 4. Proposal includes adding crosswalks and a bike/ped path across the median; reducing Alemany vehicle traffic from three lanes to two between Bayshore and Putnam; continuing the separated bike lanes between Bayshore and Putnam.

To get to and from the north side of the median, pedestrians must wait for a break in freeway-bound traffic to then run across three lanes of westbound Alemany.

Proposed Solution:  add crosswalks across both east- and westbound Alemany; install a traffic signal (pedestrian activated crosswalk or signalized traffic light across westbound Alemany; build a north/south pedestrian/bike path across the median; calm traffic by converting the curb lane of westbound Alemany from Bayshore to Putnam into a separated bike lane (see Bike access below)

Benefit: pedestrians would be able to safely access the farmer’s market from the Portola, reducing trips to the market by car, easing parking, pollution, and congestion in residential Bernal Heights.

Considerations: the median may be co-owned by the City and County of SF and Caltrans; a traffic signal or crosswalk on westbound Alemany may adversely affect traffic flow.

Bike Access and Safety:

The Problem:  In 2011, a separated bike lane was installed on both east and westbound Alemany from Putnam to Rousseau.  However, cyclists from Southeast SF still have no direct access to these separated bike lanes, and are forced to get to them by travelling between Bayshore and Putnam via lanes shared with heavy vehicular traffic.   This portion of the route is dangerous and discourages use of the bike lanes west of Putnam.

Proposed Solution: since Alemany west of Putnam is only two lanes wide and has a separated bike lane, convert the curb lane of Alemany between Bayshore and Putnam (both directions) to a bike-only lane, narrowing the road from three lanes to two.  To better access the westbound Alemany bike lanes, northbound cyclists could also use the proposed walkway across the median as above.

Benefit: cyclists would be protected from vehicular traffic the entire length of Alemany from Bayshore to Rousseau St., increasing accessibility and safety; vehicular traffic on Alemany would be calmed between Bayshore and Putnam, making pedestrian and bike crossings safer.

Considerations: decreasing lanes and vehicular traffic speeds may cause backups at on/off-ramps.

Bayshore Blvd Road Diet Nears Completion

SFMTA is completing the Bayshore Blvd road diet, so if you're driving between Paul and Boutwell (north of Silver), you'll notice it's permanently down to one lane in each direction for cars, with new, safer left turn pockets at busy intersections. Yesterday I rode the new bike lane they've also added and it's super-comfy and makes it even easier than ever to get from Visitacion Valley to downtown by bike. 

More at:

http://www.sfmta.com/projects-planning/projects/bayshore-boulevard-road-diet-and-bikeways

SFMTA Bike Strategy Update

From the SF Bike Coalition's Newsletter,

Weigh in on Next Bike Projects in San Francisco 

Bike Network SurveyBig news! The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) has published its draft list of next wave bike projects, including new bikeways and hot spot improvements on streets that the agency manages. The list is a great start, but we know that you — the people who bike in our city every day —  have valuable insight into what streets and intersections need the most work.  

You can give your feedback in two ways: take our survey and/or come to our MEMBER MEETING TONIGHT and give your feedback in person. The Member Meeting is open to all current members and will be open house style, so swing by any time between 5 and 7PM.  

We will combine your responses with the feedback we get from members and the riding public throughout the year, and we will use it to inform our formal response to the SFMTA’s list. 

While none of the 20-miles of route expansion will happen in D10, and none of the existing route upgrades fall into the highest demand category (24.2-miles), 8.11 miles of roadway (16.1% of the 50-mile total) in D10 are identified on SFMTA's list of enhancements to existing bike network as being in the low to high categories:

High Demand

Indiana St (0.99 miles, Mariposa to Cesar Chavez)

Phelps St (0.64 miles, Evans Ave to Palou Ave)

Mariposa (0.36 miles, Mississippi to Illinois)

Potrero Ave (0.33 miles, Division to 17th St)

Medium Demand

3rd St (2.00 miles, Islais Creek Bridge to US101)

Bayshore Blvd* (0.93 miles, Paul Ave to Silver Ave)

Paul Ave* (0.85 miles, Bayshore to 3rd St)

Lowest Demand

Silver Ave (2.01 miles, Alemany blvd to Palou Ave)

* - projects that ranked high through the analysis but are completed or already identified improvements by Sustainable Streets.

Caltrain Bridge Replacements in D10

Starting later this year, Caltrain will be removing and replacing the existing vehicular/pedestrian bridges over the Caltrain tracks at 22nd Street, 23rd Street, and Paul Avenue in San Francisco. The three bridges are deemed structurally deficient, do not meet existing seismic safety standards and must be replaced to ensure the safety of community members and Caltrain passengers. The locations of the project areas can be seen in the attached maps.

More information at Caltrain's website.

Caltrain staff will be hosting two community meetings to present information about the San Francisco Roadway Bridges Project.  The meetings will include information about why the project is needed, implementation details and how potential impacts on the community will be addressed. The meetings are free and open to the public.  Please share the meeting information below with your constituents, patrons, and neighbors.

Community Meeting Information

Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2014 at 6:30 p.m.
Visitacion Valley Library
201 Leland Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94134

Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014 at 6:30 p.m.
Potrero Hill Neighborhood House
953 De Haro Street
San Francisco, CA 94107

For the latest information on the San Francisco Roadway Bridges Project, please visit www.caltrain.com/sfrb. If you have any questions about the project or the community meetings, please feel free to contact Brent Tietjen, Public Affairs Specialist
SamTrans | Caltrain | TA
Office of Public Affairs
1250 San Carlos Ave.
San Carlos, CA 94070-1306
650-508-6495
tietjenb@samtrans.com

Bike Bayview Monthly Ride

Photo: K. Wada

On the third Friday of the month, let's meet up and ride!

Look for us on Facebook at Bike Bayview.

We'll be meeting at 7:45 at Mendell Plaza and leaving at 8AM, riding north along Mendell St to the Cargo Way bike lanes, then north on Illinois St.

Split off at 16th St to either head toward Civic Center via 7th St or toward the Embarcadero via AT&T Park.

Share this with your neighbors and bring a friend!

New cyclists welcome!!

If you live in Potrero Hill or Dogpatch, join the ride as we pass through your neighborhood!

Muni Needs Your Input at Upcoming Meetings about Proposed Service Changes

Muni Needs Your Input!

GIVE FEEDBACK ON PROPOSED SERVICE CHANGES AT UPCOMING MEETINGS.

Muni is considering proposed service and route changes as part of the Transit Effectiveness Project (TEP).  Developed with extensive analysis and community input, the TEP proposals will modernize Muni for its 700,000 daily passengers.  To provide input or learn more, attend a community meeting.  Visit www.TellMuni.com to give feedback and sign up for updates.  In March, the SFMTA Board will hold a public hearing on the proposed service changes and all community input received. 

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 11AM-1PM

Visitacion Valley Elementary School

55 Schwerin Street

Routes: 8X, 10, 22, 33, 56

TEP 8X Bayshore Express Travel Time Reduction Proposal

http://www.sfmta.com/projects-planning/projects/tep-8x-bayshore-express-travel-time-reduction-proposal

10 Townsend

http://www.sfmta.com/sites/default/files/projects/rte_010_BW.pdf

TEP 22 Fillmore Travel Time Reduction Proposal

http://www.sfmta.com/projects-planning/projects/tep-22-fillmore-travel-time-reduction-proposal

33-Stanyan

http://www.sfmta.com/sites/default/files/projects/rte_033_BW.pdf

56-Rutland

http://www.sfmta.com/sites/default/files/projects/rte_056_BW.pdf

http://www.sfmta.com/zh-hant/projects-planning/tep-translations

http://www.sfmta.com/es/projects-planning/tep-translations

Potrero Streetscape Improvement Project

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s engineering public hearing for the Potrero Streetscape Improvement Project has been scheduled for

Friday, February 14, 2014
10 a.m.
Room 416 (Hearing Room 4)
City Hall.

This is an opportunity for members of the public to comment on the proposed parking, traffic, and transit changes to Potrero Avenue between Alameda and 25th streets. Potrero Avenue is item number 8 (a through m) on the agenda. Following the public hearing, the project will go to the SFMTA Board for final approval. The hearing date at the SFMTA Board has not been scheduled yet. More information on the improvement project can be found at http://sfdpw.org/index.aspx?page=1673

Roadwork

A heads up: Caltrans will be completing the roadway repair work on US 101 from the Vermont exit to the Cesar Chavez exit that started prior to the 2013 holiday season.

The night work will begin on the evening of February 9 and continue through February 13.

For any questions about the construction, please contact Steve Williams.

h/t Supervisor Cohen

Bike/Ped Hearing

Supervisor David Campos, (415) 554-7729, carolyn.goossen@sfgov.org
Leah Shaham, San Francisco Bicycle Coalition (415) 431-2453 x306, leah@sfbike.org
Natalie Murdock, Walk SF (415) 431-9255 x4, natalie@walksf.org

What:    Joint Hearing of the SF Board of Supervisors’ Neighborhood Services & Safety Committee and the Police Commission to discuss police protocol for reviewing, investigating and reporting findings of fault in the event of a cyclist or pedestrian fatality or serious injury as the result of a traffic collision.

When:  Thursday, January 16, 2014, 5pm

Where:  San Francisco City Hall, Room 250

Why:    In 2013, San Francisco saw a significant spike in the numbers of pedestrian and cyclist fatalities as a result of traffic collisions. Twenty-one pedestrians and four bicyclists were killed by drivers last year. Supervisor Jane Kim held a Neighborhood Services and Safety hearing on October 3, 2013 to address this public safety crisis.  As the Chair of that committee, and as a former Police Commissioner, Supervisor Campos feels it is crucial to hold a follow-up hearing so that the Police Commission can engage in this discussion regarding improvements to traffic enforcement as well as police investigations following traffic collisions involving pedestrians and cyclists. “We must do everything in our power to prevent the needless deaths of pedestrians and bicyclists on our streets.  This means collaborating with community organizations, like the Bicycle Coalition and Walk SF, the Police Commission and the Police Department to push for better enforcement and more thorough investigations,” said Supervisor Campos.