Let's increase pedestrian access to Alemany Farmers Market

For those who live in the Portola and Silver Terrace neighborhoods, pedestrian access to the Alemany Farmer's Market would be great.  Parking there is a bear, and really, who wants to drive to such a close local gem when we could walk?  Bernal Heights residents already have relatively easy pedestrian access, but because of the freeways, those of us just south of the farmers' market are made to feel like we need to drive.

Stuart Brady, a neighbor who wrote into The Portola Yahoo Group, recently wrote Supervisors Cohen and Campos about the possibility of increasing foot traffic to the market via a new walkway and some additional minor changes.  All seem like relatively low-cost, high-benefit ideas.  I hope this gains traction! 

In his letter to the Supes, he writes,

Dear Supervisor Campos & Supervisor Cohen, and all who help to make San Francisco a more pedestrian friendly city, I would like to propose that a walkway be built to connect the Portola District to Farmers Market in Bernal Heights.

Currently,  to walk from the Portola District to the Farmers Market,  you have to walk at least half a mile under the freeway, then sandwiched between the 280 fwy and 6 lanes of Alemany Blvd , only to be forced to cross Alemany Blvd at a freeway off-ramp.  I believe we can make a much safer and more pedestrian friendly connection between the two neighborhoods by adding a walkway between San Bruno Ave, under the South 101-280 connector, and into a new pedestrian gateway, at the East end of the Farmers Market.

In its simplest form this would require 4 main components:

-         Add striping for a crosswalk between the West Side of San Bruno Ave to the area under the freeway (crossing Alemany Eastbound).
-         Pave a pathway under the South 101-280 connector
-         Install a new traffic signal and crosswalk between area under the freeway and the East end of the Farmers Market, (crossing Alemany Westbound, approximately where Peralta Ave and Tompkins Ave meet).
-         Removal of some fencing between the Farmers Market and Alemany Blvd

Additional improvements that could be incorporated initially or in the future:

-         Grand Pedestrian Gateway for the "East" entrance
-         Landscaping along pathway
-         Improving walkway from the new "East" entrance of Farmers Market and Bayshore Blvd, at Cortland.

Fellow neighbors chimed in with some very worthwhile responses offering advice, information on other people to contact and projects that are being proposed.

Hopefully Ms Cohen and Mr Campos are reading this and can offer some advice on how to proceed with this great idea!