Monday, October 5, 2009

Is This Better? SFgo on Fell at DMV Site


Photoshopped depiction of SFgo at DMV

Should the SFgo sign now looming over Fell near Divisadero be moved a block further west along the Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) lot? Admittedly, the accompanying image has been photo-shopped to approximate what the freeway-style might look like at this site. While the photo might not be scaled just right, compare it with the untouched pic of the current SOMA SFgo signs. Not so different.

Current SFgo sign on 9th near Howard

DMV driveway on Fell St

Moving the sign away from Divisadero lessens the safety hazards at that intersection, lessens the impact of a freeway-style sign on the revitalized Divisadero corridor, and perhaps reduces the impact on future housing developments. But the proposed location along the DMV appears to present a different set of problems, or, in some cases, simply shifts them further down Fell Street:
  • an SFgo kind of sign placed too close to Baker Street could distract drivers and create a hazard for bicyclists just as they cross Baker to access the Panhandle Path or as they leave the Panhandle to take Baker for a connection to Oak and the popular Wiggle bike route.
  • the mid-block DMV driveway already poses a hazard for motorists and cyclists with drivers trying to leave or enter the fast moving Fell traffic;
  • a location closer to Broderick but still along the DMV lot is possible but would be directly across the street from two and three level Victorian residences with a view of the ungainly structures;
  • does anyone really want a sign like this positioned just before the century-old eucalyptus trees greet visitors to Panhandle Park?
The SFgo sign standard on Oak Street is also along the DMV lot and will be removed as a result of neighbors' opposition. What makes the Fell Street side of the DMV any less objectionable?




1 comment:

  1. I think this issue has something to do with our local DMV California in SF right? But I agree though moving the sign away from Divisadero.

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