Tom Ammiano Weighs In on Masonic Traffic Calming, Urges MTA to Adopt "Option C"

Tom Ammiano with his daughter and grand-daughter

Tom Ammiano, California Assemblymember from the 13th District, urged the Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) to adopt the currently-named Option C to transform Masonic Avenue into a livable corridor to benefit all. In a September 23 letter to Javad Mirabdal, MTA project manager, Ammiano noted that the street has been "long overdue for improvements" and "the recent tragic death of Yannick Linke has brought new attention to the dangers of Masonic Avenue."

Ammiano suggested that a full package of traffic calming measures for Masonic could have the same kind of impact found in other areas of the city.

Option C offers the type of sweeping changes needed to make Masonic a safer, calmer, and more livable street, one that would bbetter serve pedestrians, cyclists, MUNI, drivers and the surrounding neighborhoods. In doing so, the plan would enhance th entire Masonic Avenue corridor in much the same way that the redesign of Octavia Boulevard did for the Hayes Valley area.

At the 9/30 meeting, city staff will show design treatments for all Masonic blocks

The San Francisco Assemblymember cited the proposed improvements that Option C offers, including:

• a landscaped median with trees
• a series of bulb-outs to improve pedestrian safety and benefit Muni users
• a separate bikeway on both sides of the street
• removal of the tow-away zones
• removal of on-street parking with expected new parking nearby

Note: the reference to "expected new parking nearby" is likely essential to acceptance of this option by nearby neighbors. Community members have previously urged the MTA to consider installing new angled parking along the north side of Turk Street to help mitigate the loss of parking from Masonic.

Ammiano wrote that he hopes SFMTA "embraces this opportunity to show a long-term vision for the transformation of Masonic Avenue from a heavily trafficked, dangerous street to an improved, livable corridor that reflects San Franciscans' desire for well-designed great streets and complete neighborhoods."

In the last few weeks other organizations and individuals have also endorsed Option C for the long-awaited makeover of Masonic, including FixMasonic, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, and a number of residents who live on Masonic or within a few blocks of it. City planners will present two options -- both will be renamed and one will include the Option C features -- for consideration at a community meeting on September 30.

Masonic Avenue Street Design Study
Community Workshop #3
Thursday, September 30, 2010
6:30 to 8:30 pm
San Francisco Day School
350 Masonic at Golden Gate (enter at Golden Gate)
bike parking indoors, Muni #43 and nearby Muni #5 options

For detailed project information: www.sfmta.com/masonic
Contact project manager, Javad Mirabdal: javad.mirabdal@sfmta.com
(415) 701-4421

For other stories in the A Better Masonic series, check here.