NOPA Streets: Baker Bike Lanes Re-striped, SFMTA Beats Its Own Schedule

Every other block re-striped following recent re-paving

Baker to the south, ready to complete the lane striping

Less than a week ago the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) said crews could not re-stripe the traffic and bike lanes on Baker between Fell and Turk for several weeks, sometime in July. But today three blocks of traffic lanes have their bright white stripes and the bike icons and markings have a fresh coat of thermoplasty -- although a few areas of the bike lanes await their turn. Thanks to Damon Curtis of SFMTA for coordinating the bike lane striping and the paint crews. They always seem to love being out on the street striping bike lanes. Be sure to say hello where ever you see them.

The smooth and striped blocks are primed to host thousands of neighbors and visitors on foot and wheels when Sunday Streets returns to NOPA on September 11th.

Note: Yes, blatant and intentional product placement in the photos.

Baker Street Gets Curb-to-Curb Treatment, Smoother Bike Lanes Ahead

Asphalt-grinding and spitting leviathan visits Baker Street

A smoother surface for all street users

Scrape the old, repair the holes and get ready to go smooth

Bike parked and waiting for the smooth ride

Baker Street from Turk to Fell is about to become one smooth ride for anyone travelling by bike, bus, or other vehicle. Following sewer and water repair work on the much-used north-south route, several blocks of Baker are being "milled and filled" with the old asphalt removed and a new layer added. Once completed the newly re-surfaced blocks -- matched with those repaved a few months ago -- will be one long smooth ribbon. Bicyclists will especially appreciate the new surface between Fell and Hayes where several years ago the city repaved the traffic lanes but left the bike lanes rutted and worn.

Bicyclists Beware: Hazards During Construction on Baker and Grove in NOPA

Baker bike lane southbound: curb to curb to be paved in weeks ahead

Grove bike route pavement construction hazards, between Baker and Lyon

Two to three inch trench after initial PUC work on Grove

Defined edges like this should have asphalt shoved up to them for safety

UPDATE, Wednesday, March 30, 5pm

This afternoon Ms. Dadisi Najib, DPW Public Information Officer, reviewed the street conditions and hazards for bicyclists on Grove and Baker. She followed up within hours of being alerted to the problem. She confirmed that curb-to-curb repaving is planned for Grove between Baker and Lyon and for the blocks of Baker recently worked on. She also said she would find out about DPW's or the construction firm's interim plans for reducing risks for bicyclists by shoving asphalt along the edges ("cutback") of the construction lip.

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The Public Utilities Commission is replacing sewer lines under North Panhandle streets, and that's a good thing. The city's aging infrastructure -- above and below ground -- needs all the attention it can get. But the construction itself is creating problems with a lack of attention to safety precautions and warnings to bicyclists.

Grove street between Baker and Lyon has been plagued with the tell-tale signs of sewer problems -- large sinkholes and many fill-ins -- for years. Now the sewer lines have been replaced but the temporary surface has been left two to three inches below grade with hard-edged trenches. Baker between McAllister and Fell has similar trenches. None of the drop-offs have asphalt shoved against them to smooth travel along the block, and, in a few areas, the trenches cut directly across the Baker bike lane and Grove bikeway.

Once all the sewer work is completed, the city will repave the blocks curb-to-curb. Although it's more economical to resurface the blocks at the same time, it's unnecessarily hazardous to leave the trenches as they are and not post warning signs. The city will likely address the risks, but, in the meantime, bikers beware, especially at night if you're unfamiliar with the street conditions.

Carrotmob Crams Cafe: NOPA Gets More Green

Lauren Almeda-Reddell, relaxed for the pic, busy for the mob

Matching Half Cafe: lots of light, great art, and the stained-glass windows

The Carrotmob phenomenon roused mid-NOPA today and dispelled thoughts of drizzle and staying warm and dry indoors. During one brief stopover at about 3:30 this afternoon, more than 75 Carrotmob followers packed into the Matching Half Cafe located at McAllister and Baker streets. Proprietors Jason Wahlberg and Lauren Almeda-Redell and their staff looked a little dazzled, happy, and non-stop busy serving all the new and returning customers. The band Sufi (see clip above) kept the cafe bouncing. Outside on the extra-wide Baker sidewalk, two tents with seating offered respite from the light rain. Gathered round-about were several members of the Wigg Party, including Morgan Fitzgibbons and Ben Kaufman, who greeted all and boosted the event that their group organized. A PBS film crew captured much of the buzz for a feature on Carrotmob, planned for broadcast in a month.

All proceeds from this afternoon's mob mash will be matched by the cafe for a whopping 200% re-direct of funds toward purchase of a bike trailer for trips to the farmers' market. One less car on the streets, reduced oil consumption, and better air quality.

See previous post on Carrotmob in NOPA.

Why One Block of Baker Street Was Just Repaved (When Other Blocks Seem to Need It More)

Paint crews finished the stencils on Fell Street earlier on Tuesday and then came to Baker

A smooth walk or ride up to Golden Gate will greet Sunday Streeters in September

Bicyclists: new smooth and clearly painted bike lane but, as always, beware the door zone

How much difference do smooth, well-maintained streets make? NOPA residents can walk, bike or drive on Baker Street between Golden Gate and McAllister for a reminder of what more of our streets could be like with sufficient funding for street maintenance. Last week the Department of Public Works gave the block a "mill and fill" renewal (replacing the asphalt) and smoothed the new surface. Tuesday this week the paint crews added the bike lane stencils and stripes, and Wednesday a crew laid new thermoplastic road treatment marking the four crosswalks at the Golden Gate and McAllister intersections. The complete treatment for one smooth and sleek block.

As much as NOPA neighbors appreciate the newly paved block, more than a few were surprised that the city selected that particular stretch when Baker just south of McAllister seems to be in much worse condition and other blocks in the neighborhood also need a makeover. Here's some background on how blocks become candidates for repaving, gleaned from working with the staff of the Department of Public Works as a volunteer with the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition:

• each block in the city has been inspected and given a score for the condition of its surface
• blocks with the lowest scores need reconstructive work to address severe cracking and sinking problems that have damaged the base
• other blocks are targeted for spot repairs (potholes and cracks) to extend the life of the surface or for new asphalt for a smooth surface when the roadway is too worn
• with so many streets in the city requiring reconstruction, repaving or maintenance, DPW gives priority to those that serve transit and bicycles as part of the city's Transit First policy (a great many transit and bike streets are also thoroughfares for motorists so everyone benefits)
• DPW also factors "geographic equity" into their plans so all neighborhoods see improvements
• the city mandates that city streets cannot be torn up more than every five years; once reconstruction or paving is planned, all utility work needs to be completed prior to the project moving forward (consider all the public and private utilities in the city and you can imagine the logistics challenge for scheduling)
• In addition, some individual blocks are repaved by DPW crews while a long ribbon of blocks usually gets contracted to construction firms through a process of notices, bids, and approvals.

Back to the question: why this block of Baker? The full street from Fell to Turk needs repaving with the exception of Fell to Hayes which was more recently smoothed over. Each of those blocks need sewer repairs -- the likely cause of the sinkholes -- while sewer work was already completed from McAllister to Golden Gate. Short answer: that block was a candidate, didn't require more underground utility work, and DPW crews could repave it themselves. The rest of Baker will be repaved once the sewer work is completed. Current projections indicate a May 2011 start date for the repaving.

Road Rage in NOPA: Driver Badly Injures Pedestrian, Totals Muni Bus Stop

#21 Hayes bus stop so badly damaged it had to be removed completely

Waiting for bus: road rage made it dangerous

"People sometimes get behind the wheel and lose any sense of responsibility," Captain Teresa Barrett of SFPD Park Station said during a review of the road rage that left a visitor to NOPA with severe injuries and a Muni bus station demolished Wednesday evening. "It's a miracle that no one was killed."

At about 6:40 Wednesday evening a fender-bender between two motorists at Baker and Hayes Streets led one to fly into an angry tirade and then attempt a quick exit, according to Barrett. Before doing so the driver slammed his pickup truck into a young woman waiting for the bus at the Muni shelter at the southwest corner. He barely missed two other pedestrians also waiting for the bus and severely damaged the structure before leaving the scene. Barrett told BIKE NOPA that the woman sustained a broken leg with compound fractures, a very serious condition but not life-threatening. According to the captain, the young woman was a tourist visiting the city.

The hit-and-run driver was arrested near 7th Avenue in the Richmond district after several quick-thinking, diligent San Franciscans helped police officers from the Park and Richmond stations. "We had very good involvement at each phase," Barrett said. "People monitored the driver when he drove away and again when he abandoned his truck to flee on foot." Officers worked with the man's description provided by observers and traced the license plate. Then plainclothes police located the man and arrested him. He remains in custody and faces hit-and-run felony charges. He was found to have no license and was tested for drug use.

"My officers said when they got there (at the bus stop), it was the most horrendous scene," Barrett added. Thursday morning the shelter had been completely removed -- with a temporary street signal installed on the sidewalk, but glass remained strewn around the corner and on the sidewalk for 25 feet.

Chile Pies (& ice cream): The Buzz Begins

Breaking Story: Chile Pies (& ice cream) makes NOPA more cool than it thought it could be.

Today at 3pm the neighborhood's newest business sparkled and smiled and welcomed its first two customers, both longtime NOPA residents who couldn't wait for a sampling of the treats spread before them. Trevor Logan, Chile Pies' owner, nodded to his staff and suggested, "Let's make this a learning experience," since they weren't absolutely ready for us. But opening day jitters settled amid a palpable eagerness to share the namesake pies and ice creams.

There we were gazing over calorie and carb abandonment. Ice cream will wait for the second visit; all our attention centered on the pie selection. How to choose among Mexican Chocolate Pecan, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Lemon Buttermilk, and the house specialty, Green Chile Apple? Two out of four seemed wise: yes to the Mexican Chocolate Pecan and, definitely, the Green Chile Apple. Why not ala mode with Straus Family Creamery vanilla and a drizzle of red chile honey?

We happily offered the first dollar bill for posting by its mate from this location's previous occupant: Green Chile Kitchen, the more-than-popular New Mexican restaurant also owned by Logan that relocated to a larger space at Baker and McAllister. With this addition to the neighborhood, BIKE NOPA's earlier notice of the new "Baker Street Beat" seems right on target.

How were the pies? Dale Danley, customer #1, favored the Green Chile Apple for being "tart, savory, and sweet," and gave a thumbs-up to the Mexican Chocolate Pecan: "nice and fresh and not too sweet like pecan pies often are."

Neighbors started streaming in. JoshRichardson ordered the Classic New Mexican Frito Pie (Niman Ranch ground beef, organic pinto beans, red chile, lettuce, tomatos, onions, cheese -- all inside a split-open bag of Fritos). (Vegan version offered as well). "It's so good," Josh beamed after the first bite.

We don't think Chile Pies needs to advertise much: word-of-mouth will do just fine. It's already begun.

Chile Pies (& Ice Cream)

601 Baker (at Fulton)

Tuesday - Sunday, noon to 9:30 pm; closed on Mondays

(but open this afternoon and tonight for celebrating)

For more info on Chile Pies check this fine review from SFWeekly's blog of March 18th.

Smoother Rides for Cyclists...Motorists Too...Coming to Select Streets; NOPA Blocks to Get Needed Repaving

Bike lane surface no one will miss on Baker Street from Fell

SFBC Good Roads Crew during Bayview "pothole ride"

The Department of Public Works intends to resurface* more than two dozen city blocks that will directly improve the rideability for bicyclists and benefit motorists and nearby residents as well. During Fiscal Year 2010/2011, beginning July 1, the city will improve segments of several bike routes, including the Wiggle, 14th Street, Noe between Market and Duboce, and Keith and Phelps Streets in the Bayview (see list below).

This group of streets represents the repaving that DPW undertakes with its own road crews, and the blocks are usually more residential than arterial. The city contracts out for more extensive resurfacing projects. A few of the candidate blocks for 2010/2011 were recommended by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition through its Good Roads Project. Volunteers worked with SFBC Community Planner Neal Patel to identify single blocks with poor surface conditions for this special category of DPW repaving.

NOPA cyclists and motorists who now appreciate the smoother ride on Divisadero can look forward to the much-needed resurfacing of Central Avenue between Hayes and McAllister Streets. Those three blocks are plagued by recurring sinkholes and multiple repairs. The #5 Muni line uses one of the blocks and cyclists spin down Central to enter Panhandle Park. Hopefully, DPW will complete the work on Central early in the fiscal year so the street is in top shape to handle the thousands of Sunday Streets enthusiasts visiting NOPA in mid-September. In addition, Baker Street from Fell to Hayes and from Grove to Turk Streets will be repaved. No cyclist will miss the rough, rugged bike lane between Fell and Hayes.

A partial listing of the blocks to be repaved:

• 3rd Street, between Berry & Terry Francois
• 14th Street, between Valencia and Dolores
• Baker, Fell to Hayes, Grove to Turk
• Central, Hayes to McAllister
• Keith, Palou to Wallace
• Noe, Market to Duboce
• Phelps, Kirkwood to Palou
• Scott, Haight to Page
• Steiner, Waller to Haight
• Townsend, Embarcadero to 2nd/Stanford

* As with all paving projects, work on these candidate streets is subject to funding and clearances (i.e. no conflicts and schedule coordination) with utilities. DPW sent a "Notice of Intent and Request for Information" listing of candidate streets to public and private utilities on Dec. 31, 2009.

It's Official: Sunday Streets Coming to NOPA

great graphic from Livablecity.org

photo by Michael Helquist

photo by slowpoke_sf on Flickr

photo by steverhodes on Flickr

The buoyant, smile-inducing, bike spinning, pedestrian-safe celebration known as Sunday Streets will course through NOPA in 2010. Fine-tuning of the new Western Addition route is underway, but the blocks expected to involve NOPA include Central Avenue, Grove Street, Baker Street, and Golden Gate Avenue. Mayor Gavin Newsom announced today the dates and neighborhood locations for nine Sundays from March through October next year. NOPA's chance to host part of the route will come on September 19th, when the city is most assured of sunny, warm weather.

Next year's Western Addition/Alamo Square/NOPA route will be the first foray into mostly residential neighborhoods for Sunday Streets. Cheryl Brinkman, president of the board of Livable City, noted how successful Sunday Streets was this year in the Mission's commercial area. She added, "We hope with NOPA and the Western Addition to have the same success with a primarily residential route. It's a great opportunity to give residents a respite from car traffic on their streets and see what they make of it."

Kevin Rafter, President of the North Panhandle Neighborhood Association, thinks the event is right on target. "NOPNA is always eager to support events that build community and get more neighbors out on the streets. We know that so many of our neighbors bike to school, work, and in-between so this event makes a lot of sense to us. We're eager to make this event a success in NoPa."

At the same time, NOPA's merchants can expect a big boost in business from Sunday Streets.* The Central Avenue and Fulton Street cafes, restaurants and stores, the "Baker Street Beat" sites for foodies, corner grocery stores, and Divisadero outlets of every sort will have the chance to meet, greet, and serve San Franciscans from all over the city. One segment of the route being considered would stop at the Divisadero Farmers' Market, and manager Dmitrius Spartos couldn't be more psyched about it: "This event is all about having fun while honoring San Francisco's path towards a sustainable urban ecology, and farmers' markets are a definite part of that equation. It makes sense to join forces."

NOPA's own BIKE THE BLOCK party this past September was inspired by Sunday Streets, and our one-block focus attracted hundreds of neighbors and friends. Bicyclists will certainly be prominent among Sunday Streeters, but the event reaches out to everyone. Marc Caswell, NOPA neighbor and Program Manager for the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, is eager to have Sunday Streets come to this part of town. He also takes a larger view of the occasion: "Events like this allow people to re-envision public space and help show that streets have more uses than transporting vehicles."

The route through NOPA will permit two-way travel on the selected streets and will be open to festivities from 10 am to 3 pm. Organizers will provide extensive advance notice to residents, businesses, and churches located on the affected blocks to help them prepare for the occasion.

The full list of dates and locations include:

March 14: Embarcadero

April 11: Along the Great Highway

April 18: Bayview

May 23: Bayview

June 20: Mission

July 11: Mission

August 22: Great Highway/Golden Gate Park

September 19: NEW: Western Addition

October 24: NEW Civic Center/Tenderloin

In addition to this ambitious expanded version of Sunday Streets, the mayor and SFMTA will launch a pilot project next year to bring car-free days in one or more neighborhoods, somewhat similar to the Sunday closure of JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park. Presumably, these "block party"-type events will not entail the rather steep application fees to close the block to car traffic.

BIKE NOPA will feature further news on Sunday Streets in the months ahead. Also check for information from these sites: Livable City, the SF Bicycle Coalition, Alamo Square Neighborhood Association, MTA, and NOPNA at www.nopna.org . BIKE NOPA first suggested including NOPA in the 2010 roster in this Oct. 6th post.

* For those new to Sunday Streets, the event is not envisioned as a giant street fair with vendors taking the place of parked vehicles. People enjoying the streets usually frequent nearby stores, restaurants, and cafes or find the curb a good spot to watch the passing scene.

More Sharrows Coming to NOPA

NOPA will get more Shared Lane Markings on its streets in the next several weeks as part of the Municipal Transportation Agency's effort to make bicycling safer in the city. Twelve of the markings, also known as "sharrows," will appear on Hayes Street from Baker to Scott while another eight will be painted on Baker Street from Fell to Page. (Nearby Parker Street west of Masonic between Golden Gate and Turk Streets will also get a pair of the markings). Sharrows aren't completely new to NOPA. In fact, Hayes Street between Baker and Divisadero already sports sets of the markings.

The sharrows are part of the city's bike plan that the Superior Court recently allowed with a partial lifting of the injunction that has stymied bike improvements for more than three years. The city currently has 23 miles of sharrows but expects to increase that number by 326% in the next six months, according to a December 3rd report in Streetsblog, usually four to a block, two on either side of two-way streets.

The markings have a big job to do, if they provide the safety benefits that traffic engineers intend:

• direct cyclists away from the dangerous "door zone"
• discourage wrong way bicycling on a busy street
• discourage bicycling on sidewalks which cyclists sometimes do when the street is especially unfriendly and risky
• discourage motorists from squeezing cyclists against curbs or parked cars

The MTA notes in a recent presentation that these shared markings have been found to improve bicycling safety in all the ways listed above, but they are not meant to be substitutes for dedicated bike lanes.

A word about that name, "sharrows": until you know, it doesn't make much sense. The easiest explanation is to think of "shared use" and "arrows." The chevron marking, double arrows, and the accompanying bicycle icon indicate that bicyclists should generally stay within the sharrows area to avoid getting doored or getting squeezed by passing vehicles. And motorists should really share the roadway. SFMTA's Program Manager Oliver Gajda gets the credit for coining the term "sharrows."

Bicyclists debate the usefulness of the sharrows. Some question whether the markings give a false sense of security when drivers often ignore the markings or see them as a reason to speed up and try to pass a cyclist with little regard for the hazards they create. Others cite their own experiences or studies that suggest the markings do help. Most recognize that beginning bicyclists appreciate the sharrows to guide their route and to alert drivers to their presence.

Sharrows come at a good price: about $150-200 per marking. They also last a reasonably long time: from two to five years, depending on vehicle use of the marked street.

Sharrows are a San Francisco creation! In 1998 San Francisco refined an early version of a bike icon within an "arrow house" (see the drawing for this to make sense) developed in Denver.

Photo by Michael Snyder on Flickr

San Francisco officials created the current design (below), studied its impact, and then obtained approval from the state to include sharrows in the official Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices or MUTCD. (We extend our sympathy to traffic engineers who have to use, or pronounce, acronyms like this). Now cities all over the country -- even Portland -- have adopted sharrows in their bicycle programs. So NOPA: share the lane, enjoy the sharrows.

For the full report "Shared Lane Markings: Where and When to Use Them," by Mike Sallaberry, see this pdf doc on the SFMTA site.

Design Notes, Great Coffee, Brew & Bites Light Up Baker & McAllister

Owners Lauren Alameda-Reddell and Jason Wahlberg

Sleek and bright with natural light throughout

(In case you missed this post earlier during the Tday rush):

Open only a month, the Matching Half Cafe sports a brisk, caffeinated business bursting with good bites and fine brews at the corner of Baker and McAllister, part of NOPA's revitalized Baker Street Beat. Owners Jason Wahlberg and Lauren Alameda-Reddell designed much of the bright and smart space themselves, and their pride of ownership infuses the cafe with a cheery earnestness.

NOPA's newest business claims the southeast corner of Baker and McAllister Streets, site of the long-time One World Cafe -- a cozy, jumbled old-style coffeehouse with its primary focus at the far end of the room. That's all changed with the Matching Half. Wahlberg and Alameda-Reddell started negotiating for the corner spot last February and drafted plans for the design and layout. Their backgrounds served them well. Wahberg was busy with construction and remodeling while Alameda-Reddell worked at an architectural firm before they were both laid off last year.

"We wanted to open the space and keep a good flow through it," explained Wahlberg. He and Alameda-Reddell installed a full-length bar as the cafe's central feature, emphasizing the spaciousness and orientation to the full windows on both the McAllister and Baker sides. The cafe offers a crisp, pleasing environment with airy high ceilings and slick pine floors and sleek tables the owners designed and built themselves.

Patrons have a choice of chatting up the baristas while seated at the counter, grabbing one of the clutch of tables for twos and fours, or taking charge of the large table for six. Everyone gets a great view, indoors and outside. These last several bright November days have found dog-walkers, cyclists, and strolling neighbors making a stop at one of the four outside tables and benches. Wahberg said they definitely wanted to have outside seating. "This is such a wide sidewalk."

"We like the cafe culture in the city," Wahlberg added. "We like how the Velo Rouge Cafe (located on Arguello at McAllister and a few blocks from an entry to Golden Gate Park) gets the bike traffic and so many people walking to and from the park." (Did he suggest they would welcome bike traffic? NOPA bicyclists are looking for regular meeting spots for monthly rides).

Great that the Matching Half looks and feels so good and the owners and staff are so friendly, but what's to eat drink and eat? A morning stop for the premium drip coffee (roasted by Verve of Santa Cruz) makes the workday ahead seem manageable. A bottle of Lost Coast, Blue Moon, or Momma's Little Yella Pils takes the lunch-time edge off those morning meetings. And the House Red (Mas North Coast Red Blend) or a Tomei Cellars Zinfandel (Shenandoah Valley) smooths out the afternoon's rough spots nicely. Morning sweets and sandwiches all look great, but they await my next visit. Don't wait; find out yourself and welcome our newest neighbors.

Matching Half Cafe, 1700 McAllister at Baker, 415 674-8699

Open 7am weekdays, 8 am weekends

till 6pm Sun & Mon; 8pm Tuesday to Thursday

till 9pm or 10pm, Friday and Saturday

Baker Street Beat Claims NOPA Niche

Move over Divisadero Corridor, Baker Street Beat is claiming its own niche in NOPA. While Divisadero's makeover begins next week with hopes for a revitalized public space, a quieter transformation promises to re-define the neighborhood just two blocks west.

Baker Street, from Fulton to McAllister, will soon become even more of a nexus for great neighborhood dining and community gatherings. We regret that Cafe Neon has closed its doors even as we welcome a bigger, better Green Chile Kitchen in its space. GCK will leave its original location at Fulton and Baker to move up the block to McAllister. Owner Trevor Logan has wanted to offer sopapillas at his New Mexican hotspot ever since he opened GCK. With the new space and its full kitchen and fryer, sopapillas will be a featured item.

The buzz in NOPA suggests a new coffee outlet will replace the just-closed One World Cafe at Baker and McAllister. With that addition and GCK set to re-open across the street, the four corners will be solidly anchored as a destination crossroads, the geographical center of NOPA and, some say, the center of San Francisco as well.

For those not so familiar with our NOPA streets, the pics here show the four corners. Northwest: the venerable McBaker Market, Southwest: the site for the new Green Chile Kitchen, Southeast: the rumored new fine coffee outlet, and Northeast: the just-established Workshop and Nooworks for urban apparel and accessories.

What's a lively neighborhood without an ice creamery, one that brings customers waiting in line? Although Trevor Logan's hands are a bit full right now with GCK II, he's thinking the former restaurant site might be just right for good, attention-getting ice cream.

San Franciscans love great food and interesting shops, especially if they're within walking distance. Getting to the destination can be as interesting as arriving when the time is shared with friends and neighbors along the way.

Love Your Bike Lanes: Baker Street

Cyclists love the Baker Street bike lanes. The five blocks from Fell to Golden Gate are a godsend for north/south bikers. Whip off the Wiggle onto Fell and then charge up Baker and you get to all of NOPA's east-west streets.

Going to the Richmond? A quick left on Golden Gate and you're on the way to Parker, Turk, Arguello, and then

Lake or Cabrillo. It's a clean sweep all the way to the ocean. Morning commute downtown? Re-trace your ride through NOPA or hit the Panhandle to reach Baker. On to Oak with the Wiggle ahead.

It's quick, it's essential. But it's not smooth, not the NOPA stretch between Fell and Golden Gate. Here's the odd thing: not long ago the worst pavement in NOPA was Baker between Hayes and Fell. Thankfully, the city intervened and re-paved...but only some of the block, down the center, for the cars. Left behind and untouched were the bike lanes on either side -- rough, ridged, and bumpy. Why not pave the whole block?

Just over a year ago Arguello received just the opposite treatment. The city re-paved the bike lanes -- but not the vehicular lanes. Never again, said the Dept of Public Works. It cost almost the same to pave the bike lanes alone as it would have to resurface from curb to curb. So why not all of Baker? If we were stuck in the bikes vs. cars paradigm -- that's so pre-injunction -- we'd say, "one for one; we're even; move on."

Today motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians seek livability for all. Pave all of Baker and all of Arguello. Safe surfaces on major routes for all. When will it happen? DPW is set to repave Baker through NOPA beginning October 31st of this year. No more straddling the traffic side of the bike lane. And Arguello? Not till July 2012.

Love the lanes; make them smoother, safer. To find when your NOPA block will be repaved see the earlier post here; for any block in the city, check the DPW site here.

No More Mattress-Filled Sinkhole

Send those throw-away mattresses to the dump: they're no longer needed to fill the massive and persistent sinkhole on Baker Street between Golden Gate and Turk. Today work crews tore into the pavement for a temporary fix. Although this block of Baker is slated for total street resurfacing in November, the cratering center of the street was too dangerous to wait. Sewer replacement work begins October 1st from Fell to Turk with the repaving to follow. (For the status of your block, check the July 1 and June 28 posts.