Mayor Swears in New MTA Commissioner Cheryl Brinkman, Says He Can't Imagine a Better Supporter of MTA's Work

Cheryl Brinkman, far left, and six other appointees to city commissions take oath of office

Newsom "very pleased and enthusiastic" about new commissioner

Newsom says he put Brinkman "through the wringer" over MTA appointment

Mayor Gavin Newsom swore into office a much-anticipated new member of the Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) Commission at City Hall ceremonies this morning. Newsom described Cheryl Brinkman as someone who is "qualified, capable, and deserves this position." The mayor said he expected Brinkman to serve the MTA for a long time, adding, "I'm absolutely confident that anyone who replaces me will re-appoint her. I'm very pleased and enthusiastic."

In an expansive introduction to Brinkman, the mayor remarked about the difficulty of serving on the MTA Commission. "I don't know why anyone would want to serve on the MTA, but I don't think anyone could be a better supporter of its work," he said. He recalled that he had put Brinkman "through the wringer" by telephoning her at least three times to propose different scenarios for her reaction. He said he respected her clear, candid, and informed responses.

Newsom added that he didn't hold it against Brinkman that many of her most ardent supporters were frequent critics of his own office's responses or pace for implementing city improvements. Brinkman has worked for several years, as Streetsblog recently noted, with organizations that advocate safer walking and biking, better transit performance, and safer streets for all users -- an admittedly large constituency. Her appointment has been widely applauded by the Board of Supervisors, MTA management, and citywide advocates.

Shortly after the City Hall ceremony, Brinkman reflected on her background and the importance of neighborhood-level advocacy for a better city:

I'm thrilled to be able to serve on the MTA Board, and I think that the fact that I came out of the public application process, and the fact that I come from the advocacy world, and the world of neighborhood involvement and neighborhood boards, is important because it says something about all the work we all do: the Citizen Advisory Committees, the neighborhood board and groups, it has meaning. It has value. All of the involved citizens are so important and know so much about their neighborhoods and the city.

It's hard work to be involved on the neighborhood level, it takes time and effort after a full day of work to go to your neighborhood group meeting, but it's important and bears fruit - NOPNA knows that, and DTNA (ed. note: Duboce Triangle Neighborhood Association) where I served on the Board knows that. I am so grateful to have all those connections to people who care about the City and to know how committed so many people are to the livability and success of San Francisco.

Panhandle: The Neighborhood Park Needs Some Help

Panhandle draws neighbors from north and south of the park

Panhandle Park Stewards earlier this year

Dale Danley (far left), Guillermo, park gardener, )second from left)

Over the long July 4th holiday weekend the Panhandle Park became a neighborhood magnet for picnickers, sun-seekers, and people walking, biking, and watching. Several large groups of fifty or more sprawled on the grass appreciating one of NOPA's greatest assets. Dale Danley, leader of the local Panhandle Park Stewards, has noticed a continuing increase in Panhandle users. "Our neighborhood park is thriving this summer, more popular than we have seen in years," he recently wrote to the other volunteers.

Danley also noted that basic maintenance and improvements become even more important with the surge in visitors. BIKE NOPA reader Nick observes, as many others have, that the Panhandle multi-use path on the north side gets very crowded and more difficult to negotiate for people walking or on bikes or pushing strollers. One thing he'd like to see is a fresh coat of yellow reflective paint -- or thermoplast -- for the divider. He also suggests new directional arrows on either side of the lane. "They might be helpful to prevent the problems of peds and bikes acting like salmon." Although the Recreation and Parks Department (RPD) faces huge cuts in its operating budget, Nick wrote that the pedestrian path on the south side of the Panhandle was recently painted.

The Municipal Transportation Agency has been installing bike racks and larger bike corrals in neighborhoods around the city. Now RPD needs to take its turn and add more bike parking. Commenter Nick suggests bike racks at the relatively new restroom located in the western half of the Panhandle would be especially welcome.

Nowhere to park and lock a bike near Panhandle's restroom

This upcoming Saturday the Panhandle Park Stewards will host another workday to help the park's gardening staff keep the paths, flower beds, and open areas in good shape. Stewards leader Danley welcomes neighbors and all park enthusiasts to help provide TLC to the park beginning at 9am. Meet at the bulletin board near the playground. Tools and gloves are provided, but he suggests volunteers might want to bring their own gloves and wear sturdy shoes.

One more Panhandle news note: the Neighborhood Park Council (NPC) will recognize Danley and other local park leaders next week in a celebration at Patricia's Green in Hayes Valley.

The Curious Divisadero Islands: DPW Explains the Design and MTA Questions Their Usefulness

At Turk Street the median juts into the crosswalk

The curious case of the Divisadero pedestrian islands has been resolved. The odd placement of the several islands meant to give a mid-point refuge to people crossing the street is not so peculiar after all, according to the city's design team. Each of the Divisadero crosswalks was designed to meet the different conditions of the particular intersection. But a few of the islands, or "raised pedestrian refuges," do not work well and often fail to provide safe passage to people crossing the street.

Christine Falvey, spokesperson for the Department of Public Works, provided BIKE NOPA with the explanation from the interdepartmental design team (including DPW and the Municipal Transportation Agency) for the recent makeover of Divisadero from Waller to Geary Streets.

"Thumbnails and pass-throughs were designed consistently. Medians were to end at the property line, start a five foot wide pass through, then have the raised thumbnail. The apparent variations out there are actually due to the width of the crosswalks, which vary according to the width of the sidewalk leading up to them. In some cases, the crosswalk was not striped the exact width of the sidewalk which gives the impression of another variation of thumbnail design where there is not."

A little complicated? Consider this: if the Hayes Street sidewalk is several feet wider than the Grove Street sidewalk, then the crosswalk crossing Divisadero at Hayes will also be several feet wider than the crosswalk at Grove. Since the islands begin five feet from the end of the median for each intersection, the Hayes island will appear to be floating in the middle of the crosswalk while the Grove island will be closer to the outer line of the crossing. The fact that the city chose to not always follow the width of the sidewalk, of course, makes it more confusing or from the team's perspective, appears more variable that it is.

The intent of this inquiry into the Divisadero island design has never been a "gotcha" attempt to catch traffic engineers making mistakes. On May 4th BIKE NOPA guest contributor, Jeff Gibson, first described the variations at several intersections.* While he found them odd, his concern was for the safety of pedestrians, especially people with mobility limitations, who would likely find their passage either blocked by the islands or too limited by the five- foot width of the pass-throughs.

Motorists block Divisadero crosswalk -- and the pass-through -- way too often

In one ten-minute period, the crosswalk was blocked four times;

An advance stop line could be very helpful here

Gibson's observation especially holds for the situation at Fell Street, as seen in the photos. Drivers at this intersection often intrude into the crosswalk and block the pass-through when they stop at the signal. People crossing the street must walk around the vehicle and step onto the island, if they are able, to proceed. Anyone in a wheelchair or whose difficulty accessing the islands must get around the island and be exposed to the westbound traffic, including motorists making left turns onto Divisadero. The five-foot wide pass-throughs between the end of the median and the start of the island are the standard width. They were designed specifically for people in wheelchairs and those with strollers as well as for pedestrians. At several Divisadero intersections they fail to serve their purpose well. Jeff Gibson appreciates the explanation from the city, but he still thinks "most of the thumbnails on Divisadero are so poorly placed that they act like barriers."

Mike Sallaberry, traffic engineer for the MTA, told BIKE NOPA that one outcome of this discussion and the difficulty placing thumbnails along Divisadero was a reconsideration of whether thumbnails were worth it. "Maybe we don't need them at all," he concluded.

*****

* When BIKE NOPA published a follow-up article in late May, it seemed odd that no one from DPW had responded to Gibson's inquiries -- or our own -- for so many weeks. We were left to wonder about the seeming lack of response and transparancy. As it turns out, the explanatory memo that Falvey passed on to us was written on May 17th. All the parties involved thought someone else had forwarded the message to Gibson and to me. These things happen.

Changes to Fell/Arco Traffic Tangle Expected This Week

Several Fell Street neighbors objected to the first proposal at an April 30th hearing

The MTA hopes changes will greatly reduce blocking the traffic lane, bike lane, and sidewalk

This week the MTA will begin making traffic design changes on Fell Street to alleviate the hazardous conditions that currently exist near the Arco service station at Divisadero. According to an MTA engineer, the work orders for the job are complete and the on-street implementation will soon get underway.

The changes will bar parking from five spaces just east of Divisadero on the south side from 7 am to 7 pm to create a curbside line-up area for motorists seeking entry to Arco. In addition, the existing bike lane on Fell will be re-striped with plans to repaint the lane green after further study. The design changes result from a compromise developed by the MTA after Fell Street and Alamo Square neighbors objected to the original proposal that would have removed the parking spaces round the clock.

The new traffic design is intended to make Fell Street safer for all road users:

• motorists will queue up for Arco without blocking the traffic lane
• bicyclists will no longer encounter motorists crossing into or blocking the bike lane
• people walking will no longer find motorists blocking the sidewalk on the south side of Fell

The MTA proposed the new configurations on an experimental basis. Traffic engineers will conduct studies to determine whether the design adequately addresses the risks for road users.

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, working with the MTA on community outreach, started contacting Fell Street neighbors, as well as bicycle and pedestrian advocates, via door hangers and email early this week. In the messages, the SFBC describes the changes as "a good starting point." But the staff also note that the compromise solution might not be adequate to the problematic stretch of Fell Street. The SFBC requests feedback about street conditions "for better or for worse" from residents and road users once the changes are in place. (Send comments to marc@sfbike.org) .

A Better Masonic: With Traffic Corridor Under Duress, MTA Hosts Community Meeting Tuesday Night

This is often the safest way to cross Masonic: at a very good clip

Multiple traffic lanes, parking lane and no median makes for long crossing

Masonic is the area's only direct north-south route for bikes too

And for Muni #43 as well

BIKE NOPA launches A Better Masonic today with a photographic view of the wide and busy corridor that fails to serve well all road users.

In the middle of the Memorial Day Weekend on a relatively quiet Saturday in the city, five members of the grassroots group FIX MASONIC walked each side of the Masonic corridor from Haight to Geary Streets to leaflet households about an upcoming community meeting. Although all lived on or near Masonic, none had ever walked the several blocks before. After two hours, they all knew why:

• even on a slow traffic day, the noise from vehicles prevented easy conversation
• the street is so wide with so many traffic lanes that using the crosswalk and reaching the opposite side in time is often difficult
• the few pedestrian islands are too small to be useful or too unattractive with worn landscaping and uneven surfaces to encourage a respite
• few other people walk along the street in any leisurely, friendly sort of way, leaving empty sidewalks
• many attractive buildings and homes line the street but street and sidewalk conditions make it difficult to fully appreciate them

Try it yourself: Walk Masonic for three or four blocks without a destination but just to see how the street works for people walking the sidewalks and crossing the street, bicycling in the traffic lane, waiting for Muni, or driving along while dodging the left-turners and negotiating the changing number of lanes.

Does this essential north-south corridor work well for anyone? Maybe something better can result if we work together on a street design that serves us all and gives Masonic residents a street where they can talk with their neighbors, sit on the stoops, and enjoy the views.

The opportunity to do so begins this Tuesday, June 15th when the Municipal Transportation Agency kicks off a new street design study for Masonic Avenue. The city hopes to hear from as many neighbors as possible to learn what we want for Masonic and how we think it can work better for all of us. At this first of a series of meetings, city staff will introduce the planning process, review the current uses of the street, and request our input.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

6:30 to 8:30 pm

San Francisco Day School

(enter on Golden Gate Avenue)

More information:

javad.mirabdal@sfmta.com

(415) 701-4421

If you can, take the time to walk a few blocks of the corridor before arriving at the meeting. It's the best orientation to why the neighborhood might want a better Masonic.

60 Protest BP Oil Spill, Excessive Oil Use, and Bike Lane Hazard at Arco Station

Sixty to seventy San Franciscans took their dismay and anger over the Gulf oil spill to the BP–owned Arco gas station on Fell Street Friday night. Several of the protesters blocked the Fell entry to Arco for a few hours with potted plants and a sign explaining “closed for a total re-think.” Others held signs exhorting drivers to use less gas or stop driving, and to not block the Fell Street bike lane near the Arco entrance. The demonstrators did not interrupt the heavy evening traffic, and there were no confrontations with drivers. Many motorists honked and waved in support of the protest while a few cursed the event. Police presence was minimal at the peaceful grassroots demonstration.

Early notices for the protest emphasized motorists’ “oil addiction,” and that charge remained part of the message for some of the demonstrators. Joshua Hart, one of the organizers, railed against the Oak and Fell Street “traffic sewers," but he also told the group that “some motorists don’t have viable alternatives to single-car driving." Dawn D’Onofrio, a supporter but not an organizer of the protest, told BIKE NOPA she believes people who buy gas from BP/Arco “are supporting what’s happening in the Gulf.” She added, “People really need to show awareness. Right now they should not choose this gas station.”

Jacqui Swan said she was at the protest to raise awareness for alternative forms of transportation. “The Gulf spill should be a wake-up call. We’re all partially to blame for it. The system heavily favors fossil fuel consumption.” Earlier in the week Swan took her complaint to BP’s corporate headquarters in San Francisco where she joined a protest staged by SeizeBP.org . Ryan Kushner of the Alamo Square neighborhood said he came to the protest because “52 days of that oil spill is the latest example of how unconstructive oil is in the country.” He hopes to encourage a rational discussion of how oil might be used to benefit people and not inflict such negative impacts on the environment.

Many of the demonstrators arrived at the protest by bike, and the hazardous traffic snarl at the Arco entry – with motorists blocking the Fell bike lane and sidewalk while waiting for cheap gas – was an issue for them. “My most immediate concern is the bike lane problem,” Stuart Chang Matthews told BIKE NOPA. “There’s a direct tie-in here to BP and the oil spill, but I would have gone to any gas station to protest. It all comes down to the damage from dependence on oil.” Noemi Robinson declared she would vote for anyone for Mayor who defends the bike lane on Fell.” For NOPA resident and Wigg Party leader Morgan Fitzgibbons, Friday’s demonstration was his first protest against excessive oil consumption. “This is an opportunity to say something about the spill, big oil, and the hazards here for the bike lane.” Robin Levitt took a longer view of overall bike safety in San Francisco. “I’ve lived here since the early 1990s,” he said, “and today compared to then, bicycling in the city is much better and safer.”

Note: the MTA intends to install this month or next safety improvements for bicyclists and motorists with a dedicated lane for drivers waiting to enter the Arco station, as reported earlier.

Fell/ARCO Traffic Plan Well-Received by NOPNA Members

Drivers would queue along curb and out of the bike lane and off the sidewalk with new MTA plan

The new, proposed design for traffic on Fell Street between Scott and Divisadero was well-received by members of the North of the Panhandle Neighborhood Association (NOPNA) Thursday night. James Shahamiri, Assistant Traffic Engineer for the Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA), presented the plan to an audience of sixty neighbors. A few members asked questions about the number of parking spaces to be removed, but no one voiced opposition to the proposal.

The outreach to NOPNA represented the start of MTA's outreach to residents most directly affected by the planned shifting of motorists waiting to enter the ARCO gas station to a curbside queue. Shahamiri said the agency would also distribute information to the households along the block of Fell Street. A public hearing will be scheduled to consider the removal of the four parking spaces directly east of the ARCO driveway. Shahamiri told BIKE NOPA before the meeting that the MTA would also post a sign at the ARCO entry on Fell that advises drivers to not block the sidewalk. (The current sign directs motorists to keep the driveway clear with no mention of the sidewalk). As reported here earlier, the MTA plan may include the city's first green bike lane to guide both bicyclists and motorists on the block. Implementation of the new design could occur in June of this year.

Portland already has several green bike lanes. Flickr photo by BikePortland

Supervisor Mirkarimi Proposes Pilot Project for Fell Street Traffic Management

Fell sign to be replaced by street-level, portable display sign

Oak Street sign not needed, city looking to store it

A street-level, portable message board will replace the freeway-style SFgo sign on Fell Street in a pilot project proposed by Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi. The project is expected to be a joint undertaking by the MTA, the Concourse Authority, the Academy of Sciences, and the de Young Museum with input and monitoring from the Recreation and Parks Department and nearby neighbors. The trail effort will address the traffic congestion caused by museum-goers travelling by car who seek alternative parking when the Concourse garage is full.

Representatives from the Golden Gate Park institutions, the MTA, Recreation and Parks, and west-side neighborhood associations met at City Hall January 29^th in a meeting organized by Mirkarimi’s office. (Note: NOPNA, ASNA, and Cole Valley were present; I was one of two NOPNA representatives). Following a review of current efforts to deal with the traffic problems, the supervisor told the group of his plans for the pilot project. “I will ask the museums to share the costs and will ask the MTA to establish metrics and assess the impact.” Jack Fleck, MTA Traffic Engineer, estimated on the spot that the project would cost about $20,000 year with the MTA providing the sign and labor.

The museum representatives at the meeting did not object to Mirkarimi’s suggestion of financial support, but neither did they voice agreement. When asked about the timeline for initiation of the project, Mirkarimi said the prep work will be undertaken in February with answers from all parties by March 1^st.

Initially, the museum representatives expressed some resistance to further involvement with the traffic issue. An Academy of Sciences representative questioned, “What’s under our control?" She added that determining traffic and parking solutions were really “outside of our expertise.” Patricia Lacson, Director of Facilities for the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco which includes the de Young, commented, “We’ve really made a lot of effort on this already.” And, in fact, both institutions have undertaken measures to encourage visitors to use transit and bicycles, including entry discounts for those traveling by MUNI or bike, transit discounts to employees, helping finance the inter-park shuttle, and staff time directing traffic.

Museum parking managers are especially frustrated by visitors who expect free parking or the easiest of directions to alternative parking. “It’s almost as if they just want to hand us their car keys,” remarked one Concourse representative. The concourse staff has tried to direct motorists to the nearby UCSF parking garage, but the few streets and turns involved seems to boggle the minds of out-of-town visitors. Museum and garage staffers have found it much easier to direct visitors to the free parking along the Great Highway and then use of the shuttle. “We tell them to turn and keep going until you get to the ocean,” one director explained.

But neighborhood representatives countered it was hardly efficient or environmentally wise to encourage a few extra miles of travel when the UCSF garage was so close. And, indeed, it is ironic for an institution like the Academy of Sciences, one of the “greenest” buildings in town, to encourage the less environmentally friendly parking option. Mirkarimi weighed in on the discussion, commenting, “It makes more sense to direct people to the UCSF garage and not depend on “free parking” as an expectation for visitors.”

NOPA and Alamo Square neighbors are not affected by the traffic congestion related to the museum-goers, and would not be involved in the discussions if the MTA had not erected the SFgo sign on Fell Street last August as a means to alert motorists when the Concourse garage is full. Neighbors found the signs near Divisadero – and a second one on Oak Street – too intrusive with a “freeway style” design likely to encourage motorists’ to speed even more on the corridors.

When the SFgo sign standards come down – by April according to the MTA, as reported here yesterday – NOPA and Alamo Square neighbors’ immediate concerns will have been met. But a portable sign will be placed on Fell, and traffic problems elsewhere in District 5 certainly have an eventual impact here as well. For now, in the assessment of NOPNA board member Dan Nguyen-Tan, the other representative at the City Hall meeting, "We're pleased to hear that Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi and the MTA are committed to removing the permanent signs."

MTA To Remove SFgo Signs on Oak/Fell by April; Says Lessons Learned from Little Outreach to NOPA, Alamo Square

Not for NOPA: SFgo on 10th

The SFgo signs erected on Oak and Fell Streets near Divisadero last August will be removed by April following intense objections by NOPA and Alamo Square neighbors and resistance by Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi. Cathal Hennessey, assistant program manager for SFgo, told BIKE NOPA in an interview that the signs “will come down by April, at the latest, that’s the end of the contract.” The fate of the Oak Street sign standard had been determined several weeks earlier, but the structure has remained. Hennessey earlier reported that the MTA was seeking storage space for the SFgo signs, although they hoped to use one of them on 19^th Avenue.

The Fell Street sign will be on its way to storage as well. Mirkarimi told a City Hall gathering January 29^th that he “will advocate to remove both permanent signs.” Hennessey had already stated that the agency will respect the decisions by the supervisor and the neighbors regarding the two controversial freeway-style signs.

Hennessey also commented that SFgo, a unit of the MTA, had learned the importance of better neighborhood outreach as a result of its experience with the District 5 neighborhoods. “We’re improving our outreach, and we’re not going forward without residential support,” he said. Prior to erecting the Oak and Fell signs, neighbors were informed of SFgo plans by official nearby postings that only mentioned "variable message displays" were planned for the two locations. When neighbors found what the "displays" were "freeway-style signs" planted along the traffic corridors already notorious for speeding, they quickly mounted a campaign to bring them down.

SFgo has previously reported support for its “variable message display” signs in more commercial areas of the city. Currently there are signs in operation on 9^th and 10^th Street in SOMA (as reported here). SFgo also hopes to erect similar signs on 19^th Avenue and Bush Street, among other locations, but not before consulting with neighborhood associations and district supervisors and gaining their agreement.

Divisadero -- Makeover Nearly Complete But Gets Omitted From Sunday Streets; New Signal for Grove Street Crossing

Improvements at Grove and Divisadero

Sidewalk treatments along Divisadero

Grove @ Divisadero: currently no traffic or pedestrian lights

Westbound on Grove from Alamo Square park

The Divisadero Corridor is almost ready for its close-up. After several months of streetscape improvements from Waller Street to Geary Boulevard, the revitalization of Divisadero is expected to be completed by March of this year. "The trees are going in, the landscaping will follow, and the street lights are supposed to arrive within a few weeks," according to Ellyn Parker, Manager of the Divisadero Corridor project for the Mayor's Office of Economic Workforce and Development. She added, "Everyone is getting anxious for the work to be completed, but no one wants to get too far out in front with predictions." For one thing, she cautioned, there's the rain. "With the lighting to be installed yet, we have to get some dry weather."

Once the last street tree has been planted and the final street pole capped with its new fixture, NOPA neighbors can tick off the full list of improvements to this long-neglected thoroughfare:

• median greening
• new street tree locations and replacement of dying or damaged trees
• streetlight upgrades (good riddance to the cobra lighting)
• sidewalk bulb outs at bus stops
• pedestrian countdown signals at crosswalks
• bus stop removals to improve service at Ellis and Fulton
• pedestrian refuges at medians

(source: Dept. of Public Works)

And don't forget the curb-to-curb repaving of one of the city's previous candidates for worst road surfaces on a thoroughfare. Thank federal stimulus funds for the repaving of Divisadero. With the smoother and safer asphalt, BIKE NOPA has noticed bicyclists now braving the tight traffic lanes of the corridor.

But, sometimes getting all dressed up for the party doesn't snag an invite. Although the much-touted Sunday Streets celebration will course through the Western Addition and NOPA this year, Divisadero will not be part of the route. According to event planners, the two MUNI lines on Divisadero are the sticking points. The disruption of regular service is difficult enough for the MTA, but the apparent lack of logical re-routes for the two lines is especially troublesome. However, Sunday Streets will interact with Divisadero at two points: the route will extend on Grove to meet up with the Farmer's Market and will cross the spiffy new corridor on Golden Gate Avenue. (The hunch at BIKE NOPA is that a little creative outreach will pull Sunday Streeters along Divisadero and into the great shops and restaurants).

(The following segment revised 11:00 a.m. following further discussion with SFMTA).

The improvements keep coming. The Grove Street intersection at Divisadero has always been an anomaly: the only cross street to not merit a signal light or pedestrian crossing light. That's scheduled to change. Although not part of the Divisadero Revitalization project, the underground wiring for the Grove traffic signal was completed during the current corridor work and new signal lights will be installed in approximately two and a half years.

Michael Sallaberry, Associate Traffic Engineer for SFMTA, explained that the standard time period for planning, preparation, and installing a new traffic signal is usually three years. In the interim, the crosswalks at Divisadero and Grove will be upgraded with temporary tape striping to increase visibility. Sallaberry said a more substantial striping -- ladder or zebra patterns -- would normally be installed at an intersection similar to the "uncontrolled" situation at Grove and Divisadero, but to avoid ripping into the new asphalt when the signal light project moves forward in the near future, the MTA will use temporary markings for now.

Expect a huge celebration -- organized or spontaneous -- once Divis has finally gotten its due.

NOPA Meets: Yes on Sunday Streets, No on SFgo, Let's Talk on Fell/ARCO Tangle

A North Panhandle view: a balance to the streets talk at NOPNA meeting.

More than 60 NOPA neighbors gathered last night to consider a range of livability and transportation issues. The bottom line on the hot agenda items:

• enthusiastic support to bring next year's Sunday Streets celebration into the neighborhood
• big thumbs down to the SFgo signs, both of the freeway-style signs on Fell and Oak
• "not so sure with so many options" judgment on MTA's plans for the Fell/ARCO traffic mess

The November meeting of the North of the Panhandle Neighborhood Association (NOPNA) offered a packed agenda for members, visitors from the Alamo Square Neighborhood Association (ASNA), and reps from city agencies and various non-profits.

Deemed the big draw of the evening, Cheryl Brinkman of Livable City graciously awaited her last-on-the-agenda speaking slot. She told the audiience how much Sunday Streets organizers are looking forward to having a route through NOPA next year. Although it's too early to confirm actual streets and dates for the walk-bike-enjoy-the-streets celebration, Brinkman did confirm September was the month for the NOPA area ride. "Yours will get the best weather." A call for how much support exists for the proposal brought a round of applause.

The unpopular SFgo signs discussed extensively here already (search "SFgo") received little attention, but NOPNA Board President Kevin Rafter restated the association's stance. After confirming that the Oak Street sign will come down, he commented on the Fell sign. "NOPNA's position is that we should not have a sign there at all." Can't get much more clear than that.

Mike Sallaberry, Associate Traffic Engineer for the Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) tackled the problems with Fell Street at the ARCO station. Sallaberry and his MTA colleague, traffic engineer James Shahamiri, distributed a two-page list of eight different options (with pros and cons for each!) for how to manage the often conflicting needs of pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists at this busy spot. Sallaberry first developed these options more than two years ago -- an indication of MTA's awareness of the conflicts here on Fell. None of the eight options are clear and obvious standouts for implementation, but even in an imperfect traffic engineering world, choices must be made with the daily safety risks at the site.

Sallaberry emphasized two important considerations for any discussion of this block of Fell Street:

• nearly every width on that block is already at its minimum, so there is no chance to narrow -- or widen -- a travel lane, a bike lane, a parking lane, or a sidewalk.
• immediate implementation of several possible options must wait until after the court injunction against the Bicycle Plan is lifted.

He also noted, in a handout, that the long-term option might be "to encourage a different land use on that lot with a different (or no) driveway design." The other short-term possibilities include the three that received the most attention:

• Remove three or more parking spaces in front of the ARCO driveway "to create a lane for ARCO-users to wait to the left of the bike lane". The pros: motorists would be more likely to wait outside the bike lane as well as the travel lane and it would be cheap and easy to install. The cons: residents may oppose and the parking lane would be more narrow than ideal for turn lanes and motorists would likely move into the bike lane to make the turn into ARCO.

• Create a two-way bike lane along the curb by moving parked cars away from the curb by 5 feet, or, alternately, remove all parking on southside Fell and build a two-way bike path. Pros: cars would block the vehicle lane and not the bike path; cyclists might feel safer with this physical separation from moving vehicles; and a two-way path also improves the east-bound bike traffic, encouraging cyclists to use it rather than Oak Street. But the cons: two-way paths "have design and safety challenges" (the handout did not explain these further); parking changes would likely be opposed but might be mitigated by opening other nearby spaces; and motorists still might block the driveway at ARCO.

Michael Smithwick of ASNA strongly encouraged MTA to devise a plan that was equally sensitive to pedestrians and bicyclists. Smithwick's proposal was featured in this earlier post; it entails (a) a bike lane where it is now but with a permanent structure (a tree, a bike rack) right before the ARCO driveway blocking any passage by vehicles, and (b) flexible barriers separating bike and vehicle traffic. Motorists awaiting their turn at ARCO would have to remain in the travel lane. MTA suggests that the trouble with a proposal like this is that motorists might still block the driveway and barriers make it more difficult for cyclists to leave the lane when necessary.

Almost everyone agreed that signs advising motorists to do or not do something at this location would be ineffective. The deft phrasing of traffic engineer suggests, "The effect of signage on adusting behavior is limited."

Next steps: MTA reps will consider the input from the NOPNA meeting and then propose further discussion with "stakeholders" before settling on a final plan. The fact that MTA originally proposed bringing one proposal to the NOPNA meeting and then presented a review of eight without stating their own strong preference suggests that they clearly listened to the concerns and ideas put forward by NOPNA, ASNA, and SFBC. Marc Caswell, SFBC Program Manager and NOPA resident, is the Bike Coalition's point person on the Fell Street challenge. We look forward to updates from him and the MTA to move the Eight Options to One Solution.

For those readers who want even more detail, check here for a PDF of the full document of various options. Note: this is not an official MTA document and is not posted on the MTA web site. But, after distribution last night at the NOPNA meeting, it's now public. (And, it presents a good overall analysis).

MTA to Reconsider Oak & Fell SFgo Signs, Will Listen to Mirkarimi

MTA Executive Director Nat Ford and MTA Traffic Engineer Jack Fleck will reconsider the SFgo signs currently placed at Fell and Oak Streets west of Divisadero, according to two of the participants in a meeting yesterday with the transportation authority representatives. Ford and Fleck also said they welcomed input about the SFgo signs from nearby residents and they would look to Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi to guide their decision.

Manish Champsee, President of Walk San Francisco, and Tom Radulovich, Executive Director of Livable City, met with Ford and Fleck yesterday as part of their regularly scheduled sessions to discuss livability issues. Champsee said the two MTA reps seemed particularly ready to reconsider the Oak Street sign if the community objects to it. Radulovich said he recalled them saying that "if there are objections to the sign, they will drop it." He added, "They indicated that they are looking to the supervisor to guide them, to help them filter community input."

The Fell Street sign poses different challenges to the MTA than its twin on Oak. The MTA feels it has an obligation to the Concourse Authority in Golden Gate Park to erect some kind of sign structure on Fell Street to alert motorists when the concourse garage is full and to direct them to other parking options. While the Concourse Authority may be concerned about frustrated customers -- and lost ticket sales -- Richmond, Sunset, and Haight neighbors have voiced their frustration with motorists flooding their streets looking for parking, creating both congestion and risky driving by distracted drivers.

But even the Fell Street sign might not remain at its current location, or with its current design, if NOPA and Alamo Square neighbors mount a campaign against it, as several neighbors have discussed since last week's meeting of the North of the Panhandle Neighborhood Association. Both Champsee and Radulovich said Ford and Fleck appeared open to a more appropriate and more attractive sign that was a better fit for the neighborhood. And they might consider moving it from the Divisadero intersection. Again, the two MTA representatives suggested they would look to the supervisor for guidance.

In effect, the MTA directors appear to be granting Supervisor Mirkarimi -- and presumably other supervisors who might find the freeway-style signs riling their own constinuents -- the option to say no to SFgo, or at least to the "visual message displays."

The challenge for District 5 neighbors will be to recognize the legitimate concerns raised by those further west (in the Haight, the Sunset, and the Richmond) as well as those further east (in NOPA and Alamo Square). A review of the location of the Fell Street sign as well as the design and scale of any display may identify a solution mostly satisfactory to all. To this end, Vallie Brown, Supervisor Mirkarimi's aide, said tonight that she has scheduled a meeting to be held within the next two weeks for the supervisor to specifically discuss the SFgo signs and traffic calming measures with Nat Ford and Jose Luis Moscovich, Executive Director of the San Francisco County Transportation Authority.

Brown has encouraged all neighbors to summarize their concerns and suggestions and send them to her at Vallie.Brown@sfgov.org . She will compile their messages for Supervisor Mirkarimi to review prior to his upcoming meeting.