Point A to Point B with Google Bike Maps, Plus A Few Kinks

Google Bike Maps Spin Out Over Grove Street

The buzz of the day is Google's new bicycling map, and it's a fine feature eagerly awaited by bicyclists across the country. If you've ever used Google Maps and directions for driving somewhere, you know the route deserves a closer look. Same with the bike directions. For instance, I tried Google Bike Maps for a relatively straight shot from NOPA's Golden Gate and Central to 6th and Market, site of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition office.

The map directs cyclists east on Golden Gate to Broderick, a right turn there to McAllister, a left on McAllister (a bike route) . All good so far. But then the system spasms over Grove Street with repeated "left toward Grove, right toward Grove, left toward Grove" a total of EIGHT TIMES. The "Left, right, left, right, left, right" leaves you feeling like Faye Dunaway in Chinatown.

Once bikers escape Google's Grove Street fixation, they're directed to turn on Hyde toward Market and then continue down Market to 6th. It's a decent enough route, but most cyclists would do it differently. One popular option is a right turn on Polk from McAllister, then a left on Grove (but just once!) and connect with Hyde for a jag to cross Market. That change avoids the high-volume traffic and congestion of Hyde from McAllister to Market.

Google has a few kinks to work out, but the bike map is a fine feature that will only get better, especially with several similar services coming online any day. And San Francisco's street grids, hills, and start-and-stop bike lanes present a more difficult territory than, say, Portland's more predictable layout with extensive bike facilities. Thanks to the 50,000 petitioners who urged the company to add the bike map.

Give the Google Bike Map a try and be sure to report any glitches. Use the gold box in the toolbox on the directions section to provide feedback.

Uppity Bike Commuters Strike Again, This Time at Fell and Masonic

L. Frank Baum visits Fell and Masonic crosswalk

Uppity Bike Commuters likely deal with this all the time at Fell & Masonic

We haven't seen Uppity Bike Commuter work since last August when the underground UBCers slammed a building exterior on Hayes Street with these anti-war, pro-bike posters. They didn't last long; the posters were removed and so was the billboard. With the rising tide of concern for the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists using the crosswalk at Fell and Masonic, UBC has re-appeared with its take on the situation.

Taped to the signal box on the east side of Masonic near the Panhandle Path, we found this latest UBC poster entitled "BEWARE THE WHEELERS." In case you're a bit rusty remembering other works of writer L. Frank Baum, the excerpt is from Ozma of Oz:

BEWARE THE WHEELERS

"That's rather strange," declared the hen, when Dorothy had read aloud the words. "What do you suppose the Wheelers are?"

"Folks that wheel, I guess. They must have wheelbarrows, or baby-cabs or handcarts," said Dorothy.

"Perhaps they're automobiles," suggested the yellow hen. "There is no need to beware the baby-cabs or handcarts; but automobiles are dangerous things. Several of my friends have been run over by them."

For 100-Year-Old Trees and Months-Old Mud: Panhandle Park Stewards Want You

Photo: Dale Danley

Encroaching mud on Panhandle's mixed-use path

The Panhandle Park Stewards invite NOPA neighbors and park lovers to help reclaim parts of the multi-use path sludged over with mud and sprouting with weeds this Saturday, March 13th. "With a little maintenance work, we can get back parts of the path that have disappeared," said Dale Danley, a NOPA resident who leads the neighborhood efforts to care for the park. "With all the use the path is getting - and with even more expected this summer - we can use every inch of it for more cyclists, runners, and walkers."

Photo: Dale Danley

Winter rains and saturated soil topple one big eucalyptus in the Panhandle

In addition to the busy Panhandle Path, the Park Stewards will also work with the gardener assigned to the eastern half of Panhandle Park to care for the historic trees in the area. Danley notes that California celebrates Arbor Day this week, and the Panhandle is a prime location for caring for and learning about a large variety of trees. "The big, old trees in the Panhandle, several more than a hundred years old, need some care to stay healthy," he said. "A lot of people come out to the monthly work parties to do just that - work - but this month, for Arbor Day, we'll take some time and learn something about the trees."

Danley urges volunteers to bring a tree book or a phone with Internet to help the group identify some of the trees. "We'll focus on the area between Lyon Street and Central Avenue and compare what we find with a tree survey* of the Panhandle completed 40 years ago." And, he advises, wear sturdy shoes and clothes and expect to get a bit muddy. "The rains of the past month have saturated the soil, and a few trees have fallen as a result." But don't let the muddy paths stop you, Danley is sure everyone will have an experience in the park they won't forget.

The Panhandle Park Stewards gather the second Saturday of every month. For more information on the volunteer effort, check the blog that Danley started in January to document the neighborhood's involvement with park issues.

* Trees of the Panhandle, Elizabeth McClintock and Virginia Moore. Published by the California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco; Miscellaneous Paper No. 1, 1965.

Check today's post at Panhandle Park Stewards for history of neighborhood involvement with a safe and clean park, provided by Mary Helen Briscoe, a long-time community activist and Panhandle advocate. (Thank you, Mary Helen, for your years of dedication and service).

Saturday, March 13th

Meet at 9 am @ the playground/bulletin board (where Ashbury intersects)

Work till noon, snack provided.

More information: dale987@gmail.com

The "Avenue of Approach" to Golden Gate Park: the Panhandle's Wide-Open Spaces

View East from Masonic Avenue

And to the West from Masonic Avenue

Sometimes it's a relief to step back and get a different perspective. Take, for example, the Panhandle Park and its multiple-use path on the north side and the walking/jogging trail on the south side. Both need better design and maintenance, and the intersections with Masonic Avenue remain risky for bicyclists and pedestrians. But step back from the congestion -- and mud -- of the paths and take a look at the center of the Panhandle, an open urban oasis. Walk along Masonic between Fell and Oak Streets and gaze in either direction. Notice that fewer 100 year old trees are in the center of the park.

Originally the Panhandle served as the promenade entrance to Golden Gate Park with a carriage road meandering down the middle of the long strip of terrain extending from Baker Street to Stanyan Street. Three quarters of a mile long and a block wide, the Panhandle was first referred to as the "avenue of approach." In a "Park History" , an 1870 map refers to "Golden Gate Park and Avenue." The configuration of a roadway down the middle of the Panhandle continued until about 1940 when the roadway was removed for open space.

From 1870 to 1940 a carriage roadway meandered through the center of the Panhandle

After 1940 the Panhandle no longer featured a roadway

A consideration: how well did the Panhandle's "avenue of approach" handle both carriages and bicycles, especially during the bicycle craze of the 1890s? And how did bicyclists and pedestrians fare in later years as the automobile began to dominate city streets and roads? Or don't go there at all and just appreciate the beauty of our "neighborhood park."

2010 to be Good Year for Masonic Avenue: Traffic Calming, More Enforcement for Safe Driving

Southbound on Masonic Avenue at Fell Street

A collaboration to succeed? SFMTA, DPW, SFPD, SFBC, and Fix Masonic Renew Campaign

New initiatives this year promise to jump-start efforts to bring traffic calming and safer street use to Masonic Avenue. After nearly a year-long delay, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) is about to implement comprehensive outreach to nearby residents and other interested parties in a redesign of Masonic from Fell to Geary Streets. In addition, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition (SFBC) has received a grant to help prepare for that community process. As reported earlier, SFPD Park Station for its part has stepped up enforcement to provide pedestrians and bicyclists with safer crosswalks, especially at Fell and Masonic Streets.

The SFMTA received a $120,000 grant from the SF County Transportation Authority last February for a "Masonic Avenue Traffic Calming Project." Although the project identified three specific goals -- to increase speed of Muni's 43 Masonic bus, improve safety conditions for pedestrians and bicyclists, and reduce collisions -- the undertaking was intended to include significant outreach to community members to discuss possible changes. "We want to take a comprehensive approach to Masonic with input from all stakeholders," Judson True, SFMTA spokesperson, told the Examiner at the time. The project was supposed to begin last April, but the operation was placed on hold due to staff changes, implementation of the Bicycle Plan once the bike injunction was partly lifted, and, perhaps, an overload of other SFMTA projects with inadequate staffing and management. Until now.

This month SFMTA is expected to announce staff to lead the Masonic project and a timeline for its implementation. To help the effort transition from low to high gear, the SFBC received a $15,000 short-term"Pedestrian Safety" grant from the Department of Public Health (DPH). SFBC Project Manager Marc Caswell will coordinate the effort for the SFBC, and the funds will cover a portion of his time along with initial outreach materials. Caswell wrote in an email that he expects his role will "continue laying the groundwork for change before the MTA comes in with their outreach." Caswell will also help recruit a new community leader for the grassroots group FIX Masonic, now that founder Mark Christiansen has relocated and undertaken new pursuits after several years of pivotal leadership.

Yesterday SFPD announced a year-long pedestrian safety program to reduce the number of injuries and deaths on city streets. A police traffic detail will work with a civilian crime prevention unit to to educate road and crosswalk users about safe passage measures and to enforce red light runners and drivers who fail to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks. That program will begin in Chinatown. But SFPD Park Station has already initiated a series of pedestrian stings and citations for motorists who run red lights on Fell Street and make left turns on Masonic against the red turn signal. Captain Teresa Barrett reported that district officers have cited 21 motorists, and one bicyclist, for the traffic infractions at Fell and Masonic over the last two weeks. On Wednesday of this week Barrett met with SFBC's Caswell and SFPD Program Director Andy Thornley to increase their collaboration for safer streets in the district. After the meeting, Caswell confirmed that Capt. Barrett planned to continue the pedestrian stings and red light citations on Masonic and Fell.

University of California Berkeley students have also contributed to the planning for a better Masonic. With the direction of Elizabeth McDonald, PhD, Associate Professor of the Department of City and Regional Planning and Urban Design, students this semester have interviewed dozens of neighbors, community organizers, and city planners about how Masonic affects the daily lives of residents and users of Masonic Avenue. One of McDonald's previous and much-lauded projects was the redesign of Octavia Boulevard in San Francisco.

Later this month on March 18th SFMTA Traffic Engineer Jack Fleck will update neighbors on the agency's plans for the Masonic corridor, and other NOPA area issues, at the North of the Panhandle Neighborhood Association meeting (location info here). In addition to the Traffic Calming Project, other concerns are the much-discussed shield for the bike light at Fell and Masonic (intended to reduce confusion among motorists waiting for a green light when the bike light turns green for the crosswalk) and a timeline for installation of the red light camera on Fell at Masonic.

SFPD Park Station Cites 8 Motorists in Pedestrian Stings at Fell and Masonic, 6 at Stanyan and Parnassus

Green light for cyclists and pedestrians; not for motorists pushing through

Fell & Masonic: an intersection needing "bad rep" for frequent pedestrian stings

How many citations does it take for an intersection to get a bad reputation among motorists prone to invade the right-of-way of pedestrians and bicyclists? SFPD Park Station Captain Teresa Barrett admitted she didn't know the answer, but she is willing to get the count started. Last week a special SFPD Task Force -- plainclothes and motorcycle officers -- set up pedestrian stings at two intersections in the Park Station district and issued fourteen citations for the offense.

The special operation issued citations to eight motorists at Fell and Masonic and another six at Stanyan and Parnassus for the all-too-common occurrence in the city: not yielding to pedestrians, cutting in front of pedestrians, threatening to "push" slow-walking users of the crosswalk on their way. The two intersections are among several that are being targeted for both the failure-to-yield offense and red light running. The previous week Park Station officers issued another 14 citations to motorists running the red on Fell and ignoring the red for the left turn lane onto Masonic. The Task Force is a joint initiative with SFPD Northern Station to respond to mounting complaints about risky intersections. The Fell and Masonic location continues to see frequent hazardous driving.

The Fell and Masonic intersection will likely require far more than periodic stings and a few dozen citations to establish a law-abiding norm -- or simply fear of fines -- among motorists who rush the lights and push into the crosswalks. No one should hesitate to report dangerous incidents to SFPD; thank them for current enforcement while encouraging a regular, sustained focus. NOPA area residents can address Captain Barrett, or her representative, directly at the next NOPNA neighborhood meeting on March 18th.

To report crosswalk incidents or red light running:

call SFPD at (415) 553-0123 (for non-emergencies)

contact SFPD Park Station directly at (415) 242-3000

North of Panhandle Neighborhood Association (NOPNA)

Next general meeting:

Thursday, March 18th, 7 pm: meet and greet; 7:30 meeting begins and continues until 9 pm

Jannah Restaurant (arrive early for drinks or dinner)

1775 Fulton Street (between Central and Masonic, across from Lucky's)

NOPA VELO Reaches Duel Site at Lake Merced

A perfect day for a duel-to-the-death ride. On Sunday morning the skies cleared, the sun shone, and 35 cyclists gathered for the second monthly spin of NOPA VELO, the North Panhandle's new bicycling group for neighbors and friends. Jason and Lauren, owners of Matching Half Cafe at McAllister and Baker, helped riders power up with coffee, tea, and morning munchies. And then they were off -- first to Broderick Street with a nod to its namesake, U.S. Senator David Broderick, and on to the Panhandle, Golden Gate Park, the Great Highway, and Lake Merced.

At the site of the infamous duel between Senator Broderick and California Supreme Court Justice David S. Terry, NOPA VELO re-enacted the deadly dispute. (A just-as-nice return ride ended at Bistro Gambrinus on Fulton Street where riders reviewed the ride and watched Canada score the gold for hockey).

Why a Duel-to-the-Death? A brief re-telling of events:

The year is 1859 and the talk of civil war swirls across the nation, splitting political parties, families, and friends. Two of these friends are David C. Broderick, US Senator from California, and David. S. Terry, California Supreme Court Justice

In an election that same year, Justice Terry lost his seat on the court. He felt he was the victim of a political faction led by Senator Broderick. Indeed, the two men represented different segments of the Democratic Party: Broderick wanted California to enter the Union as a state free of slavery while Terry wanted California to become a slave state.

When Terry lost his election, he criticized the Broderick political faction in public. Broderick responded, castigating the reputation of Justice Terry. Terry demanded a duel. In the 1850s dueling was evidently a proper way to settle disputes even though the state constitution outlawed the practice.

On Monday, Sept. 12, 1859 Broderick and Terry met on the shores of Lake Merced, but were promptly arrested for planning to engage in a duel. A judge released them on bail. The very next day, in true San Francisco style, the two men returned to Lake Merced, along with their their assistants, known as “seconds.”

The seconds tossed coins. Terry won his toss and chose which pistols to use. Broderick won the second toss and decided to stand with his back to the sun. They stepped ten paces, the seconds gave the final count “1, 2, 3” and the two men stood ready to shoot. Broderick’s pistol fired prematurely and lodged in the soil. Terry didn’t hesitate. He shot and hit Broderick in the chest and punctured a lung.

Broderick was mortally wounded; his allies took him to a house at Fort Mason, then called “Black Point”, an enclave for wealthy, anti-slavery San Franciscans. Broderick died three days after the duel. On his deathbed, Broderick had his legacy in mind; he reportedly said, “They killed me because I was opposed to the extension of slavery and the corruption of justice.” The current resident in the house where Broderick died believes the slain Senator still walks the rooms and hallways.

Broderick had a very well attended funeral. He was buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery and the city erected a monument to him there. City leaders also named a street for him. Terry was tried for manslaughter and acquitted in Marin County. Broderick became a martyr to the cause, but Terry became a hated figure in San Francisco – so much so that he was forced to leave the city and settle in ... Stockton.

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Next NOPA VELO ride: Sunday, March 28th. For news & updates: join the NOPA VELO Google Group here and check BIKE NOPA.