USF Campus Bike Plan To Be Unveiled December 1st

Photo: usfca.edu

San Francisco’s bikes-for-transportation momentum gets another boost on December 1st when the University of San Francisco unveils its Campus Bicycle Transportation Plan. This past semester more than 600 students, faculty and staff registered their concerns and ideas for building a strong bicycle culture on campus in a study conducted by Stephen Zavetoski, PhD and his students.

Primary concerns on campus include a lack of bike parking in convenient locations, lack of covered, secure bike parking, and too few facilities such as showers and changing rooms. Respondents also registered support for safer, protected bike lanes along the primary streets used to reach USF, including Fell and Oak between the Wiggle bike route and the campus which lies just west of Masonic Avenue. The San Francisco Transportation Agency is currently studying proposals for safer bike travel on Fell and Oak between Scott and Baker, an essential link for cyclists traveling east-west. A proposal for traffic-calming and safety enhancements on Masonic Avenue has already cleared a public hearing and is now under environmental review.

According to Zavetoski, the presentation on December 1st will include a full set of recommendations for increased bicycling at USF based on the study data. “These will include improvement of on-campus amenities as well as recommendations for information and education campaigns that can lower some of the perceived barriers around traffic safety and hills.” Zavetoski is the Sustainability Director in the USF College of Arts & Sciences. For more information, see USFpedals.

USF Campus Bicycle Transportation Plan Presentation
Dec 1 2-3:30 pm
Maraschi Room, Fromm Hall

University of San Francisco Campus map

Funds Approved for Masonic Avenue Environmental Review

This morning the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA) Board approved funding for an environmental review of the Masonic Streetscape Improvement Project. None of the board members expressed hesitation or concern with the proposal to transform Masonic with a "Complete Streets" re-design, including a landscaped median and landscaped sidewalks, bus bulbouts, and a pair of raised, separate bike lanes.

A few audience members -- including Andy Thornley of the SF Bicycle Coalition -- were ready to testify to the merits of the proposal and affirm the extensive public outreach that accompanied the project design process, but none seemed necessary. None of the board members commented on the project and no audience members expressed opposition. Although he raised concerns a week earlier -- possibly due to a lack of briefing about the project -- Supervisor Scott Weiner supported the project this morning. He responded by email to BIKE NOPA yesterday afternoon, writing that he that he thought Masonic was "a good project."

As a result of today's vote, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) will receive $41,000 to oversee and fund the environmental review which will mostly be conducted by the city's Planning Department. The study will be underway for six months, according to SFMTA staff. In June 2012 staff expect the proposal to be submitted to the SFMTA Board of Commissioners with a recommendation for approval.

For more stories about the Masonic project, check here.

County Transportation Authority Board To Consider Funds for Masonic Project

Masonic residents favor a safer, more user-friendly corridor for all

Photo: Michael Helquist

The re-design of Masonic Avenue could move one step closer to implementation Tuesday morning depending on the vote of the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA). The Authority's board will consider approving $41,000 of Prop K funds for an environmental review study for the Masonic Streetscape Improvement Project. The board will consider the proposal without a recommendation for action from a committee that reviewed the measure earlier. (The full San Francisco Board of Supervisors serve as the SFCTA Board).

Last week two members of the SFCTA Plans and Programs Committee -- Supervisors Scott Weiner and Carmen Chu -- expressed considerable concern about the removal of parking from Masonic as part of the design plan. They also questioned whether the public had been adequately notified of the project and whether the public was engaged in the planning process. Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi assured them of the comprehensive outreach undertaken, but the two supervisors apparently remained unconvinced and the committee sent the funding request to the full Authority board without recommendation.

Questioning whether the public has been adequately informed can be a legitimate inquiry from someone unfamiliar with developments for a major transportation corridor. Or it can be a knee-jerk reaction to any alteration to public use of public space, especially when parking is involved. For the Masonic improvements, the record of public outreach and notification is so overwhelming that the full Board has little reason to repeat the hesitations of a few committee members.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) conducted one of the most thorough outreach efforts to date to engage the public with plans to make Masonic better and safer for all users. The MTA convened three community meetings over several months with attendance reaching more than 100 for the third one. Participants reviewed every facet of four different designs, refining some and rejecting others. For each meeting Masonic residents and those on nearby blocks were contact door-by-door. For the last meeting the MTA also mailed notices to more than 1400 Masonic households and to those who reside one block away.

The previous Masonic project manager, Javad Mirabdal, now retired, met personally with each of the nearby neighborhood associations to discuss the project. Members from the Ewing Terrace, University Terrace, Anza Vista, and North of the Panhandle groups all discussed with him the impact of design changes -- including removal of parking.

The neighborhood associations also got the word out. The North Panhandle's NOPNA distributes its newsletter to the more than 3500 households located between Masonic and Divisadero, Turk and Fell. Several issues provided updates on the Masonic proposals. Advocacy organizations like the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition with 12,000 members, WalkSF, Fix Masonic and others repeatedly informed its membership of the design options.

Various websites tracked each development of the Masonic plan, including Streetsblog and BIKE NOPA. This site alone published more than a dozen articles about the planning process -- as well as covering the pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities that occurred on Masonic in the last two years.

In addition to neighborhood associations, the Masonic plan received a vote of support from the San Francisco Day School, located at Masonic and Golden Gate, and the Blood Centers of the Pacific at Masonic and Turk.

The degree of public engagement with the Masonic proposal has been remarkable and a testament to the public's desire for safer, traffic-calmed, user-friendly thoroughfares. The SFCTA staff has recommended approval of the funding request and has submitted a full accounting of public outreach at tomorrow's meeting. The argument for approval is persuasive.

San Francisco County Transportation Authority

Tuesday, 11 am

City Hall, Room 250

Check here for the series of articles on A Better Masonic.

Correction: The earlier version of this story mistakenly listed Supervisor Jane Kim as one of the committee members who voiced concerns about the Masonic Project. My apologies to Supervisor Kim.

BIKE NOPA Takes A Break -- Book Deadline Prompts Shift

Dr. Marie Equi, 1872-1952 Oregon Historical Society #23491

Dear Readers,

The time has come for a break and to shift more time to another passion: completing a biography begun a few years ago.

I started BIKE NOPA more than two years ago to increase awareness in the North Panhandle about the feasibility of bicycling for everyday transportation. Part of my impetus resulted from the initial hesitation of neighborhood leaders to endorse more bike lanes through NOPA in 2009. (In that case it was lanes for McAllister and Masonic -- proposals that were later dropped from the city's bike plan). I thought neighbors were perhaps unaware of how many cyclists live in NOPA and need safe routes for travel or of the diversity of neighborhood riders.

I started a gradual campaign, taking notice of the streets around us and profiling the cyclists who live next door or nearby. I launched the series Women on Wheels and Dads on Bikes. I interviewed older and younger riders, professionals and entrepreneurs, women as well as men, marathon riders and crosstown commuters.

I never expected that NOPA would generate so much content. With just 30 or so square blocks, this is a small neighborhood. But bordered by four vehicle-dominated thoroughfares -- Fell, Oak, Divisadero and Masonic -- and sporting an essential link in the city's cross-town bike travel, NOPA's realities reflected many of the top questions San Franciscans face about how to use our public spaces.

In two years NOPA has seen a slew of developments that led to dozens of stories here:

• a partial re-design of Divisadero that revitalized the corridor
• a successful push-back of city plans for freeway-style signs (SFgo) on Fell and Oak
• a surge of advocacy for a safer approach to Divisadero on the Wiggle bike route
• the launch of the first neighborhood-based block party all about bikes (BIKE THE BLOCK in September 2009)
• start-up of the first neighborhood-based monthly bicycling group, NOPA VELO
• the arrival of Sunday Streets to NOPA in September 2010
• a push for a safer Masonic for all road users, a grass-roots campaign that few expected to succeed until last May when the plan cleared a public hearing
• an effort to reclaim Panhandle Park as a destination for neighbors and visitors, one that deserves capital improvements and better stewardship
• a vision to transform Fell and Oak between Scott and Baker (and then beyond to Stanyan) for safer transportation with new separated bike routes

Everyday journalism requires a huge amount of time. To get the story right, to earn the trust of public officials and advocates, and to help push an agenda of enhanced livability demand a responsibility I take seriously. For this work I think it's essential to develop a voice and a point of view -- one that readers approach with confidence whether they agree or not. I've really enjoyed the challenge.

Now I'm shifting my time to the story of Dr. Marie Equi, a woman of conscience and conviction who never let social or political norms keep her from the pursuit of her passions. She worked in New Bedford textile mills as a teenager in the 1880s, fled to Central Oregon a decade later to homestead with her female companion, managed to scandalize a rural outpost by horse-whipping a local minister in the streets, studied for medical school in San Francisco and became one of Oregon's early woman physicians. She kept her ties to the Bay Area and joined a doctor train from Portland in April 1906 to help earthquake-stricken San Franciscans, earning her a medal from the U.S. Army. (Her homestead companion had married and settled her family in one of NOPA's landmark houses along Fell).

Marie became publicly identified as a lesbian in Portland after her passionate affair with a young heiress led to front-page stories of a family dispute over her new companion's inheritance. From the personal to the political, Marie engaged the times. The public tumult of the early 20th century led Marie on a course from hearty progressivism to staunch anarchism. She championed the rights of the underpaid and the unemployed, of women in need of birth control information. In labor disputes, she often wrestled with cops and refused to follow court orders. She developed a reputation. The birth control advocate Margaret Sanger once wrote that Marie was "a rebellious soul -- generous, kind, brave but so radical in her thinking that she was almost an outcast in Portland."

Marie objected to the capitalistic motives that led the U.S. to enter World War One, and for this she was tried by the government as a subversive and sentenced to three years at San Quentin prison. Through all this, Marie remained so devoted to her profession that friends referred to her simply as "Doc."

How could I not want to tell the full story of Marie's life and times? She died in Portland in 1952, but 60 years later her struggle to be politically active, romantically involved, and fully engaged in her profession is spot-on relevant to many of us today.

My deadline approaches (please don't ask when). I'm fortunate to have a wonderful editor at Oregon State University Press. She is a huge supporter of my bike advocacy. (OSU Press published "Pedaling Revolution: How Cyclists Are Changing American Cities" by Jeff Mapes). But she'd also like to get the story of Marie Equi on the market.

I'm not abandoning BIKE NOPA. There are stories I'm too committed to following, like the implementation of the Masonic Re-design. I'm sticking with it until San Franciscans can stroll and bike and live along a transformed corridor made more livable for all.

I have been blessed with great readers and sources, allies and friends while writing BIKE NOPA. I hope you all know how much your interest and support have meant to me. One request: as I pursue greater dialogue with my keyboard and monitor, please do suggest coffee breaks and lunches. (The isolated nature of writing bugs me).

Curious about Marie Equi, the "stormy petrel of the Pacific Northwest"? Here's some of what I've written about her:

• A Woman of Consequence, Dr. Marie Equi
• Marie Equi in the Oregon Encyclopedia
• Stormy Petrel, An Online OHSU Lecture

For Lesbian To The Rescue: Marie Equi and the Oregon Doctor Train, a slide and lecture first presented in San Francisco for the 2006 earthquake centennial, expect a repeat on April 18th of 2012.

Masonic Avenue Redesign Fading As A City Priority

Bryan Goebel, editor of Streetsblog, and Michael Helquist

Image: SF Planning Department's City Design Group

On Bike to Work Day last May, Mayor Ed Lee told Streetsblog that he would look into speeding up funding for a sorely needed redesign of Masonic Avenue, one of San Francisco's most notorious arterial streets. The project seemed to be a priority for him, especially in the wake of two high-profile collisions that took the lives of Nils Yannick Linke and James Hudson.

“It’s very deserving of attention, particularly when it comes to pedestrian safety," Lee told Streetsblog on May 12.

“It’s time we take back Masonic Boulevard,” Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi proclaimed that same day at the Bike to Work press conference on the steps of City Hall. "It’s time that we actually step up the city’s game in making sure that Masonic is safe for bicyclists and pedestrians."

Now, nearly four months after the Masonic redesign was approved at an SFMTA engineering hearing, the plan is plodding its way through the vast city bureaucracy, its funding is uncertain and it is in danger of winding up on the shelf like so many other good projects unless City Hall puts some political muscle behind it.

The project hit a snag recently when the SFMTA was denied a $700,000 grant from Caltrans to pay for the design costs. A $41,000 request to complete an environmental impact report (EIR) is expected to be approved by the San Francisco County Transportation Authority soon. But a funding source for the biggest chunk, $18 million for construction, has still not been identified.

"The SFMTA is working with the Department of Public Works to refine the design cost estimate, and will apply to another funding source for design funds. A funding request made for construction funds is still pending. Meanwhile, other construction funding sources are being evaluated," said SFMTA spokesperson Paul Rose.

That doesn't sound particularly hopeful.

Advocates who have been pushing for a safer Masonic for more than seven years now have widespread neighborhood support for the redesign, which would dramatically re-engineer the street, adding a landscaped median, bus bulbs, a 6-foot wide raised cycletrack and other amenities to benefit pedestrians, bicyclists and transit riders.

Just a few years ago a safer, more livable Masonic was a project that pedestrian, transit, and bicycling advocates – along with city officials -- wanted to see implemented, but few thought possible. At first Masonic was part of the citywide bike plan that the SFMTA is now implementing, but the vital north-south corridor was dropped from the proposal, partly because it seemed unlikely to get broad public support. Yet nearby residents have surprised city officials with significant backing for a transformed street.

As early as 2008 more than 500 Masonic Avenue neighbors petitioned the city for a traffic corridor that worked better for all users. They ranked a dozen priorities to increase safety, traffic flow and improve the appearance of the street. The grass-roots group Fix Masonic rallied neighborhood associations, parents of kids at nearby schools, and district supervisors to support the plan. Together with the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, Walk SF, and other advocacy groups, Fix Masonic helped secure funding for a feasibility and design study. By June of 2010 the SFMTA started a series of three community meetings to get public input and support for a revitalized Masonic, employing many of the traffic calming strategies proposed two years earlier. By October of last year, Masonic project manager Javad Mirabdal described the Masonic design as a “once in a lifetime” opportunity.

Although some westside residents preferred a less ambitious version for a changed corridor, the majority who participated in SFMTA and neighborhood association surveys preferred the Complete Streets option known as the Boulevard.

If implemented, the Masonic proposal could transform city neighborhoods, ensure a safer, more attractive means of transportation for all users, improve environmental impacts along the corridor, and boost property values and city revenue. The re-design of Masonic could reflect a determination by the city to step up to a higher level of livability in San Francisco.

It's time for Mayor Lee, and others at City Hall, to put their words into action, and for new Director Ed Reiskin to use the visionary and political skills that got him the job at the SFMTA to ensure that the Masonic Avenue redesign gets implemented soon instead of it getting mired in city bureaucracy.

The Man for Masonic: James Shahamiri, New Project Manager for Troubled Corridor

Photo: James Shahamiri

Image: SF Planning Department

James Shahamiri, a civil engineer, thought he’d be designing buildings or bridges by now. Instead, he found his “true passion” lies with transportation. He credits a remarkable internship with the City of Oakland’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Program for the discovery a few years ago. Shahamiri has been a transportation engineer with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) for three years where he has worked on several projects, including his favorite, the re-design of 7th Avenue and Laguna Honda Blvd.

I remember riding that route every weekend back in my youth. Coming back and improving those streets for bikes was pretty cool, and definitely something I never would have thought I’d have a hand in when I was younger.

Bicyclists and motorists who use the western end of Fell street ride through one of Shahamiri’s other projects, the partial re-design of traffic and bike lanes between Scott and Divisadero and along the ARCO station. In the midst of much contention over parking removal, global oil politics, and the right to safe travel, he helped SFMTA install what no one, including himself, considers perfect, but most have come to agree is a decided improvement. Shahamiri is completing work now on the new bicycle lanes on Phelan Avenue by City College. Although he’s been enjoying his new bicycle, Shahamiri is not a bike-only guy. He relies mostly on Muni to get around the city and sometimes skips the bus to walk instead.

Earlier this month Shahamiri became manager for the Masonic Streetscape Project following the retirement of Javad Mirabdal who led the community design process for Masonic through a successful public hearing. The following excerpts are from his first interview since taking the new position.

You’ve been involved with the re-design of Masonic for some time, including work with the grassroots group Fix Masonic.
My role during the initial Fix Masonic meetings, going back to 2008, was to provide input and support for the community at the early planning stages for a larger project that eventually became the Masonic Streetscape project.

Last year you helped develop different options for a re-design of Masonic. How did the Boulevard plan with removal of all on-street parking become one of the alternatives?
The Boulevard option became one of the four possibilities based on community feedback we received during the first Masonic Streetscape meetings. People really wanted a new look and feel for Masonic, something to transform it from the urban freeway it is today into not only a safer place to walk, bike, or drive, but also a more pleasant place to be.

Were you surprised that there was little organized opposition to the Boulevard proposal leading up to the public hearing in May?
To be honest, yes, it was a bit of a surprise. In a city like San Francisco, parking is a difficult thing to remove. The Boulevard option was a bold proposal, but the community has been asking for dramatic improvements to Masonic for many years now. Through the community process, I think everyone understood that in terms of priorities, parking was toward the bottom of the list.

The Masonic study was a collaborative effort among city departments that historically have not worked together closely. Is a new norm developing for how to tackle large re-design projects?
Interdepartmental collaboration is becoming the norm. Having a design team composed of members of various city agencies really helps the city deliver the best possible project. Each agency brings their experience and expertise to the table. This enables the design team to consider ideas and solutions that might not have been apparent if each agency worked in isolation.

After the public hearing last month, project staff said 4-6 months would likely pass before the SFMTA Board of Directors would consider the Masonic plan. Why such a long time to get this legislated?
Because this is a full streetscape project and not simply a restriping of the roadway, environmental review needs to consider many items. Aside from the traffic analysis, things like air quality, noise and construction impacts also need review.

But the bicycle and traffic design changes were covered in the environmental review that preceded the lifting of the bicycle injunction. Why additional review now and who is conducting it?
The options for Masonic that were analyzed and cleared in the Bicycle Plan review are not identical to what the Boulevard option proposes. Because there are differences, further analysis is needed. … The environmental review is being conducted by the Planning Department.

What has to happen before design changes appear on the street?
After the project is environmentally cleared, it will go to the SFMTA board for the legislative approval necessary for the parking and traffic changes needed for the project. Once this approval is received, detailed designs and construction can begin.

Are you and the SFMTA staff seeking funding now before the project has been approved?
Yes, SFMTA is seeking funding for both detailed design and construction through several sources right now.

Others interested in the Masonic project suggest that an initial phase could involve the landscaped median, removal of parking, and bike lanes striped but without a cycle track treatment or the bus bulb-outs and sidewalk landscaping.
We’re assessing our implementation strategy. It really depends on how the funding works out. The complete build-out of the Boulevard proposal will cost about $18 million, which could be challenging to secure all at once. That said, we’re trying to get the project built as quickly as possible.

Waiting two years or more for actual changes on the street frustrates everyone who feels the street remains unsafe. What more will be done by the SFMTA to improve safety in the meantime?
I think we’ve done a good job implementing measures on Masonic to increase compliance with existing traffic laws and regulations. We’ve heard many great ideas from the community, and we’ve implemented most of them. We’ve lowered the speed limit to 25 MPH, installed radar speed signs, re-striped the lane lines and added “25 MPH” markings, and re-timed the traffic signals for 25 MPH progression. In the near term, we’ll also be upgrading several traffic lights to add pedestrian signals and improved signal visibility for motorists.

I won’t say there’s nothing else we can do, but there aren’t many more low-cost improvements to be made. The next step is really the re-design of the roadway itself, to make it self-enforcing in terms of user behavior. That’s the track we’re on now.

In your experience as a traffic engineer, how much enforcement – and how frequently scheduled – is needed to stop the speeding on Masonic?
I really can’t speak for SFPD. I know they have stepped up their enforcement of Masonic Avenue in the past year.

I’m a big fan of the “three E’s”: Engineering, Education, and Enforcement. Without all three, it’s difficult to change people’s behavior. Streets need to be designed for the expected behaviors, users need to be educated on how to use the street, and lastly, the expected behavior needs to be enforced. If one or more of these steps is missing, it’s tough to get to the goal of safe, inviting streets for all.

Masonic area neighbors and livability advocates want to help push the project forward. How do you see them helping?
I’ll start by saying that the Masonic Streetscape project is a direct result of the efforts by community members and livability advocates. Without all their hard work and pressure, Masonic would not be the priority it is today.

There is still a lot of work to be done before the project goes on the ground. The community and advocates need to keep doing what they’ve been doing: maintaining a collaborative, unified vision of how they want Masonic to look and feel. It’s this community-driven vision that’s ultimately moving this project forward.

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

Masonic Boulevard Proposal Approved: History in the Making

Fix Masonic members distribute community meeting notices door-to-door in 2010

Mariana Parreiras, Dale Danley, Ben Caldwell, Marc Caswell (l to r)

Just a brief notice for now: this morning after an hour and a half of testimony from dozens of individuals, the city's proposal for remaking Masonic into a safer street that works for everyone was approved and sent to the SFMTA Board of Commissioners!

Javad Mirabdal, the SFMTA project manager for the Masonic re-design effort, commented after the hearing had concluded: "This is history."

Look for more complete coverage this afternoon at Streetsblog. (I was not in reporter mode during the hearing).

Congratulations to everyone who worked so long and so hard for a safer Masonic for all of us. After a needed break, let's focus on how to make the Boulevard proposal work as well as possible for everyone, certainly including those who were not in favor.

SF Day School Backs "Complete Streets" Treatment for Masonic; Community Honors Fallen Pedestrian

Bruno Peguese, member of St. Cyprian's Episcopal Church, reflects on loss of James Hudson

SFPD Capt. Denis O'Leary affirms need for increased enforcement on Masonic

Candles left in April to remember Yannick Linke who was killed on Masonic last year

Dr. David E. Jackson, Head of the San Francisco Day School (SFDS), confirmed tonight that his institution will support the city's efforts to bring significant traffic calming to Masonic Avenue. He said the concerns for safety along the corridor prompted the school to endorse the Boulevard proposal. SFDS is located on the SE corner of Masonic and Golden Gate Avenue.

Staff and parents have witnessed many collisions in front of the school, and several former and current teachers have expressed concern about the risks for children when crossing Masonic given the frequently speeding traffic. Students at the school cross the corridor every day to use recreation facilities at the University of San Francisco campus west of Masonic. SFDS hosted the three city-sponsored community meetings convened last year to review and refine plans for traffic calming along Masonic from Fell to Geary.

Dr. Jackson confirmed that staff would submit a letter of support for the Boulevard plan to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency prior to Friday morning's public hearing at City Hall. Jackson made his remarks following the vigil for James Hudson, the 61-year-old pedestrian who was struck and killed by a drunk driver on May 6th. Twenty people gathered in the SFDS courtyard before walking a block north to Turk, crossing the street, and pausing to reflect at the site of fatality. Community members and representatives from the North Panhandle Neighborhood Association, Fix Masonic, St. Cyprian's Episcopal Church, and the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition stood in silence to honor all those who have died or been injured on Masonic. Several commented on the need to act to protect all users of the corridor. Supervisor Eric Mar and SFPD Captain Denis O'Leary participated in the vigil. O'Leary said he is committed to increasing and maintaining enforcement of the speed limit on Masonic. Individuals close to the motorist charged in the fatal incident also participated in the vigil.

Two More Injury Collisions on Masonic Since Pedestrian Fatality Last Friday

Collision from red light running this morning at Masonic & Hayes

Northbound motorist (silver Volvo) and westbound driver (silver Honda) collide

Smash-up in the busy crosswalk leading to John Adams campus of City College

This morning at about 6:35 two motorists collided in the Masonic and Hayes intersection, pushing both vehicles into the east-west crosswalk. One driver was badly shaken and possibly injured but he decided against a trip to the hospital. The man told BIKE NOPA that he was driving his silver Honda Prelude westbound on Hayes and that he crossed Masonic with a green light when he was struck by a northbound motorist, a woman, in a silver Volvo SUV. The driver of the Volvo talked with police officers and appeared uninjured. She was overheard stating that she crossed Masonic with a green light. The investigation is still underway, and the police provided no further details. The neighbor who alerted us to the collision, said she lived a half-block from Masonic and that she "hears these crashes out there all the time."

The red-light running collision this morning follows a much worse smash-up on Masonic with serious injuries resulting from a speeding motorist on Saturday, May 7, at approximately 7:30 pm. One eyewitness relayed the events:

"It happened ... as the sun was about to set. A white BMW flew down Masonic, trying to beat the light and get across Fell. A whole bunch of cyclists and joggers were just about to cross. He almost clipped the female jogger, who stopped mere feet away mid-stride, as she was about to cross the street. On a walking sign! This was how blatant he was, timing-wise trying to run this light.

"He missed the jogger, and I panned my head to follow him to the intersection. A motorcyclist collided with him. Both are going a good 60 MPH plus. The motorcyclist ran right into the side of the car, and flew over 15 feet into the air. His shoe actually flew off, and landed all the way across the intersection, right by me. The bike just exploded, totalled. I think I saw him raise his arms at
first, so hopefully he's alive. A huge crowd of people, rushed over to him, and police
and ambulances arrived soon after."

This witness recounted that he was in shock following the incident. He added that he hopes the driver is jailed "with at least two counts against him: one for almost killing the cyclist and one for almost killing the jogger."

Both incidents follow the tragic death of James Hudson, the 61-year-old man killed while crossing Masonic, in the crosswalk, by a drunk driver in the early hours of Friday, May 6th. (A vigil for Hudson followed by a street safety strategy session will be held Wednesday, May 11). Last month a 35-year-old woman was struck by a red-light running motorist on Masonic at Grove and suffered broken legs, head and internal injuries.

On Friday, May 13 the public is invited to attend and testify at a hearing that will review the city's plan for re-designing Masonic Avenue to make the corridor safer for all users. Those unable to attend can also send a message to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) before Friday to have the opinions considered as part of the hearing. (send opinions to sustainable.streets@sfmta.com with the subject heading "Public Hearing." For a review of the comprehensive safety plan developed by city planners and Masonic neighbors, check the SFMTA site here or the BIKE NOPA summary here.

For previous articles in the A Better Masonic series, check here.

Ammiano, Mar, Mirkarimi, Capt. O'Leary Endorse Masonic Boulevard Proposal; Vigil Scheduled for Hit-and-Run Fatality

Remembrance on Masonic, April 2011 Photo: Michael Helquist

The hit-and-run fatality on Masonic near Turk last week shocked San Franciscans, especially those who regularly use the street and, in the most tragic manner, made the case for comprehensive safety improvements along the busy corridor.

Assemblymember Tom Ammiano, District 1 Supervisor Eric Mar, District 5 Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, and SFPD Captain Denis O'Leary of Park Station have endorsed the Boulevard proposal developed by city staff and community members in a series of meetings held last year. As previously reported, the Boulevard plan includes extensive traffic calming measures to reduce the speedway aspect of Masonic and would install facilities for safer walking, bus use, and biking while keeping vehicle traffic to the 25 MPH speed limit.

"I hope that the SFMTA embraces this opportunity to show long-term vision for the transformation of Masonic from a heavily trafficked, dangerous street to an improved, livable corridor." Assemblymember Tom Ammiano (ed: statement released before last week's fatality)

"I definitely support the Boulevard plan for Masonic along with the many area residents and community groups." Supervisor Eric Mar

"This fatality is another reason all forces in City Hall to correct the conditions of Masonic Avenue. These changes are long overdue. The incremental measures taken to increase safety have not been adequate. One major step would be quick adoption and installation of the Boulevard project for Masonic."

Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi

Capt. Denis O'Leary hopes to testify at the public hearing in support of the Boulevard proposal. He has also increased monitoring of traffic speeds and safe pedestrian crossings along Masonic.

Public Hearing on Masonic
Friday, May 13, 2011, at 10:00 am
Room 416 (Hearing Room 4), City Hall
(located on Van Ness Avenue between McAllister and Grove Streets)

Opinions on these proposed changes may be filed in writing prior to the hearing with SFMTA Transportation Engineering, 1 South Van Ness Avenue, 7th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103-5417. Written opinions may also be transmitted by fax to (415) 701-4737 or by

email to sustainable.streets@sfmta.com with subject line “Public Hearing.” Submitted opinions will become part of the official public record and will be brought to the attention of the person(s) conducting the hearing.

**********

Last year's tragic death of Yannick Linke on Masonic near Turk followed by just three days a city-sponsored community meeting focused on making Masonic a safer street for all users. The most recent Masonic fatality -- resulting in the loss of James Hudson last Friday while he was crossing the street -- occurred just one week prior to the City Hall public hearing to review the result of that community planning process. The deaths of both men, and the injuries of many others, impress upon neighborhood residents even more the need for comprehensive, integrated traffic calming on Masonic. Neighbors have organized a memorial for James Hudson for this Wednesday evening. After honoring his life, a street safety discussion will follow for those interested.

Vigil for a Fallen Pedestrian

Wednesday, May 11, 6:15 to 7:15 pm

Meet 6:15; Vigil starts 6:30

Meet on sidewalk at San Francisco Day School (350 Masonic at Golden Gate)

Safety dialogue at 7:15 pm

Gather at Blood Centers of the Pacific, 270 Masonic (at Turk)

For further information: Jarie Bolander, 415-385-22348 jarie.bolander@gmail.com

SFMTA Sets Public Hearing for Masonic Redesign: Friday, May 13, 10am

Proposed mini-park to enliven a bleak section of Masonic at Geary

Masonic as a proposed Complete Street with safer use for all modes of transportation

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency is ready to take plans for the redesign of the Masonic corridor to a public hearing before a hearings officer. Late this afternoon, SFMTA released the official announcement of the meeting that will be mailed to Masonic area residents and posted throughout the nearby neighborhoods. The flyer includes the traffic calming elements proposed for the blocks between Fell and Geary as well as the traffic configurations to be removed. The meeting is set for Friday, May 13, at 10 am in City Hall, Room 416 (Hearing Room 4).

The Masonic hearing will consider the proposed Boulevard design that includes measures to improve safety, livability, and improved transportation. The elements of the plan were developed with Masonic residents and community members in the summer and fall of 2010. Several surveys -- conducted by the SFMTA as well as neighborhood associations -- have reflected significant support for the full package of changes now proposed by city planners.

A new element to the proposal is the addition of 20 new parking spaces along the north side of Turk Street between Central and Baker streets. The new 45 degree, back-in, angled parking will help mitigate the removal of parking along Masonic. The wide transportation lanes of Turk can easily accommodate the angled parking, and there are no driveways along much of the proposed stretch.

As previously discussed, the Boulevard proposal includes several features to keep the vehicle traffic to the 25 MPH posted, add a safe separated bikeway for cyclists, improve pedestrian crossings, and enhance Muni bus stops. A full-length landscaped median with and a mini-park at Geary will encourage motorists to maintain legal speed and provide residents with a greener, more attractive environment.

The specific changes to be considered at the hearing, as noted in the official announcement:

RESCIND – TOW-AWAY NO STOPPING 7 TO 9 AM MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY
Masonic Avenue, east side, between Fell Street and Geary Boulevard

RESCIND – TOW-AWAY NO STOPPING 4 TO 6 PM MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY
Masonic Avenue, west side, between Geary Boulevard and Hayes Street

ESTABLISH – TOW-AWAY NO STOPPING ANYTIME
Masonic Avenue, east side, between Fell Street and Geary Boulevard
Masonic Avenue, west side, between Geary Boulevard and Hayes Street

ESTABLISH – RAISED MEDIAN
Masonic Avenue, between Geary Boulevard and Fell Street (5 feet wide)

RESCIND – BUS ZONE
Masonic Avenue, west side, from Golden Gate Street to 80 feet southerly
Masonic Avenue, east side, from Golden Gate Street to 80 feet southerly
Masonic Avenue, west side, from Fulton Street to 80 feet northerly

ESTABLISH – BUS ZONE
Masonic Avenue, west side, from Fulton Street to 80 feet southerly

ESTABLISH – BUS BULB
Masonic Avenue, west side, from Geary Boulevard to 110 feet southerly (8 feet wide)
Masonic Avenue, east side, from Turk Street to 80 feet northerly (8 feet wide)
Masonic Avenue, west side, from Fulton Street to 80 feet southerly (8 feet wide)
Masonic Avenue, east side, from Hayes Street to 80 feet northerly (8 feet wide)

ESTABLISH – BICYCLE LANE
Masonic Avenue, both sides, from Fell Street to Geary Boulevard (raised cycle track)

ESTABLISH – NEW TRAFFIC SIGNAL
Masonic Avenue at Ewing Terrace

ESTABLISH – 45 DEGREE BACK-IN ANGLE PARKING
Turk Street, north side, between Baker Street and Central Avenue (adds approximately 20 more parking spaces)

Opinions on these proposed changes may be filed in writing prior to the hearing with the City Traffic Engineer at the Sustainable Streets Division, One South Van Ness Avenue, 7th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103-5417. Written opinions may also be transmitted to the Sustainable Streets Division via fax at 415.701.4737. Submitted opinions will become part of the official public record and will be brought to the attention of the person(s) conducting the hearing. Information on the proposed changes may be obtained from the Sustainable Streets Division at the above-referenced address or by telephone at 415.701.4500.

SFMTA Begins Re-Striping Masonic Traffic Lanes; Second Person Injured in Monday's Red-Light Running

Before: lanes on Masonic hardly discernible

After: Northbound travel lanes on Masonic

Re-striping from Fell to Turk

SFMTA crews started re-striping the badly faded traffic lanes of Masonic Avenue last Friday, beginning with the northbound side of the corridor. As of Tuesday morning, fresh thermoplasty stripes had been applied from Fell to Turk streets. Hopefully, this morning's showers will cause only a temporary delay on completing the work in both directions. Other traffic calming measures due to appear are stenciled 25 MPH advisories on the pavement and merge indicators.

Although the work was planned for several weeks, the Masonic striping occurs in the midst of renewed concern about the safety of the corridor. A 35-year-old woman was struck by a motorist running a red light on Masonic at Grove yesterday morning. She broke both legs and suffered internal and head injuries. The woman was jogging through the crosswalk with the right-of-way at the time of the collision. The motorist hit her and then continued through the intersection and collided with another vehicle. A second person was also injured and taken to the hospital. SFPD Park Station has announced that officers will focus their traffic enforcement operations along the Masonic corridor for the rest of April.

Jogger Hit by Red-Light Running Motorist on Masonic, SFPD To Resume Enforcement Tomorrow

Pedestrian injured this morning on Masonic. Photo: Matt Smith

A 35-year-old woman was struck and seriously injured this morning by a red-light running motorist traveling on Masonic at Grove. The motorist struck the woman and continued through the intersection colliding with other vehicles, according to Capt. Denis O'Leary of SFPD Park Station. Tomorrow morning SFPD will place officers along Masonic to enforce the 25 MPH speed limit and to cite motorists who fail to stop for red lights.

The woman was jogging and in the crosswalk at about 8:30 a.m. when she was struck by the motorist. Capt. O'Leary said her injuries were extensive. "She was taken to the hospital. She has two broken legs, head injuries, and internal injuries," he said. "She needs our thoughts and prayers."

The motorist stopped -- or was stopped as a result of the collision with other vehicles. No arrest and no citation resulted. O'Leary explained that California law does not permit officers to give citations unless they witness the incident. A "notice of violation" can be given but that action often follows a conference with the station sergeant. O'Leary said he would check into the status of such a citation. He stated that a Traffic Division officer, rather than one from Park Station, filed the police report.

First reported by Matt Smith of SFWeekly, the collision and injury is one of several that have occurred on Masonic. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency has installed a number of traffic calming measures in the last nine months, but additional steps promised for early this spring have yet to be taken.* These include re-striping badly faded travel lanes and including directions for motorists to merge where the number of lanes on Masonic change, and painting 25 MPH on the street surfaces. Yet many observers and city planners agree that significant risk reduction will only result when Masonic is re-designed to better cue motorists to drive within the speed limit and when changes are made to increase safe travel for pedestrians and bicyclists as well.

As previously reported, a Masonic traffic calming plan -- dubbed the Boulevard -- is expected to go to a public hearing in May or soon thereafter. Today Javad Mirabdal, project director of the Masonic re-design study, confirmed that a hearing in May remains possible. "We don't have a date yet," he said, "but we're trying to bring it in May." Mirabdal presented the Boulevard plan to a Citizens Advisory Committee last week. He said they are taking the necessary steps moving toward the hearing and, hopefully, approval.

After hearing of this morning's collision and injury, Cheryl Brinkman, a member of SFMTA's Board of Directors, said she intended to do everything she can to support traffic calming on Masonic.

"It's heartbreaking to continue to have drivers disregard the safety of all other road users. Thank goodness the woman was not killed by that car driver and no one else was killed. I feel frustrated that some car drivers just don't seem to care."

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

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* The SFMTA stated this afternoon that the striping work began last Friday and will require about a week to complete. The several wet days of March created a backlog in bike lane striping projects and pushed back the Masonic work.

Personal view: Striping bike lanes is a top priority and we celebrate each occasion, but the daily hazards along Masonic deserve priority.

Masonic Proposal Refined to Include New Parking; Interim Measures Await Clear Skies

Masonic residents and neighborhood associations support Masonic re-design

Extra-wide Turk looking west from Lyon intersection

Ample space for angled parking on Turk and a measure to discourage speeding

City planners have refined the Masonic Traffic Calming Project to include new angled, on-street parking along the north side of Turk Street east of Masonic. The changes come as part of an internal review at the Municipal Transportation Agency prior to submitting the proposal to a MTA hearing officer at a public hearing expected in May. Interim traffic calming measures – primarily re-striping cross walks and faded lanes and adding new 25 MPH

advisories on the roadway surface – are ready for implementation but have been delayed during this month’s wet weather.

Last year community members encouraged adding new parking to the Masonic proposal and suggested the north side of Turk east of Masonic between Central and Baker. These two blocks are especially wide and, along the north side, do not have curb cuts or driveways. In addition to mitigating the impact of parking removal on Masonic, back-in angled parking on Turk could calm traffic on a street that neighbors often complain is too dangerous for crossing. Angled parking would present drivers with less of the open freeway appearance that Turk now provides without actually reducing traffic lane width. Motorists backing up their vehicles would be another visual cue to other drivers to proceed with more caution.

Javad Mirabdal, the MTA Project Director for the Masonic re-design, said last week the proposal has been reviewed by two internal “task groups.” Part of that process is to determine whether the plan raises red flags among police, fire, and ambulance services over adequate access and travel during emergencies. Then another, larger group of 40-50 planners will review the plan before a public hearing is scheduled.

We’re moving forward to a public hearing. We’re shooting for it to be in May. We’ve done some fine-tuning and we’re working on the environmental clearance.

Mirabdal said he hopes there won’t be problems with the environmental clearance, and so far there haven't been. Other observers of the process explained that bicycle and pedestrian improvements as well as parking have been removed from environmental reviews required by the state. Basically, no definition or threshold for what it or isn’t acceptable in these areas exist, and thus the changes cannot be determined detrimental on an environmental basis.

If the many supporters of the Masonic proposal – especially those who live on or within a block of the corridor – testify at the public hearing, the hearing officer will likely feel confident about approving the plan, according to Mirabdal. He said he remained optimistic and hopeful for the project.

If we get this through, Masonic will be a good case for the city. It will show that we can redesign a street and get so much more from it.

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

NOPNA Board Votes Strong Support for Masonic's Boulevard Design

The Board of Directors of the North of the Panhandle Neighborhood Association (NOPNA) has added its support to an extensive re-design of Masonic Avenue dubbed the Boulevard option. Jarie Bolander, NOPNA President, informed city planners this morning by email, that the board decided to support the Boulevard option "because that's what the majority of our neighbors want." The NOPNA board's decision is based on a recently completed survey the group presented to NOPA and Masonic area residents.

Bolander noted the data from that survey revealed a preference for the Boulevard treatment by more than 87% of respondents compared with nearly 54% for an alternative, less extensive option. Especially persuasive to board members was the striking 86% support for the Boulevard among paid NOPNA members. The board's official decision for NOPNA now places the association among other neighborhood groups who support the safety and re-design measures for Masonic as well as the majority of residents who supported the same proposal in a SFMTA survey last year.

Bolander guided the association board's discernment of the Masonic-related issues through a thorough and sometimes contentious process that reached resolution only with the additional evidence of strong support from the neighbors that the NOPNA survey provided. He noted in his letter to the city that the board's decision was not unanimous.

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

SFMTA Hopes to Put Masonic Traffic Calming Steps in Place by End of March

Lanes to be re-striped, crosswalks upgraded at several locations along Masonic

Median with signal light and pole is prone to damage from motorists and will be removed, new signal will be placed at the sides of Masonic

The SFMTA expects to implement another round of traffic calming measures by the end of this month, according to traffic engineer Manito Velasco. During a telephone call last week, Velasco said he had placed work orders with the paint shop and sign unit in late January of this year and he hoped all the changes will be completed this month. Several of the improvements were requested by Fix Masonic late last year.

Velasco identified specific locations for the upgrades and changes:

• Crosswalks will be re-striped at Anza/O’Farrell, Grove, and Hayes
• Sections of center traffic lanes will be re-striped the length of the corridor
• 25 MPH will be painted on north bound traffic lane surfaces at Fell and at Fulton and on southbound lanes at O’Farrell and Fulton
• Warning signs for motorists to merge into the adjacent lane will be posted at Fell and at Hayes
• Signals at Anza/O’Farrell will be upgraded as well as pedestrian signals at Turk
• Median signal and pole at Anza/O’Farrell will be removed (Velasco said this was a maintenance issue as the pole is frequently hit and damaged by vehicles and the agency prefers “side-mounting” signals)

Fix Masonic had also requested that the SFMTA seek a “double fine zone” along Masonic and change the corridor to a school zone. Both measures require legislative approval, and Velasco said the agency is considering legislation. Another recommendation by the group has been to obtain greater enforcement of the 25 MPH speed limit. Velasco said the SFPD Traffic Company will increase its monitoring for speed violations.

The SFMTA recently helped complete a final report that recommends a re-design of Masonic Avenue between Fell and Geary to reduce speeding and increase safety for all road users. The proposal, dubbed the Boulevard, has received the support of neighborhood associations and a significant majority of residents in the Masonic area.

For previous articles in the A Better Masonic series, check here.

My regrets for mis-spelling Manito Velasco's name in the original version of this article.

Largest Survey Yet Confirms Strong Support for Complete Masonic Re-Design; NOPNA Finds Members Back the Boulevard Plan

One traffic calming measure already in place on Masonic

North Panhandle neighbors gave significant support once again for a complete re-design of Masonic Avenue in an online survey completed by 377 residents. Of the total, 87% favored the Boulevard option as the best way to make Masonic a safer street for all users. The plan offers a complete package of traffic calming measures, including a fully-landscaped median, bus bulb outs, a separated bicycle lane, improved traffic lane configurations, and sidewalk upgrades for pedestrians. To make the improvements, the Boulevard proposal removes parking from both sides of Masonic between Geary and Fell. The other option, dubbed the Gateway, would employ less extensive measures to improve safe travel on Masonic. Compared with the Boulevard’s 87% support, the Gateway garnered significantly less with 54% preferring it. The North of the Panhandle Neighborhood Association (NOPNA) released the results of the survey along with the raw data yesterday.

In an executive summary, NOPNA President Jarie Bolander noted that “the vast majority of respondents want to see Masonic safer and feel that something must be done.” He added that most survey respondents (66.4%) had not attended the community meetings organized by the SFMTA last year. Thus, the NOPNA data reflect the preference of a great many residents not previously tallied and indicates even greater support for the Boulevard plan.

Image: NOPNA Masonic Survey Analysis

At the conclusion of last year’s Masonic meetings, 76% of participants who completed a SFMTA survey chose the Boulevard over the Gateway option. Based on that input, city staff recommended adoption of the Boulevard measures in a final report completed in January. The proposal has already been endorsed by the Ewing Terrace Neighborhood Association, a majority of University Terrace Neighborhood Association members, and Fix Masonic. The NOPNA board previously stated that they wanted to undertake the survey to obtain greater input from members before deciding what action to take.

In addition to the decided preference for the more ambitious street design, the NOPNA survey revealed other information pertinent to the discussion. Of the 373 who completed the survey, the greatest number of Masonic area residents heard about the proposals from three sources: the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition (SFBC) (46.9%), the NOPNA newsletter (41.4%), and BIKE NOPA (36.2%). More than 58% of respondents indicated they live within the NOPNA boundaries (Fell, Turk, Divisadero and Masonic) while 80% reside within or just one block beyond these streets.

Of the 477 residents who started the survey, 45 live on Masonic, and 81.8% of them strongly like or somewhat like the Boulevard proposal compared to 44.1% for the Gateway plan. Of the 127 who self-identified as being NOPNA members, 86% strongly liked or somewhat liked the Boulevard versus 59.9% for the Gateway.

When it comes to discussions about driving and biking in NOPA – as in other neighborhoods -- residents sometime adopt an “us vs. them” approach, suggesting that motorists don’t care about road safety for others, that bicyclists only favor improvements for themselves, or that peoples' modes of travel define their identity and affiliations. But the NOPNA survey shows much the opposite. Although the vast majority of respondents indicated that they belonged to the SFBC and 43% identified themselves as NOPNA members, a very high number (42%) actually belong to both groups. Other group affiliations mentioned include Fix Masonic (14.2%), NOPA+ (12.6%), Wigg Party (7.1%), and WalkSF (7.1%).

The removal of street parking for a safer Masonic was included in both proposals, although the Boulevard takes away parking on both sides of the street, while the Gateway removes it from just one side. Not surprisingly, those who support the Boulevard largely like the plan’s removal of parking to allow space for improvements. But Gateway advocates are almost evenly split on liking or disliking removal of half the parking.

The strong feelings of residents about changing Masonic are apparent in the large number of written comments for each proposal and for the overall situation. Nearly 300 comments were added to the survey. As can be expected, observations cover the range from enthusiasm to dismay for the proposed changes, but the tone was generally more positive than not. The plea of one neighbor is especially poignant:

Please fix Masonic. I’ve lived at Fulton and Masonic for less than a year and I regret moving here every day. The noise and speeding vehicles and honking horns is overwhelming. The crosswalks are terrifying. I drive occasionally and something about this street encourages aggressive behavior.