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.

Mayor Lee Calls for SFMTA to Move Quickly on Fell Street Protected Bikeway by Bryan Goebel and Michael Helquist

The current bike lane on Fell Street would be transformed into a curbside cycletrack.

Image: RG Architecture for SFBC

Mayor Ed Lee's comments to Streetsblog earlier this week that he would like to "quickly" see a physically-separated bike lane trial on Fell Street along The Wiggle came as exciting news to bicycle advocates who are proposing a continuous green stretch along the curb from Scott to Stanyan Streets.

"I want to get to that experiment on Fell Street quickly because I’d like to see how these lanes that we are dedicating would be away from the open doors, and away from fast traffic," the Mayor told Streetsblog.

Both Fell and Oak, which run adjacent as one-way arterials, present an ideal opportunity to build San Francisco's first parking-protected bike lane, and to begin restoring some of the safety and civility the neighborhoods knew before traffic engineers began turning the quiet streets into residential freeways.

"We're encouraged to hear Mayor Lee's interest in making Fell Street safer and more inviting for everyone, and look forward to working with the city to help get this bikeway on the ground," said SFBC Executive Director Leah Shahum."Creating a physically separated bikeway on both Fell and Oak Streets will be essential to connecting our city with safer streets and helping more people of all ages to feel comfortable and confident biking."

Bicycle advocates have urged the SFMTA to experiment with a physically-separated lane on Fell Street, especially on the three blocks of Fell between Scott and Baker. Those blocks currently connect the popular Wiggle bike route with the multi-use Panhandle Park path for points further west, as well as connections north and south.

Cyclists cite the ongoing hazards of traveling along fast-moving traffic and maneuvering around vehicles that fully or partially block the bike lane, especially at the entry to the Arco gas station at Divisadero. Although car and bicycle traffic moves more smoothly through that area since the SFMTA installed new lane configurations, difficulties remain. Bike riders also have to watch for car doors swinging open on other portions of Fell.

A rendering of one recommended option on Fell Street from www.connecting the city.org

Despite those conditions, the route has become very popular since being striped over a decade ago, because it is a major east-west connection. Ridership has nearly doubled on that portion of The Wiggle in recent years. According to the latest SFMTA data, 52,055 people rode on Fell Street between Scott and Divisadero last September. Most of those rides took place in the evening commute hours, when the street is busiest and the bike lanes are most often obstructed.

The very popularity of the route has caused some consternation among other users of the Panhandle Path, especially older pedestrians and parents with young kids. Fast-spinning bicyclists and walkers easily get in each other’s way and conflicts appear regularly on the narrow mixed-use path. In this case, non-bicyclists are becoming strong supporters of a separated bike lane on Fell, if the new facility reduces fast bike traffic on the multi-use path.

"A physically separate bikeway up Fell street would be a tremendous benefit to the Panhandle," said Jarie Bolander of the North of Panhandle Neighborhood Association (NOPNA). "Not only would it provide a safe way for bicyclists to commute east and west, but it also calms traffic and would make it more pleasant to stroll in the Panhandle. In addition, the Panhandle needs some major upgrades and this project is a great way to bring focus on those efforts."

The SFBC is urging the SFMTA to install a green physically-separated bike lane from Scott to Stanyan on Fell and Oak, acting as a couplet for bike traffic. The changes would look similar to the several blocks of green separated bike lanes on Market Street, but could utilize parked cars instead of soft-hit posts to separate vehicle traffic from bicyclists.

The SFBC proposes two options for addressing the safety problem. The first would be to remove the parking on the south side of Fell and the north side of Oak to permit space for bike lanes, using a design almost identical to the popular bike lanes on Market Street.

The alternative would be to keep the parking but convert the curbside space into a bike lane, reduce the number of lanes on Fell and Oak from three to two between Scott and Baker, and from four to three lanes between Baker and Stanyan. It would allow cars to park along the outside of the bike lane with a five-foot buffered space between the bike lane and parked cars.

Grand Street in Manhattan. Photo: www.streetsblog.org

It took a matter of days to install a similar treatment on Grand Street in New York, which now has 14.8 miles of protected bikeways, compared to less than a mile for San Francisco. The Grand Street lane is about a mile long and provides a crosstown connection leading from downtown Manhattan to the Williamsburg Bridge and Manhattan Bridge. The Fell and Oak improvements would be similar and just as easy to do.

The option to maintain parking is one that will probably be favored most by residents concerned about tight parking in the neighborhoods. It would also benefit people on foot because it could be accompanied by bulbouts and other pedestrian-friendly treatments at intersections, making it easier and safer to cross Fell and Oak Street.

The area is a prime location to experiment with the proposed design, which has also been successful in Vancouver and Portland. It also works well because there are generally few residential curb cuts and driveways along the proposed green bike lanes. In spots where curb cuts do exist, the bike lanes would become dashed.

The Arco station presents several complications, and any solution will likely yield less-than-perfect results, but advocates believe city officials can eventually get rid of the curb cuts at the troublesome location. For now, though, the SFBC's recommendation is to have the curbside lane bike become dashed where it crosses the curb cuts, and allow drivers to queue up in a left turn-lane on the outer side of the bike lane.

The city has recently shown more willingness to experiment with innovative projects and avoid the great-study-on-the-shelf syndrome. Mini-parks and parklets throughout the city have earned rave reviews among early skeptics and changes to lane configurations have always been a feature of traffic in the city.

The SFBC, neighborhood leaders, and other livability advocates hope – and urge – the city to adopt the separated bike lanes on Fell and Oak to improve safety and traffic flow for all road users.

This story is a collaborative piece from Streetsblog San Francisco and BIKE NOPA.

Dad on Wheels: For Robbie Socks, San Francisco Is One of the Safer Cities to Ride Bikes with Kids

Image by Meli of Bikes And The City

Starting with an iBert: Robbie Socks and Son All Photos: Robbie Socks

On one of NOPA's busy bicycling blocks: Robbie Socks and sons

When did you start biking with your sons?

I started my oldest boy biking when he was about 2. Eli, my oldest, started on a Skuut. He can ride a bike without training wheels but often prefers to ride on a tandem bike with me. I've since started my younger boy biking with me in an iBert front-style bike seat at about 13 months. My boys are currently 4.5 and 16 months old. I bike with them because it's fun. Also, my oldest boy has a lot of energy, and biking is a great way to burn that energy in a positive way.

How often do you bike with your kids and where to?
I try and bike with them at least once a weekend, and i do take them on errands. I dropped off my youngest this morning to his nanny. It was about an 8 block ride; then i went to work.

What’s the best thing about biking with your kids?
The act of biking itself. Moving our legs, enjoying fresh air and exercising together.

What do you say to relatives or friends who think the streets of San Francisco are too risky for kids to bike?
I tell them that SF is one of the safer cities to ride bikes with kids. Motorists are more conscious of bicyclists here than in most places. Furthermore, the city and organizations like the Bicycle Coalition have recently made a lot of great improvement to the bike infrastructure.

What makes a route or street OK for your kids to bike?
I would say having a bike lane is very important. I try to only take my kids on streets with bike lanes. However, even streets with a bike lane can be scary, like Fell street. I don't think I would take my kids on it. There is just too much traffic on that road.

Is it even harder getting kids ready for trips if you’re traveling by bike?
No, not really. In fact it might be easier. My kids are never very excited about sitting in their seats in a car. They love to go on bike rides.

How often do you get to bike on your own?
I ride to work everyday, rain or shine, 5 days a week. It's one of the things that has keep us in the city. I couldn't imagine driving to work everyday in a car. It would be like death to me.

Any advice for other dads thinking about biking on their own or with their kids?
It's funny. A dad friend of mine who recently moved out of the city to Marin was complaining to me how his kids did not ride bikes yet. I couldn't understand his point. I mean we live two blocks from the Panhandle, a place I consider very kid and bike friendly. Fell street still scares me a little because it's like a highway in our city, but until gas reaches 10 bucks a gallon I don't think that's going to change much.

*****

For previous BIKE NOPA posts in the Dads on Wheels series, check here. And don't forget more dads biking at Bikes And The City.

Remembering Sunday Streets. A real San Francisco experience: walking, biking, skating in the streets, sometimes up hills and even if it was drizzling. Great to see so many dads, moms, and kids on wheels on our neighborhood streets.

Return to the Cool and Green

In Portland: a green "starter" box perhaps or saving on paint

In San Francisco: The full treatment on Fell Street

After a long weekend trip to Portland, I'm almost back to blog mode with news of all things biking, walking, and livability in NOPA. I liked being in that top bicycling city but I seldom saw as many bikes as I had expected. Perhaps it was a coincidence or being in a distant part of the city during the morning and evening commutes.

I also noticed a few odd patches of green pavement in downtown Portland (see photo). Maybe Portlanders are so accustomed to the full, solid green bike lanes around the city that even a hint of green triggers their bike awareness. I prefer the newly painted green swath along Fell Street. We won't know for awhile whether this newest colored bike lane will make road use safer on that block, but I'm optimistic that the additional green lane will prompt more motorists to think bike safety when they "see green" anywhere else in the city.

Look for a new BIKE NOPA series next Tuesday.

NOPA 38% UNDERGROUND(ED)

First posted in August 2009 and republished now as NOPA residents take a closer look at our streets and public spaces.

Is your NOPA street undergrounded?

Undergrounded, as in the utility lines on your street have been buried and the utility poles and overhead wires are gone. If you live on a street without the wires and poles, you tend to take the clear, unentangled views for granted after a bit -- until you walk a block and see what streets look like with them.

Utility undergrounding is a good-times venture. When the economy thrives, the city can afford to be expansive in its beautification measures. In May (of 2009) the Board of Supervisors considered adding undergrounding to a streets repair bond measure. But the prospects for the added expense were not good, and the idea was dropped. In a few weeks, so was the bond measure. Telephone surveys among likely voters put a damper on the prospects at the polls.

The cost to underground one mile in the city is approximately $6.7 million in 2009 dollars, according to the Department of Public Works. Of San Francisco's 1278 roadway miles, 470 have been undergrounded to date.

How does NOPA fare with undergrounding? We're doing well enough, especially compared to many other neighborhoods. Of NOPA's 71 blocks*, 27 are already undegrounded. That's 38% of the total.

Which NOPA streets are clear of the poles and wires? All the perimeters: Fell, Masonic, Turk, and Divisadero. And one more street: Golden Gate. Anyone know why and when Golden Gate received the special treatment? Perhaps when it served as a feeder for Central Freeway traffic.

District Five has the second highest number of curb miles undergrounded in the city: 59% of its 67 miles. District 3 is at the top with 70%, while Districts 11 sits at only 1% and District 10 at 12%. There's a whopping big need for some geographic equity when the economy improves.

How Separated Bikeways Will Benefit NOPA

A Vancouver B.C. street with raised and tinted bikeway Flickr Photo by Bejan

Market Street's separated bike lane with soft-hit posts

The North Panhandle and adjacent neighborhoods will experience a huge boost to their overall livability when the city installs separated bikeways, also known as cycle tracks, along busy east-west and north-south traffic corridors. NOPA's most intractable traffic and street problems could be resolved, and tensions among people walking, biking, or driving would be greatly reduced. The risks for cyclists on Fell at the Arco station could be minimized. The narrow Fell bike lane could be widened for safety. The multi-use Panhandle Path could be improved for people walking, running, or biking more slowly and become more family-friendly. The bike-risky stretch of Oak between Baker and Scott (now without a bike lane) could be avoided or equipped with a safer biking facility.

Separated bikeways would also accommodate the many NOPA residents who want to bike for everyday transportation but are reluctant to ride along fast-moving vehicles. The new-style bike lanes would also serve the thousands of people who commute by bike everyday. With more people on bikes there would be fewer in cars, opening up the streets and parking spaces and reducing oil consumption. Cyclists with a safe on-road route would have little reason to bike on sidewalks.

Separated bikeways in NOPA will bring an innovation in traffic design to a residential neighborhood in the city. So far only Market Street features green-painted bike lanes with soft-hit posts for a degree of separation.

Other cities initiated the new bikeways and have since added enhancements for greater safety. Many of these designs separate the bikeways vertically and horizontally from walkways and traffic lanes. The tracks are raised two to three inches higher than the street level for a greater sense of safety for cyclists, and parking lanes or landscaped medians create buffers between people on bikes or those walking or driving.

In NOPA Fell and Oak streets are the most obvious sites for this "next generation" of bike lanes, although installation of a two-way track on just one of the streets will likely be more feasible than a one-way treatment on both. Fell street receives more attention from cyclists and traffic engineers due to the existing bike lane from Scott to Baker and the risks along the Arco station at Divisadero. However, the north side of Oak from Scott to Stanyan may be the better choice.Whichever street is selected for the new bikeway will present challenges, including the gas stations along both streets.

Masonic Avenue is currently a designated bike route, but most bicyclists avoid the risks from speeding traffic and narrow lanes. Many ride the extra-wide sidewalks as a safer choice. Since Masonic is the only direct north-south route in the area, the city needs to accommodate the people who want to bike the street safely. The Municipal Transportation Agency has initiated a community planning process to bring traffic calming to Masonic, and a separated bike lane may be presented as a strategy at the next neighborhood meeting.*

Changes to the traffic system always appear daunting at the onset, but Fell, Oak, Masonic and the Panhandle Path have been reconfigured during previous decades to accommodate new traffic realities. One of the most significant developments for San Francisco streets in recent years has been the 50% surge in the number of bicyclists. Most NOPA residents have noticed far more people biking on neighborhood streets.

How likely are cycle tracks for NOPA? City planners and the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition staff already target separated bikeways as the next step for a more livable city. Due to the city's bike and vehicle traffic flow, NOPA's corridors are on the short list of candidates.

Take a look at Vancouver's experience with separated bikeways in the video below:

Correction: Exit from Arco into Westbound Fell Traffic Legal

Motorists exiting the Arco service station onto Fell Street may legally cross the solid white stripe and enter the westbound traffic lane. I mistakenly stated in a post last week that the new traffic configuration for Fell Street motorists approaching Divisadero limited Arco customers to only turning left onto Divisadero Street. However, after a review of the California Vehicle Code (CVC), it's clear that there's nothing in the CVC that states road users cannot cross a solid line and, therefore, are not required to turn left at this intersection. The state code does require the driver of any vehicle about to enter or cross a street from any private property to yield the right-of-way to all traffic "close enough to constitute an immediate hazard." (CVC 21804a)

This conclusion was confirmed in recent email correspondence between John Rogers, a BIKE NOPA reader and daily bike commuter on Fell, and James Shahamiri, a traffic engineer for the Municipal Transportation Agency. Shahamiri wrote, "It continues to be legal for vehicles to exit the gas station and to turn left onto Fell, either to merge with through traffic on Fell, or to turn left on Divisadero." Rogers' inquiry to MTA was independent of my own coverage of the ongoing developments at this troubled intersection. He provided the emails to me directly.

Although Rogers wrote that he believed the new configuration made biking through the Fell Street segment even more risky than before, Shahamiri replied that the addition of the left turn lane "has not changed the interaction between cars and bicycles." He explained that the previous part-time tow-away area acted as a left-turn pocket. Under the new arrangement, that pocket now functions on a full-time basis.

A final note: while Arco customers have flexibility upon exiting the station, westbound Fell traffic can only turn left onto southbound Divisadero from the new Left Turn Only lane.

SFMTA Takes the Message to Fell Street Motorists at Arco Entry; Similar Effort Needed at Exit

This week the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) sent interns to advise motorists about the new traffic configuration on Fell Street near the Divisadero intersection and the Arco service station. As first reported by Streetsblog, two interns talked with drivers who were awaiting their turns at the gas pumps -- and blocking the bike lane or sidewalk in the process. The staffers pointed out that the curbside "parking lane" is now clear from 7am to 7pm daily to allow drivers to line up.

After developing the new traffic design and getting it approved through a public hearing process, the SFMTA initially hoped drivers would figure out for themselves that a new curbside queue had been created to keep them from blocking traffic or bicycles. But without any signage or pavement markings to alert them to the change, few if any drivers waited along the curb. Instead, most straddled the bike lane much as before. Tuesday and Thursday of this week the interns distributed a flyer (see photo) to direct drivers to the curb.

SFMTA stands to get a much better reading of the new design's effectiveness once drivers start using the queue. The agency will conduct a study of the experimental design before painting the bike lane solid green and will follow that with an evaluation of the impact of the colored stripe on driver and cyclist behavior.

The Fell Street exit from Arco appears to require a similar intervention as drivers frequently ignore the signs and pavement markings that direct them to use the new curbside Left Turn Only lane. Instead, motorists block the sidewalk, the turning lane, and often the bike lane while waiting to slip into the westbound traffic lane (see video from Friday, July 9th).

Correction, July 14th: Arco customers may legally exit the station and enter the westbound Fell traffic lane, even while crossing a solid white lane. The California Vehicle Code does not prohibit the action, and SFMTA has confirmed this conclusion. (See July 14th post).

Motorists may yet adopt the new configuration and reduce risks for all users of Fell Street. However, the weakest aspects of the design are those that accommodate the entry and exit to Arco. Closing these and permitting access to Arco only from Divisadero would result in far safer passage for pedestrians and cyclists along Fell, but the ripple effect would likely disrupt and slow northbound vehicles on Divisadero, including the #24 bus.

Will Drivers Use the Fell/Arco Queue If They Don't Know It's There?

Fell Street residents cleared the curbside for the (so-far) unused queue

A solid white line breaks into dashes just before Arco entry

Will this sign be enough to guide drivers to queue and out of bicyclists way?

Motorists might line up along the curb to await entry to the Arco service station on Fell Street if they figure out that the new 7am to 7 pm tow away zone was created for them to do just that. But the new traffic design for the block between Scott and Divisadero offers no cues to drivers that the Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) hopes they will get curbside and out of the bike lane. There's no sign or pavement marking that directs drivers to move from the traffic lane into the queue and no parking control officer guiding drivers to the line-up. Instead motorists find the solid white stripes for the bike lane almost all the way up to the Arco entry. Only then does the solid stripe break into a series of dashes to the Divisadero intersection. Most drivers do not cross solid white lines. Why would they decide they should here?

The MTA hopes motorists will figure out the new lane configuration on their own. According to one of the agency's traffic engineers, the city does not regulate or mark entrances to private driveways. The city might not want to accommodate a private business with signage or lane markings, but one of the stated intentions for the new design is to get motorists into the queue and out of the bike lane. At this location, it seems, the MTA has set the dinner table but neglected to send invitations or directions.

After a study of the just-installed changes, the MTA expects to paint the bike lane a solid green from Scott to Divisadero and also add a dashed indicator line to guide drivers into the left turn lane. The agency hopes that the wide green stripe will be a cue to drivers to not block the lane and to move into the queue instead. But when motorists want to exit Arco on Fell, the MTA anticipates the solid green line -- as well as the solid white line -- will discourage crossovers into the westbound traffic lane. It seems a bit confusing in intent and execution.

No one expected these changes to be the perfect solution to the existing traffic tangle on the block, and MTA deserves credit for experimenting with strategies to accommodate all users of the road and sidewalk. But without some guidance to drivers and enforcement, the MTA's impact studies may reflect more the simple need to provide explicit directions to the queue and less the overall effectiveness of the line-up itself.

Fell Street Gets Striped; Motorists Find Many Changes

Two new bicyclist icons for the bike lane approaching Arco station and at exit.

"Do Not Block Sidewalk": no respect during its first two days

Arco attendant helped guide customers in during striping operation, but provided no intervention with sidewalk blocking

City paint crews took advantage of the dry weather today and striped Fell Street for the new traffic design that may improve safety and traffic flow for bicyclists, pedestrians, and motorists. People on bikes will find the same continuous, straight-ahead bike lane, but everyone should expect motorists to be surprised and confused with lane changes. And no one should be surprised when some drivers ignore the new design.

An aerial view would be best for getting a sense of the lane changes, but here's perhaps the next best option with words and photos:

• motorists in the far left traffic lane will find a solid do-not-cross stripe up to the new mid-block access to the queue for Arco (between 7am and 7pm daily)
• motorists in this same far left lane will no longer be able to turn left onto Divisadero; "No Left Turn" is stenciled on the pavement
• the only way motorists are allowed to turn left on Divisadero is from a new curbside Left Turn Only lane; there are dashed stripes starting at the Arco entry for drivers to move into this turn lane
• Arco customers can exit onto Fell as usual (as well as onto Divisadero) but they cannot (or at least should not) cross the solid stripe into the westbound traffic lanes

The lane configurations represent major changes for how motorists use this block of Fell Street, and both in-person guidance and enforcement will be needed initially. The tow-away signs have been posted for 24 hours now, but as of noon today the parking spots just east of Arco were mostly full. One resident chose to block half the sidewalk by parking in the driveway. And the new "Do Not Block Sidewalk" directive was virtually ignored, or not seen, by Arco customers.

Bicyclists and motorists might encounter the most difficulty at the Arco exit with drivers waiting to push into the westbound traffic lane and thus blocking left-turners and cyclists wanting to cross Divisadero. Although many cyclists want to see the Fell Street entry to Arco closed for safer travel, the new traffic design may present greater conflicts at this exit.

SFMTA will evaluate all the changes during the next several weeks.

Fell Street Tow Away Signs Posted before Arco/Divisadero

Fell Street, southside, before Divisadero and Arco station, new 7 to 7 No Parking

Parking restricted to allow queue for motorists seeking Arco gas

From Arco entry on Fell to Divis: no stopping ANYTIME

San Francisco's heavy summer mist, fog, rain splatters -- all of them -- prevented striping of the bike lane and marking the queue space for motorists along Fell Street. Sunday's and today's fine weather is now really expected to permit SFMTA's full installation of the hoped-for safety improvements on Fell early this week.

There's one more sign that I missed during my photo stop: Tow Away Zone round-the-clock for the two to three former parking spaces between the Arco entry and exit. Clearing these spaces creates much greater visibility for all road and sidewalk/crosswalk users approaching Divisadero.

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) .

Fossil Fool The Bike Rapper at BP Oil Protest

Everything goes better with Fossil Fool, and the Bike Rapper gave protesters and advocates a boost from on high as he rolled alongside the BP/Arco Oil Spill protest on Fell Street Friday night. After launching the biggest kickstand around for his tall bike (a variation of the Lunar Lander kickstand), Bike Rapper got down to the issue on the street. Here's a clip:

Safe Passage for All: Arco at Fell & Divisadero Closed Thursday Afternoon

Arco Station, Divisadero entry...closed to business, "system is down for a 2-3 hours"

How much safer, smoother it could be for people biking and driving

No blocked bike lanes, traffic lanes or sidewalks today

People biking, walking, or driving as they approached Divisadero from Fell Street this afternoon encountered something seldom seen: no blocked bike lanes, no obstructed crosswalks, and no backed-up traffic lanes. The street and the sidewalk were all-clear.

Bicyclists had a clear, unobstructed view ahead and could remain in the lane. Walkers had the full sidewalk to themselves -- no motorists idling their vehicles across it and no bicyclists on the sidewalk not wanting to risk the usual tangle of vehicles lining up for entry to Arco. And no drivers fuming while waiting behind the queue of other motorists wanting cheap gas.

The attendant at the quiet station told me simply that the "system was down for two to three hours" this afternoon. What a difference.

Mural In Progress: New Green Bike Lane on Fell to Have San Francisco Panorama for Company

Surface prepped, sketched, and advisory posted

From this to the wall, a profusion of iconic San Francisco and flowers to match diversity

The block of Fell Street between Scott and Divisadero -- an essential link in the Wiggle Bike Route -- will soon greet pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists with a bright splash of color featuring iconic San Francisco sights and symbols of the city's diversity. With great timing, a new mural is being sketched and painted along the block that has been the focus of much frustration, contention, and risk. Earlier this month the SFMTA advanced a traffic plan that the agency hopes will improve safety for all road and sidewalk users. One element of the proposal is a green-painted bike lane to guide cyclists and give motorists a visual cue to share the road with bikers. Weather permitting, the mural will be completed this week to make the block a visual treat for all.

Marina Perez-Wong, 3rd generation San Franciscan and muralist

Marina: and a bicyclist too!

Marina Perez-Wong's portfolio convinced the owners of the building at the SW corner of Fell and Scott that she was the artist they wanted for their mural. Perez-Wong has been painting murals for four years since graduation from the California College of Arts. She is a third generation San Franciscan who grew up in the Mission with murals all around her. She applied to the Street Artist Program of the San Francisco Arts Commission and was selected to join a pool of artists ready to create murals at selected locations in the city.

"The owners had a few requirements," Perez-Wong explained. "They wanted the Golden Gate Bridge, a cable car, and a bike rider in the mural." The Alamo Square Neighborhood Association (ASNA)* wanted the mural to reflect the neighborhood, its postcard-row houses and its stunning park. And Perez-Wong was hoping to include a political statement. In the end, she included the owners' wishes, tried to accommodate ASNA's interests, and muted the political angle. "Most people travel this block on bike or in a car," she said. "I want the mural to be an easier read for them while travelling."

Perez-Wong decided to focus on the historic diversity of neighborhood residents. In the middle of her work she placed the Hall of Flowers from Golden Gate Park, a structure that houses a rich mix of plants from all over the world. She will also feature flowers geographically associated with Western Addition populations: African violets, dahlias from Mexico, Japanese cherry blossoms, and several native flowers too. "Now everybody is here in the neighborhood," she added.

To complete her work, Perez-Wong ("Micho P") had help yesterday from Rashad, who was doing some brush work, and from Ernesto Aguiler who laughed when Perez-Wong described him as "an assistant who saves Marina's ass."

Street art, a traffic-calmed corridor, and a green bike lane -- all signs of another more livable space in the city. But, does anyone in NOPA have potential mural space for Perez-Wong's more political vision?

* ASNA will cover the cost of the graffiti-resistant coating for the mural, according to board member Gus Hernandez. Something new: ASNA has a new website here.

You might also want to view BIKE NOPA's "Murals of NOPA" series.