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.

Fell Street Bike Lane Gets the Green; Crews Close Arco Entry and Exit for Several Hours

This morning city crews painted the much-discussed block of Fell Street between Scott and Divisadero a long-awaited green stripe -- actually a solid green lane to mid-block and then a dashed green lane for the rest. This latest iteration in the traffic configuration on the block represents one more attempt to lessen the risks to road users, especially bicyclists, and to pedestrians needing safe passage along the Arco station property. The green lane on Fell is the first since Market Street was re-striped to created a more noticeable, safer bikeway. Workers explained that the green paint sprayed on Fell contained less epoxy than the substance applied to Market Street to reduce the odor that can linger for days.

During the morning and early afternoon, the Arco entry and exit along Fell were closed to customers while the bike lane was painted and new bike icons were added.

The Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) will study the impact of the green lane on vehicle and bicycle traffic on the block. At the same time the durability and visibility of the paint itself will be measured to determine its usefulness for other locations in the city, especially those with vehicle traffic on the painted areas.

Fell Street To Get Green Bike Lane Week of August 2nd

Soon to be a green stripe for the full block, Fell between Scott and Divisadero

Update, 5:30 pm: SFMTA has clarified an earlier message about the green bike lane coming to Fell Street. James Shahamiri, traffic engineer, wrote that the agency will not be painting the entire lane solid green. Instead, the green lane will incorporate the dashes in the current white-striped lane. "Where the bicycle lane has solid stripes, the green will be solid," Shahamiri explained. "Once the dashing starts, the green will be dashed too; the white stripes, whether solid or dashed, are the bounding areas for the green color." The end result will be a solid green lane from Scott to the middle of the block and then dashed green areas to the Divisadero intersection.

The much-scrutinized Fell Street bike lane between Scott and Divisadero will be much easier to see when the SFMTA paints it a solid green during the week of August 2nd. James Shahamiri, SFMTA traffic engineer, wrote in an email message that the agency will make one more change before the bike lane goes green.

"Next week two "DO NOT BLOCK BICYCLE LANE" signs will be installed along the approach to the Arco gas station. The week after, the bicycle lane will be painted green."

Shahamiri also explained the changes made to the bike lane yesterday, reported by BIKE NOPA this morning.

"Yesterday, 7/22, we changed the solid bicycle lane striping to a dashed pattern. We thought this would encourage cars to move over the queuing area. We realized that many drivers don't feel comfortable crossing two solid lines, and that by dashing the lines, it's more intuitive that cars can cross over to the queuing space. We also added three more turn arrows in the queuing space to make it clear that the area is a travel lane."

The green bike lane will be installed as bicyclists have expressed increasing frustration with the traffic lane configuration on Fell for motorists approaching Arco. Many cyclists believe that the only way to make the approach to Divisadero safe is to close the Fell entry and exit from Arco altogether. A protest at Arco -- with complaints about the unsafe biking conditions, excessive oil consumption, and the BP Gulf Oil spill -- has been underway for several weeks on Friday afternoons. The Fix Fell and Oak group provides updates on the protests at its Facebook page.

Only one block of Fell, from Scott to Divisadero, will be painted green, but the segment is the most tangled and risky for people on bikes and those who drive due to the Arco station with its curb cuts along the street. The Fell bike lane connects the much-used Wiggle bike route with the Panhandle multi-use path and serves as a primary bikeway in the city.

MTA Tweaks Lane Striping to Direct Drivers into Arco Queue

The arrows and dashed bike lane begins mid-block

The new configuration might nudge more drivers into the queue for Arco

One of the safety advantages of the parking removal is open views for all road users

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) added another feature to the weeks-old traffic lane configuration on Fell Street between Scott and Divisadero. To dispel any reluctance motorists might have had about crossing the solid white lines of the bike lane to access the queue for the Arco service station, SFMTA installed dashed stripes instead. A full 100 feet of dashed lines were added, starting at mid-block. The dashes are wider and easier to see at a glance.

Although SFMTA does not explicitly inform Arco customers about the curbside line-up with street markings, the agency added more left turn arrows beginning at mid-block as well for a total of six. The extra arrows begin about 75 feet before the Arco entry, and were not needed to direct drivers into the left turn onto Divisadero. This fine-tuning of the approach to Arco and Divisadero -- combined with more outreach and media alerts to drivers -- may tip the scale to greater use of the queue.

Bicyclists who took some comfort in the solid stripes of the bike lane along this section of Fell may be frustrated by the change to dashes for half the block. However, the SFMTA still plans to paint the full lane a solid green once impact studies are completed for the lane changes. This new variation to the configuration will require its own evaluation which may result in a slight delay to the installation of the city's first green bike lane other than along Market Street.

SFMTA Tries New Flier for Arco Customers, A Few Heed Advice

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) developed a new flier to inform motorists of the new curbside queue while awaiting their turn at the Arco station. The flier provides clear images of the correct and incorrect ways to use the line-up whereas an earlier version was limited to a photograph of what not to do. Interns began talking with drivers blocking the bike lane on Fell and offering them one of the fliers. I've heard reports that once one driver gets in the queue, others follow, but the practice remains far from the norm.

Interns can reach relatively few people during a one to two hour stint two days a week, but SFMTA regularly provides traffic advisories to the media. The new Arco access lane seems a prime candidate for a similar alert.

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.

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:

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

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

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

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

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

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

MTA Revises Fell/ARCO Traffic Design with Curbside Queue for Vehicles

UPDATE at 4:30 pm, March 16

MTA PLAN FOR FELL/ARCO TRAFFIC FLOW INCLUDES SAN FRANCISCO'S FIRST GREEN BIKE LANE

San Francisco will get its first green bike lane if a proposed design for dealing with the traffic tangle on Fell Street near the ARCO gas station is approved. As reported earlier today, the MTA hopes to increase safety for users of Fell Street leading to the Divisadero Street intersection.

James Shahamiri, Assistant Traffic Engineer for MTA, notified a working group of interested westside residents by email this afternoon of the agency's plan and provided a graphic of the proposal. In his message, Shahamiri wrote:

"The new proposal removes four parking spaces on the south side of Fell, just east of the gas station entrance. This space would be used for vehicles to queue to enter the gas station. Importantly these vehicles would be to the left of the bicycle lane. We are also proposing to color the bicycle lane green. This would be the City's first green bicycle lane. "

Shahamiri also noted that if community outreach and a subsequent public hearing for the removal of parking proceed without major setbacks, MTA staff "could take this to the MTA Board on May 4th for legislation and install shortly thereafter."
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Today's earlier post:

The Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) has revised its traffic plan for the troubled stretch of Fell Street near the ARCO service station. "We have a design hashed out to take out parking on the south side of Fell Street," James Shahamiri, MTA Assistant Traffic Engineer, told BIKE NOPA. The new design would designate the former parking spaces as a curbside queue for motorists awaiting entry to the gas station. Shahamiri said the agency had not yet determined how many parking spots to remove. MTA has recently undertaken observational studies to determine what times of day and night the line-up begins, how many vehicles are in line, and where the access to the queue would be most appropriate. Shahamiri noted that the agency hopes "eventually" to use colored bicycle lanes to guide both cyclists and motorists.

Other elements of the MTA plan include a bicycle lane to the right of the queue, narrower lanes for all traffic, and a well-defined visual cue at the point that motorists cross the bike lane to enter the queue. Shaharimi described the traffic lane configuration left-to-right (travelling west on Fell) as the queue of vehicles, the bike lane, three lanes of traffic, and curbside parking on the north side.

The MTA decided to abandon its previous proposal, according to Shahamiri, that included soft-hit posts along the bicycle path as reported here. Shahamiri said he expected to share the design proposal with an informal working group of interested NOPA and Alamo Square residents by Wednesday morning. He is also scheduled to present the plan at the upcoming meeting of the North of the Panhandle Neighborhood Association (NOPNA) Thursday night.* In addition, Shahamiri emphasized that the MTA will conduct "targeted outreach" to residents of Fell between Scott and Divisadero.

BIKE NOPA asked Shahamiri if MTA intended to wait until the bicycle injunction is finally lifted, possibly in June of this year, before implementing the new traffic design for Fell Street. "We expect to do it sooner," he replied. Bicycle and pedestrian advocates have urged additional traffic design improvements on Fell Street for several years with heightened interest since last summer.

*NOPNA General Membership Meeting

Thursday, March 18th

Jannah Restaurant, 1775 Fulton Street, between Central and Masonic Avenues

7:00 pm, visit with neighbors

7:30 pm, meeting begins

9:00 pm , meeting ends

Seen While Biking: "We Don't Do Stencils"

All in one photo: Divisadero makeover, Fell/ARCO hazard spot,

traffic problems on Fell, and the SFgo sign still standing

The "other" DPW paint crew -- "We don't do stencils" to paraphrase a friendly city worker -- was busy re-striping a bit of Fell Street on either side of Divisadero Tuesday afternoon. To the inquiry "Only four stripes?", the DPW painter confided that they were only supposed to do one. Perhaps there was extra paint for the three additions.

Cyclists who've noticed the partly sunken manhole cover in the bikeway while crossing Divis on Fell: this hazard has been reported and inspected by DPW. The construction firm has been advised to repair the defect. We're monitoring it but don't hesitate to report the problem to 311 if much more time passes.