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.

Another Neighborhood Says No to SFgo: Hayes Valley agrees with NOPA and Alamo Square (But Will Consider More Modest Design)

SFgo sign standard formerly on Oak Street, now in storage

SFgo wants to erect signs on Gough and Franklin to direct drivers to parking garages

Hayes Valley neighbors want more of this, less of speeding motorists

Hayes Valley residents oppose placing "freeway-style" SFgo signs on Gough and Franklin Streets with arguments similar to those cited earlier by North Panhandle and Alamo Square residents. In an April 2nd letter to the Municipal Transportation Agency's (MTA) SFgo managers, the Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association (HVNA) presented six objections to the proposed "changeable message signs":

• the signs would cement Franklin and Gough as "one-way couplets moving cars swiftly" when the city's Market and Octavia plan as well as the Hayes community's vision for the streets includes greater shared spaces and possibly two-way traffic
• the main purpose of the SFgo signs appears to be suggesting that parking will be easy in the neighborhood; HVNA prefers people not getting in their cars at all and instead walking, bicycling and using public transportation
• the signs (with messages about parking) would be most relevant during events -- brief periods that do not justify placing permanent fixtures on local streets
• the size and style of the signs "look like freeway signs meant to be viewed by motorists speeding at 45 mph or greater"
• a parking sign for the Civic Center Garage should be placed closer to the Performing Arts Garage with a more modest and less imposing scale and design
• rather than a single focus on parking availability, the signs should also advise motorists to slow down and recognize that people on foot and bike are using the streets

Jason Henderson, Chair of the HVNA Transportation and Planning Committee, drafted the letter to SFgo following a March presentation to the group by SFgo Assistant Manager Cathal Hennessey. Like the North Panhandle and Alamo Square neighborhood associations earlier this year, Henderson expressed his organization's support for the MTA's Integrated Transportation System (ITS) with upgrades to the city's traffic signal network by laying fiber optics underground. Nevertheless, he wrote, "I must inform you that HVNA overwhelmingly objects to the changeable messaging sign SFgo is proposing." He concluded, "We envision a longer term deployment of ITS that integrates transit first policies, cordon congestion pricing, and traffic calming rather than one that indirectly or unwittingly encourages driving."

SFgo managers undertook the March and April outreach to Hayes Valley residents, businesses, and arts organizations as a result of the project's experience in the NOPA and Alamo Square neighborhoods. Last August the freeway-style signs (without the message boards) were erected on Oak and Fell Streets near Divisadero with minimal notice to residents or to Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi's office. The sign standards met with immediate protests and a campaign to bring them down. Neighbors believed the signs gave a "freeway driving" message, negated the traffic-calming improvements underway on Divisadero, and would distract drivers more than inform them, thus creating more risk for people on foot and bicycles. The North Panhandle Neighborhood Association and the Alamo Square Neighborhood Association voted to oppose the SFgo signs and took their message to Mirkarimi's office and to MTA's Executive Director Nathaniel (Nat) P. Ford. In late February of this year SFgo removed the Oak and Fell signs. A street-level, portable message sign was proposed for Fell Street to direct drivers to Concourse Authority Garage in Golden Gate Park but to date nothing has come of the idea.

Cheryl Liu, SFgo Manager, told BIKE NOPA, "We learned about doing outreach, and we will go back to the Hayes Valley group with new options." She said SFgo was receiving design assistance from SFPark -- another MTA program -- and two sign variations will likely result. "One will be somewhat like the current ones in SOMA and another will be a smaller, lower sign for other areas." Liu was encouraged by the option that HVNA proposed: a lower standard placed on a bulbout without an arm reaching over the street.

Arts organizations in the Civic Center and Hayes Valley area are especially interested in SFgo signs, according to Liu. "They want the signs to display parking messages, giving motorists updates on the number of available spaces in nearby garages." But HVNA member Henderson said his group has something more in mind in addition to parking updates. "We do see some use for the variable message signs," he wrote in an email. "For example, signs that say "next time take transit" or "congestion is here everyday, please take transit" or bicyclists have right to full lane" and "watch for pedestrians." SFgo will present the new design to HVNA later this month. Henderson is taking a "wait and see" position, but Liu concluded, "It's likely the signs will happen."

After NOPA, Alamo Square, and now Hayes Valley, Liu said they're not looking to other neighborhoods, "We learned our lesson." Yet SFgo will consider erecting a sign to direct motorists to the Japantown garage, and the program hopes to place eleven message boards north and south of Market Streets.

Fell, Oak Streets SFgo Signs Are Down and Out

From this ....on Fell Street

to this...all that remains of Fell Street Sfgo sign

Early Saturday morning the SFMTA removed the much-maligned SFgo "freeway-style signs" from Fell and Oak Streets near Divisadero. A contracting firm lifted, dismantled, and drove the sign standards to storage at the City Yard on Rankin Street. Neighbors in the North Panhandle and Alamo Square districts strongly objected to the placement of the "message display boards" (SFMTA's preferred description) nearly as soon as they were erected last summer, as noted in this first SFgo post last August. NOPNA and Alamo Square Neighborhood Association (ASNA) representatives worked with Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi's office and with SFMTA Traffic Engineer Jack Fleck and his staff to negotiate the removal of the SFgo signs.

"This is a great day for the neighborhood," cheered former NOPNA President Leela Gill when told of the sign removal Saturday morning. Gill and many other neighbors objected to the SFgo posts for several reasons as outlined in previous BIKE NOPA posts. Residents felt the design of the signs -- so similar to freeway message boards, if not the same size -- would give drivers one more visual cue that fast driving is expected. Others also felt the signs were completely counter to the revitalization of the Divisadero Corridor still underway through the neighborhoods. Most recently, the city capped the street lights along Divisadero to give a softer glow and more attractive look -- in stark contrast to the previous cobra-head design lights and the SFgo standards as well.

The Oak Street sign was abandoned by SFMTA relatively early during the protests, but the Fell Street sign was erected partly to advise motorists heading toward Golden Gate Park museums when the Concourse Authority garage is full. Inner Sunset residents have been frustrated by the traffic congestion as museum-goers sought street parking in their neighborhood. Supervisor Mirkarimi's office expects to negotiate a plan involving SFMTA, the neighborhood associations, and representatives from the Concourse Authority, the Academy of Sciences, and the deYoung Museum to place an experimental, portable street-level message board to advise motorists where to seek alternative parking when the Concourse garage is full.

A personal note: Thank you to Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi and his aides Vallie Brown and Jeremy Pollock for their research, receptivity to the neighborhoods, and persuasion with SFMTA on the SFgo issue. Thanks also to SFMTA staff: Jack Fleck and SFgo Program Manager Cheryl Liu and Assistant Manager Cathal Hennessey for their responsiveness and willingness to find alternative solutions. And, most importantly, to everyone from the Alamo Square and North Panhandle neighborhoods who signed petitions, attended meetings, and sent emails to have the SFgo signs removed. Much appreciation to this morning's "eyes on the street", Christian Nguyen, who alerted BIKE NOPA of the SFgo action.

No Criminal Charges in Fell Street Pedestrian Fatality, Yet DA's Office Finds "Fault was Split, Fault was Joint"

• 
  See related post here about SFPD pedestrian stings at dangerous NOPA intersections.
  
  

Memorial to Melissa Hope Dennison on Fell Street

The San Francisco District Attorney’s office will not file criminal charges against the motorist who struck and killed Melissa Hope Dennison while she was crossing Fell Street last September. Assistant District Attorney (ADA) Brian Buckelew told BIKE NOPA in an interview last Friday that the DA’s office determined that “a criminal case could not be proven beyond reasonable doubt.” However, Buckelew added, “There was fault split between the driver and the pedestrian; the fault was joint.”

Melissa Dennison, 24, of San Francisco was a recent San Francisco State University graduate, according to friends who spoke with the San Francisco Examiner (Sept. 16. 2009) after she was killed on the morning of September 15^th. She died at the scene. The driver of the vehicle that struck her is a 19 year-old man who was driving his Honda Civic to work from his home on the Peninsula. His mother accompanied him.

Dennison’s death occurred at a time when North Panhandle and Alamo Square residents were renewing their efforts to persuade the city to slow the frequently speeding traffic on Fell Street. The Fell and Broderick intersection is also just a block away from the still-standing freeway-style SFgo sign that neighbors objected to as a potential visual cue to motorists to increase their speed on the residential corridor. As reported in Streetsblog, bicycle and pedestrian advocates are now urging the State of California to enact “vulnerable road user” legislation that will increase penalties when a motorist carelessly or inattentively drives and injures or kills a pedestrian or cyclist.

“Not a Hit and Run Case”

“This was a really tragic accident,” ADA Buckelew said. He prefaced his remarks by noting “it’s my understanding” and then explained that this was not a hit and run case. “The driver drove around the block and perhaps panicked, but then he returned.” The driver’s passenger, his mother, explained the delay in returning to the scene to an officer in a statement given after she and her son were taken to SFPD Park Station for questioning. The officer wrote in the SFPD Incident Report, “As they got to the intersection of Broderick they believed they hit a person after the window caved in. She repeatedly asked to him to go back to the scene while they made several trips around the block.”

Motorist’s Speed a Factor

Buckelew said the motorist was travelling at a speed that was “less than originally thought,” referring to media reports on the day of the crash that Dennison had been struck with considerable force by the motorist. (The Incident Report concludes that the “force of impact caused Party #2 (pedestrian) to be propelled into the air with upper part of body contacted the right front windshield and hood of vehicle #1 (the driver).” But the ADA later stated, “I believe in the report speed was a contributing factor” that prompted the decision that the “fault was split” between the motorist and Dennison.

The driver, in his statement to SFPD, estimated his speed as 35 to 40 mph, and he noted that, as he approached the intersection, “the light had just turned green.” The speed limit on that section of Fell Street is 30 mph. An SFPD officer who arrived at the scene soon after the crash noted in the incident report that “it was still dark with overhead luminated lighting.”

Against the Light but in the Crosswalk?

Buckelew said Dennison “seemed to dash” into the street although the light was green for westbound Fell Street traffic. Although the ADA first stated that Dennison “was not in the crosswalk,” he later qualified that assessment by noting that the driver of the vehicle that hit her was the only witness to state Dennison was outside the crosswalk. “The driver put her just outside the crosswalk; she was close to the crosswalk,” Buckelew concluded.

However, the driver’s statement included in the Incident Report appears to contradict that conclusion. “Prior to the intersection of Broderick Street, he (the driver) observed the light had just turned green and a SUV stopped in front of him at the intersection. To avoid from making contact, he turns into lane 3 (the far right lane). He does not see the pedestrian in the crosswalk and hits the pedestrian and keeps going.” The SFPD officer who wrote the narrative for the report also refers to “Party #2 (pedestrian) walking northbound in the crosswalk.” In addition, the incident diagram included in the report, shows the driver had entered the west-side crosswalk and that Dennison was in the crosswalk travelling toward the north side of Fell. The diagram does not show a specific point of contact. It should be noted that the investigation of the crash continued after the initial accident report was filed. The driver of the SUV did not remain at the scene or give a statement to the police.

Factual Diagram, SFPD Incident Report, Collision at Fell & Broderick Streets

SFPD representatives did not indicate whether a re-enactment of the collision had been staged as part of the investigation. But, in a few brief moments, the driver noted that the light had “just turned green,” he entered the intersection at 35-40 mph, and the pedestrian had already reached the far right lane, more than 2/3 of the way across the width of the street. Had Dennison started crossing the street, in or very close to the crosswalk, at the very end of her right-of-way light?

The right-of-way (determined by the traffic signal and pedestrian crossing light) is more important for determining fault than whether the pedestrian was in the crosswalk. Manish Champsee, president of WalkSF, has emphasized that California state law states that an intersection need not be marked to be considered a crosswalk. And, as SFPD Lt. Lynn Tomioka told Streetsblog on the day of the collision, “Whether she was in the crosswalk or not, the driver needs to proceed with caution.”

“Very, Very High Blood Alcohol Content”

Laboratory tests undertaken after Melissa Dennison’s death found that she had “very, very high blood alcohol content,” according to Buckelew. The ADA did not indicate any similar findings for the driver.

“A Delay in Evaluation”

Melissa Dennison was killed on September 15^th. Captain Teresa Barrett of SFPD Park Station explained that “when there’s a hit-and-run case, it goes from the station to downtown.” The initial statements from witnesses were taken at Park Station, but the investigation was conducted primarily by the Hit-and-Run unit. Inspector Laurie Caddigan of the unit explained that investigations of cases such as this can sometimes continue for several months and include an autopsy and full medical report. For this case, Caddigan told BIKE NOPA on December 8^th of last year that the department’s legal division “was going to make some reports,” but her unit’s investigation was completed.

Brian Buckelew told BIKE NOPA that “there was a delay in evaluation” in this case, and he indicated that the responsibility of both parties (“fault was split, fault was joint”) was the cause of extensive examination and consideration within the District Attorney’s office.

Conclusion

Two parties – a motorist and a pedestrian – crashed in a tragic incident on Fell Street. The actions of both are judged at fault, to unstated degrees. The pedestrian died. The motorist may have suffered emotional distress from the collision, but he will not be penalized or fined and his license will not be suspended. At least not in criminal court proceedings. Even his name has not been revealed. Perhaps this sad and unfortunate event on NOPA streets will spur the discussion of new legislation for "vulnerable road users" as a means of authorizing consequences for a motorist when a degree of fault is determined.**

For several weeks following the death of Melissa Dennison, friends maintained a memorial at Fell and Broderick streets.

* Contact Information:

• Public Affairs, District Attorney’s Office: (415) 553-1751
• Public Affairs, SFPD: (415) 553-1651; SFPD District Stations info here
• Record Room (to request a SFPD Incident Report, once the case is closed: (415) 553-1386

** For a review of vulnerable road user legislation, see this article at the site of the Virginia Bicycling Federation.

Supervisor Mirkarimi Proposes Pilot Project for Fell Street Traffic Management

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

Oak Street sign not needed, city looking to store it

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Not for NOPA: SFgo on 10th

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

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

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

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

MTA Updates NOPA on Traffic Improvements; Fell/Oak Traffic Signals Timed to 25 mph in March 2010

Anyone with a garage big enough to store the Oak Street SFgo Sign?

The Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) expects to re-time the signal lights on Fell and Oak Streets to 25 mph as part of traffic calming measures in the North Panhandle and Alamo Square neighborhoods. Cathal Hennessey of MTA's Division of Sustainable Streets, SFgo Section, confirmed in an email today that MTA expects to implement the plan in March 2010. Traffic calming advocates generally support the change, but several want MTA to go further. Michael Smithwick of the Alamo Square Neighborhood Association (ASNA) wants the posted speed limits to also be lowered to 25 mph. "That may help dissuade drivers who start at the back of the pack and accelerate to 40 mph as is currently the case," Smithwick noted in an email to BIKE NOPA last month. Hennessey will discuss the traffic signal measure along with other street safety issues at the January 21st meeting of the North of the Panhandle Neighborhood Association (NOPNA).*

Hennessey also wrote that the MTA will support the decisions about the SFgo "variable message signs" reached by stakeholders at a January 29th City Hall meeting organized by Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi's office. That gathering will include representatives of District 5 neighborhood associations, the MTA, and the Golden Gate Park Concourse Authority, the Academy of Sciences, and the de Young Museum. The neighborhood associations met last November to discuss the controversial signs on Fell and Oak Streets near Divisadero. Once MTA disclosed that the primary purpose of the Fell Street sign was to advise motorists when the Concourse garage was full, the neighborhood representatives strongly suggested that the concourse and museum authorities be engaged directly in further discussions. While many NOPA and Alamo Square neighbors have resisted the "freeway-style" SFgo signs, Inner Sunset neighbors want the city to use such signs to direct the overflow traffic away from their streets when the museum garage is closed and motorists seek street parking. Hennessey also restated that the MTA intends to remove the Oak Street SFgo sign. He wrote that the agency is "currently seeking a site capable of storing the sign."

The red light camera promised for installation at the Fell/Masonic intersection is still in the works, although the cameras at that dangerous intersection are "at least one year away," according to Hennessey. "The design is almost complete," he explained, "but the MTA needs to find a contract to tie this project to." He noted that the agency might also include the Fell/Masonic cameras in the new red light photo enforcement contract due for signing later this year.

Finally, the traffic tangle on Fell Street at the ARCO service station appears to have received the least attention of all measures since MTA proposed a solution prior to the September NOPNA meeting. On that occasion MTA backtracked on the one idea -- removing parking spaces to allow for a queue of vehicles awaiting access to the gas station -- and instead reviewed the several options that might improve the dangerous situation for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists. Hennessey wrote that his understanding is that the MTA Bicycle Project staff "will contact stakeholders with alternatives to address the situation."

The MTA Bicycle Staff has admittedly been busy implementing new bike improvements in the city, but the intent "to contact stakeholders", expressed by Hennessey who works in a different unit, is similar to what the MTA Bike staff told NOPA and Alamo Square neighbors last September. Neighborhood traffic calming advocates and staff of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition have urged the MTA to experiment now with one or more of the already much-studied options, including installation of soft-hit posts as bike lane dividers similar to what the MTA recently placed on Market Street. Andy Thornley, SFBC Project, expressed the frustration felt by cyclists who take the route daily. "It's time -- it's long past due to defend the bike lane and the thousands of people who travel in the bike lane."

*NOPNA Meeting: Thursday, Jan. 21, 7:30 pm

Poleng Lounge, 1751 Fulton, btw Masonic & Central

Everyone welcome.

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.

SF Examiner Picks up the SFgo, Fell/ARCO Issues

A not so busy moment on Fell; other times 4-5 motorists line up in the bike lane

The San Francisco Examiner reported recent developments for two of NOPA's several transportation, livability, and safety issues. Staff writer Will Reisman covered the problems with the traffic tangle on Fell Street at the ARCO service station and the freeway-style SFgo signs still standing on Oak and Fell Streets in a Friday, November 27 article. More extensive updates on the recent meetings related to SFgo and Fell/ARCO appeared here and here in BIKE NOPA. A few new items about the Fell/ARCO trouble spot in the Examiner article:

• SFBC Community Planner Neal Patel suggested "soft-hit posts" would be the most effective way to keep motorists from entering and blocking the Fell bike lane
• A NOPA neighbor -- that would be me -- suggested ARCO should help manage traffic trying to enter the station (currently an ARCO sign advises motorists to not block the driveway without mentioning the sidewalk and the bike lane)
• MTA spokesman Judson True assured Examiner readers that the agency "will continue to work with stakeholders to identify a possible solution" (note: NOPA and Alamo Square neighbors as well as the SFBC identified possible solutions and discussed them with MTA reps at the NOPNA meeting November 19th)
• Solutions that explicitly involve bike lane improvements may have to wait until the bicycle injunction is fully lifted by the SF Superior Court in June 2010 (note: but perhaps traffic management and pedestrian safety might get a nod from the court)
• Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi's office is seeking an opinion from the City Attorney about possible code enforcements to encourage ARCO to address the problem the business helps create
• In case you wondered, gas prices at ARCO are the ninth cheapest in the city

The Examiner piece described the problem with the SFgo signs without providing new information to readers who have been following the issue.

The North Panhandle and Alamo Square neighborhood associations continue to meet with city officials about both these matters as well as the the speeding that occurs on Fell, Oak, and Masonic Avenues.

Supervisor Mirkarimi: Concourse Authority and Golden Gate Park Museums Must Step Up to Help Solve Traffic Problems

One option for Sfgo at the DMV site on Fell Street: not as bad as this

photo-shopped version. See below and our apologies to MTA SFgo staff.

Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi told representatives of District 5 neighborhoods that the Golden Gate Concourse Authority, the California Academy of Science, and the deYoung Museum should be sharing responsibility for finding a solution to the traffic congestion caused by overflow crowds and limited garage parking. "They have to help us with alleviation of this problem," Mirkarimi said. "They haven't stepped up yet." He added that the three organizations wanted the city to erect the SFgo signs to alert motorists when the concourse garage is full, but "they don't help with the cost."

Mirkarimi's comments came toward the end of a Monday afternoon meeting held in City Hall with representatives from five neighborhood associations.* The group gathered to review "alternative options" to the unpopular SFgo signs that first appeared on Oak and Fell Streets last August. Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) Traffic Engineer Jack Fleck, SFgo Manager Cheryl Liu, and Assistant Manager Cathal Hennessey presented the different ways of retaining some version of the SFgo program on Fell Street. They proposed moving the current Fell sign further west alongside the Department of Motor Vehicles near Baker Street, and they suggested a more decorative pole rather than the smooth, harsh "freeway style" treatment.

The real differences appeared with the size of the message board and the placement on the pole:

• one option has the board cantilevered over the parking lane and 18 feet high
• the other possibility mounts the board at the center of the pole just 10 feet high

An improvement for both is the reduction in message board size. The previous model -- and the type used in SOMA -- is large enough for four lines of text; the options above permit only two lines and are less intrusive as a result.

The change that no one would likely object to is the decorative design. We previously suggested here that the DMV site would be an unsightly welcome to Panhandle Park. Even with the reduction in size of the message board sign, the location still seems a poor choice. (And the NOPNA Board of Directors oppose having the SFgo sign anywhere on Fell Street). The other pole with the message board would be placed in the middle of the sidewalk. (Good luck getting ADA clearance, and is't it a bit ironic that a Transit First city might block a sidewalk with a traffic pole?) But don't dwell on these options. The third option is the one likely to be adopted on an experimental basis.

A portable sign much like what appears for special traffic situations was proposed for the DMV site. It has the advantage of being less intrusive and can be used as needed, but its visibility may be blocked by vehicles and it requires one parking space. The sign would be configured for wireless operation and to display variable messages. Mirkarimi judged the portable sign as the only one that would work for the situation at hand.

Much of the discussion among the neighborhood reps centered on more creative solutions to the traffic congestion problems. Susan King of Livable City and a Haight resident, Michael Smithwick of Alamo Square, and other neighbors suggested a range of possibilities including a surcharge on Academy and Museum tickets, a prompt to request text messages about available parking when ordering tickets online, and a pre-paid Muni fare attached to each ticket purchased as ways to increase revenues and encourage transit use.

Others pointed out that neither the Academy nor the deYoung encouraged members to use the Culture Bus when it was still operating. Although the Academy website still advises visitors that "parking is located throughout Golden Gate Park and the neighboring areas," online visitors are strongly encouraged to use Muni or the park shuttle. Patrons who walk, bike, or take public transportation are given a $3 discount.

Supervisor Mirkarimi announced that another meeting would be held next month. That gathering, he said, would include representatives from the Concourse Authority and the museums. "They should have been here today," he said, "we will ask them to be here before January."

A few other items:

• Observers have previously commented that placing a SFgo sign on Octavia Street at the exit of the Central Freeway might be more useful and appropriate. The MTA has judged this location too distant from the Concourse destination to capture motorists' attention and suggest it would fail to alert drivers approaching by Gough Street.
• Richmond District representatives declined participating in the meeting because the Concourse traffic and parking problem was not a significant issue for them.
• Craig Dawson stressed how congested Inner Sunset blocks were more and more of the time, not only when the concourse garage is full but whenever JFK Drive closes. While NOPA and Alamo Square deal with motorists who are often speeding on their way to the park, Inner Sunset neighbors cope with drivers traveling at slower speeds endlessly looking for parking and clogging their neighborhood.
• MTA proposes removing the Oak Street SFgo sign and placing it on 19th Avenue near Ortega Street.
• A request to others at the meeting: please do comment and add more details on your very good ideas for dealing with this problem.

* In addition to NOPNA, the other organizations represented at the meeting were the Alamo Square Neighborhood Association, Cole Valley Improvement Association, the Haight Ashbury Neighborhood Council, and the Inner Sunset Neighborhood Association.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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