DPW Advances Paving Plans for Steiner/Sanchez Bike Blocks to June

A bumpy ride over temporary trench fill on Steiner Street

The Department of Public Works (DPW) will repave ahead of schedule several blocks of the Wiggle bicycle route due to the poor surface conditions following recent utility construction. Steiner Street north of Duboce to Waller Street will be resurfaced curb-to-curb in June of this year rather than August. The blocks are an essential segment of the Wiggle east-west bike route. As part of the same work order, DPW will apply new asphalt, also curb-to-curb, to Sanchez Street south of Duboce to 14th.

The decision to expedite the paving follows complaints from several cyclists about the especially bumpy surface left by a contractor working for the Water Department along the south side of the streets. The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition (SFBC) requested a speedier response to the problem, and DPW decided it would be less costly to resurface the blocks completely in June rather than make a temporary, partial fix now only to tear up the street again for a full make-over in August as scheduled.

The blocks just north and south of Duboce have been a problem for cyclists for at least the last two years. As reported here, DPW recently repaved the north side of Steiner from Duboce to Herman because of even-worse conditions following winter rains and construction on the block. The south bound lanes of the affected blocks now have a badly-resurfaced utility trench that was meant to be temporary. DPW hoped to wait until August to remedy the situation, especially with the department's tight budge for street repairs. As a result of DPW's re-assessment of the street conditions and SFBC's advocacy, cyclists will soon have a safer route.

Steiner Street on the Wiggle NOW Safer

Seth Fischer is all for a smoother, safer Steiner Street on his commute

Surprise for cyclists turning northbound on Steiner from Duboce

One smooth 1/2 block; the southbound lane still needs work

This is why SFBC Good Roads Campaign blew the whistle on unsafe surface

Seth Fischer knows a smooth surface and that's what he got Thursday morning for his regular Wiggle spin from Duboce and northbound on Steiner. This stretch between Duboce and Herman has been one eyesore and hazard for some time. The Department of Public Works (DPW) has filled hole upon hole here in the past, but after the rains and especially the SFPUC/Water Department's construction on the south side of the street, only one option remained. Grind it out and add new smooth asphalt.

Neal Patel, Community Planner for the SF Bicycle Coalition, might have been the first to fully appreciate the change in the surface. Last night his ride on Steiner brought one huge smile from the just-completed paving. Just last week he was on the block with DPW reps urging quick action for the street defects. "As soon as the rain stopped enough for them to get out there, work crews took care of the problem," Patel said, "and they did a great job."

So, cyclists, enjoy the northbound lane, and here's the story on the bumpy utility trench work on Steiner southbound from Waller to Duboce. SFBC is also pushing for this work to be either re-applied or smoothed out by some other means as soon as possible. DPW managers are working with SFPUC to address the problem. Normally if utility work involves a cut that is 25% or longer of the given block, the full length of the block from curb to mid-point needs to be repaved. In this case, the city allowed a waiver since these blocks are due to be re-paved curb-to-curb after August 1st of this year. Budgets are tight, and SFBC volunteers* report just the real hazards to the city, not the regular inconveniences of the road. Given the huge amount of bicycle traffic that the Wiggle gets everyday, a wait of seven months or more seemed unwise for either the cyclists or the city's liability status.

This morning I also walked the block of Sanchez south of Duboce. Cyclists know how bad this block has been as well. A neighbor and homeowner from that block stopped by to chat -- and complain about the terrible street surface SFPUC left in its wake once they believed construction was done. After he heard about SFBC's efforts to get these streets smoothed, he smiled and said, "It's great to work on these problems as a community together; I really appreciate that the bike coalition is working on this." He also said he was going to get his neighbors to call 311 requesting a better pavement job.

*Full disclosure: Along with several other volunteers, I am a member of the SFBC Good Roads Crew.

Wiggle and Waller Set for Surface Relief

Resurfacing underway on McAllister Street last year

NOPA cyclists get around town a lot, and any time they find a newly resurfaced street it's pure bliss. "If only more streets could be like this," is a common wish, a mix of appreciation and wistfulness. Even as the city struggles to find new revenue for badly needed street repair, a scaled-back schedule of repaving brings some bright prospects. A recent request for construction bids from the Department of Public Works identifies three popular cycling streets for the surface makeovers they deserve. Later this summer biyclists can anticipate much smoother spinning along these routes:

• Waller Street, from Stanyan to Buena Vista
• Sanchez, from 17th Street to Duboce
• Steiner, from Duboce to Waller

Just a block of the Waller project is part of a bike route, but cyclists use this full stretch in the Haight all the time. The Sanchez work will give a huge boost to safer, easier biking in the Castro and Duboce Park areas, especially the block before Duboce which has long resembled grinding over a washboard. And the three small blocks of Steiner from Duboce to Waller deserve a celebration all their own when their much-repaired, rough surfaces get the smooth treatment. Blocks of the Wiggle bike route are included in both the Sanchez and Steiner projects.

The Department of Public Works continues to work with the SF Bicycle Coalition to prioritize bike route blocks for repaving when possible, and these additions to the schedule are a few of the benefits of that cooperation. Something to look forward to this summer.