Halloween is Better Car-Free: NOPA Knows How

Hundreds gather along Grove and Lyon Streets for NOPA Halloween

Grove street in the North Panhandle hosts more car-free events than most any other neighborhood street in San Francisco, and Halloween night was one more walk-everywhere occasion. Hundreds of residents and visitors of all ages trick-or-treated along Grove between Baker and Central Sunday night while others approached on cordoned-off blocks of Lyon street. Kids competed for best costume prizes awarded from a trio of judges including a Frankenstein with a an uncanny resemblance to NOPA's district supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, Jarie Bolander, and Guitar Hero Purvi Sahu. Kids and parents peeked into dark garages, ducked into a special Halloween photo booth, and grabbed some time watching the Giants claim Game 4. The Halloween block party was the largest to date in the six years of the event.

"Panhandle Pathways Crying Out To Be Swept": Park Stewards Seek Help Saturday

Diagram showing Panhandle grassy mounds needing new turf

Panhandle Park Stewards at September workday

Panhandle neighbors and other park users will get together Saturday morning for the always fun and productive monthly workday under the park stewardship program. Dale Danley, leader of the Panhandle Park Stewards, announced today that the focus for volunteers will be the central zone of the park. "The Panhandle's gardener, Guillermo, brought in fresh soil and we'll tend to the children's garden just outside the playground fence," Danley said.

The playground isn't the only spot to get the stewards' attention. Danley added that the paths in the central area are in great need of help by regular and new volunteers.

The connections between the multi-use path and the basketball courts are crying out to be swept! It's time to get a jump on the fall leaves that are already beginning to collect. If you know how to use a broom or a rake, then there's a lot you can contribute. It'll feel good to see the fruits of your labor in the freshly groomed pathways.

After the program is over at around 11 am, Danley will share with the group the renderings and diagrams that illustrate features included in a rehabilitation plan for the central zone of the Panhandle. The proposal is being considered for implementation through the Community Opportunities Fund of the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department (RPD). Danley worked with North of the Panhandle Neighborhood Association (NOPNA) leaders, volunteer designers and other concerned neighbors on the proposal. A primary focus of the plan is to re-build and re-plant the turf areas in the Panhandle's central area between the playground and basketball courts.

The application to RPD included letters of support from Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, SFPD Park Station Acting Captain Mark Solomon, the Kevin Collins Garden Project, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and several neighborhood associations around the Panhandle, including the Haight Ashbury Improvement Association, the Buena Vista Neighborhood Association, the Haight Ashbury Neighborhood Council, and the Cole Valley Improvement Association.

.....................

Panhandle Park Stewards Monthly Workday

Saturday, October 9, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Meet at bulletin board near Kids Playground and Basketball Court

Gloves, equipment, snacks and drinks provided; heavy shoes or boots suggested

For more information: Dale987@gmail.com

The Panhandle Park Stewards meet every second Saturday

City Planners Propose "Once in a Lifetime Opportunity" for Masonic Avenue; Concerns Cited but Community Seems Supportive

More than 125 gathered to hear about the two traffic calming measures

Boulevard street segment on top; Gateway below

Both options add a new triangular parklet near Geary

Masonic Avenue is overdue for a traffic-calming and visual makeover, and last night city planners presented two different ways to get there. At the third of a three-part community planning process, representatives from the Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA), the Planning Department, and the Department of Public Works described two concepts for stopping the speeding, increasing the safety, making the corridor more attractive, and opening the street to all users. The design changes include removal of the tow-away zones during commute hours, bulb-outs at selected intersections, full or partial landscaped medians, a new parklet, bike lanes or bikeways, and removal of some or all street parking. During breakout sessions, a few individuals expressed concerns about traffic and the loss of parking, but overall the group of more than 125 neighbors seemed receptive to the measures.

Javad Mirabdal, director for the Masonic design study, told the group that many streets in the city need traffic calming, but now is the time for Masonic Avenue. In response to a Ewing Terrace neighbor concerned about negative impacts on her block, Mirabdal gave his most impassioned assessment of the project.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. In order to get improvements, you have to give up something. We have limited space. We cannot maintain parking and do the other things at the same time. We're trying to use the existing space as best as possible. We will do our best.

Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi suggested Masonic could re-awaken much like Divisadero as a result of recent traffic calming and street upgrades on that corridor. He also reflected on the seriousness of what the Masonic project addressed. "It would be a dereliction of duty for me -- as well as for all of us -- to not pay attention to the recent tragedies that have occurred on the street."

The proposals are enhanced versions of two options favored by neighbors at the second community meeting held in August. Both Option A and Option C have previously been described here. When neighbors arrived at last night's meeting, they found block-by-block renderings of both treatments along the wall and draped the length of several tables. Now dubbed the Gateway (previously Option A) and the Boulevard (previously Option C), the two were described as hybrids that reflected the survey results from the last meeting.

"Driving along a street like that would be pleasant," Mirabdal remarked as he described the "completely different feeling" that the Boulevard treatment would bring to Masonic. Some of the advantages of this option over the Gateway include:

• 200 new street trees vs. 12o trees
• a full landscaped median vs. median islands along the corridor
• pedestrian refuges at the median vs. bulb-outs on the east side of the street
• a six foot wide , slightly raised bike track vs. a standard five foot wide striped lane
• 125 new light fixtures vs. 100

The full treatment of the Boulevard comes with a projected higher price tag and period of construction: $20 million with 12 to 18 months of construction. The Gateway is expected to cost closer to $15 million with construction requiring 6 to 12 months. The greater cost of the Boulevard is due to a full-length median with more landscaping, the raised-surface of the bicycle track, grade adjustments to driveways, and greater use of lighting and landscaping.

Although the cycle track was not emphasized during the presentation last night, most bicyclists understand the considerable difference in safety between the cycletrack, with its wider, raised surface, and a striped bike lane. While striped lanes are sufficient for some city streets, few bicyclists would feel a simple striping on Masonic afforded them much more safety than the risky conditions now offer.

Removing parking remained a major concern for some, and one resident raised the issue in the discussion period. However, a written audience survey was distributed before the group discussion, and a large number of people left the meeting after completing it. Several in the audience who had attended all three of the community meetings remarked on how little discord and how few objections had been raised about the parking issues.

Last night's large turnout -- nearly twice as many participants as either of the first two community meetings -- was likely the result of the extensive outreach by the city. More than 1400 fliers with meeting information were mailed to every household on Masonic and to all those one-block deep on either side of Masonic. The audience appeared to have many more residents from the surrounding neighborhoods -- Anza Vista, Ewing Terrace, and University Terrace -- than previously.

The results of last night's survey will be published in a month, according to Mirabdal. He said the study would likely be completed by the end of the year. For those unable to attend the final meeting, the MTA expects to post the slide presentation online soon.

For further coverage of the meeting, the two traffic calming options, and comments from speakers and participants, check Streetsblog today.

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

How Fixed is Fell? Update on the Protests with Stuart Matthews Interview

Stuart Matthews at June 11, 2010 Arco protest Photo: Michael Helquist

When 70 demonstrators gathered on Fell Street near the Arco service station June 11th, the protest organizers announced they would return to the site every Friday during the evening commute until the Gulf oil spill was capped and the Arco curb cuts were removed to permit a safer Fell Street bike lane. The group stuck to its vow: last Friday was the 12th weekly protest. The number of advocates have ranged from a dozen to one hundred, with a core group of six or seven. Their direct street action has been a mix of sign-carrying, chants, music, and, occasionally, more in-your-face taunts to motorists who push through the protesters to get to the gas pumps. SFPD monitors the protest, attempts to keep the entry open, and sometimes arrests those who refuse to move from the Arco driveway. The grassroots group has now organized itself as Fix Fell.

The BP oil spill appears to be stopped -- even as the damage continues -- and the Municipal Transportation Agency has installed a number of traffic calming measures along the troubled block of Fell between Scott and Divisadero streets. The MTA removed parking spots from 7am to 7pm to create a curbside queue for motorists awaiting their turn at the gas pumps, painted the city's second green bike lane on the block, added a "Don't Block Sidewalk or Bike Lane" sign, re-timed signal lights to reduce speeding on Fell, and established a left-turn only lane onto Divisadero.

Stuart Matthews has helped organize the weekly protests at Arco for the past three months. He was also arrested and jailed for blocking access to the station. His commitment is neither easy nor convenient: Matthews is an IT professional who juggles job and family responsibilities with his advocacy. BIKE NOPA spoke with Matthews last Friday afternoon, just before he headed out to Fell Street once again.

BIKE NOPA: The oil spill has been capped and the city has made several traffic changes to make this block safer for people biking and walking. Why does Fix Fell continue to protest each week?

Matthews: From day one, the new changes on the street have not been doing the job. There may be a difference, but in an any ten-minute period during rush hour, the bike lane is being blocked by motorists waiting for gas. But it's not just about that street and not just about a clear bike lane -- we need to get off the oil.

BIKE NOPA: Other than closing the Arco entry and exit, what else do you want for this block?

Matthews: From the start, we've been encouraging a complete re-design of the street. The whole street needs to be fixed. We'd like to see a complete re-engineering with a priority on safety rather than on the speed of motor vehicles. We hope to see a physically separated two-way bike lane on Fell. The bike network shouldn't be just for the young and adventurous to use.

BIKE NOPA: During the past three months of protests, Fix Fell appears to have adopted more mainstream positions with references like those you just mentioned to "separated bikeways" and biking safe enough for people "8 to 80." Is that the case?

Matthews: There could be some evolution of the group, but the core of the message is the same. We've felt compelled to identify the problem and to suggest solutions to the problem, but we're not traffic engineers, we're not experts in the field. We're advocates for the street to be re-thought and re-engineered. Our job is to keep the pressure on the city.

BIKE NOPA: City staff have conjectured that the Arco owner will likely sue the city if the curb cuts are removed. They suggest that the strongest position for the city will be to undertake every other possible measure to reduce a public health hazard at the site before removing the permit for the driveways. Do you think that position is valid and reflects the incremental changes made to this block?

Matthews: We know they have a process, and they've got to do it the way they've got to do it. But we're going to keep the pressure on.

BIKE NOPA: If the Fell Street entry and exit is closed, the only access to Arco will be from Divisadero, a street usually crammed with cars. If motorists seeking cheap gas block a traffic lane on Divisadero, the #24 Muni bus will also be slowed. Will Fix Fell's demand for curb cut removals on Fell result in a transit problem around the corner?

Matthews: It's not a given that the Arco station should be in the city at all. I don't think we should assume that that station should stay open. We understand these aren't trivial problems, but they need to be worked on. There are other gas stations that do or could cause problems too: the station to the west of Arco on Fell and another on Oak at Divisadero.

BIKE NOPA: On August 20th Fix Fell added music and talks to its protest. Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, just returned from an environmental conference in Uruguay, stopped by the event and told the group that he would gather city officials in a room and not let anyone leave until a solution was in place for Fell/Arco. Have you heard anything more about the city moving on this issue?

Matthews: Another (Fix Fell) organizer, Josh Hart, is the one mostly in contact with Ross. I don't think we've heard of any movement there yet.

BIKE NOPA: Fix Fell members have criticized the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition (SFBC) for not using its political muscle to help close the Arco ingress and egress. Some members charged that SFBC was not recognizing the many other individuals and groups working to improve safety on Fell.

Renee Rivera, acting director of SFBC, told Streetsblog that SFBC members have reported positive effects from the Fell changes. She emphasized that SFBC is primarily focused now on developing separated bikeways to link all areas of the city. SFBC acknowledged that the organization's tactics are sometimes different from those of other groups, like Fix Fell, even if they share many of the same goals. SFBC leaders also reaffirmed the contributions from several neighborhood associations and individuals who urged adoption of the traffic calming measures on Fell. Have these remarks improved the relations between the two groups?

Matthews: SFBC's recent comments that shared the credit for work on Fell with other groups and individuals were helpful. Maybe not for everyone but for some. I support most of what SFBC is doing, but I also think it's helpful to have a more radical organization pushing to get things done.

BIKE NOPA: It seems unlikely that the city will take immediate action at Arco, especially while an impact study about the curbside queue and the bike lane is underway. How much longer will Fix Fell keep at its protests?

Matthews: We're going to keep the pressure on. We'll continue to be there every Friday.

*****

For more on the Fell/Arco situation, see the following:

• BIKE NOPA's two dozen stories on traffic calming measures at the site (search Fell Arco)
• Streetsblog coverage of calls to close the curb-cuts and of the Aug. 20 protest with video
• Fix Fell's website and an account of a member's arrest and jail time Aug. 20
• SFBC article on the Fell bike lane and its push for a safer bikeway

Ross Rides Russian with NOPA VELO: Pastries and Onion Domes Follow

Starting out at Peets in NOPA

Supervisor Ross with Dale talking Panhandle Park Plans

Best-dressed Bryan

"2,000 years of church history in a nutshell" from Father Juvenal

The Holy Virgin Cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church

Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi joined NOPA VELO's To Russia With Love, for Pastries Ride Sunday morning and somehow managed to resist the sweets and savories at Cinderella Bakery. Few followed his example, and instead sampled rum rolls, apricot-filled butter cookies, strawberry cream danish, batrushkas, fried potato and spinach piroshkis and more. Twenty-five cyclists in the Richmond, in the sun, with amazement.

At Our Lady of Kazan Russian Orthodox Church on California Street, Father Juvenal welcomed the riders and offered a quick review of church history. How old is the church? "Thirty-three," he replied. As in 33 AD. That particular place of worship, not quite so old. The visitors were allowed to take a look inside at the conclusion of Sunday Services. "We always stand, there's no sitting," the pastor added. "Every Sunday it's SRO here." Next stop: the Holy Virgin Cathedral for the Diocese of Western America on Geary with its gold onion domes and ornate interior.

Puffed with pastries and incense, a good spin up Clement to the VA Medical Center and viewpoint at the rear of the campus afforded much-needed fresh air and a carb release. After a quick stop at Fort Miley for a glimpse of the fog-shrouded Marin Headlands, riders rolled down the Great Highway, hooked up with JFK Drive and returned to NOPA through the park and panhandle. Everyone opted for lunch at Green Chile Kitchen -- not exactly Russian, but NOPA VELO is an eclectic bunch.

Next ride: Sunday, September 26, The Hidden Paths and Trails of Golden Gate Park

For all NOPA VELO news, join the 120 members of our Google Group

A Better Masonic: Target Wants Site at Geary & Masonic; Mirkarimi's Office Alerts District 5 Neighbors to Community Meeting

Vallie Brown, aide to Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, addressed NOPNA neighbors

Masonic Avenue side of proposed Target "urban store"

Target is definitely interested in the former Mervyn's department store site at Geary and Masonic streets, and Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi wants to be sure District Five neighbors have a say in whether the proposal moves forward. Vallie Brown, aide to Mirkarimi, told NOPA neighbors Thursday evening that Target intends to seek both the Mervyn's site and a location in the Metreon at 4th and Mission streets. Brown said the supervisor's office contacted Target representatives and gave them a long list of neighborhood associations and merchants groups to invite to a community meeting scheduled for July 21st.

The Geary site is located in District Two, represented by Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier. Before Mirkarimi's initiative, Target had not reached out to groups like the North Panhandle and Alamo Square Neighborhood Associations or FixMasonic, the three-year-old grassroots group working to transform the Masonic corridor to better serve all users. The District Five groups may be less enthusiastic about the Target proposal that their counterparts in District Two. In a San Francisco Chronicle report last week about Target's intentions, Alioto-Pier is quoted as saying her constituents "seem pretty excited to see the vacant space filled with a Target."

At the Thursday evening NOPNA meeting, Vallie Brown said she emphasized to Target that many District Five residents were already concerned with the impact of Masonic traffic on the neighborhoods. "I told them the groups will want to review how the expected increase of traffic to a Target store will affect efforts to calm the street." Brown added that Target intends to install an"urban store" rather than a superstore. The distinction between the two seems pretty slim so far. "They said they wouldn't be selling lawn furniture or tires at their urban store."

The Target representatives told Brown of a positive aspect of their project in addition to new jobs and a commercial outlet in a now-empty storefront. Target provides community benefits to nearby neighborhoods, including grants for local improvement projects.

Target Community Meeting

Wednesday, July 21, 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

City Center Plaza, 2675 Geary at Masonic

Site of former Mervyn's Department Store

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

Jean Green, New NOPA Neighbor and Zygmunt Arendt House Resident: Now She Has "Peace and Empowerment"

Jean Green, 6th person and 1st woman to move into new Arendt House

Bioswale, garden and patio all ready for Grand Opening

A green habitat for an environmentally green facility

"Today I'm celebrating. It's been 119 days since the day I moved here. I no longer have the stigma of homelessness. I have peace and empowerment." Jean Green is one of the North Panhandle's newest neighbors, and she couldn't be more pleased to have joined the community of formerly homeless seniors at the Zygmundt Arendt House at the corner of Golden Gate Avenue and Broderick Street. Thursday afternoon Green celebrated the Grand Opening of the Arendt House with a few hundred others, including Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, staff from the several city agencies, representatives from the contractors and funders, house residents, and neighbors.

Green's story exemplified the importance of providing affordable homes to those who need assistance. She told the other celebrants that she lost her home in 2007 and had to move into a homeless shelter. "I was born in San Francisco and I didn't want to leave the city, but I also didn't want to be in a shelter with so many troubled people." Only her resolve kept her going. "I tried to stay strong. I had to focus on keeping my health and my sanity." Just when Green believed she had no choice but to leave the city, she saw a notice for the Arendt House. She qualified and became the sixth resident and first woman to move into the facility. After the unsettling time at the shelter, Green said all she heard once she settled in was quiet. "It was so quiet, I could sleep, and I was so happy."

Green had another reason to celebrate on Thursday. She graduated from the desk clerk training program offered by the Community Housing Partnership, an owner of the Arendt House along with the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation. "Today I have hope and I'm optimistic."

At first several North Panhandle neighbors were hesitant, or outright opposed, to the idea of new housing for homeless seniors in the area. Some resisted the original modern architecture and design proposed for the building. Through negotiations with the owners and architects, a new design was developed that more readily reflected the scale and appearance of the surrounding buildings. Others objected to the high proportion of service agencies and supportive housing already existing in NOPA compared with other neighborhoods. And neighbors were reluctant about who the residents would be and how they would affect the existing community.

Doug Shoemaker of the Mayor's Office of Housing commended the North Panhandle for bring its concerns to the city and its willingness to find a solution. "The experience this neighborhood had in coming to accept this project is one we need to take to other neighborhoods." Supervisor Mirkarimi added to the sentiment. "This is a model for other neighborhoods on how to work with the city. It can work and we can be proud of the end product."

Today the Arendt House consists of an attractive exterior with references to the nearby Victorian and Edwardian structures. It provides individual studios, each with a full bathroom and kitchenette. The project includes a courtyard garden, landscape roof deck, and a community room. The complex also incorporates several green building elements including a rainwater retention system with a backyard bioswale and the neighborhood's most extensive permeable sidewalks along Broderick and Golden Gate, as reported here earlier.

The real selling points to a project like the Arendt House are the residents themselves. Michael Chao, Project Manager for CHP, told BIKE NOPA, "This is so rewarding, more than I expected, because the tenants tell us how happy they are to be here."

Scenes from the Grand Opening Thursday:

MTA's Fell/Arco Proposal Clears Hurdle; Funding Secured, Implementation Expected In June with Green Bike Lane in August

One more review and then a curbside queue and a safer green bike lane

Plan to address "hazardous conditions" created by Arco: Supervisor Mirkarimi

The traffic design changes proposed by the MTA for Fell Street near the Arco gas station cleared a significant hurdle Friday morning when an MTA hearing officer approved the safety plan and sent it to the agency's board of directors for final review. A curbside queue will be created just east of the entry to the Arco station for motorists waiting to purchase gas. Two parking spaces between the Arco entry and exit on Fell will become permanent tow-away zones and parking in four residential spaces just east of Arco will be a designated tow-away zone from 7am to 7pm daily. The MTA, along with bicycle and pedestrian advocates, hope the changes will significantly reduce the current hazardous conditions that result with motorists lining up for Arco and blocking a traffic lane and the busy bicycle lane on Fell Street. A warning sign to keep the sidewalk clear will also be posted. MTA traffic engineer James Shahamiri told BIKE NOPA that the full MTA board would likely consider the proposal in June. He hoped to see implementation "immediately" once the board approves the plan as expected.

Yesterday Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi sent a letter of support for the plan to Bond Yee, MTA Director of Transportation Engineering. Mirkarimi described the current conditions on Fell Street represented risks that are "unacceptable and must be rectified." He emphasized that the problems were created by the Arco gas station and the Quality Tune Up shop, not the nearby residents. Mirkarimi applauded the compromise proposal that limits the tow-away period for the residential parking spaces. "I believe this is a good compromise that should address the safety issues while minimizing impact on parking in the neighborhood."

At this morning's hearing, three individuals spoke in favor of the compromise. Jeremy Pollack, aide to Mirkarimi, presented the supervisor's position. Marc Caswell of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, said the plan was a reasonable compromise that should be monitored for effectiveness, and NOPA resident Dale Danley noted that the changes will begin to accomplish some of the goals to protect cyclists using the bike lane. No one spoke in opposition.

With no opposition, hearing officer John Newlin approved the plan and sent it to the MTA Board. James Shahamiri expects the board to hear the proposal in June. "I hope it will be implemented immediately afterwards," he added. The agency obtained approval for funding to initiate the plan last week, according to Mirkarimi. The Fell/Arco changes will be financed with grant funds as most MTA projects are.

Bicycle advocates have been following the MTA plan closely for its improved safety aspects and also because it includes the city's first green bike lane for enhanced safety. The painted lane will extend a full block from Scott to Divisadero Street. Shahamiri said the agency intends to conduct a before-and-after study related to the bike lane and thus will delay the green swath for two months for the initial study phase. If implementation and approval follow according to plan, cyclists could be going green by August of this year.

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.

Mayor, Mirkarimi, SFMTA & SFBC Paint it Green

It was a bike box love-fest Thursday afternoon as city officials and bicycle advocates gathered around an asphalt gray patch of Scott Street at Oak. A dozen white buckets half-filled with bright green paint lined up with long-handled rollers along the center stripe -- almost as if they were on loan from a Fantasia exhibit at the Presidio's new Walt Disney Museum. The first bicycle box to be painted green in the state of California awaited the swoosh of color from dozens of happy helpers.

Mayor Gavin Newsom extolled the occasion as one of the city's first experiments with bicycle improvements that other cities like Copenhagen, Amsterdam, and, closer to home, Portland have already implemented. "We're going to be trying some things that candidly we wished we were doing for the last three years," the mayor said, reflecting on the prohibition against new bike enhancements due to the long-standing "bike injunction." The judge for that case recently allowed several bike facilities to go forward. Since this past Tuesday, city paint crews have painted hundreds of sharrows and bike icons and new bike lanes on city streets.

District 5 Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi biked to the press conference where he joined the Mayor and Supervisors Bevan Dufty and Sophie Maxwell. Mirkarimi noted the significance of the occasion and asserted that "we are all unified in the mission statement of making San Francisco bike friendly." He also announced, "We're going to put on-street bike parking in front of Remy's Mojo Bicycle Cafe" on Divisadero to celebrate the end of the injunction and to help "signifiy what a major arterial like Divisadero means." Later that evening during the Divisadero Art Walk, Remy Nelson, owner of the always busy Mojo, smiled in surprise when he learned of the supervisor's remarks. "He really mentioned my name?"

Mirkarimi suggested that the Wiggle bike route -- of which the new bike box is an essential part -- deserves Historic Trail status similar to the Barbary Coast Trail in the city. The Wiggle follows the route of the long-paved over Sans Souci Creek and today is one of the most-used bike routes in San Francisco.

Although the press conference was festive already, Supervisor Sophie Maxwell got everyone laughing -- and had Supervisor and mayoral candidate Bevan Dufty whooping -- with the conclusion of her remarks about making our streets serve more than vehicles. "We're going to make it exciting, we're going to make it fun, and we're going to make it funky."

Leah Shahum, Executive Director of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, could have easily lit up the street herself with glowing enthusiasm. While she thanked the elected officials, the city staff, and SFBC's 11,000 members, Shahum also spoke for the 130,000 San Franciscans who already bike and the more than half of city residents who said they wanted to ride bikes for transportation in the city "if streets had bike lanes and were more inviting for bicycling."

At the conclusion of remarks, everyone was drawn to those paint cans and the Chief Sorcerer and his many apprentices dutifully dipped their poles in the paint and rolled a bright, new green box for bicyclists to stop and wait for the green light to cross Oak Street.

Streetsblog beat all the print, blog, and TV media to the big stories from the press conference -- the green box, the new proposal for bike sharing, and huge increase in number of bikes to be shared. And they posted a video of the full press conference. It hasn't taken long for Streetsblog San Francisco to become essential viewing for anyone interested in more livable streets and sidewalks and transportation policies. The video clip is below and the bike sharing news is here.

NOPA Blocks Rock Halloween

Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi is in this pic somewhere; organizer Leela Gill on right.

Party begins on Grove.

100s of kids & parents party in NOPA.

From fairy tales & comic books to NOPA.

BIKE NOPA's pick for Best Costumes.

Twilight in NOPA on Halloween. The blocks were full of ghosts and vampires, Harry Potters and winged princesses, and one hairy scary Supervisor. For more than four hours trick-or-treaters partied in a spooky restaurant, paraded down McAllister with the gorilla-Supervisor, and braved dark garages, squeaky stairs, and dim streets to get a stash of treats.

Grove Street from Baker to Central and Lyon Street from Fulton to Hayes were closed to traffic for the Halloween haunts, and everyone took it for granted that car-free streets were the best way to celebrate a holiday, be with neighbors, and make new friends. For a few hours a constant stream of folks filled the sidewalk between the "old" Green Chile Kitchen at Baker and Fulton and the new "GCK" at Baker and McAllister. Owner Trevor Logan opened his new location for a kids' party and kept the current restaurant powering up Halloweeners with New Mexican specialties. Afterwards, he looked around his dining room strewn with party favors, and with a weary, happy smile, and concluded, "This is the perfect way to open this space to the neighborhood. I loved it." (Trevor expects to open this week at the new location).

Thanks to NOPNA for sponsoring the Halloween blowout. Hundreds of kids and adults enjoyed all the activities. Kudos to so many neighbors who made it happen and to those who opened their homes and spooky gardens and garages to visitors. Special thanks to Leela Gill who led the organizing for Halloween while putting together NOPA's Rock the Rumble party in mid-October.

Politics Bounces SFgo Sign Along Fell Street

UPDATE 2:30 pm Monday: Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi's office has decided to delay delivering a recommendation to the SFMTA regarding where the SFgo sign on Fell Street might be located. In a conversation this afternoon with NOPNA board member Larry Griffin, Vallie Brown, an aide to Supervisor Mirkarimi, said they needed more time to research the SFgo matter. Previously, as noted in the post below, the Supervisor's office had expected to recommend a site for the Fell Street sign to the MTA this Wednesday. Since learning from SFgo staff last Friday that Mirkarimi "strongly encouraged" placement of the sign along the DMV lot on Fell, NOPA and Alamo Square neighbors objected to what appeared to be a "rush to recommend" without consulting neighbors. Another NOPNA board member, Dan Nguyen-Tan, suggested in a message to Mirkarimi earlier this afternoon that a meeting of all interested parties be convened to craft a solution for the traffic conditions on Fell Street including the role and location of the proposed SFgo sign.

**********************************************************

Political maneuvers by city transportation officials and Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi’s office may determine the next location of the freeway-style SFgo sign on Fell Street, leaving NOPA and Alamo Square neighbors out of the site-selection process once again. But a push-back is coming from neighbors who don’t want their streets stuck with the SFgo eyesore at the entry to Panhandle Park.

The new developments occur even as neighbors celebrated the decision to remove the SFgo sign from Oak Street near Broderick. Last Friday Cheryl Liu, SFgo Project Manager, informed BIKE NOPA that the Municipal Transportation Authority (MTA) had decided to remove the message display sign on Oak “based on community input” and a meeting with Sup. Mirkarimi on September 30. That decision leaves only the Fell Street sign, recently installed next to a gas station just west of Divisadero. Liu also wrote that MTA was considering moving the Fell Street sign to a different location, perhaps along the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) property on Fell between Broderick and Baker.

Previously MTA took the brunt of neighborhood criticism for placing the SFgo signs near the Divisadero Corridor. NOPA and Alamo Square neighbors objected to the lack of community outreach by the agency and the inappropriateness of both the signs and the locations. To its credit, the MTA will remove the Oak sign. But they seem to be shifting responsibility for finding a new home for the Fell St sign to Sup. Mirkarimi. And, for some reason, his office appears poised to make a decision with little community outreach.

“Supervisor Mirkarimi strongly suggested that we consider moving the Fell Street sign to a location next to the DMV, and we are looking into that possibility,” Liu explained in her message to BIKE NOPA. She added that the staff will consider neighbors’ comments “prior to installing any sign,” but the suggestion was clear that the DMV site was the supervisor’s idea.

Last Friday Mirkarimi’s aide Vallie Brown said the staff would likely propose a new location for the Fell sign by Tuesday this week, and that the supervisor would likely make a recommendation about the sign relocation to the MTA on Wednesday. What the supervisor’s staff has apparently not allowed for during its rushed two-day research is any community input about whether the SFgo sign should be placed on Fell at the DMV. NOPA and Alamo Square neighbors learned of the proposed DMV site from the MTA not from Mirkarimi’s office, and three to four days is hardly enough time to gather input about a location no one had previously considered. Although Brown said the DMV site was not a “done deal,” she did not propose any other location for the sign.

Neither NOPNA nor ASNA, the neighborhood associations, suggested SFgo locations further west of Divisadero. The groups proposed instead that the Fell sign be moved closer to the off-ramps of the Central Freeway where it might be more effective in alerting motorists when the Golden Gate Park Concourse Garage is closed. But Mirkarimi and the MTA are also hearing from the California Academy of Sciences, and from Inner Richmond and Inner Sunset neighbors, according to Brown, and they want a “garage advisory” sign placed on Fell somewhere between Masonic and Divisadero. Supervisor Mirkarimi must balance differing concerns among his constituencies, and he may believe that the removal of the Oak sign and the relocation of the Fell sign are enough of a nod to NOPA and Alamo Square neighbors while the DMV location still gives the Academy and residents west of Masonic what they’ve lobbied for all along. But does anyone really want a SFgo sign, or something like it, at the entrance of Panhandle Park?

Rather than rush to a Wednesday recommendation, why not avoid the likely opposition from NOPA and Alamo Square neighbors by opening the discussion with effective community outreach? Remove the Oak and Fell signs and encourage all the neighborhood constituencies, the SFgo staff, and other interested parties to consider all the options and work toward a consensus.