Mayoral Candidate David Chiu Takes District 5 Transportation Tour, Backs Cross-town Separated Bike Lanes and the Boulevard Design for Masonic

Dennis Yee of Martini Cleaners is on board with Chiu campaign

Chiu noted Divisadero's unfortunate "skinny sidewalks," toured with Dan Nguyen-Tan

Chiu assured Walt Bell of Black Dog Trading Company he wanted to help small businesses

Chiu with Remy Nelson at the city's first parklet outside Mojo Bicycle Cafe

Board of Supervisors President David Chiu launched his second week as an official mayoral candidate with a “transportation tour” today of District 5, stopping in Japantown and along Divisadero. In the few hours squeezed between meetings at City Hall, Chiu walked, biked, and took Muni to meet local merchants and residents. He described his transportation choices as part of his message to city voters, telling BIKE NOPA, “I am absolutely committed to sustainable transportation in District 5 and all the districts as part of a more livable city.”

Chiu said his transit-first vision for the city includes a safer Masonic Avenue, and he strongly endorsed the Boulevard design developed by city planners with support from several neighborhood groups. “We should make Masonic one of the great streets of this city,” Chiu said. He recognized that “creative financing” will be required to pay for the traffic calming changes proposed for the corridor.

Without hesitation, Chiu also backed the cross-town separated bikeways proposed in an initiative developed by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and supported by Mayor Ed Lee and the SFMTA Board of Commissioners. In District 5, these changes would include bikeways on Fell and Oak streets between Scott and Stanyan. “This is how we start building a more sustainable transportation system in the city,” he said. “When you improve travel for pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit users,” Chiu added, “motorists benefit as well.”

Taking his mayoral campaign around the city without a car still has its challenges, as Chiu found when he waited for the #22 Fillmore bus from Japantown. With the clock ticking on his time away from City Hall, he jumped on his bike to reach his next stops on Divisadero. Later he commented on the state of the MTA. “Muni is dysfunctional, for many reasons. MTA management has frustrated many of us. We need the transit union to support needed changes. And several parts of the Transportation Effectiveness Project lack implementation.”

The condition of city streets rounds out Chiu’s concerns for transportation policy. He said he looked forward to further consideration of a streets bond measure to secure funds to repair and maintain city streets. Several district supervisors initially backed a streets repair bond measure for the November 2009 ballot before determining that the recession and public sentiment made passage unlikely. City planners are now looking to November 2012 for a similar streets measure, although Chiu said it might appear in the current election cycle instead.

On his tour of Divisadero, Chiu met with three popular merchants. Dennis Yee, proprietor of Martini Cleaners, told Chiu he was generally satisfied with the city in his dealings as a small business owner. After his visit with the supervisor, Yee said he was ready to back Chiu for mayor. “For my dollar, he’s been doing the work the city requires. We need someone who knows the operation going in.” Yee didn’t hesitate to take a campaign sign for his window.

Walt Bell, owner of Black Nose Trading Company, reported that his business was doing well. Six employees work with him in the dog specialty store that offers doggy day care, a dog walking service, and a huge assortment of dog grooming and care products. Bell is also a member of the Divisadero Merchants Association. “Our biggest concerns are the eleven to twelve empty storefronts on the street and the city’s permit process that gets ridiculous.” The complaints are familiar with anyone who has tried to start a business or make changes in operations. As Bell noted, permit expediters are used by those who can afford them because the process is so convoluted and difficult.

Chiu made his last stop before spinning back to City Hall for a budget meeting at the city’s first official parklet, outside Mojo Bicycle Café. In response to another reporter’s question, the candidate said he was “totally in favor” of the city’s several mini street and sidewalk parks. “Parklets represent the formation of community.” Mojo’s owner Remy Nelson reiterated the concerns of his colleague Walt Bell about keeping Divisadero viable for local businesses.

Chiu’s car-free campaign has booked nine more neighborhood tours in March.

Grove at Divisadero Gets Right Turn Only Signs Except for Bicyclists; New Signals Set for Spring 2012

Only one way for motorists to travel on Grove at Divisadero

Westbound on Grove at Divisadero, right turn only

New Right Turn Only signs installed on either side of Grove at Divisadero make travel on the corridor safer, at least once motorists become familiar with the directions. The SFMTA added the turn signs as interim measures “to simplify the intersection” until the proposed signal light project is made operational in the spring of 1912.

Previously, motorists wanting to cross Divisadero at Grove either edged into the crosswalks to see oncoming traffic or sat in the middle of the intersection waiting for an opening in the traffic. Now, neither option is available. Turns are required either to the south on the NOPA side of Divisadero or to the north from the Alamo Square side. Bicyclists, however, are allowed to cross Divisadero from either direction on the Grove Street bike route.

Mike Sallaberry, SFMTA traffic engineer, wrote in a late February email that a contract for the new intersection signal will be advertised this spring with construction to follow a few months later. “The new signal should be operating in April/May 2112,” he said. He also explained that a signal at Grove was anticipated as part of the completed Divisadero traffic calming project.

Much of the underground infrastructure for the future signal (conduits and pull boxes) was installed in 2009 ahead of the Divisadero paving and streetscape improvements. This advance work will reduce the impact of the construction of the new signal as we will not need to cut trenches into a newly paved street or damage newly constructed curb ramps.

In a previous article, Sallaberry explained that the standard time period for planning, preparation, and installation of a new signal is three years. He added that temporary tape striping is used on a street, like Divisadero, to avoid ripping into the new asphalt surface when the signal light is ready to place.

Go "Gritty" on Street Date with SFGate, Maybe to "Alamonte Square"

One of the floating ped islands on Divisadero; this one stays within the crosswalk

Residents in Divisadero's "gritty" neighborhoods love the Farmers' Market

The SF Chronicle and SFGate feature "Divisadero Street, SF" for its Street Date in its Thursday through Sunday 96 Hours pull-out today. Right in the midst of its positive, little two-line intro we get "This thoroughfare traverses gritty neighborhoods that..." Guess the Chron just can't let go of the gritty when it comes to Divis or the Western Addition. No matter the make-over of the corridor with all the street trees, landscaping, bulbouts, parklet, new bike parking, funny thumb-nail-protruding medians, and so much energy that the street throbs day and night. But hey, we get all Divisadero and its neighborhoods have to offer and gritty too? Works for me.

Thanks, Chron folks for highlighting Little Chihuahua, Yoga Garden, Swankety Swank, Mojo Bike Cafe, Plant'It Earth, Green Earth Natural Foods, and the Divis Farmers' Market.

Two suggestions though, Chron: Add biking directions to the "Getting There" column for Street Date. It's the mode many of us choose for getting around. And add "bike parking" under the Parking. Because...well, you get it.

The Chron (hard-copy, not on SFGate) adds a mini-map to locate the featured businesses. You can't miss them: they're just one block west of Alamonte Square.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fell Street Tow Away Signs Posted before Arco/Divisadero

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

Parking restricted to allow queue for motorists seeking Arco gas

From Arco entry on Fell to Divis: no stopping ANYTIME

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

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

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

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

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

No blocked bike lanes, traffic lanes or sidewalks today

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

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

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

Progressive Neighborhood Associations: Essential to a More Livable City

Damage from vandalism: acid etching removed from Divisadero store windows

An expense to city taxpayers: repairing damage from vandalism

An effective collaboration restores storefronts

City districts often flourish with active, forward-thinking neighborhood associations, especially when the groups foster collaborations with government, non-profit, and private entities. NOPNA has a long history of securing improvements for the North Panhandle through strategic partnerships. Early efforts include working with the Emerald Fund, the developer of the Village at Petrini Place and Lucky's grocery store, to support safety measures in the neighborhood, teaming up with local schools and churches -- Pacific Primary, the Day School. and St. Cyprian's Episcopal -- to promote bicycling, tree planting, and kids events, and planning with FIX MASONIC to make our western border a safer corridor.

The most recent evidence of a great collaboration was apparent along the Divisadero Commercial Corridor last week when contractors moved from storefront to storefront removing acid etch graffiti and installing protective film on vandalized windows. NOPNA and the Divisadero Merchants Association worked with the San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD) to land a $39,000 grant for the project. NOPNA served as the fiscal agent for the grant.

Ellyn Parker, the OEWD rep who works non-stop and appears everywhere in the neighborhood, coordinated efforts to secure the $39,000 grant. She also worked with neighborhood merchants to identify which storefronts needed the repairs most and which vendors were most affordable. As a result of the the groups' efforts -- and, of course, the creating of the grants program by the Mayor's Office -- two dozen storefronts will continue to enhance the appearance and livability along the new Divisadero Corridor.

$100 Award for Winning Logo in Divisadero Farmers' Market Competition

Anyone inspired to get into the logo design trade, take note: the Divisadero Farmers' Market is looking for you. Dmitrius Spartos, manager of the ever-more popular Sunday market at Divisadero and Grove, wants to usher in spring and summer with its own new logo. The design contest runs through May 30th when the winning entry will be selected. Contact Spartos here or by phone: 925-825-9090. Time's running out. Competition will be judged by the end of this week. And an extra jolt to creative juices and the pocketbook: the winning entrant will receive $100.

Murals of NOPA: Divisadero Destination

Divisadero, a bit out of this world at McAllister

Before the street makeover, the artist envisioned something better

Four-eyed bananas? Six-eyed pineapples? Only on Divisadero

Sometimes greater livability requires a frothy dose of whimsy. Or perhaps this artist envisioned something for Divisadero that no one else has considered. I have friends who worked for a revitalized Divisadero corridor fifteen years ago. They either failed in their efforts or planted very slow-to-sprout seeds. And now look: Divisadero the destination.

Other entries in the Murals of NOPA series.

Quick Action on Divisadero Blight by Clear Channel

From this on March 30th

To this four days later

Four days after BIKE NOPA contacted Clear Channel Outdoor about the poor condition of its billboard on Divisadero at Grove Street, the advertising firm cleaned up the site and applied a new, clean surface. Many North Panhandle residents would have preferred promotion of the Sunday Farmers' Market buzzing on Grove just below the sign and a few suggested commandeering the site to display the work by local artists. But for now it's simply advertising rather than the previous blight.

Small Improvement for Divisadero Eyesore: It's a Start

The old tarps and scraps now removed

View from Monday's blog post

Apparently Clear Channel Outdoor got the message: the neighborhood wants this eyesore removed or cleaned up. Today the hanging tarps and scraps from the previous advertising were gone. On Monday BIKE NOPA used CCO's online message form to request action on the derelict sign above Divisadero at Grove Street. That afternoon Russ Mason, Corporate Director of Digital Services, in the company's Los Angeles office responded:

"Thanks for the heads up on this problem, I am forwarding your email on to the appropriate persons. Someone will be out to take care of it as soon as possible."

Keep your eyes on the street and on the billboard. Today's change might be the first step to another neighborhood improvement.

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.

Get Your Mojo But Park Your Bike?

Cool spin past Mojo Bicycle Cafe - but where to park the ride?

Trees, meters, rack -- still not enough parking at Mojo on Divisadero

Bike parking pile-up a half-block away from Mojo Cafe too

You can always walk to Mojo Bicycle Cafe and peds are always welcome, but, hey, it's a bicycle cafe. The always buzzing spot on Divisadero already has two basic inverted-U bike racks, but they're usually taken. And the bikes at trees and meters, and bikes locked double- and triple- wide only crunch the street's already skinny sidewalks. Something new, better, more practical, more sidewalk-friendly, more bike-on is so needed here.

So, that was the teaser lead: something new and better really is in the works, as reported today by Matthew Roth in Streetsblog with some great photo simulations of a proposed build-out along the sidewalk to accommodate pedestrians, cafe customers, and anyone who wants to sit a bit and appreciate the improvements on Divisadero. And, yes, there will be additional bike parking included in the design.

Fell/ARCO Traffic Tangle Closer to Trial Solutions

SFMTA proposal to improve safety for users of Fell St at ARCO station

One enhancement suggested by Marc Caswell of SFBC

The Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) will implement traffic flow changes for bicyclists and motorists approaching Divisadero on Fell Street. The MTA hopes the trial improvements will resolve a raft of safety problems for street and sidewalk users at the Fell Street entry to the ARCO gas station at the corner of Divisadero. The proposed designs are expected to be implemented “fairly quickly.”

James Shahamiri, MTA Assistant Engineer for the Bike Program, told BIKE NOPA that he thinks a gradual approach will work best for the changes. “We’re trying to take experimental steps now and see how they work. Maybe we’ll enhance them later.” He emphasized that design changes have yet to be finalized but he expects plans to be approved “fairly quickly,” perhaps within the next two days. “But we’re not going to be making changes on the street tomorrow,” he cautioned. When pressed further about whether MTA will proceed before the bike injunction is fully lifted (which is not expected before June of this year), Shahamiri said, “We can definitely do this before June.”

The improvements will likely include “several small steps”
• Installation of four “soft-hit” posts along both sides of the bike lane near ARCO
• Transitioning the bike lane inward as it approaches ARCO (see diagram)
• Applying painted “hatching” on the street surfaces to guide traffic flow
• Posting “Keep Clear” signs to advise motorists
The MTA proposal will not remove parking spaces, change lane widths, or prevent access to driveways.

“The idea is that the posts would force any queuing vehicles in the bicycle lane to go back out into the travel lane to turn into the gas station,” Shahamiri wrote Tuesday to a “study group” of NOPA and Alamo Square neighbors and livability advocates. “This should make queuing in the bicycle lane pointless.

Members of the review group responded more positively to the latest MTA proposal than to a previous plan presented last September and reported in a BIKE NOPA post. Michael Smithwick, Transportation Chair for the Alamo Square Neighborhood Association (ASNA), wrote, “It is a sound plan” that keeps cars out of the bike lane up to the ARCO entry but does not keep them from blocking the bike lane at that point or keeping motorists off the sidewalk. He and Marc Caswell, Program Manager for the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, proposed adding prominent signage and painting more hatching of the bike lane and sidewalk at the ARCO entry.

Caswell expressed concern that the MTA plan, while a good start, “dumps the bicyclist off” into the large space along the ARCO lot and should instead guide riders to Divisadero and through the intersection, preferably with a bike lane painted green. Janel Sterbentz of ASNA also encouraged a green-painted lane for safer passage at both the Scott and Divisadero intersections.

In a conversation this morning, Shahamiri said he was ready to incorporate some, but not all, of the proposed changes. “We can do the signage and the crosshatching on the streets, but I’m not sure if we can do the hatching on a sidewalk." Shahamiri advised that the MTA was not ready to paint the bike lane green. The agency is studying whether the Fell/ARCO traffic location fits the criteria for previous approval MTA received to experiment with green lanes at other “conflict areas” in the city.

Shahamiri and study group members all agreed that enforcement would be required for the proposed changes to work. “I’d like to see SFPD out there citing drivers,” he said. The MTA proposal will continue to be reviewed in the days ahead. Shahamiri emphasized, "Our intention is to work with the community in an ongoing process.”

4pm update: More on the MTA proposal with additional comments on Streetsblog this afternoon.

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.

Smoother Rides for Cyclists...Motorists Too...Coming to Select Streets; NOPA Blocks to Get Needed Repaving

Bike lane surface no one will miss on Baker Street from Fell

SFBC Good Roads Crew during Bayview "pothole ride"

The Department of Public Works intends to resurface* more than two dozen city blocks that will directly improve the rideability for bicyclists and benefit motorists and nearby residents as well. During Fiscal Year 2010/2011, beginning July 1, the city will improve segments of several bike routes, including the Wiggle, 14th Street, Noe between Market and Duboce, and Keith and Phelps Streets in the Bayview (see list below).

This group of streets represents the repaving that DPW undertakes with its own road crews, and the blocks are usually more residential than arterial. The city contracts out for more extensive resurfacing projects. A few of the candidate blocks for 2010/2011 were recommended by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition through its Good Roads Project. Volunteers worked with SFBC Community Planner Neal Patel to identify single blocks with poor surface conditions for this special category of DPW repaving.

NOPA cyclists and motorists who now appreciate the smoother ride on Divisadero can look forward to the much-needed resurfacing of Central Avenue between Hayes and McAllister Streets. Those three blocks are plagued by recurring sinkholes and multiple repairs. The #5 Muni line uses one of the blocks and cyclists spin down Central to enter Panhandle Park. Hopefully, DPW will complete the work on Central early in the fiscal year so the street is in top shape to handle the thousands of Sunday Streets enthusiasts visiting NOPA in mid-September. In addition, Baker Street from Fell to Hayes and from Grove to Turk Streets will be repaved. No cyclist will miss the rough, rugged bike lane between Fell and Hayes.

A partial listing of the blocks to be repaved:

• 3rd Street, between Berry & Terry Francois
• 14th Street, between Valencia and Dolores
• Baker, Fell to Hayes, Grove to Turk
• Central, Hayes to McAllister
• Keith, Palou to Wallace
• Noe, Market to Duboce
• Phelps, Kirkwood to Palou
• Scott, Haight to Page
• Steiner, Waller to Haight
• Townsend, Embarcadero to 2nd/Stanford

* As with all paving projects, work on these candidate streets is subject to funding and clearances (i.e. no conflicts and schedule coordination) with utilities. DPW sent a "Notice of Intent and Request for Information" listing of candidate streets to public and private utilities on Dec. 31, 2009.

Who's Walking NOPA?

Jake and Yazee on Central Avenue

Do more NOPA residents bicycle and take transit than walk? Whatever neighbors do once they're outside the neighborhood, they don't seem to walk a lot around here. This might be a biased perception coming from a bicyclist, but, on the other hand, bikers often cover more territory and see more of what's happening on the streets. NOPA residents who live in the "heights" (north of McAllister) might also miss out on all the Fulton, Grove and Hayes pedestrian action. Live with cats who don't demand twice-daily walks? One more blinder. But take a look around, how many walkers do you see?

NOPA helps the Western Addition and the Haight Ashbury claim scores of 95 out of 100 among the most walkable neighborhoods in the 40 largest cities in the U.S. according to walkscore.com. The primary criteria for such a "Walkers Paradise": "Most errands can be accomplished on foot and many people get by without owning a car."

If you really want to play with this walkability measuring, enter your own address here and see what walkability score pops up for you. A few results here: Golden Gate & Central ranks 92% while 4o1 Divisadero claims 88% and 801 Baker drops to a respectable 83%. Is this difference noticeable on the street?

What makes the North Panhandle so walkable? Based on walkscore.com criteria modified for this neighborhood:

• NOPA has several centers -- the Panhandle, Divisadero and Fulton Corridors, the Baker Street buzz spots, neighborhood grocers, the Sunday Farmers' Market, churches, several schools, and definitely the restos and cafes
• NOPA has a high population density
• NOPA features diversity in incomes and housing -- renters & homeowners, long-time residents & newcomers, all ages, singles and couples and families
• Parks and public spaces -- not only the Panhandle but regularly scheduled uses like the annual block parties and farmers market
• A limited number of parking lots, mostly out of view (someday the DMV property will catch up)
• Bike lanes (and lots of cyclists), several Muni lines, and accessible sidewalks for the most part

How could NOPA become more walkable?

• obtain safer passage crossing streets especially the traffic corridors
• encourage or enforce a ban on motorists and bicyclists intruding on pedestrian space in crosswalks
• lobby SFMTA to implement improvements already studied, for example, the Fell/ARCO pedestrian hazard, the speeding on Fell and Oak, and installation of the red light camera promised for Fell and Masonic
• complete the Masonic Avenue community outreach study and implement design changes
• install bike lanes on Fell along the Panhandle to free the mixed-use Panhandle Path for safer walking
• schedule more activities on neighborhood blocks for car-free uses
• install more more benches for pedestrians

Perhaps 2010 will become the Year of the Pedestrian in NOPA and beyond. Who's ready to WALK NOPA (as well as biking it)?

Art Walk Rocks Divisadero

NOPA neighbors filled the sidewalks Thursday night for the Divisadero Corridor Art Walk, a celebration of art, food, drinks, and shopping from Geary to Haight Streets. More than 40 shops, restaurants, cafes, galleries, and bars participated in the event. With street trees strung with holiday lights and a bit less rumble on a much smoother Divisadero, no one seemed to mind the chill in the air.

A few highlights:

• Patrick Prescott playing steel drums that transported at least one listener to Queen's Park Savannah in Port of Spain, Trinidad
• Mojo Bicycle Cafe packed with tables even in the bike shop for the live performances and the "all I want for Christmas" bike hanging in the upstairs window
• photographs by G. Gole Aillee at Refractions, the gallery at 537 Divisadero
• photographs of rooftops and buildings in Copenhagen at the photo show hosted by Skin City
• the light of the nearly full moon casting shadows

NOPA continues to re-connect with its public spaces making them more lively -- certainly more livable -- and all the city benefits. Thanks to the Art Walk organizers, merchants, and neighbors for their hard work organizing this great event one more time.

NOPA Notes Not to Miss

The not-so-lovely rear view of a SFgo sign in SOMA.

Traffic engineering that works for no one.

Five trees down on Fell Street at Broderick.

It's easy enough to speed along and lose track of previously reported, but unresolved, issues. Here's an update:

Pedestrian Fatality

• Two months have passed since Melissa Dennison was struck and killed by a motorist while crossing Fell Street at Broderick. The District Attorney has yet to determine disposition of the case, i.e. whether the motorist will be charged.

SFgo Signs on Fell and Oak

• They're still standing although MTA has agreed to remove the Oak Street sign and seems generally inclined to at least move, if not remove altogether, the one at Fell just west of Divisadero. Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi's staff has researched options for placement and design and are now ready to present their findings in a meeting scheduled for next Monday, Nov. 23rd. Two representatives from each of several neighborhood associations, including NOPNA and Alamo Square, have been invited. To date there is no public hearing scheduled.

Speeding on Fell and Oak Streets

• Chief Traffic Engineer Jack Fleck assured NOPNA neighbors on Sept. 17th that his office would conduct further studies for traffic slowing on the Fell and Oak couplet. MTA Director of Parking and Traffic Bond Yee made a similar committment to the neighborhood on October 20th that the agency "will evaluate travel speeds and potentially reduce traffic signal cycle length during evening hours" to address concerns about speeding. So far, no further word from the MTA.

Sunday Streets through NOPA

• See this previous post and map for the proposed route of Sunday Streets through the NOPA and Alamo Square neighborhoods. Find out the latest developments from Cheryl Brinkman, President of Livable City, at the next NOPNA meeting this Thursday, Nov. 19, 7:30-9:00 pm, at Poleng Lounge, 1751 Fulton at Masonic. (Visit with your neighbors prior to the meeting, 7-7:30 pm).

Traffic Tangle on Fell near ARCO Station

• Several possible solutions have come forward since this earlier post: partial parking lane removal, vehicles limited to waiting in the traffic lane only, and a longer-view consideration of dedicated bike lanes to serve both Fell and Oak. Join the discussion at the next NOPNA meeting (see above) when James Shahamiri of the MTA presents one of the proposals.

Street Trees

• The Dying Trees of Turk Street. Condition not much better; these trees give all the appearance of now being dead. No water management plan and now a much-reduced Urban Forestry staff to get the work done. Last Friday a third of the city's tree maintenance crew were laid off, as noted in SFGate here. (Good News from a very limited perspective: the Mayor's goal of planting more than 25,000 trees has been reached).

• Removal of Trees from Fell Street. They're gone, the five Ficus on the north side of Fell at Broderick, to make way for needed sewer work below. No replacements yet.

• The Battered Trees of Divisadero Corridor. The city intends to remove 34 battered and misshapen trees along Divisadero between Haight and Geary and replace them with Flowering Pear and American Plane trees. NOPA neighbor David Tornheim desired more public review of the process and obtained a public hearing scheduled for Nov. 23 rd, 5:30 pm, City Hall, Room 416. (for more info, contact Chris.Buck@sfdpw.org ). My own walk-by and examination of at least a dozen of the trees slotted for removal suggested the city was responding to those trees too damaged to retain. A better question for DPW is what tree maintenance plan will be in place once the corridor is completed and the trees need care and watering?