Panhandle Path Notes: Hazard Repaired, Trouble Remains

For months Panhandle Path has bulged here close to Cole Street

When a driver blocks the crosswalk before stopping, it's never a good sign

Ignoring the red turn light and prompting the driver behind to follow

Not to be deterred no matter how many cyclists and pedestrians are in the crosswalk

And the license plate: CA 6LRE494

This afternoon was a good time to get away from the office for a quick bike ride. One of BIKE NOPA's "eyes-on-the-street"* alerted me earlier in the day that a tall pole was being installed on Masonic at Hayes and that a patch of the Panhandle Path was being repaired. Holiday lights were going up on the giant Monterey cypress outside McLaren Lodge too. All good reasons for an outing. Here's what I found.

A new, tall utility pole was already in place when I arrived. The towering tree nearby had been trimmed for the arcing mast over the travel lane, and a new and larger set of signal lights had been installed. The signal light replacements, reported going up at other locations here, are intended as another safety improvement along the Masonic corridor.

Tree roots had buckled the pavement of the Panhandle Path in the west end of the park just east of Cole Street for several months. Perhaps the Recreation and Parks Department delayed this repair given its slashed budget. Crews started the job a few weeks ago but then the work stalled. With the friendly prodding of the Panhandle Park Stewards (coincidental or not), work resumed and today the pathway is flat and smooth.

I decided to save the city's holiday tree for a night-time visit and chose instead to stake out the Fell/Masonic intersection. I hoped to report that the new shield on the bike light was working as intended and that people driving west on Fell and wanting to turn left on Masonic no longer confused the red stoplight and the green bike light for crosswalk users. I stood through two full signal changes, and all went smooth and safely although one cyclist cut the digital countdown for the crossing pretty short. Not the third time though. A clear sign of trouble ahead is when a motorist rolls into and then completely blocks the crosswalk on Fell before stopping for the light. When the Panhandle light turned green for people on bikes and on foot, the driver ignored the red and edged into the intersection ready to push right through the flow of crosswalk users. Which he did. The driver behind him followed suit. Both traveled slowly through their infractions of the traffic code. (Do take note of the license plate number).

This isn't a bicyclist / motorist conflict, in my mind. The situation seen all over the city is simply too many motorists not respecting the rights and vulnerability of someone using the crosswalk. The intrusions happen every day in all parts of the city, sometimes with people getting hit and occasionally killed. One driver nearly hit me this week on a clear, sunny morning. I was crossing Golden Gate Avenue at Lyon street in the crosswalk. Her excuse after slamming on the brakes,"I didn't see you!" My reply, "Then you weren't looking." Before peeling around me and driving on, she shouted, "Get out of the road." When do we -- walkers, drivers, bicyclists, San Franciscans -- say "Enough" and then do something about it?

*Thanks again, SN. Now I wish I had added the Holiday Tree to my ride.

SFBC Good Roads Campaign Stops in NOPA Saturday

Drinks and lunch always follow the "pothole ride"

First-timers get first chance at tagging the potholes

From the street rogues gallery, this one on Mission Street

Spray paint alerts bicyclists and helps road crews find the defects

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition's Good Roads Campaign kicks off in NOPA Saturday morning for a two-hour spin through the neighborhood, Panhandle Park, and the streets south of the Panhandle. For its special Summer of Smooth ride, volunteers will team up to spot nasty holes, trenches, and sunken utility covers that lurk in the Haight district. Newcomers always get first chance to tag the street defects with the spray paint (DPW knows about pothole rides and supplies the paint). After their noble efforts to make streets smoother and safer, the crew repairs to a local restaurant or pub.

The Good Roads regulars invite NOPA cyclists to join the ride. They're proud of their reputation for being a most welcoming street squad. All supplies provided. Good times pretty much guaranteed.

Summer of Smooth Good Roads Ride

Saturday, August 7th

Meet 10 am at McKinley Monument in Panhandle Park at Baker Street

1 1/2 to 2 hour ride

Drinks and Lunch at Cafe du Soleil, 200 Filmore @ Waller

For more info: neal@sfbike.org

Who Needs Superpowers? Turn 'Em In On Your Own

4th in a series of panels

Superheros are so busy these days. And then there's all that attitude. Bicyclists all over the city are claiming the title of superhero for themselves these days as part of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition's Turn 'Em In campaign to rid our streets of dangerous potholes. Instead of tolerating these holes and cracks, cyclists are getting them repaired by calling 311. It's quick and easy and gets the job done.

During the last two years the SFBC Good Roads volunteers have reported nearly 1500 potholes to the Department of Public Works. But fixes are always temporary with the sorry state of many city streets, and holes and cracks re-appear, especially after the winter rains mix with the effects of heavy traffic. Although SFBC monitors the surface quality of bikeways in the city, everyone benefits from their efforts. Pedestrians cover much of the same territory -- problems in crosswalks are reported too -- and motorists find cyclists much more willing to use bike lanes for smoother traffic flow when they don't have to dodge potholes and take the lane. The city saves money by having these volunteer "eyes on the streets," and fewer potholes mean fewer injuries.

The SFBC campaign now moves into its final "Turn 'Em In" phase as a lead-up to the citywide BIKE TO WORK DAY, May 13th, when the amazing growth in bicycling in San Francisco will be evident on city streets. Help make bicycling safer not just for the "fit and fearless." We're thinking more "8 to 80" (but younger and older is even better!)

Check all the news on Good Roads and view the three previous Turn Em In superhero panels here.

"There's A Giant Hole in the Street": SF Bike Coalition Launches "Turn 'Em In" Campaign

Click to enlarge

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition believes cyclists are buzzed about too many cool events this year to tolerate bikeways that are pitted, cracked, bumpy and dangerous. Sunday Streets, new bike lanes, bike corrals, parklets, bike sharrows, protected lanes on Market Street -- it's all happening or expected in a few months. No one wants nasty potholes to ruin the fun, so today SFBC launched a month-long campaign to challenge all 11,500 of its members to "Turn 'Em In."

In today's announcement, SFBC urged cyclists to "be their own hero of the bike lane":

"Is there a pothole you pass every day on your bike ride in to work? Do you dodge a rough spot in the road every trip to the grocery store? The time is now to pull over, get out your phone, and call 311 to report that hazard using the "SFBC" tag."

To inspire all cyclists, SFBC partnered with Family Style artists Jonas Madden-Connor and Francois Vigneault "to show just how easy it is for you to get the smooth ride you deserve." Every Tuesday morning a new installation will appear on the SFBC Good Roads Campaign website and several other sites (including BIKE NOPA). Be sure to check back to find out: "What will happen to our bicycling heroine? Will the hero be able to save her bike lane?"

Email Neal at SFBC if you have any questions, and join the superhero action by reporting the hazards to 311 now. Don't forget to say that "SFBC" sent you!

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.

Pothole Injury Slows BIKE NOPA Posts

Another pothole-related bicycle injury

Since BIKE NOPA started in late June of last year, there have been almost daily posts. This last week my pace has slowed due to a bicycle injury. Last Saturday morning I hit a pothole and lost my grip while biking on Mississippi Street. (The hole was one of those smooth dips in the pavement, a not readily noticed depression). I fell and in the process fractured my right elbow. I'm fortunate that it is a simple break, likely to heal in a few weeks. But I'm also right-handed and that makes writing difficult. My orthopedist advises fifteen minutes at the keyboard followed by long breaks. I'm learning to write faster.

A bit of irony about my pothole-induced injury: it occurred while I was riding with other cyclists who volunteer with the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition's Good Roads Campaign. For the last two years a group of us has undertaken monthly "pothole patrols" throughout the city to identify and report the many cracks, holes, utility cuts, and sunken manholes that appear on bike routes. To date, we've reported more than 1,300 of these surface defects. But new potholes appear and the temporary repairs wear away. Biking in San Francisco is safer and smoother as a result of the Good Roads work -- and the usually quick repairs by the Dept. of Public Works -- but too many hazards remain and too many injuries and liabilities are the result of insufficient funding for our streets. Cyclists and pedestrians are the most vulnerable users of our roads, and their safety must become a higher priority, even in difficult economic times. You can help increase safety for everyone -- pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists -- by reporting potholes to 311 by phone or online at www.sfgov.org. And be ready to support later this year the best proposals to finance safer streets.

For the next ten days or so, my fifteen minute stints at the keyboard will limit me to a BIKE NOPA post every other day. This week and next look for news of NOPA's new bicycling group, a feature on the Buddhist Bicycle Pilgrimage, updates on the Fell Street/ARCO traffic mess and those still-standing SFgo freeway-style signs, and a call to pledge "Pedestrians First."

A special thanks to the Good Roads crew who helped me through last week, the SFBC staff for all their support, friends and neighbors for good cheer, elephant-shaped cookies, walnut applesauce bread, cherries, grapes, cake and ice-cream. See you on the streets -- not soon enough for me.

Wheel Squeaks I & II

Squeak #1: New bike racks at Davies Medical Center

BEFORE: Not enough spaces for bicyclists at CPMC/Davies campus with old empty bike lock stations never used.

Squeak #2: the previously hazardous manhole cover on Noe just south of Duboce.

BEFORE: it was even deeper than it appears here

"Thanks so much for being a squeaky wheel." Sweet words coming from an administrator at CPMC/Davies Medical Center. Readers might recall this post about the lack of adequate bike parking at the Davies campus on Castro Street. Hospital officials agreed: more racks were needed, they didn't want bikes in the building, more bike parking might mean more spaces for vehicles in the garage, etc. It just took awhile to happen. Last week while inquiring about flu shots at Davies, I wheeled into the garage ... and there they were: five new racks. No problem parking this time. Thanks for the bike-friendly response, Davies folks!

Biking north on Noe Street is a favorite route for returning to NOPA from Upper Market-- except for the ridiculously sunken manhole just before Duboce. Dangerous to bicyclists and motorcylists, not great for motorists either, but there it remained months on end even after it was reported to 311. Below-grade utility covers are more difficult to fix than potholes. The Department of Public Works must assess the problem and determine whether the city or a private utility is responsible for fixing it. Then the full casing must be raised to the street level. DPW has been good with responding to most requests to repair street defects, but this one required repeated calls before it got fixed. Today the hazard is gone, and bicyclists get safer passage.

Use 311 for NOPA Potholes

Even on NOPA's relatively smooth streets, potholes keep appearing. It's not that these holes, dips, and rough spots never get fixed. Wear and tear -- especially on Muni lines -- take their toll. And NOPA's lurking, dropping sinkholes suck in the temporary asphalt repairs.

The worst streets in NOPA for potholes and other street defects? Divisadero certainly, and its makeover can't begin soon enough. Masonic has its share of hazards, and lower Central, from Fulton to Hayes, is all about recurring sinkholes. For bicyclists, the McAllister ride through NOPA is rough and bumpy even without gaping craters. (For a full review of pavement conditions in NOPA, see previous posts here and here).

The best way to get rid of potholes is to report them to 311, by phone or online. The Dept. of Public Works has a good record of getting the problems fixed within a few days, sometimes longer. The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition's Good Roads program has been monitoring city streets intensively for potholes since April of 2008. During that period, SFBCers have reported more than 1500 potholes to the city through 311. About 50 of those street defects were located on NOPA streets. And yet they keep showing up, such as this one circled in spray paint yesterday on Broderick at Grove. (Note: DPW provides the paint; we're not renegade street taggers. The paint helps DPW locate the hole and it also alerts cyclists of areas to avoid until the fix occurs).

NOPA cyclists: Join the SFBC Good Roads Crew the first Saturday of every month as we target a different neighborhood to identify, circle, and report every pothole, crack, ridge, and sunken utility cover we can find. A group of 6-12 of us meet up at 10 am and conclude by noon and then gather at a neighborhood spot for cold drinks and lunch. We're a very friendly group, and newcomers are always welcome. Check the SFBC Chain of Events and the Good Roads page for meeting spots. (note: no ride this holiday weekend; next ride October 3rd).

NOPA's Bumpy Streets, Part One

Bicyclists and motorists know our city streets are mostly in a sorry state with potholes, cracks, utility cuts, and all sorts of surface hazards. San Francisco streets average a score of 64 on a scale of 1 to 100. That 64 hovers between pavement that requires a preventative treatment (filling cracks and seams and repairing potholes) and those surfaces that are so degraded from wear that they sorely need resurfacing or more fundamental reconstruction.

How do the 30 square blocks* of NOPA fare in the distressed pavement world? Our street surfaces are worse than you might expect:

• 24% of our blocks require major repair or reconstruction now.
• 43% of our blocks need resurfacing before they worsen.
• 20% of our blocks need preventative repairs before they degrade further.
• 13% of our blocks are fine for now (due to recent re-surfacing mostly)

With the first two categories combined, fully two-thirds of our blocks need basic and extensive make-overs.

How does your NOPA block rate?

Check the three basic categories below. Note that blocks on the San Francisco Paving Database map (scroll to page 31 for the map) are grouped by color and correspond to the degree of wear and tear of the surfaces (aka Pavement Condition Index scores):

• Red = 0 - 49 These blocks need reconstruction and/or major repairs.
• Blue = 50 - 63 These blocks can get by with resurfacing.
• Green = 64 - 84 Preventative work can extend the life of these surfaces.

NOPA's RED Blocks: 24% of total 71 blocks need reconstruction or other major repair

Divisadero All 6 blocks, Fell to Turk, seriously degraded condition.

Broderick Fulton to McAllister

Central Grove to McAllister

Masonic Fell to Hayes and Grove to McAllister

Hayes Central to Baker and Broderick to Divisadero

Fulton Masonic to Central and Broderick to Divisadero

NOPA's BLUE Blocks: 43% of total 71 blocks need resurfacing

Masonic Hayes to Grove and McAllister to Turk

Central Hayes to Grove and Golden Gate to Turk

Lyon Fell to Golden Gate

Baker Grove to Turk

Broderick Fell to Grove and McAllister to Turk

Hayes Masonic to Central and Baker to Broderick

Grove Central to Baker

Fulton Central to Broderick

McAllister Masonic to Baker

Golden Gate Masonic to Baker

NOPA's Green Blocks: 14% of total 71 blocks need preventative treatments

Central Fell to Hayes and McAllister to Golden Gate

Lyon Golden Gate to Turk

Baker Fell to Hayes

Fell Lyon to Divisadero

Grove Masonic to Central and Baker to Broderick

McAllister Baker to Divisadero

Golden Gate Central to Lyon

Turk Baker to Divisadero

What does this mean?

NOPA streets are not in imminent danger of catastrophe -- although we get occasional sinkholes. But NOPA has a signficant number of blocks that are more rapidly deteriorating due to delayed maintenance, and the cost of repairing these increases exponentially if delayed too long. For example, a block with a score of 50 can be repaved for about $95,000, but allow that block to deteriorate to below 25, and the cost could soar to $430,000, according to the SF Department of Public Works.

How do NOPA streets compare with those in other neighborhoods?

Check the city paving map to view NOPA blocks and those of other neighborhoods.

Please post your own observations here about NOPA's streets or comparisons with other neighborhoods.

If you check the site for the map, you might notice it is part of a report on a Safe Streets Bond measure that the city is expected to place on the ballot in November. More on that in an upcoming post.

Remember: potholes can be reported to 311 online or call 311. All you need to provide is the street and the cross street and, if possible, the nearby address.

* For this analysis, I'm looking at the area defined by Masonic and Divisadero, Fell and Turk; this is a 30 block area with 71 separate blocks.

Coming up in Part Two: Which NOPA streets are scheduled for repaving and when?

NOPA's Bumpy Streets, Part Two

Part One of this bumpy street saga was all about what the city thinks of that stretch of pavement outside your home. If your block has a tanking score on the Pavement Condition Index (PCI), what's the plan for repairs? Will your block be torn up anytime soon? How many times do you have to keep reporting that recurring pothole or sinkhole to 311?

RE-SURFACING SCHEDULE

North/South blocks from Fell to Turk

Divisadero: due for a big makeover with work to begin in Sept/Oct this year.

Broderick: the full stretch of 6 blocks, start up is 7/1/2012

Baker: this is the other major repaving project for NOPA this year, to begin 10/31/09

Lyon: nothing planned here except for the intersection with Hayes: 7/1/2013

Central: Really needs work from Fell to McAllister, but no new surfacing until: 7/1/2013

Masonic: no plans except for Hayes intersection, to start 7/1/2013 (but Masonic is being studied for traffic calming improvements and that may result in re-surfacing as well)

East/West blocks from Divisadero to Masonic

Fell: repaving only at 2 intersections: Broderick (7/1/2012) & Central (7/1/2013)

Hayes: all of Hayes in NOPA due for repaving: 7/1/2013

Grove: only work is at 3 intersections: Divis: 9/5/2009; Broderick: 7/1/2012; Central: 7/1/2013

Fulton: only repaving is at Divis intersection (9/15/09) and at Central (7/01/2013

McAllister: just 3 intersections: Divis: 9/15/2009; Broderick: 7/1/2012; Central: 7/1/2013

Golden Gate: same three intersections and dates as above: Divis, Broderick, Central

Turk: only at Divis and Broderick intersections, same dates as above.

How does the repaving schedule determined?

Identifying candidate streets for repaving is a complicated process, especially since city regulations allow blocks to be torn up only once every five years. That means all underground work by utilities must be coordinated for completion right before repaving begins. Sometimes water, sewer, or electrical work triggers follow-up resurfacing; other times DPW announces its paving plans and the utilities scramble to get work done first. Other factors: Muni lines and bicycle routes give streets a higher priority for repaving and the city employs "geographic equity" so that all districts get a share of the repaving. Note: the street selection process is also responsive to public requests (i.e. complaints).

For the record: The "Gavin" pothole was found on Presidio Street (that's not my spray painting); the cyclist circling a crack on Baker Street is Jared Blumenfeld, interim director of Recreation & Parks Dept, on a swing through NOPA; ok, the last pic is my work but DPW provides spray paint to SF Bike Coalition volunteers to help them locate potholes to be repaired.