Tag Archives: environment

Park(ing) Day 2011 Sept. 16

Park(ing) Day on Hayes Street from last year.

In cities around the globe artists, activists and citizens will temporarily transform metered parking spaces into public parks and other social spaces, as part of an annual event called PARK(ing) Day.

Originally invented in 2005 by Rebar, a San Francisco-based art and design studio, PARK(ing) Day challenges people to rethink the way streets are used and reinforces the need for broad-based changes to urban infrastructure. “In urban centers around the world, inexpensive curbside parking results in increased traffic, wasted fuel and more pollution,” says Rebar’s Matthew Passmore. “The planning strategies that generated these conditions are not sustainable, nor do they promote a healthy, vibrant human habitat. PARK(ing) Day is about re-imagining the possibilities of the urban landscape.”

Be creative, think of a theme for your park and participate on September 16th. Parking Day info

Parking Day Map

Let us know if you are participating in Hayes Valley so we can all swing by and enjoy the outdoors with you.

Email us at voice@hayesvalleysf.org & jessie@hayesvalleysf.org

Solar@Work – your business may benefit

The San Francisco Department of the Environment would like to inform you of an exciting new solar group purchasing program for small businesses and commercial property owners in San Francisco called Solar@Work.

This volume discount model makes it possible, for the first time, for small- and mid-sized businesses and commercial property owners to pay less for solar power than they pay for electricity from the grid.  In addition to a significant 20% discount, members of the buying group can also take advantage of the program’s streamlined solar lease option to install solar for little to no money down.  Listen to this short KQED story about the program launch or read this in-depth article by Forbes

Limited-Time Offer:
The Solar@Work enrollment window is open through October 2011. Projects are expected to break ground by the end of 2011

What Businesses Receive:
– Over 20% discounted group price on solar electric systems for program participants
– Special pre-negotiated solar equipment lease option, with a buy out option
– Performance guarantees to ensure long-term energy production and savings
– Reach clean energy goals and demonstrate leadership to clients

Help Spread the Word to Your Members:
– Invite the SF Dept. of Environment to present a regular meeting or host a brown bag event
– Forward attached Solar@Work brochure to your business members
– Publish an article or blurb in your e-newsletter featuring Solar@Work
– Post a link on your website or to your social network channels (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)

Attend an Information Session

Wednesday, August 17 at 12:30pm via Webinar.

Register: www2.gotomeeting.com/register/342717394

Tuesday, August 23 at 4:00pm at SF Dept. of Environment
11 Grove Street, San Francisco, 94102. RSVP: tyler.espinoza@sfgov.org

TBA, Week of August 29 in the Bayview neighborhood.
Details forthcoming. RSVP: tyler.espinoza@sfgov.org

Solar@Work: Commercial Solar Made Simple + Affordable Through Group Purchasing

Panhandle bicycle access

The SFMTA is seeking to improve bicycle access between the Panhandle bike path and the “Wiggle” by providing bikeways on Fell Street and/or Oak Street between Scott and Baker that are physically separated from motor vehicle traffic by a buffer space or vertical element. Similar bikeways were installed on Market Street in 2010, and the SFMTA has received positive feedback on the level of comfort that the bikeways provide. Many cyclists currently use the Panhandle bike path and the “Wiggle” bike route, yet the connection between these two routes is insufficient in many peoples’ minds because the existing bike lane on Fell St does not feel comfortable for many cyclists and there is no bikeway on Oak St.

Given the right-of-way constraints on both Oak and Fell Streets, accommodating a wide bikeway and buffer space would require that changes be made to existing parking and/or travel lanes. At this point, the SFMTA has brainstormed a few conceptual design ideas that could be applied to either Oak St or Fell Street or both, depending on the feedback received from the community:

–Remove one travel lane to accommodate a separated bikeway
–Remove parking on one side of the street to accommodate a separated bikeway
–Create a part-time travel lane to accommodate a separated bikeway. Such a part-time travel lane would operate similar to other “tow-away lanes” that are common throughout San Francisco where parking is allowed except for during peak hours.
–Remove one travel lane to accommodate a two-way separated bikeway on either Oak or Fell St.
–Remove parking on one side of the street to accommodate a two-way separated bikeway on either Oak or Fell St.

As a first step in the planning process, the SFMTA is reaching out to community groups in the project area to solicit initial feedback on these conceptual design ideas and to gather questions and concerns. Feedback received from local residents and businesses will help the SFMTA refine these conceptual ideas and analyze their potential impact. The SFMTA will then host a public meeting on September 13th at 6:30pm at the San Francisco Day School (350 Masonic Ave) to discuss this project in more detail.

Please submit questions or comments to Luis Montoya at the SFMTA (Luis.montoya@sfmta.com, or 701-4376). The SFMTA hopes that you will join us at the community meeting on September 13th. We will be advertising this meeting through a variety of communication channels, but we appreciate you additionally sharing this information with anyone who may be interested.

Summer social at Living Linden Alley spot

Come join Neighborhood Parks Council on July 13th (Wednesday) from 6pm to 8pm at – Living Linden Alley (between Gough and Octavia).

This year Neighborhood Parks Council is hosting the Summer Social potluck style! Please bring a food or beverage item to share with your fellow park lovers. NPC will showcase delicacies from local vendors from around the city.

If you have any questions about what to bring, please email council@sfnpc.org

At the event NPC will recognize 11 volunteers, park group and coalition members for their tireless effort and determination in bringing their community together to revitalizing San Francisco’s open spaces. These outstanding individuals and organizations have contributed to collectively making our parks and playgrounds across San Francisco’s 11 districts clean, green and safe.

Thank you again to the outstanding volunteers chosen this year.

more info

Visit the new Hayes Valley Playground

Thank you to all of you who came out to celebrate the reopening of the Hayes Valley Playground. Many of our neighbors and supporters worked for years to pull this project together. We had fun celebrating the grand opening. Please enjoy using this great playground.

All photographs courtesy of Jamie Lopez!

Ribbon cutting including Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association President Karen Mauney-Brodek, District Five Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, members of The Trust for Public Lands, and others.



District Five Clean Up 9 Am To Noon: June 18th

Please join Supervisor Mirkarimi at 9 a.m. on June 18th at the Ella Hill Hutch Community Center, 1500 McAllister to kick-off the Annual District 5 Clean-up.
The Department of Public Works will be on hand to provide equipment and supplies for volunteers to work on landscaping and gardening projects, abate graffiti, and pick up litter throughout the neighborhoods in District 5.

The day will also include a Gigantic Three Program- A free bulky item drop-off Service allows residents in District Five to get rid of unwanted household items. The free click here program provides three large containers for large scale recycling, composting, and bulky items. All you have to do is bring your unwanted items to Baker Street between Oak and Fell, and the Gigantic 3 staff will help you put them into the appropriate container. It’s a convenient place to get rid of used motor oil and oil filters, household batteries, and fluorescent bulbs and tubes, too. The program also accepts small, reusable items for Goodwill and will give you a tax-deductible receipt for your donation.

Pedestrian Safety and Hayes Valley

by Mari Hunter

Long time Hayes Valley resident and member of the San Francisco Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC) John Alex Lowell presented the PSAC Annual Report during the Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association meeting in May.  John’s involvement with PSAC and his work on the Report was not only a civic contribution but it is also personal—John is a survivor of a pedestrian collision from 10 years ago.

One hundred percent of all trips have a pedestrian component and 20% of all trips in San Francisco are entirely pedestrian trips.  From 2005 to 2008 there were over 3,500 pedestrian collisions which totaled $74.3 million, 76% of which was paid for with public health care funds.  To initiate a movement that would address these statistics—one that would identify the who, what, where, how and why, PSAC members researched and worked with numerous City departments (e.g. Municipal Transportation Agency, Planning Department, Department of Public Health, etc) and created a report that provided a baseline of the existing pedestrian environment; reviewing the policy, engineering/design, data, enforcement, and health & education.  The report also identified a number of recommendations for each of the five components—key recommendations include:

1. Develop and implement observational studies to monitor rights-of way and other traffic code violations, by and of pedestrians, bicycles, and wheelchairs to identify hotspots.

2. Fines for traffic-related offenses that endanger pedestrians should be increased to an appropriate level and a citywide effort to enforce pedestrian and road safety laws should be made.

3. Police, health, transportation and planning data shall interface.

4. Police collision data shall have the capacity to be accessed in real-time by all transportation and health agencies with prior approval.

5. Identify a funding source to establish a pedestrian information registry for all pedestrian-related projects, studies, and activities.

Since the committee started its work on the Annual Report, which was presented to the Board of Supervisor’s City Operations and Neighborhood Services Committee in April, several other pedestrian safety related efforts have been initiated, namely WalkFirst SF, spearheaded by the Department of Public Health and the Planning Department; former Mayor Newsom’s directive forming a Pedestrian Safety Task Force; and efforts by Supervisor Kim (District Six) including a pedestrian safety hearing that was held in April.

District Six tops San Francisco’s most dangerous pedestrian regions, followed closely by the Financial District.  One might expect these two locations to be hot spots for pedestrian accidents given the density of pedestrian activity (see Map 1), but also more residential areas like Hayes Valley have a disproportionate number of pedestrian collisions (see Map 2 for collision data), likely due in part to traffic along major arterials connecting to Highway 101.


Data has indicated that the geographic imbalance may be attributed to heavier local traffic and density of residential and employment centers but also socioeconomic characteristics including communities of low-income, minorities, and the youth and elderly.

This recent surge to improve pedestrian safety is just the beginning; there is significant work to be done so residents and visitors feel safe.  Fortunately groups such as PSAC, Walk SF, the Pedestrian Safety Task Force and all of the city departments that influence the pedestrian environment are working to curb these preventable collisions and costs in a way that is both equitable and cost-effective.  For the full report please visit https://sfmta.securesites.net/cms/cpdsafe/19509.html