Photo by sfbike.

On Saturday, March 31st, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) will host a public meeting to discuss pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements on Oak Street and Fell Street between Scott Street and Baker Street. The purpose of the meeting will be for the SFMTA to share a conceptual project design and to collect public feedback. There will be a four-hour window of time in which the public is encouraged to drop in to review design options and potential project impacts, so please stop by at any time between 10am and 2pm.

Oak and Fell Project Public Meeting

DATE: Saturday, March 31

TIME: 10:00am-2:00pm (open house

LOCATION: SF Day School, 350 Masonic Ave (at Golden Gate)

For more information about this project, please see our project web page:http://www.sfmta.com/cms/bproj/OakandFellBikeways.htm

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SFMTA to Host Budget Town Halls Meetings

Upcoming Two-year Budget Cycle Starts July 1

 The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), which oversees all transportation in the city, including the Municipal Railway (Muni), will host a series of town hall meetings in March to discuss its upcoming two-year budget.

 This series of citywide public meetings, the first of which is March 3, will provide San Francisco residents an opportunity to hear what is being proposed in the two-year budget, including potential increases to fares, fees and fines, and to meet directly with SFMTA staff to discuss specific programs and projects. These meetings will also be an opportunity to discuss the Agency’s long-standing structural operating and capital budget deficits and their impact on services.

 A presentation of the FY 2013 and FY 2014 preliminary budget can be found at: http://www.sfmta.com/cms/cmta/d! ocuments/2-21-12Item11FY2013-2014OperatingBudget.pdf.

 SFMTA FY 2013-2014 Budget Town Hall Meetings

 

Saturday, March 3 – 10 a.m. to noon

SFMTA Headquarters

1 South Van Ness Avenue

2nd Floor, Atrium

Nearby Muni Routes: 6, 9, 14, 47, 49, 71, F Market, Metro—Van Ness Station

 

Thursday, March 8 – 6 to 8 p.m.

San Francisco City College

50 Phelan Avenue

New Multi-use Building, Room 140, 1st Floor

Nearby Muni Routes: 8X, 29, 49, K Ingleside, Metro—Balboa Park Station

 

Wednesday, March 14 – 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

San Francisco Public Library

100 Larkin Street

Koret Auditorium

Nearby Muni Routes: 5, 6, 9/9L, 19, 21, 71/71L, F Market, Metro—Civic Center Station

 

Thursday, March 15 – 6 to 8 p.m.

SFMTA Presidio Division

2640 Geary Boulevard

Training Rooms C, D and E

Nearby Muni Routes: 2, 38/38L, 43

 

Wednesday, March 21 – 6 to 8 p.m.

San Francisco Waldorf High School

470 West Portal Avenue

Herbst Hall

Nearby Muni Routes: 17, 23, K Ingleside, M Ocean View

 

Additional Public Meetings on the Budget

 SFMTA Board of Directors Meetings (Room 400, City Hall)

 Tuesday, March 6 – 1 p.m. (Includes a Public Hearing on Changes to Fees, Fines and Fares)

Tuesday, April 3 – 1 p.m. (possible Board action)

Tuesday, April 17 – 1 p.m. (possible Board action)

 

Those who would like to comment and cannot attend one of the meetings are asked to send an e-mail to sfmtabudget@sfmta.com or contact 311 for more information and free language assistance in multiple languages.

 

  311: 中文 / Espańol / Franēais / 日本語 / 한국어 / Italiano / русский / tiếng Việt / Tagalog / عربي

 

311 Free language assistance / 免費語言協助 / Ayuda gratuita con el idioma / Бесплатная помощь переводчиков / Trợ giśp Thōng dịch Miễn phķ / assistenza linguistica gratuita/ Assistance linguistique gratuity / 無料の言語支援 / مساعدة لغوية مجانية / คว“มช่วยเหลือท“งภ“ษ“โดย ไม่เส’ยค่าใช้จ่าย

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By Bob Barnwell

There was a campaign late last year to increase the number of buses during the morning commute on the #21 bus line.  The buses are so overcrowded that once they reach Hayes Valley, they are too full to stop and allow more passengers to get on the bus at stops within Hayes Valley frustrating commuters.  Flyers were passed out to encourage riders to call or go on-line to the SFMTA and complain about the overcrowded buses.  The HVNA Transportation and Planning Committee sent a letter to the SFMTA Board of Directors and in mid-December four HVNA members met with the Director of Operations–Transit Services, Davide Puglisi, to discuss the situation.  On February 3rd we learned that MUNI will be increasing the number of buses in early March for the morning commute.  This was a team effort and shows we can make things happen with the city agencies that are important to the quality of life in Hayes Valley.

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By Jason Henderson

In January, Mayor Ed Lee appointed Christina Olague as the new District 5 (D5) Supervisor.  Christina replaces Ross Mirkarimi, who was elected Sheriff in November 2011, thus vacating the D5 seat.  She previously served for seven years on the San Francisco Planning Commission where she helped craft the Market and Octavia Better Neighborhoods Plan, which includes Hayes Valley and the eastern part of D5 (see map).  Christina is familiar with the complicated transportation and planning issues in Hayes Valley, as well as affordable housing, public safety, and school issues in the eastern part of D5.

Map of San Francisco District Five with the Hayes Valley Neighborhood boundaries shaded.

The HVNA Transportation & Planning Committee met with Christina soon after her appointment, and we are thrilled to report that she will be an excellent defender of the Market and Octavia Plan and other critical transportation and planning issues in Hayes Valley. As our new Supervisor, Christina also serves as a commissioner of the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA), which plans and funds key projects in the neighborhood.  She has pledged to work closely with HVNA to see that good choices are made.

This year the city will be selecting a locally-preferred alternative for the proposed Van Ness Avenue Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project.  HVNA has long-supported BRT on Van Ness because it is crucial for providing optimal north-south transit in the central city.  Christina has stressed she will work with us to make this a signature transit improvement, specifically by advocating for either option “3B” or “4B,”* both of which have exclusive busways in the center of Van Ness.  Both of these options would bring considerable time savings for transit passengers, significant reductions in Muni operating costs in the corridor, offer dramatic improvements for pedestrian safety, and will smooth the flow of automobile traffic on Van Ness because buses will no longer shift in-and-out of traffic.

One of the expected impacts of Van Ness BRT is diversion of a small amount of automobile traffic to Franklin and Gough streets. Given the benefits of BRT, this is acceptable, and we see BRT as an opportunity to get more people to choose transit over driving (it should also be noted that if we do nothing, traffic increases on those streets anyway.) As deliberations get underway, Christina has stressed that she will focus on neighborhood livability, including improving pedestrian crosswalks throughout the Franklin and Gough corridor, as well as ensuring that Market and Page streets become safer bicycle routes.

Christina also spoke to us at-length about the transit crowding most of us experience on the 5-Fulton, 21-Hayes, and the 6 and 71 Haight buses, all of which span D5.  As a car-free resident, Christina regularly rides these buses and has promised to advocate improvements on these lines. She has also been appointed to the Schools Committee, where among other things she promises to advocate for safe routes to schools programs for our neighborhood schools. Additionally she has been appointed to the Public Safety Committee, where she can push for bicycle and pedestrian safety.

Affordable housing is also a key issue in Hayes Valley, and Christina has an excellent track-record as planning commissioner on advocating for affordable housing within new developments in the neighborhood.  Christina is especially familiar with the 55 Laguna proposal, and is committed to making sure that the 55 Laguna project stays within the parameters of the Market and Octavia Plan, including defending the parking policies of the Plan and making sure there is affordable housing built on site.

In sum, Christina has been a strong ally with HVNA on transportation and planning issues and her values mesh well with ours. We are delighted to have her representing us, and grateful that Mayor Lee appointed someone who shares the progressive values of our district.

To learn more about Christina, see her bio at the Board of Supervisors website: SF B O S

*See “3B” or “4B,”*

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From Larry Cronander, HVNA Business Relations Committee Chair

December issue of Sunset Magazine is filled with references to Hayes Valley businesses. Check it out.

From William Bulkley, Art, Culture and Environment Chair

Transit Oriented Development grant that may impact Hayes Valley:
Read about Mayor Lee and Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and the grant SFGATE article

and SF Appeal article

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Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit

The Van Ness BRT Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) is now available for public review. Download chapters online or read a hard copy of this informative document. For a full list of ways to learn about and provide public input on the project, visit www.vannessbrt.org. Send comments on the report’s findings and project alternatives electronically to vannessbrt@sfcta.org or in writing to the project team at Van Ness BRT EIS-EIR, Attn: Michael Schwartz, 100 Van Ness Avenue, Floor 26, San Francisco, CA 94102. Comments received by December 19 will receive a formal response in the Final EIS/EIR.

Mark your calendar: Public Hearing on November 30

The Transportation Authority, together with staff from SFMTA, will host a public hearing on the Van Ness BRT Draft EIS/EIR on November 30. This is your opportunity to meet the project team, ask questions, and submit comments verbally or in writing. Translation and sign language services available upon request 72 hours prior to the event. (Please call 415.593.1655)

When: Wednesday, November 30, 2011, 5:30pm–8:00pm
Where: Holiday Inn Golden Gateway, 1500 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94109

We’ll also be hosting a lunchtime webinar at noon on Monday, December 5. Please register or visit www.vannessbrt.org for more information.

If you’d like to schedule a presentation for your own community group or place of business, please send an email to vannessbrt@sfcta.org or call 415.593.1655. Please note that the public hearing will be the only opportunity to submit formal verbal comments on the Draft EIS/EIR. Verbal comments at other public and community meetings will not be addressed in the Response to Comments Matrix in the Final EIS/EIR.

Please also note that the next Van Ness BRT Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting is scheduled for February 28, 2012. 
Questions?

The Van Ness BRT project team is available to answer your questions. Visit www.vannessbrt.org for more information on the project or contact Michael Schwartz, Transportation Planner, at vannessbrt@sfcta.org or 415.593.1655

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All Comments Due No Later Than December 22, 2011 at 4 p.m.

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) is working to ensure that customers with limited-English proficiency, minorities, and low-income residents are not adversely affected by the region’s transit agencies’ transition from paper tickets to the electronic Clipper® fare-payment system. MTC’s Clipper Title VI Draft Summary Report for Fare Media Transitions, which summarizes the agency’s approach to this issue, was released on September 2, 2011 for public review.

The draft report outlines steps that MTC and transit agency staff have taken to ensure that individuals protected by Title VI of the 1964 federal Civil Rights Act or by federal Environmental Justice requirements have equitable access to Clipper program benefits and services. These steps include waiving the $5 card acquisition fee since June 2010, holding more than 800 outreach events around the region to date, improving the multilingual capabilities at the Clipper Customer Service Center, running media campaigns in Chinese and Spanish languages, and widely distributing Clipper cards in communities of predominantly low-income, limited English, and minority residents.

The draft report then summarizes MTC’s requirement that transit agencies transition selected paper passes and tickets to Clipper-only availability, the potential for reinstatement of a card acquisition fee, and how these changes may potentially impact minority, limited-English proficient or low-income communities. The report describes MTC’s efforts to mitigate four potential adverse impacts to these communities related to outreach enrollment opportunities for discount category patrons, Clipper vendor availability in specific census tracts, and the $5 Clipper card acquisition fee.

The public is encouraged to provide feedback on MTC’s efforts to mitigate these potential adverse impacts. MTC is particularly interested in public input regarding the proposal to implement a fee of $3 per card accompanied by a requirement for new card holders to load at least $2 in cash or a transit pass. The $3 fee is to cover the cost of the card. After receiving and addressing public feedback on this draft report, MTC’s Operations Committee, which sets the policies of the Clipper program, will adopt any resulting changes to the Clipper Operating Rules.

Comments are due by 4 p.m. on Thursday, December 22, 2011. MTC also will be conducting a series of focus groups to hear more directly from residents in Title VI protected and low-income communities. Email written comments to info@mtc.ca.gov, or mail them to MTC Public Information, 101 Eighth Street, Oakland, CA 94607-4700, or fax to 510.817.5848.

The report, along with background information, is available here.

For more information on Title VI of the Civil Rights, click here.

If you need a sign language interpreter, if English is your second language and you need translation services, or if you require any other type of assistance please contact us by calling 510.817.5757 or 510.817.5769 for TDD/TTY. We require at least three days’ notice to provide reasonable accommodations.

Si necesita un intérprete del lenguaje de señas, si el inglés es su segundo idioma y necesita un intérprete, o si necesita cualquier otra ayuda por favor comuníquese con nosotros al número 510.817.5757 o al 510.817.5769 para TDD/TTY. Requerimos tres días de anticipación para proveer asistencia razonable.

如果您需要手語翻譯員，或如果英語是您的第二語言，您需要翻譯服務，或者您需要任何其他類型的協助，請致電510-817-5757或致電TDD/TTY電話510-817-5769。我們要求獲得至少三天提前通知才能提供合理的配合安排。

Metropolitan Transportation Commission
MTC Public Information
101 8th Street, Oakland, CA 94607
Phone: 510.817.5700; Fax: 510.817.5848
info@mtc.ca.gov

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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.

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The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), which oversees all surface transportation in the City, including the Municipal Railway (Muni), today announced that, effective Thursday, Aug. 4, McAllister Street east of Hyde Street will be reconfigured. Also, Charles J. Brenham Place (7th Street north of Market) will be converted to two-way. The traffic reconfiguration and correlated completion of the overhead contact system (OCS) rehabilitation in this area mean that the nearly 16,000 annual 5 Fulton Muni trolley bus customers will now have a more direct trip downtown. The change will save the Agency more than $200,000 a year in operating expenses.

Effective Aug. 4, the new configuration will allow Muni, commercial vehicles and bicycles to travel eastbound on McAllister Street between Hyde Street and Charles J. Brenham Place. All other eastbound McAllister traffic will continue to turn right at Hyde Street. Only bicycles, taxis and Muni vehicles will be allowed to turn east on Market Street from McAllister Street. All other traffic will be required to turn right onto Market Street. All traffic will be able to make a right turn from northbound Charles J. Brenham Place (7th Street north of Market Street) onto eastbound McAllister Street to access the block between Charles J. Brenham Place and Jones Street. The attached maps show the changes in the traffic configuration.

The current 5 Fulton route requires inbound vehicles heading downtown to make a right on Hyde Street and then a left on Market Street. The new route, made possible by new overhead wires in the eastbound direction, will allow buses on this route to go straight to Market Street, saving up to three minutes per trip. The changes to the 5 Fulton route will take effect after the testing of the new OCS in August.

The SFMTA’s Capital Investment Program includes the rehabilitation of the aging trolley bus OCS in various parts of the City. This vital work includes replacing existing poles and overhead wires. Rehabilitation of the OCS improves safety and service reliability and helps keeps Muni in a state of good repair. The OCS construction began last summer and was part of the 21 Hayes Pole Replacement project.

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The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) which operates
Muni will be hosting a community meeting to present and discuss options
for improving transit and pedestrian flow by converting a segment of Haight Street between Octavia and Gough to a two-way street.

To learn more about the proposals and provide comments:

Day & Date: Monday, June 20, 2011
Time: 6:15 p.m. Open House
6:30 – 7:30 p.m. Meeting
Location: One South Van Ness (at Market St.)
2nd floor Atrium

Questions and concerns prior to the meeting should be directed to:
SFMTA:
415.701.4685

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