Road crews uncover old streetcar tracks during sewer work.

As we move around in our modern world, we tend to forget how things used to be. But every now and then, during the most meaningless of moments, we are reminded.

That’s what happened on Monday, when cub reporter David H. came upon a road crew on California between 15th and 16th Avenue. The street had to be opened up for some sewer work and as crews dug in, they stumbled upon a piece of San Francisco’s transit history – old streetcar tracks.

“The wooden ties were a bit rotted but the rails and spikes were as good as new,” David said. He even snagged a couple of the spikes for his collection.

After seeing pics of this accidental archaeological dig, I contacted Richmond District historian John Freeman to get more background on the streetcars that used to run along California Street.

California Street had the first rail line that went completely through the Richmond, as the steam train of the Ferries and Cliff House Railway. It opened September 30, 1888 to take passengers from the end of three cable car lines that terminated at Central Avenue (now Presidio Avenue) at the Laurel Hill Cemetery, to Sutro Baths and the grand chateau Cliff House which opened in 1896.

The C streetcar at 2nd Avenue & Clement, 1948. Courtesy outsidelands.org

John says the rails uncovered on California Street could date as far back at 1905. The #1 Sutter and California streetcar may have traveled on them. According to outsidelands.org, the C Geary-California streetcar line began running in 1915 out to Park Presidio / 13th Avenue as the Municipal Railway’s seventh route. The line was then extended to 33rd Avenue and California in 1915.

But with progress comes changes, and on July 3, 1949, all rail service on the California Street trolley tracks ended, to be replaced by buses. The Richmond District did have the B-Geary streetcar line up until December 1956, when it was replaced by the #38 bus line.

John says that simply covering over the streetcar rails was a common practice. Just a few years ago, he saw a similar scene on Balboa when they were doing roadwork.

“You would think the rails had salvage value, but in a post-WWII world, scrap steel was not very valuable and it was cheaper to cover the rails than to remove them for their scrap value,” John told me.

Special thanks to David H. for snapping pics and to John Freeman for providing the background on what was uncovered.

Sarah B.

Just in time for this Sunday’s Warren Hellman Tribute concert, SF Rec & Park announced today that the Golden Gate Park Shuttle Bus service is now free for all passengers. It previously cost $2 for an all day pass to ride the shuttle.

The shuttles are available every Saturday and Sunday between 9am and 6pm, and run every 15 to 20 minutes.

There are 15 shuttle stops which cover most of the main attractions in the park including McLaren Lodge, the Conservatory of Flowers, the Music Concourse, Stow Lake, the bison paddock, and Ocean Beach (view full list of shuttle stops).

Sarah B.

RichmondSFBlog reader Gideon alerted us to this story that ran on CBS News recently about an unwelcome parker in the outer Richmond District.

It seems that Larry Flynt’s Hustler Club, located downtown on Kearny Street, utilizes a special mobile stripper truck to entice visitors to their club. Women dance inside the back of the truck on Friday and Saturday nights, trying to lure customers to pay a visit to the adult club.

But when the truck is not working, it’s being parked in our neighborhood. It first showed up at 37th and Balboa but after many complaints for “indecency” to Supervisor Eric Mar’s office, was towed for having expired tags.

It showed up later at 42nd and Geary, and continues to park in the neighborhood. Supervisor Mar tells CBS that he’s gotten a lot of calls about the truck, which during its first stint at 37th and Balboa, was close by the Anza branch library and Lafayette Elementary School.

Mar has had trouble getting the owners or managers of the Hustler Club to move their titillating truck to another location. So he’s working on introducing new legislation to ensure that these kinds of vehicles can be towed.

What do you think? Are you bothered by this vehicle parking in the neighborhood? Leave a comment to let us know.

UPDATE (Apr 17, 2012 @ 3:45pm): Supervisor Mar called today to let us know that he is not planning to pursue any additional legislation to resolve this issue. There is a city law that has been on the books for about 12 years which prohibits a commercial (advertising) vehicle from parking in the city. Mar worked with the SFPD to initially tow the truck for expired tags, and then when it returned, notify it that it was subject to a $250 – $500 citation if it remained parked due to the city law.

Mar said he spoke with the manager of the Hustler Club who indicated the truck has returned to Las Vegas and won’t be parking on SF streets anymore. “If I had to do legislation, I would have,” Mar said. “But working with the police and residents has successfully resolved this issue.”

Sarah B.

We got word last week that a local Pedicab company is looking to expand across the city, including adding routes in the Richmond District.

Cabrio Taxi, known for their glittery red cabs, currently operates on the Embarcadero, offering rides to locals and tourists via their fleet of bicycle-powered taxis. According to their website, they also offer tours and services for special events.

Apparently business is booming and Cabrio wants to add more routes in the city. In their route map application to the SFPD and SFMTA (view application (PDF)), the company says they have plans to “grow into the cultural and commercial pockets of San Francisco such as the Marina, North Beach, SOMA, Mission, Polk St., Haight and the GGPark/Panhandle areas.”

Officer Tobius Moore, Permit Officer for the Richmond District station, said in an email that Cabrio Taxi wants to offer transportation between Golden Gate Park and the Presidio, and to support large events happening in Golden Gate Park (like Outside Lands, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass).

“Their main focus for the Richmond District is to provide “green transportation” for people between The Presidio and Golden Gate Park on normal days and nights. When there is a large event or festival in Golden Gate Park, the company’s focus is transporting people from Golden Gate Park to businesses and bus routes along Geary Boulevard, Clement Street, and California Street to help alleviate pedestrian congestion around Fulton Street and Golden Gate Park,” Moore wrote.

The route map in their application shows service running along JFK and MLK Drives in Golden Gate Park, as well as along Lake Street. Pedicabs would use 25th Avenue to exit and enter the park during the day, and 8th Avenue as well in the evenings.

No word on how much Cabrio Taxi plans to charge for rides. I haven’t been in a pedicab for years and the last time I inquired about a ride down on the wharf, I was pretty surprised at how high the price was. One Yelp reviewer notes that it’s “about twice as expensive per mile as a cab, but they can go up all the walking streets too!”

In addition to providing green transportation, Cabrio Taxi says the presence of their drivers can also help reduce crime in local neighborhoods. “Part of our legacy contribution to the City will be the fact that we will help in crime prevention. We hope to have our operators work with the local stations to become educated and certified for simple emergency response procedures. This has proven to be effective in other cities,” they wrote in their proposal.

Cabrio’s goal is to be permitted to operate their pedicab service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but note that they would likely not have any in operation between 4am and 10am in the mornings. Their “staging” areas would be at fire hydrants, per suggestion from the SFMTA.

Officer Moore notes that the pedicab company has engaged in ample community outreach about their plan, yet no Richmond District organizations made their contact list. In his email, Moore reached out to local groups like the Planning Association for the Richmond (PAR), the Geary Merchant’s Association, The Richmond Review newspaper, as well as local business owners and landlords for feedback.

What do you think about a pedicab service operating in the neighborhood? Leave a comment to let us know.

Sarah B.

Next Monday, the SF County Transportation Authority will hold an informational public meetings on the Geary Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Project at the Richmond District Recreation Center from 6:30pm until 8:30pm (251 18th Avenue).

The BRT project is designed to speed up buses by creating dedicated bus-only lanes on Geary from Gough Street to 25th Avenue, which could improve service and reliability, as well as improve pedestrian conditions among the busy corridor with new medians, safer crossings, landscaping and countdown signals. View the project fact sheet (PDF)

But the Geary BRT has been dismissed by opponents as being too expensive, too disruptive to residents and local businesses, and unrealistic in its goals.

Still, proponents believe that Geary Boulevard can become the “Great Street” it was always meant to be, and that bus riders will benefit from the service improvements and merchants from the increased ridership into the Richmond District.

BRT is a long way from becoming a reality. Project timelines are long, with construction beginning in 2017 and wrapping up sometime in 2019-2020.

The project is currently developing an environmental study, and next week’s meetings will be a chance for residents to learn about project alternatives under evaluation, view design options being considered for key intersections, and provide feedback to the project team.

There are still 4 alternatives being considered for the project. The first is to leave Geary as is, meaning no new dedicated lanes for buses but improvements would be made to help flow of traffic and increase safety. The second alternative calls for “side-lanes”, or dedicated bus lanes that would hug the curbs on Geary with bulbs added to accommodate vehicle parking. The third and fourth alternatives create center lanes dedicated to the Geary buses, one plan with a dual median, the other with a single.

The BRT project is the source of much debate in the neighborhood. In 2009, we asked two David’s – David Heller of the Geary Boulevard Merchant’s Association and savegearyblvd.com, and Dave Snyder of Streetsblog – to weigh in on the major issues surrounding the project. Read their answers here. And the BRT was one of the key questions up at the mayoral debate hosted in the neighborhood in September 2011.

Sarah B.

Proposed configurations for the dedicated bus lanes on Geary from Gough Street out to 25th Avenue

The San Francisco County Transportation Authority has announced one vacancy on the Geary Bus Rapid Transit Citizens Advisory Committee (GCAC). The Committee meets on a quarterly basis and advises the Authority throughout the project process.

The Geary Bus Rapid Transit project is designed to speed up buses and make service more reliable and comfortable along Geary Boulevard, as well as improve pedestrian conditions among the busy corridor with new medians, safer crossings, landscaping and countdown signals. BRT service could potentially begin in 2016/17. More on the pros & cons of Geary BRT

The Citizens Advisory Committee provides input in refining the BRT alternatives, considering project benefits and impacts for all users of the corridor, developing mitigation strategies, and identifying a preferred alternative.

Currently the project is working on an environmental study, with the study team and other public agencies working collaboratively with the GCAC, as well as inviting public participation through community meetings.

If you’re interested in applying for the open position on the Citizens Advisory Committee, visit gearybrt.org for more information and download the application form. Applicants from neighborhoods along the Geary corridor are particularly encouraged to apply. The application deadline is October 24 at 5pm.

Sarah B.

Last night just before 9pm, a sinkhole trapped a car on the 3300 block of Fulton between 9th and 10th Avenue. Thanks to reader Jim for sending in the photos.

Jim lives right where the sinkhole started forming, and says he first noticed it that morning. “It was just a couple of inches when I pulled out of my garage.”

He arrived home later that night to find the stranded SUV stuck in the sinkhole, and another car double parked a little further down the block which may have also been damaged. It was unclear if the SUV sustained any damage.

Jim says the sinkhole is right over the trench that was dug during the 5 Fulton upgrade project, which put the electrical feeder cables that power the trolley buses for the route underground. The year long project concluded earlier this spring, and required construction work on Fulton from 32nd Avenue to 8th Avenue.

If you see a sinkhole forming on your block, call 311 to report it. You might just save a car!

Sarah B.

Another sinkhole appeared on the 3300 block of Fulton between 9th and 10th Avenues last week, this time taking a fire hydrant with it (and ironically, creating a new parking space).

Early last week, a hole formed near the base of the fire hydrant near the corner of 9th Avenue and Fulton and as of yesterday, it had expanded and completely swallowed up the hydrant. It has been reported to 311 and cones from the SF Water Department have been positioned near it.

This is the second sinkhole on the block in the past couple of months. The first appeared in early October in the roadway and stopped a SUV in its tracks.

Resident Jim M., who lives on the block, says he’s concerned there’s something more serious happening under the street.

“What I’m worried about is the connection between the two incidents, there’s something else going on. I’m not convinced the city is solving the bigger problem of why there are two sinkholes within 20 yards of each other within 2 months,” he said.

In fall 2011, the city embarked on a year long upgrade project to the 5 Fulton bus line, which put the electrical feeder cables that power the trolley buses for the route underground. The year long project concluded earlier this spring, and required construction work on Fulton from 32nd Avenue to 8th Avenue. Much of that work was digging trenches under the roadway to make room for the wiring.

Whether these sinkholes are related to the upgrade project work remains to be seen, but let’s hope that DPW digs a little deeper to find out what’s going on.

Sarah B.

It’s a new year and that means new ways for the SFMTA to grab revenue from residents and visitors to the city. Their latest brainchild goes into effect this weekend – metered parking on Sundays.

What was once considered a sacred right of San Franciscans – free parking meters on Sundays – will be a thing of the past beginning at noon this Sunday. Starting January 6, all parking meters across the city will be enforced from 12noon until 6pm every Sunday.

Here are a few extra tidbits about the new meter rules to keep in mind:

• Sunday metered parking is enforced from 12noon until 6pm only.
• Sunday meters will have 4 hour time limits. But per usual, you cannot “feed” the meter or exceed the four hour time limit.
• Meters will be programmed for prepayment so you can pay even if you arrive before the meter is in effect. For example, if you arrive at 10 a.m. and need to stay until 2 p.m., you can pay at 10 a.m. for two hours starting at noon when the meter goes into effect. Prepayment can begin at 4:30 a.m. at any SFMTA meter as of January 6, 2013. If the meter is $2 per hour and you put $4 in the meter at 10 a.m., the meter will show payment until 2 p.m. (10 a.m. to 12 p.m. free and $2 each for 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.)
• Meter rates on Sundays will be the same as those on Saturday
• Meters that were already enforced on Sundays, such as those at Fisherman’s Wharf (7am – 7pm) and the Port of San Francisco (7am – 11pm), will still maintain their regular, posted hours.

Aside from wanting to make more money for the city (which they don’t really mention in their FAQ, ahem…), the SFMTA says they are enforcing Sunday metered parking to “make sure that motorists can easily find a place to park in commercial areas, which is currently very hard on Sundays.”

Although parking has been free on Sundays since meters were first installed in the 1940s, the SFMTA says that unlike back then, businesses are now open on Sundays, making parking just as tough on Sundays as it is on Saturdays. Hence the need for meters to help increase parking turnover.

If you’re tired of carrying rolls of quarters around or refilling your SFMTA parking card, you might want to check out the PayByPhone app which is available for iPhone, Android or Blackberry. Punch in the meter space number, enter the number of minutes you want, and submit your payment. The app will remind you via text message when you meter is running out and if you haven’t hit the meter limit yet, you can add more parking time from the app (without having to trek back to your car).

Yes, there is a $.45 service fee for every PaybyPhone app transaction but it sure beats a hefty ticket and scrounging for spare change in your glove compartment.

Sarah B.

This Thursday night, the Richmond District Democratic Club is hosting a public forum/discussion on the new bike lanes in Golden Gate Park as part of their February meeting.

The RDDC has invited members from the SF Bicycle Coalition, pedestrian safety, seniors’ advocates, and the SFMTA to join the discussion.

The bike lanes sparked a lot of discussion here on the blog in an article last month entitled Bicycle Lane in Golden Gate Park Cause for Concern.

Comments about the new lanes were very mixed, and included negative reviews from cyclists who say the new configuration is detrimental to drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.

The RDDC meeting will be held this Thursday night in the Richmond District Police Station Community Room, 461 6th Avenue from 7pm until 8:30pm.

Sarah B.

This afternoon around 5:30pm, a large sinkhole opened up at the intersection of Lake and 2nd Avenue. Neighbors reported that a car drove over the area and shortly after, the ground began sinking in on itself.

We stopped by the sinkhole at 6:45pm tonight, and helicopters from two news channels were still circling overheard.

A DPW crew was there inspecting the hole, and the entire intersection was closed off with police caution tape. No repairs were being made yet.

Several streets were closed off from traffic leading into the intersection, including the first and third blocks of Lake Street, and 2nd Avenue between California and Lake.

The surface of the sinkhole looked like it had been covered with fresh asphalt recently, and a neighbor on scene confirmed that the area had been patched in recent weeks.

She drove over the intersection earlier in the day with her husband, and remarked that the ground was uneven and appeared to be sinking.

It’s unclear what caused the sinkhole, but typically it’s due to a break in a sewer or water line that then erodes the surface under the street. When we visited the scene, there was no sign of water and no smell of sewage, but there was definitely an absence of foundation under the street.

UPDATE: KTVU, who was manning one of the choppers over the scene, reports, “It is believed that the sinkhole was caused by an old 21-inch sewer line failure.”

There were several gawkers at the intersection, mostly neighbors who lived close by and wondered why helicopters were circling overhead. Guess it’s a slow news day.

Try to avoid the area for tonight and probably tomorrow, as crews will be assessing and repairing the sinkhole which is pretty large.

Thanks to reader Stacy L. for the tip.

Sarah B.

Photo by Stacy L.

The Chronicle reported that five people were injured after the “topless” tour bus they were riding ran into some overhead wires while driving through the Richmond District on Friday afternoon.

The double decker bus, operated by Big Bus Tours, was heading north on 12th Avenue around 3:15pm.

As they crossed the intersection of Balboa and headed towards Anza, a low hanging wire first hit the bus’ windshield, popped over the windshield, and then collided with some passengers riding on the top level of the bus, which is open to the air.

Four passengers suffered cuts and bruises on their face and hands, and another woman, 67 years old, had injuries on her face and head. Four were taken to to San Francisco General Hospital, but all were released later that evening.

The Big Bus Tours driver had veered off the normal Park Presidio route to try and avoid snarled traffic on the way to the Golden Gate Bridge. The alternate route on 12th Avenue was a designated backup route and is regularly used by the bus company.

But what he didn’t expect was that one of the overhead wires on that block of 12th Avenue had come loose and was hanging lower than normal.

Thankfully there were no serious injuries. It’s not clear whose wire became dislodged or if it’s been fixed since Friday. But let’s hope another group of bus tourists doesn’t get a nasty surprise like this.

Sarah B.

Photo by James F.

We got an email from reader James F. earlier this week that said “There has been an unusual trailer parked on Clement street by Lincoln Park golf course around 38th – 40th avenues. It would make a good picture.”

So we said sure, send us a pic! And boy, he wasn’t kidding.

This looks like a full house on wheels. Ok, maybe more like a shack, but this is a pretty elaborate “trailer”. We particularly like the attic window detail and front porch.

Is this the Love Shack that the B-52s were singing about?

UPDATE: The owner, Alex B., has revealed himself in a comment: “Good Morning!!! That’s my house. I built that Tiny House back in NC. It’s name is Nod, which means to wander.”

Sarah B.

Photo by James F.

It’s been a full year now that parking meters have been in effect on Sundays between 12noon and 6pm. When the SFMTA put the new policy in place, they claimed it was “to make sure that motorists can easily find a place to park in commercial areas, which is currently very hard on Sundays.”

At the time, their FAQ about the new policy didn’t say anything about increased revenues for the SFMTA, but we all knew that was really the reason.

And yesterday, Mayor Ed Lee confirmed that, but at the same time said he wants to eliminate the year old program.

“I’ve always felt uncomfortable with it, but Muni was suffering and we needed the money,” Lee said.

The SFMTA estimated that charging for meters on Sunday would bring in a little under $2 million which would help fund a struggling MUNI system. But how much did they really pull in during the first year?

Closer to $6 million according to Matier & Ross.

That’s because about half of the revenue on Sundays is coming from tickets when people forget to pay their meters or let them expire. The ticket for an expired meter can run as high as $72.

Now Lee says they’ve found other ways to finance MUNI so he’s gun-ho to rollback Sunday meter parking (he’s planning to ask voters to approve a $500 million bond in November to fund transportation).

I bet his colleagues at the SFMTA are thrilled with Lee’s desire to rollback the program and strip $6M out of their annual budget!

When we posted about Sunday parking last year, comments were mixed. A lot of people liked the idea because they would be able to park more easily when visiting commercial districts in the city on Sundays. But others were tired of the city’s nickel and diming.

What do you think? Should Sunday meter parking stay as is, or be eliminated again? Take the poll below and leave us a comment with your thoughts. Merchants, we especially want to hear from you!

Sarah B.

Photo by Thomas Hawk

SFMTA is looking for feedback from the community on two transportation issues facing the city – changes in MUNI service lines including the 2, 28, 28L, and 38L lines, and which MUNI stops residents think would be best for the Silicon Valley commuter shuttles to use.

PROPOSED CHANGES TO MUNI LINES; MEETING FEB. 12
On Wednesday, February 12 from 6-8pm, the SFMTA will hold a public meeting at the Richmond District police station (461 6th Avenue) about proposed changes to the 2, 28, 28L, and 38L lines.

Muni is considering proposed service and route changes as part of the Transit Effectiveness Project (TEP):

The proposed changes will modernize Muni and make it more efficient, reliable, safe and comfortable for its existing 700,000 daily passengers. Developed over several years of data collection, intensive planning and public outreach efforts, the TEP will restructure transit service on certain lines to improve efficiency and connectivity and implement transit priority changes on the most heavily used lines to give buses and trains more priority on our City streets.

The addition of a 5L Fulton line last Fall was part of the TEP. The SFMTA is proposing the following additional changes which will be discussed at Wednesday’s meeting:

2 Clement: Supplemental trolley coach service between downtown and Presidio Avenue to boost service lost by shutdown of 3 Jackson route. 2 Clement Service Variant proposes an alternative alignment that would use existing overhead wires for trolley coach service on the entire Sutter Street corridor. Instead of operating on Clement Street from Arguello Boulevard to Park Presidio Boulevard, the alignment would continue on California Street to Eighth Avenue south to Clement Street to Sixth Avenue. This service variant would include a terminal loop at Sansome Street in the Downtown area. See project document

38L Geary: Expand limited stop service to Sundays. Coordinate with Geary Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Study currently underway, which aims to achieve significant travel time and reliability improvements. See project document

Changes are also being proposed to the 28 and 28L 19th Avenue routes, which run through the neighborhood on Park Presidio.

WHICH MUNI STOPS SHOULD THE COMMUTER SHUTTLES USE?
Late last month, the SFMTA Board approved an 18-month pilot program that will test sharing a limited number of Muni stops with commuter shuttles, many of which carry employees between the city and tech companies in the South Bay. Shuttles that pay for a permit and commit to complying with permit terms (following operating guidelines, sharing data, paying permit fees, etc.) will be authorized to use the shared stops.

The pilot program is set to start in July 2014 and the SFMTA is hosting an interactive map where residents can suggest locations for shared stops and provide information on conditions that they think should be considered in developing the network.

Click on an existing pointer in the map to add your feedback about a location, or create your own marker with feedback at additional stops.

The deadline to provide information via the interactive map is February 23. From that collected data, SFMTA engineers and planners will develop a proposed network as well as Muni operations and engineering needs.

Sarah B.

Scoot trainer Kelly at our orientation

More and more companies are enabling San Franciscans to get around town quickly and easily. Last year, the city implemented the Bay Area Bikeshare program, enabling point to point, short-term rides at affordable rates. And companies like ZipCar and City CarShare have been around for awhile now, making car rental close to home effortless and affordable.

Now there’s a new player in the cheap, green transportation game. Scoot Networks (scootnetworks.com), which has been in business for about a year, offers affordable rentals of electric scooters in San Francisco. Riders can pick up at one location and drop off at another for short trips, or rent the scooter for up to 48 hours (longer if you have a motorcycle license).

The latest location to open up is right here in the neighborhood near the corner of 7th and Clement. Our Scoot location houses 2-3 scooters at any given time, and can be accessed 24 hours a day.

Signing up for Scoot is easy through their website. Before you can start renting, you have to attend a useful, 45 minute orientation class with a Scoot team member. We took ours on Sunday in the parking lot on 8th Avenue near Clement, covering the basics of the Scoot app and the how-to’s of the electric scooter.

Scoot’s fleet is all electric, and the app (native for iOS, mobile web for Android) does much of the heavy lifting. Log on to the app, find an available scoot on a map of the city, and reserve it. Once you get to the pickup location, simply mount your phone into the holder (charger is included), log into the app, and tap “turn on” to power on the scooter. The scooter powers up remotely via GPS and the app shows you how much charge the scooter has, how fast you’re going etc.

Driving the scooter is easy – there’s no shifting or special controls to master. During orientation, you’re shown how to reserve your scoot, get it started, control it, park it, and when you’re done with the rental, return it to an official Scoot parking location. The app shows you where there is an available spot in the Scoot network to park.

A fully charged Scoot scooter has a range of 5-10 miles depending on your terrain, and it takes 3-5 hours for a full charge.

After completing training, our instructor Kelly advised us to follow the Scoot motto – Be safe! Be seen! Be nice! – and sent us on our way. I had a 35% charge and decided to head out to the Cliff House to see how the vehicle performed on some minor hills.

Riding a scooter is just plain fun, especially on a nice, sunny day. The scooters have a max speed of 25-30 miles per hour which when you’re riding it, feels like more than enough. I was surprised by its guts on a flat block and pleasantly surprised with its hill performance. The scooter also includes a helmet (two sizes to choose from) and a storage compartment if you need to carry some items on your ride.

The app has helpful features to keep you up to date on your scooter’s health. It displays your current charge which you can tap on to see the approximate mileage you have left. When I left 8th and Clement I had about 33% charge remaining, and after out to the Cliff House and back, was at 18%.

The app texted me when I reached 25% charge, urging me to seek out a place to recharge (tip: plugshare.com – web or app – is a great directory for such things). There are a few public charging stations in Golden Gate Park, but any standard electrical outlet will do.

Pricing for using the Scoot Network varies depending on the membership plan you choose and how many hours you keep your rental. The most basic plan is $5 per month, and the first half hour of every ride is just $3. Keep it longer than 30 minutes and the rate is $1.50 per half hour for the daytime, and $.25 for the nighttime hours. Other membership plans are available for $10 and $29 per month, with varying hourly rates.

If you get really hooked, you can rent a scooter 24/7 for $185 per month.

Like many vehicle sharing programs, you’ll find the most economy with Scoot on short, point to point rides. Maybe you don’t want to take Muni home from work so you pick up a Scoot downtown for the commute home. It does take some planning though as you want to make sure you have a Scoot location to return it to near your destination.

Daniel, another student in our orientation class, lives in the Richmond and says he is thinking about using the scooter to go back and forth to school. “It ends up costing me about the same as Muni on the short rides,” he said.

When you return your scoot, you put the helmet back in the storage compartment, plug in the charging unit, and lock the front wheel in place. Then just hit “End” in the app to conclude your rental. That puts your scooter back into the available rental network, where prospective riders can see its location and available charge.

We had a lot of fun on our scoot around the neighborhood, and could see this catching on as an easy, affordable way to get around town. Where would you scoot to?

UPDATE: Scoot Networks is offering Richmond Blog readers a discount. Signup for Scoot this week (by 2/23/14), use the promo code #RICHMONDBLOG and get $10 of riding credit.

Sarah B.

Screenshots from the Scoot app showing available scooters in red,
a reserved scooter, and estimated miles remaining on your charge.

Parking is going to get even tougher for residents in the outer Richmond if the SFMTA gets approval tomorrow to convert 20 residential parking spaces into car share zones.

The Friday, July 11 the Sustainable Streets Division of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency will hold a public hearing in which 10 different proposals will be considered to change street parking spaces into ones reserved for car share companies.

The detailed list of where these proposed changes is below, which includes spaces on 27th, 28th, 33rd, 34th, and 42nd Avenues, as well as Anza, Balboa and Cabrillo Streets. In total, it calls for 20 parking spaces to be changed to parking that is restricted to car share company vehicles only.

The 20 spaces being proposed in the outer Richmond District are just a small piece of the 900 total spaces that the SFMTA wants to convert across the city for a 2 year test program for car sharing.

Three car sharing companies – Zipcar, Bay Area nonprofit City CarShare and San Francisco’s Getaround – will be the recipients of the spaces. According to the Chronicle, the SFMTA approved the program after a smaller two-year test, involving a dozen street spaces, was deemed a success.

According to the agreement with the car sharing companies, at least 30 percent of the spaces have to be in the outer two-thirds of the city, and the price charged to the companies for spaces becomes less expensive in neighborhoods distant from downtown, as a way to encourage them to spread their vehicle fleet around the city. The monthly fee ranges from $50 per space per month in the outer third of the city to $150 in closer-in neighborhoods to $225 in the downtown area. [SFGate]

Some residents will be less than thrilled with this development, given how hard it can be for Richmond District residents to park in their own neighborhood. Reader Aram G. wrote us and said “this is yet another assault on Long term residents of San Francisco and needs to be stopped!!”

Still others, who don’t own cars, will find the ease of access to car sharing a welcome convenience.

“We appreciate that it’s a pretty big leap of faith,” Andy Thornley, project leader for the MTA told Pando this week. “And its important to remember that this is an experiment and not a forever thing, necessarily.”

Tomorrow’s SFMTA hearing takes place at City Hall (1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place) at 10am in Room 416 (Hearing Room 4) (view full meeting agenda). The public is welcome to attend and make comments.

Sarah B.

PROPOSED RICHMOND DISTRICT PARKING THAT MAY BE CONVERTED TO CAR SHARING SPACES:
A. 27th Avenue, east side, from 24 feet to 64 feet north of Geary Boulevard (40-foot zone removes Post IDs #127-4660, #127-04640, for 2 car share parking permits–Z004 & Z095)
B. 28th Avenue, east side, from Clement Street to 38 feet northerly (38-foot zone, for 2 car share parking permits–Z001 & Z094)
C. 33rd Avenue, west side, from 16 feet to 52 feet south of Balboa Street (36-foot zone, for 2 car share parking permits–Z003 & Z093)
D. 34th Avenue, west side, from 16 feet to 52 feet north of Geary Boulevard (36-foot zone, for 2 car share parking permits–Z092 & Z002)
E. 42nd Avenue, east side, from 16 feet to 52 feet south of Geary Boulevard (36-foot zone, for 2 car share parking permits–Z005 & Z090)
F. 42nd Avenue, east side, from Balboa Street to 35 feet northerly (35-foot zone, for 2 car share parking permits–Z006 & Z091)
G. Anza Street, north side, from 9 feet to 29 feet east of 44th Avenue (20-foot zone, for 1 car share parking permit space–G038)
H. Balboa Street, south side, from 3 feet to 37 feet west of 20th Avenue (34-foot zone, for 2 car share parking permits–Z030 & Z096)
I. Balboa Street, south side, from 28 feet to 71 feet west of 6th Avenue (43-foot zone removes Post IDs #321-05050, #321-05070, for 2 car share parking permits–Z031 & Z098)
J. Cabrillo Street, south side, from 20 feet east of 37th Avenue (20-foot zone, for 1 car share parking permit space–G040)

SFCitizen caught this snap of yet another creative use of the bike lanes on JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park.

• Congratulations to Pacific Cafe on Geary at 34th Avenue who are celebrating their 40th anniversary. Chronicle food critic Paolo Lucchesi wrote, “In a restaurant landscape where the bright young things are celebrated by media (yours truly often included), let’s give a round of applause to the Pacific Cafe, the epitome of a great neighborhood restaurant.”
• For only the second time in history, someone swam from the Farallones to the Golden Gate Bridge on Saturday. It was his seventh try, and it took 14 hours to swim the 30 miles. Congratulations, Joseph Locke.
• Columnist John King paid tribute to the glowing dome of the Russian Orthodox Cathedral on Geary. “It’s also the physical manifestation of a community with deep Richmond District roots.
• Game on… The measure to block the new soccer fields at Beach Chalet got enough signatures to make it on the ballot for the next election. Mayor Ed Lee has already prepared for the ballot battle by getting his own opposing measure on the ballot. “Mayor Ed Lee and a number of city supervisors last month announced their own initiative, designed to override the Golden Gate Park Athletic Fields Renovation Act. That measure contains a “poison pill” that would invalidate any conflicting ballot measure if the city’s measure gets more votes.” [SF Chronicle] Wake us when it’s over.
• Parking meters are getting an upgrade, allowing them to accept all five forms of payment, have larger display screens and show pay-by-phone transactions on the meter display. The new ones are being installed in the outer and central Richmond District in this next wave. And in case you’re curious what it costs to upgrade each meter – $515.
• The latest casualty of the tech boom? It’s Chinese businesses according to newamericanmedia.org. “The irony is that as Chinese buyers acquire more property in San Francisco, it is often the Chinese American tenants who are taking a hit. In this new Chinese city of San Francisco, also a hipster city, one sees more white young people and fewer small Chinese shops and shopkeepers that cater to working-class Chinese.” Read the full story

Photo by David H.

Cub reporter David H. snapped this pic today of one of our first car share spaces being installed on Clement Street near 24th Avenue.

These new car share spaces are part of a city-wide effort to convert 900 street parking spaces into ones reserved for car share companies in the next two years. So far, 20 have been approved for the outer Richmond District.

Three car sharing companies – Zipcar, Bay Area nonprofit City CarShare and San Francisco’s Getaround – will be the recipients of the spaces. According to the Chronicle, the SFMTA approved the program after a smaller two-year test, involving a dozen street spaces, was deemed a success.

According to the agreement with the car sharing companies, at least 30 percent of the spaces have to be in the outer two-thirds of the city, and the price charged to the companies for spaces becomes less expensive in neighborhoods distant from downtown, as a way to encourage them to spread their vehicle fleet around the city. The monthly fee ranges from $50 per space per month in the outer third of the city to $150 in closer-in neighborhoods to $225 in the downtown area. [SFGate]

The new car share spot shown in the photo above was formerly a metered parking space (note the red hood over the meter). Strangely, neither 24th Avenue or Clement Street were included in the list of spaces that were approved at the July 11 hearing (see list below).

David said the city painters who are converting the spaces also had other spots on their work order that were not on the list that was shared publicly. Perhaps some spots were changed at the hearing or approved at another time? UPDATE: Commenter Andrew let us know that there were other spaces, including this one on 24th Avenue, approved in a May 16, 2014 meeting (PDF).

We think the SFMTA could have been more creative and come up with a curb color other than red for the car sharing spaces (isn’t it counter-intuitive to park in a red spot?!). How about a lovely baby blue or a rainbow painted curb?

Sarah B.

Related: City plans to remove 20 residential parking spaces for car share companies

A follow-up story from KTVU:

20 PROPOSED RICHMOND DISTRICT PARKING THAT WILL BE CONVERTED TO CAR SHARING SPACES:
A. 27th Avenue, east side, from 24 feet to 64 feet north of Geary Boulevard (40-foot zone removes Post IDs #127-4660, #127-04640, for 2 car share parking permits–Z004 & Z095)
B. 28th Avenue, east side, from Clement Street to 38 feet northerly (38-foot zone, for 2 car share parking permits–Z001 & Z094)
C. 33rd Avenue, west side, from 16 feet to 52 feet south of Balboa Street (36-foot zone, for 2 car share parking permits–Z003 & Z093)
D. 34th Avenue, west side, from 16 feet to 52 feet north of Geary Boulevard (36-foot zone, for 2 car share parking permits–Z092 & Z002)
E. 42nd Avenue, east side, from 16 feet to 52 feet south of Geary Boulevard (36-foot zone, for 2 car share parking permits–Z005 & Z090)
F. 42nd Avenue, east side, from Balboa Street to 35 feet northerly (35-foot zone, for 2 car share parking permits–Z006 & Z091)
G. Anza Street, north side, from 9 feet to 29 feet east of 44th Avenue (20-foot zone, for 1 car share parking permit space–G038)
H. Balboa Street, south side, from 3 feet to 37 feet west of 20th Avenue (34-foot zone, for 2 car share parking permits–Z030 & Z096)
I. Balboa Street, south side, from 28 feet to 71 feet west of 6th Avenue (43-foot zone removes Post IDs #321-05050, #321-05070, for 2 car share parking permits–Z031 & Z098)
J. Cabrillo Street, south side, from 20 feet east of 37th Avenue (20-foot zone, for 1 car share parking permit space–G040)

Photo by Geoff C.

Activist John Sears passed through the neighborhood on Sunday with his pack of mules. Normally he travels with 3 mules (Little Girl, Lady and Pepper), but this time he had just two. One is currently lame and unable to travel. They were seen grazing on the 14th Avenue side of the Park Presidio greenbelt.

Sears, who likes to be known simply as “Mule”, is 66 years old and has been traveling with his pack for the past three decades. They’ve made their way through sixteen western states, according to their website.

The group has a bit of a cult following including 28,000+ fans on Facebook. The purpose of their old school travel is to call attention to the increasing trend of urban sprawl.

Last year while passing through San Diego, Sears told a local news station, “There must be a balance between the man-made world and the natural world,” he said. “We can’t live in this unbalanced state and we all know it.”

The mules also saw the sites on this trip, making stops in the Marina, the Ferry Building and Pier 39 – see pics here.

Sears and the two mules got a ride across the Bay Bridge on Saturday night into the city. Last year, Sears headed north so he may be working on arranging a ride across the Golden Gate Bridge as well. By law he is not allowed to walk the mules across the bridge.

A new documentary. “Mule: Living on the Outside” is in the works about the 3 Mules. Watch the trailer below and find out more at 3MulesMovie.com.

Safe travels to John and his mules.

Sarah B.

Photo by Geoff C.