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Uber / Lyft loading zone being considered for Clement Street

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The city is considering removing parking spaces in several neighborhoods to make way for Uber and Lyft loading zones, with the hopes of alleviating double parking and other hazards that the ride company drivers present to every day traffic.

On of the zones includes Clement Street between 5th and 7th Avenues. Other neighborhoods where loading zones are being considered are Hayes Valley, Inner Sunset, the Marina, Noe Valley, Bay Street near Fisherman’s Wharf, and SOMA.

This latest accommodation for the ride companies seems to be part of a bargain to extract their oft-requested ride data. According to the Examiner, “In exchange for use of space, the ride-hail giants would hand over driver trip data to help The City ease traffic congestion that drivers have said is exacerbated by Uber and Lyft vehicles double-parking.”

The data the city is seeking from the ride companies includes the number of pickups and drop-offs at various intervals in the provided city curb spaces, data on the number and location of instances when ride-hail drivers slam their brakes while driving, raw GPS data of vehicle locations, vehicle collision data and wheelchair accessible trip data.

Part of the plan also proposes that some streets be “geofenced,” which would electronically limit where ride company drivers could pick up passengers.

The city plans to pilot the loading zone concept in one location before rolling it out to the other neighborhoods. Board of Supervisors President London Breed told the Examiner she would welcome the pilot in Hayes Valley within her district.

When asked about the plan, Richmond District Supervisor Sandra Fewer told the Examiner she believes “a “community process” is necessary before considering the pilot”.

The impact of Uber, Lyft and other ride companies on San Francisco traffic is a topic of constant debate. In June 2017, the SFMTA released a report that claimed Uber and Lyft account for 15 percent of all vehicle trips inside San Francisco. In 2016, the San Francisco Treasury Office provided data that showed there were 45,000 active Uber and Lyft drivers who drive in the city.

Sarah B.


Next public meeting on 8th Avenue Neighborway project scheduled for Jan. 31

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Next Wednesday, January 31, the SFMTA will hold the next public meeting about the proposed 8th Avenue Neighborway Project.

As we detailed in a story back in November, the project proposes to add traffic calming measures to 8th Avenue including 10 speed humps and two “speed cushions” to slow down traffic or divert it to other streets in the nearby area. The calming measures would extend on 8th Avenue from Lake Street to Fulton Street, and on a few adjoining blocks of 7th and 9th Avenues.

The most radical part of the plan includes limiting vehicle access to a block of 8th Avenue. 8th Avenue between Anza and Balboa would be closed off to car traffic from certain directions.

Wednesday night’s meeting will include the SFMTA and Supervisor Sandra Fewer presenting updated proposals for the project.

“Based on community feedback, the SFMTA is proposing to install new speed humps, painted markings and stop signs to calm traffic in the neighborhood and near schools. The SFMTA is also proposing a study to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed traffic calming measures and determine if additional safety measures, including traffic diversion, would be warranted in the future,” Supervisor Fewer wrote in a recent newsletter.

The meeting will be help from 6pm until 8pm at Zion Lutheran Church and School, 495 9th Avenue. For more information on the project, visit the SFMTA website.

Sarah B.

UPDATED: The robots are back and this time, they’re cleaning up [Note: no robots after all]

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A driverless street sweeping machine from Cruise Automation, spotted at 38th & Geary on 3/8/18. Photo by Jim C.

Reader Jim C. sent us the pic above of a driverless/automated street sweeping machine that he spotted at 38th and Geary last Thursday.

Jim reports that the vehicle was closely followed by a manned vehicle from Cruise Automation, a San Francisco-based company that is “buildng the world’s best autonomous vehicles to safely connect people to the places, things, and experiences they care about”. Cruise is owned by General Motors.

We emailed the Cruise media department last week to try and find out more about this cleaning machine, but we have not heard back from them.

UPDATE 2:29PM: Cruise confirmed that they are NOT affiliated with the vehicle. We are waiting on confirmation from our reader that the cleaning vehicle was, in fact, driverless.

UPDATE 9:32PM: It looks like the coincidence of a Cruise car near the sweeper and the slow follow-on pace of it may have lead our reader Jim to misread the situation as the Cruise car being an escort (when it fact it was not related to the street sweeper at all). “I couldn’t figure out why it wouldn’t pass the sweeper since all the cameras would see in the forward direction was the back of a truck. It was only then it dawned on me that this wasn’t the usual SF Street Sweeper,” Jim told us. “If a strange coincidental confluence of angle and passing vehicles led me to reach a wrong conclusion about what I saw, I apologize.” Sorry, readers for the futuristic story that didn’t turn out to be true. And apologies to the robots out there, but feel free to clean our streets anytime. 🙂

Sarah B.

Eyes up: New electric scooters have come to neighborhood sidewalks

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Some electric scooters from Bird.co parked next to Belly Burger on Geary. Photos by Crissie P.

Some days, it seems like San Francisco is a test site for various modes of transportation. On-demand rides, electric mopeds, electric bikes, and driverless cars are just a few of the new ways to get around that have come to the city in recent years.

The newest player in the transportation game is electric scooters. Now, teens and savvy adults can quickly locate a waiting scooter nearby through a free smartphone app, and then rent it for a pittance to get to their next destination. When they arrive, they simply leave the scooter on the sidewalk for the next rider and log off via the app.

As of this week, a couple of companies have emerged as the forerunners in the city and their scooters are now showing up in the Richmond District. According to a recent article in Wired, Bird.co has 175 scooters zooming around the Bay Area, and Limebike, which also offers other electric rentals, has about 50 scooters on Bay Area streets.

Renting a scooter costs around $2 or less per ride, and when you’re done using it, you simply hop off, drop the kickstand, and log off via the app. The battery powered scooters recharge on their own; you can even see how much charge one has before you rent it (in case you’re planning a cross-city scoot).

Scooters came back into fashion in the early 2000’s for adults, who would fold them up and take them on their morning commute to get from the bus to the office, or from their parking lot to work. They kind of make you feel young again as you wistfully swing your leg and feel the breeze in your hair. And with an electric help on these modern scooters, you won’t even break a sweat getting to your destination.

Sidewalk Riding – Yes or No?

One of the intro screens with rider rules in the Bird app

Recently, an email conversation started among Clement Street merchants about the new scooters which have been showing up in the Richmond District. Unlike with other electric vehicles that have been introduced to the city, the scooter companies have done little to no outreach to community groups or residents. The scooters are their own best advertisement as they sit idle on the sidewalks, just waiting for a curious passerby to find out what they are.

Some merchants expressed concern over the scooters barreling down the sidewalks among pedestrians, dogs, strollers and seniors. Most electric scooters can top out at 15 mph so getting into a kerfuffle with one would not be pleasant. And like a Prius, you won’t necessarily hear them coming up behind you.

Cynthia Huie, the head of the Clement Street Merchants Association, reached out to Megan Colford, a LimeBike representative to ask about where riders were permitted to drive the scooters. Colford told her that people can ride wherever they want, including the sidewalks.

Well, that’s not really true.

It’s a grey area, and one that scooter advocates and opponents are at odds about. The old-fashioned scooters, which are not motorized and are akin to skateboards on a stick, are fairly common on sidewalks. But some worry that with new electric scooters, it’s just an accident waiting to happen if speeding scooters and people are sharing the same narrow sidewalk.

“If bikes or skateboards are not allowed on sidewalks its seems ridiculous that motorized scooters would be,” wrote one merchant.

State law settles the debate with a firm NO to the question of whether riding e-scooters on the sidewalk is allowed.

According to the DMV, “A motorized scooter may be operated on a bicycle path, trail or bikeway, but not on a sidewalk. On the roadway, it must be operated in the bicycle lane, if there is one. On roads without bicycle lanes, motorized scooters may operate where the speed limit is 25 mph or less, and shall be ridden as close to the right hand curb as possible, except to pass or turn left.”

In addition, the law requires a motorized scooter rider to be at least 16 years old, possess a valid drivers license or instruction permit, and wear a helmet.

We took a look at the Bird.co app and were pleased to see that their introductory messaging reinforces these laws.

“Ride in bike lanes when available. Do not ride on sidewalks” says one slide in the intro that an app user is required to swipe through.

By contrast, there was no introduction or instructions when we fired up the LimeBike app. It just took us right to a screen to find a scooter or electric bike nearby. We did not actually complete a rental in the app, so we’ll give them the benefit of the doubt that instructions are shown before a rider starts their first rental.

A map in the LimeBike app showing where scooters are ready for rental.

Parking the Scooters

How and where to park electric scooters is another contentious issue. Like the new JUMP electric bikes popping up around the city, the electric scooters can be parked anywhere when the rider is done. We’ve seen them hugging a parking meter or side of a building, out of the way of pedestrians. But we’ve also seen them freestanding in the middle of a sidewalk, even ones tipped over obstructing the sidewalk path.

In the Bird app, they instruct riders to park where they “Don’t block public pathways” and “Park by bike racks when available”. The scooters don’t have any kind of lock or chain in them, so the rider does not have to “attach” them to anything when they’re parking.

As one merchant pointed out, businesses are charged by the city for using sidewalk space for things like tables and chairs out in front of their businesses.

“My larger concern is that the street is becoming a parking lot for alt-vehicles… Bikes, scooters, scoots, even Get Arounds… do any of them pay fees for the space they use as we do for our shops?” asked one merchant.

Where the scooters park can not only affect pedestrians on foot, but also people in wheelchairs, delivery carts etc.

The City is Scrambling to Keep Up

As usual, the SFMTA is lagging behind in their regulation of this latest form of transportation. According to the Wired article, “The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency sent sternly worded letters to the three companies operating in its city, warning it would “not tolerate any business model that results in obstruction of the public right of way or poses a safety hazard.”

It’s doubtful the companies are too concerned. E-scooter fever has hit San Francisco and you can’t go more than a few blocks in a shopping area without seeing riders in the roadway and on sidewalks. Helmet-less of course.

So if you are going to brave this new frontier, remember these rules:

– DON’T RIDE ON SIDEWALKS
– WEAR A HELMET
– PARK YOUR SCOOTER RESPONSIBLY SO IT DOESN’T BLOCK THE SIDEWALK

It’s only a matter of time until a new method of transportation is whizzing down out streets and sidewalks. Hoverboards, anyone? ;P

Sarah B.

Coming soon: An updated Park Presidio & Geary intersection

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The proposed improvements to the intersection at Park Presidio and Geary

You may have noticed some work beginning at the intersection of Park Presidio/Highway 1 and Geary Boulevard. It’s the beginning of the Geary at Park Presidio Improvements Project from the SFMTA, designed to “provide a safer and more inviting environment for Muni passengers, pedestrians, runners and vehicular traffic”.

The intersection is a hub in the Richmond District, serving MUNI riders, Golden Gate Transit riders, and 6 lanes of vehicle traffic in all directions. In spring 2017, the SFMTA posted a 5 question survey asking for feedback about conditions and preferences for the intersection. However, they only received 237 responses.

Overall, respondents were underwhelmed with the current state of the intersection. When asked what they like about the existing intersection, 26% said “Nothing”. 47% indicated the intersection was “dangerous” or “hard to cross street” as their dislikes.

The $300,000 improvement project includes new sidewalks, gateway planting, seating walls, ADA curb ramps, pedestrian lighting, and decorative crosswalks at the intersection.

Construction begins this month and is expected to last through September. Work hours are Monday through Friday, 7am to 3pm, with some minimal impact work at night. According to the SFMTA, traffic may be temporarily delayed at times, but no complete road closures will be necessary.

For more information on the project, visit the website.

Sarah B.

Local links: Beautiful interiors, Traffic Safety Meeting, Top Restaurants, Save My Seat closing, Speier drops trash off at White House

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Inside the Holy Virgin Cathedral on Geary Boulevard. See more photos

Here is a roundup of local news stories about our dear neighborhood, or that make mention of it. Happy Thursday!

Sarah B.

  • An article on SF’s Most Beautiful Interiors – Mapped includes five that are right here in the Richmond District: the Salon Dore at the Legion of Honor, Holy Virgin Cathedral on Geary (view our pics from a tour), Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park, Rossi Pool, and the Columbarium.
  • EaterSF published their latest list of San Francisco’s 38 Essential Restaurants. In our ‘hood, Cassava and Fiorella made the list.
  • If you haven’t heard already, Save My Seat Upholstery (275 6th Ave) is closing their doors at the end of this month after 7 years in business. Owner Lauren Siegel told Hoodline that “the root cause was the impact of city overhead and a lack of housing supply when it came to finding skilled workers.” Coupled with a 25% increase in the cost of her supplies beginning last fall as a result of President Trump’s import tariffs going into effect and Siegel had to close up. She’ll be there until Jan. 31, selling off supplies from the business including upholstery fabric, furniture, pillows, shelving, work tables, and an industrial serger.
  • Want a say in improving traffic safety in the Central Richmond? There is a community meeting next Monday, January 14 at 6pm at the Richmond Recreation Center (251 18th Ave).  The Town Hall will provide an opportunity for community members to comment on designs proposed by the SFMTA to improve safety for people walking, biking, or being dropped off at schools in the Central Richmond neighborhood. Proposed traffic safety improvements include: speed humps, high visibility crosswalks, and pedestrian refuge islands. View meeting flyer
  • We mentioned over the weekend that SFDPW was pitching in to help clean up the garbage at Lands End due to the federal government shutdown. Representatives Jackie Speier and Jared Huffman stopped at the White House recently to drop off trash that had been collected at Bay Area National Parks to call attention to the impact the shutdown is having.

#FewerPotholes is back! Report those pesky Richmond District potholes for repair

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Who doesn’t hate potholes?!?

You’re driving down a street in the Richmond District, minding your own business, maybe humming along to the song on your radio when, BAM, your wheel hits a pothole, rattling your vehicle and making you grit your teeth in frustration. Inevitably you ask, “Why can’t this city keep our roads in good shape?”.

You may remember the first iteration of the #FewerPotholes campaign in 2017, spearheaded by District 1 Supervisor Sandra Fewer. Well, it’s game on again!

This June will be “Fewer Potholes Month” in the Richmond District and once again Public Works has committed a repair crew EXCLUSIVELY to the neighborhood for the month to repair all potholes reported by residents.

So now it’s your turn to pitch in with your pothole reports!

Fill out the form below (alternate link) for each pothole you want repaired. All we need is the closest street address to the offending hole (e.g. 123 Clement St). There’s no limit to the number of potholes you can report. As long as you submit it by May 20, SFPW will review the pothole report and make the repair.

A little clarification: a pothole is a defect in the street pavement, formally defined as “a depression or hollow in a road surface caused by wear or subsidence”. The “Fewer Potholes Month” campaign is seeking reports of potholes, not street repaving or sidewalk repairs. Please only use the form to report potholes that you find on the roadway within the Richmond District.

Last year we received 60 (valid) pothole reports as part of #FewerPotholes, but we think we can exceed that this year, don’t you? So get out there and find those potholes!

To report them, fill out the form below (alternate link) by May 20, and then watch the repair happen in June.

We also learned from Supervisor Sandra Fewer that Caltrans will begin repaving Park Presidio / Highway 1:

The Park Presidio / Hwy 1 project is scheduled to begin in mid to late May 2019 to pave two sections of Route 1 in San Francisco, including a one-mile section stretching from the San Mateo-San Francisco county line to Holloway Avenue, and a three-mile stretch between Lincoln Way and Park Presidio Avenue. The roadway between Holloway Avenue and Lincoln Way will be paved after the City of San Francisco completes a sewer and water pipeline upgrade in the corridor. To avoid traffic impacts, paving will be done at night, between 9:00 PM and 6:00 AM.  The project is scheduled to take approximately one year to complete.

Sarah B.

Supervisor Sandra Fewer and then Mayor Edwin Lee help fill in a Richmond District pothole in 2017 as part of #FewerPotholes

Public Works happenings: 240 potholes patched & a new Pit Stop Restroom at Ocean Beach

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Supervisor Sandra Fewer (L) looks on as a SF Public Works crew patches a pothole in the Ocean Beach parking lot.

Last Friday, we stopped out at Ocean Beach to meet our District 1 Supervisor Sandra Fewer to celebrate a couple of public works milestones for the neighborhood.

First up was the accomplishment of 240 pothole repairs, which were completed in the Richmond District between April and June. Over 60 of them were reported through the #FewerPotholes campaign that we promoted here on the blog. Thanks to all of you who reported your pesky potholes!

To honor the hard work of the SF Public Works crew that patched so many potholes, we accompanied Supervisor Fewer and the PW crew to fill a couple of potholes in the Ocean Beach parking lot. After gearing up in a hardhat, vest, and safety goggles, we helped spread the gravel and watched the crew apply the finishing touches to the patches. Each patch lasts a few years.

You can report potholes and other issues you see around the neighborhood or city through 311 (call 311 or use their mobile app). SF Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru says they have a 90% response rate within 72 hours for pothole reports. We’re huge fans of the 311 mobile app, and use it weekly to report potholes, sidewalk trash, abandoned furniture etc. Requests are usually completed within a day or two.

New Pit-Stop Restroom now open at Ocean Beach

The new Ocean Beach Pit Stop restroom that is open
Monday through Friday from 12pm until 7pm.

On Friday, we also got a look at the brand new Pit-Stop restroom that is now available at Ocean Beach on weekdays from 12pm to 7pm.

The new 2-stall Ocean Beach restroom is on wheels and staffed at all times by a helpful human that keeps the restrooms clean and safe. It’s part of the larger San Francisco Pit Stop Program, which has 25 pit stop restrooms across the city.

Local nonprofit Urban Alchemy provides the staffing for the pit-stop, and are dedicated to employing former long-term offenders who have dedicated their lives to healing and redemption through service.

To start, the Ocean Beach Pit-Stop is only open Monday through Friday from 12pm until 7pm, and each evening, it’s driven off and returned for duty the next workday.

The program measures popularity of a pit-stop based on the total flushes it receives. Supervisor Fewer told us that if the pit-stop is well-utilized, they will look at expanding the hours and days that it’s available at Ocean Beach.

Look for the Pit Stop near Stairwell 21 in the southern Ocean Beach parking lot, across from Beach Chalet.

Sarah B.


From fantasy to possibility: BART in the Richmond District

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BART…in the Richmond District?

“Never say never”, as the saying goes. Transit riders in the Richmond District will be pleased to hear that BART is considering adding an extension down Geary Boulevard. The topic will be part of the agency’s upcoming study of a second Transbay rail crossing.

MUNI currently carries 114,000 people to and from downtown via Geary Boulevard every day. That’s already 25% of BART’s overall daily ridership, and 2x Caltrain’s daily riders. So suffice to say, there’s a lot of need for a quick mode of transit from the “outerlands” to downtown and back again.

Despite the need, it’s unlikely that the Geary extension would take priority over a second Transbay tube to increase ridership between San Francisco and the East Bay.

But the fact that BART is thinking about it is encouraging. San Francisco officials are in favor of it as well, including Supervisor Sandra Fewer who told ABC7News that the Richmond District “needs it very, very, badly.”

A BART extension would be underground, which is something city planners have not considered seriously in recent years.

In fact the most recent brainchild to ease our transportation woes is the above-ground, controversial Geary Bus Rapid Transit Project, which would rip up Geary for several years to construct a dedicated, center transit lane along the boulevard for MUNI. It’s a multi-million dollar project that only promises a reduction in travel time of 10 minutes per trip (Project website).

A rendering of the center-lane Geary Bus Rapid Transit

Fun fact: This isn’t the first time that a BART extension to the Richmond District has been considered. Back in 1967, when plans were in the works for an extensive underground subway that would connect the Richmond with the new BART system once it opened. The image below is a concept showing it running underneath Park Presidio Boulevard at Geary.

Image courtesy of Eric Fisher on Flickr

We shall see what happens… But never say never. 🙂

Sarah B.

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