In a move to gain the support of Supervisor Bevan Dufty, Board of Supervisors President David Chiu has stripped language from his proposed garage legislation that would have ensured all new garage additions to existing buildings in Chinatown, North Beach and Telegraph Hill conform with Better Streets Plan (BSP) guidelines.

The original legislation, which Chiu sponsored, would have required garage additions in sections of those neighborhoods to receive a conditional use authorization from the Planning Commission. Garages would be blocked if they had been built following no-fault evictions or didn't meet the design guidelines in the BSP.

At Tuesday's Board of Supervisors meeting, Chiu announced that the BSP provision would be removed, and only buildings with four units or more would need to go through a full discretionary review process at Planning -- significantly lowering the bar for adding new garages compared to the original proposal.

Chiu said the revised legislation would return to the Board of Supervisors Land Use Committee for a public hearing on Monday. The revised legislation, he said, "would really help to protect the core purpose of why we're moving this legislation," while dealing with the concerns raised by Dufty and others.

That's still an important victory for protecting housing, said Livable City's Tom Radulovich, but a setback in terms of ensuring better conditions for pedestrians, bicyclists and transit riders.

"The consolation is we've got the Planning Department talking about it for the first time," said Radulovich, a principal supporter of the BSP provision. "It's been a big loophole in the Planning Code because the addition of a non-required garage has a big impact."

Revised legislation hasn't made its way to the public yet, but it will likely still include restrictions on driveways on portions of major commercial streets like Broadway and Columbus, and could still remove parking minimums in the affected neighborhoods.

Garage addition companies, landlords and condo conversion supporters who oppose the measure have heavily lobbied Dufty, who could provide a critical override vote in case Mayor Newsom vetoes the legislation. Dufty has said he supports legislation to limit no-fault Ellis Act evictions, but has been cool on further restrictions to new garage additions in Chinatown, North Beach and Telegraph Hill.

You can contact Supervisor Dufty's office about the legislation by email at Bevan.Dufty@sfgov.org or by phone at (415) 554-6968.

For a second time in two weeks, the Board of Supervisors today delayed a final vote on legislation that would impose stricter rules on the construction of new garages in Chinatown, North Beach and Telegraph Hill. Unlike the first delay, however, the Board voted to make a small amendment to the measure today, passing the amended bill on first reading. It will be back next week for a final vote.

The amendment today fixed an initial error in the drafting of the legislation, said its sponsor, Board of Supervisors President David Chiu. The portion of Broadway included in the measure would stretch from the Embarcadero to Mason Street, not all the way to Polk Street, as the initial legislation had it.

After initially approving the legislation on first reading by a 7-2 vote on February 9, the supervisors voted on February 23 to continue the measure until today. Supervisor Bevan Dufty, whose vote would be crucial to override a potential veto from the Mayor, has asked for more time to talk to people on both sides of the debate before taking a final vote.

Garage addition companies, landlords and condo conversion supporters are reportedly pressuring Dufty to vote down the measure, while affordable housing, transit, pedestrian and bicycle advocates are rallying behind the garage legislation.

After approving the legislation on first reading by a 7-2 vote on February 9, the supervisors voted on February 23 to continue the measure until tomorrow. Supervisor Bevan Dufty, whose vote would be crucial to override a potential veto from the Mayor, has wavered in his position on the legislation, saying the measure moved through the legislative process too quickly for him and his constituents to give it a close enough look.

Garage addition companies, landlords and condo conversion supporters are reportedly pressuring Dufty to vote down the measure, while affordable housing, transit, pedestrian and bicycle advocates are rallying behind the garage legislation.

You can let Supervisor Dufty know your thoughts on the legislation by emailing him at bevan.dufty@sfgov.org or by calling his office at 415-554-5184.

Preparing for a new garage addition. Photo: Michael Rhodes

The Board of Supervisors will take a second and final vote tomorrow on the legislation, which passed in a first reading by a 7-2 vote, including an aye from Dufty. Since the Mayor hasn't come out with a position on the legislation yet, proponents hope Dufty will vote in favor of the legislation again, giving it an eight-vote supermajority in case the Mayor vetoes it. (Supervisor John Avalos was absent from the first vote, but the measure's supporters are hopeful he will lend his support tomorrow.)

While he voted for the measure on February 9, Dufty said he did so at the time to give it further study before a final vote. He is reportedly being heavily lobbied by garage addition companies and other groups that oppose restrictions on condo-conversions (including the group Plan C, the Examiner reported.)

"I have not decided what I'm going to do, but I definitely plan to talk to David Chiu before mid-morning tomorrow and let him know what my thoughts are," Dufty told Streetsblog today. "I suspected that I was going to have some concerns, and I definitely have concerns."

Chief among those concerns, he said, is whether the legislation is focused on preventing "no fault" Ellis Act evictions in which tenants are evicted to make room for garages. "I don't fully understand the crafting of the legislation, but if this were focusing on Ellis Acted buildings, I would vote for it in a minute," said Dufty. "But it seems much broader and more complex and convoluted."

Dufty said he's much less enthusiastic about requiring Conditional Use Authorization for all new garages additions in Chinatown, North Beach and Telegraph Hill, which he fears would place too great a burden on the Planning Department.

A sidewalk in Chinatown, which would be covered by the new garage legislation. Photo: Michael Rhodes

Currently, adding a garage is generally allowed in existing residential buildings in the affected neighborhoods, with the burden on opponents of specific garage additions to file a Discretionary Review application to try to block individual garage additions. The new legislation would flip the process, requiring property owners hoping to build new garages in Chinatown, North Beach and Telegraph Hill to seek a Conditional Use Authorization from the Planning Commission.

Installing a garage in an existing building in the area would be permitted as a "conditional use" only if there have been no "no fault" evictions from the building in the past ten years. Garage additions would also need to conform with the Better Streets Policy, and wouldn't be allowed to decrease sidewalk accessibility or front on a public right-of-way narrower than 41 feet.

The legislation would also eliminate minimum off-street parking requirements for residential uses and institute a maximum parking cap in the Broadway Neighborhood Commercial District, North Beach Neighborhood Commercial District, and the Chinatown Mixed Use and Community Business Districts.

"He certainly supported it on the first vote, but apparently he's being lobbied by SF Garage, the people who stick garages into buildings, because it will make it harder to put garages into buildings in a corner of the city," said Tom Radulovich, Executive Director of Livable City, one of the legislation's principal supporters, along with the Chinatown Community Development Center (CCDC) and Telegraph Hill Dwellers.

Legislation Could Make it Easier to Convert Space to Dwelling Units

Radulovich said that by eliminating the minimum parking requirement for new units in the zone covered by the legislation, it would be easier for property owners to convert underutilized garage space into living quarters, since it wouldn't be necessary to include a parking space for the newly carved-out unit.

"If you don't exceed the density limit, which does not change, units which meet those limits but that are otherwise code legal would be permitted," he said. "We hope it would help with the legalization of some units which are there and occupied that don't exceed the density limits."

That, said Radulovich, could actually provide building owners with greater flexibility to build new in-law units in existing buildings, especially when they're already spending money on seismic retrofitting. That could mean new business for the very garage-addition companies that are lobbying Dufty not to support the measure, he said.

"We're hoping for a very healthy business for SF Garage Co., but not necessarily always installing garages," he added.

Dufty said he's not in a position to comment on the potential for converting non-dwelling space to living units, an issue he said is best answered by the Planning Department. (Planning Director John Rahaim couldn't be reached for comment.)

Dufty planned to meet with the City Attorney Monday afternoon, and said he has spoken with CCDC about the legislation. The measure moved through the legislative process very quickly, he said, and he's still hoping to pin down whether it is primarily about preventing Ellis Act evictions, or if it has other consequences he wouldn't support.

"I'm just not sure how openly recognized this issue was, and then all of a sudden it seems like it's a firestorm and I'm kind of looking around and going, wow, this isn't as cut-and-dried as it appeared to be," said Dufty.

The legislation's supporters have stressed that it is not intended as a first step towards a citywide restriction on garages, but rather addresses a specific issue in District 3, where tenants have frequently been evicted to make room for new garages.

You can contact Supervisor Dufty's office about the legislation by email at Bevan.Dufty@sfgov.org or by phone at (415) 554-6968. The Board of Supervisors vote on the legislation is tomorrow, February 22, at City Hall, Room 200, during the regular 2 p.m. full Board meeting.

With the MTA proposing deep service cuts to Muni and $5 fares on historic streetcars, transit advocates are concerned about where the city's transit system is headed. Flickr photo: Thomas Hawk.

One proposal would address that very issue. Supervisor David Campos told the Chronicle he hopes to put a measure on the November ballot that would give the Board of Supervisors control over three of the seats on the seven-member MTA Board, which is currently appointed entirely by the Mayor. The proposal is similar to one suggested by Supervisor John Avalos last year, which would have given the Board of Supervisors say over three MTA Board members, with the Mayor retaining control over three members. Voters would elect the seventh member.

Campos has not offered details of his plan yet, including whether the public might elect one member, but he said the proposed service cuts reflect deeper problems with the agency. "There appears to be a systematic problem with Muni and change has to begin at the top with the MTA Board," Campos told the Chronicle.

Susan King, a transit advocate who works at Livable City, said changing the way the MTA Board is chosen is part of the solution. While the current system was intended to "depoliticize" the MTA, said King, transportation shouldn't be removed from the political process. "Transportation should be a political issue. It affects the very core of people's ability to survive," she said. "The voters and the people who use the roads in San Francisco, who also vote, need to have a bigger voice."

The MTA's recurring budget crises have highlighted the agency's long-term need for more stable funding sources, but the current focus is on finding a way to avert this round of cuts. As a near-term solution, King and Walk SF President Manish Champsee both think extended parking meter hours should be part of the equation. "I understand the Mayor is opposed to that, but I think he also has to understand the devastating impact the existing service cuts and existing fare increases have had on a lot of people," said Champsee.

"They need to phase that in," said King. "Maybe not some of the things like enforcing parking until midnight, but they need to do parking on Sundays and they need to do that immediately and say 'our backs are against the wall, we don't have any other choices. It's either you guys or the transit riders.'"

King would also like to see the MTA revise its policies on free disabled parking placards, free parking in parks, the price structure of residential parking permits, and citations for people who illegally drive in transit-only lanes. Another option is to add a tax to downtown parking garages to make up the cost of PCOs who routinely are forced to direct traffic at rush hour.

Supervisor Bevan Dufty, who chairs the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (TA), said he's already directed TA staff to move quickly to assess another part of the MTA's proposal to close its deficit, which would entail the TA transferring $7 million in funds directly to the MTA. "My goal is to try to be as supportive as possible," said Dufty. "Obviously, Muni is hemorrhaging. If we can help fund some of the maintenance, some of the large supplies, some of the hard costs in the maintenance, that's something we need to step up to do. That's kind of the top priority."

Dufty also would like to see a more nuanced approach to the service cuts. "Maybe we should look at the low-performing lines and focus the cuts there rather than the key lines that are carrying the overwhelming majority of riders every day."

As for averting the cuts, Dufty, citing the city's Transit First policy, said he thinks it's time for the MTA to revisit the proposal to sell taxi medallions, which could bring in millions for the agency. Would Dufty now support extending parking meter hours? "Where I'm open to it is, I think the MTA is saying there may be neighborhoods that actually want it, and I would be more comfortable with that," Dufty said.

Though the December 2009 service changes went relatively smoothly, and may have given the MTA Board a false sense of confidence about future service cuts, there are plenty of signs that riders and activists don't see this round of cuts the same way. "I think a lot of people are angry and they're going to show up and tell the MTA Board that," said Champsee.

In a comment on Streetsblog's original story on the proposed cuts, Fran Taylor of the community group CC Puede warned that angry riders and activists should focus on the real forces behind service cuts as they gear up for this afternoon's MTA Board meeting. "The only way to fight this latest assault on public transportation is to work with the union, include all the riders, and develop strategies that transform the disruption these proposals represent to us as individuals into disruptions to business as usual for our attackers," wrote Taylor. "We need sit-ins, pickets, serious actions, and we need the Muni workers acting with us. Stop insulting them -- they've got a tough job and deserve every penny they get."

Livable City's King also thinks a collaborative approach is the best bet for saving Muni from a deep gutting of service. "I think it needs to be a really strong and united force of progressives, social justice advocates, alternative transportation advocates, labor - because the bus drivers are going to get more abuse - and everyone pulling together and saying no, this is not acceptable."

MTA Board meeting, Tuesday, at 2 p.m. in San Francisco City Hall, Room 400. The budget discussion is Item 11 on the agenda, and there will be a chance for the public to comment.

SFBC's Leah Shahum, the MTA's Oliver Gajda and SFBC Board Member Dan Nguyen-Tan in the freshly painted green bike box on Scott Street at Oak. Photo by Bryan Goebel.

"The good news is we didn't wait until today to get started. The injunction was [partially] lifted last week and already the folks you see behind us have been hard at work," said Newsom. "They've been out there putting in some new bike lanes and we're going to be putting in bike racks every single day."

Newsom said that San Francisco is going to try a series of innovate treatments, such as the green bike box, taking cues from European cities that have become world-class bicycling cities. And like Valencia Street, he said, the MTA will begin changing the signal timing on some streets to better accommodate bicyclists.

"We're going to be trying some things that candidly we wished we were doing for the last three years that are things that are being done around the world, particularly in Copenhagen and Amsterdam, that are being proffered and exampled in places like Portland and other municipalities," Newsom said, adding that the plan is to add six new miles of bike lanes in six months and increase the city's existing 23 miles of sharrows by 326 percent.

MTA Chief Nat Ford and Mayor Gavin Newsom paint the bike box green. Photo by Matthew Roth.

"We're going to make it exciting, we're going to make it fun and we're going to make it funky," said Maxwell.

Mirkarimi, whose District 5 encompasses the new green bike box, thanked city officials and the SF Bike Coalition "for making this day possible."

"We are all unified in the mission statement of making San Francisco bike friendly," said Mirkarimi, who announced a plan to install on-street bicycle parking in front of Mojo Bike Cafe on Divisadero "that will help commemorate this end to the injunction and to help signify what a major artery like Divisadero means."

Dufty, whose District 8 includes a portion of The Wiggle, said "we still have a long way to go" but that it was exciting to see so many things going up this week as a result of the partial injunction lifting.

The event coincided with new figures released by the SF Bike Coalition from a David Binder poll showing that more than half of San Franciscans "say that would ride if streets had bike lanes and were more inviting for bicycling."

The survey of 400 San Francisco voters asked six questions, including: What would make it more likely for you to ride a bike in San Francisco? The results:

• Feeling less threatened by cars while biking: 57 percent
• More bike lanes along my route: 51 percent
• Smoother surface on the roads and few potholes: 50 percent
• More secure bike parking at my destinations: 49 percent
• Knowing how to avoid hills: 45 percent

Seventy seven percent said they think the number of bicyclists helps ease traffic congestion in the city.

Today's event came on the same day MTA crews installed the city's first physically separated bike lane and were out striping new bike lanes on Beale and Kansas Streets, painting sharrows on 5th Street and racing to complete the remaining projects approved by a judge last week. Tuesday they installed the city's first bike lane in three years -- a left-turn bike lane on Scott Street between Fell and Oak.

Ingleside Captain David Lazar briefs officers and the media on Operation Safe Muni today. Photo: Michael Rhodes

"I think it's going to come as a very big surprise to people who get away with eating or fare evasion on a daily basis," Lazar said during a lunchtime briefing at Tenderloin Station. Immediately after the briefing, officers set out on a citywide sting to find violators of all types. It's all part of Operation Safe Muni, a program Lazar started in the Ingleside District in September after several high-profile attacks on Muni, and reports of widespread fare evasion and theft.

After two Operation Safe Muni stings in Ingleside were deemed successful, SFPD decided to launch today's citywide sting and evaluate the results. "It's a zero tolerance approach to crime on Muni," said Lazar, who recently became captain of Ingleside Station and made news earlier this year when he ordered stings on drivers who fail to yield to pedestrians.

Supervisor Bevan Dufty speaks outside Tenderloin Station after the briefing today. Photo: Michael Rhodes

Kristen Holland, a spokesperson for the MTA, said the agency welcomes the SFPD's efforts. "We're certainly very pleased to be working with them and seeing this cooperative, collaborative effort put in place. Hopefully it will be successful."

The question, of course, is whether one day of high-profile stings will make a difference. Supervisor Bevan Dufty said he'll be watching closely to see if SFPD follows up. "I think I can speak for Muni riders who are happy to hear today that police officers are in fact going to be riding the lines that are having the most problems. I think that's a smart way to focus resources," said Dufty. "But I'm going to continue to ask the public to let me know that they see these officers riding."

Dufty added, "My message to the new police chief is, the best thing you can do is have officers visibly riding the system. It helps prevent crime, it helps make it a more pleasant experience, and it's going to avoid fare evasions."

The MTA pays the SFPD for its officers to ride Muni regularly, but, at least until recently, the agency hasn't been getting its money worth. The SFPD's Bus Inspection Program requires each sergeant in a patrol division and each officer "assigned to a radio car" to make two transit inspections per shift, and officers on foot patrol are required to make at least four inspections per shift. In spite of that rule, Muni riders have reported rarely seeing officers on Muni vehicles. SFPD is now testing a program to track officers' Muni rides by requiring them to tag TransLink cards as they board and exit vehicles.

Dufty is holding a hearing on November 23 with the new SFPD deputy chief in charge of safety operations on Muni, John Murphy, which he hopes will provide insight into how that program is going. "We've had commitments made before and I have not seen officers visible on Muni," Dufty noted.

After a day of riding buses and writing citations, officers involved in Operation Safe Muni will meet later in the evening to debrief, according to Sgt. Wilfred Williams, an SFPD spokesperson. By tomorrow morning, said Williams, SFPD will provide an update on how the operation went, and then determine whether more stings will be carried out.

SFPD plans to announce each operation, but will broadcasting it in advance undermine the department's efforts?

As Lazar told Streetsblog about his station's pedestrian sting this summer, probably not. "You could do a big announcement right now and we're still going to write a hundred citations," Lazar said at the time. He was referring to drivers not stopping for pedestrians, but the same may prove equally true for bad behavior on Muni, where a police officer is still the last thing most riders expect to see.

It was the second time this month that Muni officials have been publicly grilled on safety issues. The hearing covered much of the same ground as the August 4th MTA board meeting, but it included testimony from the driver of the Nissan Pathfinder that was crushed by the historic streetcars and a man who said he was chatting with the F-line driver several minutes before the crash.

It felt like being "crushed in a trash compactor," said Chris Ward, the driver of the SUV. "My life was involved and the life of my partner."

Ward said he has supported the F-line since its inception, but is disturbed that "there may have been some negligence involved" on the part of the operator. "We need to make sure that cutbacks and adjustments are made in a way that doesn't imperil the safety of the city," said Ward.

Supervisors Chris Daly, Bevan Dufty, and Sean Elsbernd sought answers on Muni's safety procedures. Photo: Michael Rhodes

Dufty noted his appreciation that Ward is only seeking a replacement for his vehicle, which was totaled in the collision, and is not pursuing further damage compensation from the city.

Another person involved in the collision, a passenger on the streetcar, defended the operator and said he was not talking to a passenger at the time of the crash. 

"When I got home and listened to the news, I was outraged how people were saying that the driver was talking to someone from blocks away, and he was distracted, and that's the reason the accident happened. That is not true. I'm here to set the record straight," Norman Tanner said during the public comment period. "I am the gentleman that was talking to the driver for a short period of time. Before he ran into the SUV, I had already sat down about five minutes prior to that, and I know that he was not talking to no one."

"How he got distracted, I don't know," he added.

The hearing was one of the first public introductions of new Muni safety head Jim Dougherty, who was appointed in March. "I was at both the accidents scenes to see what happened and why it happened," said Dougherty, who gave an updated account of the July 18th West Portal crash as well.

MTA chief Nat Ford was not present at the meeting for "family reasons," Dufty said.

The "striking LRV was traveling at 23 miles per hour at the point of impact," said Dougherty. The "on-scene investigation did not reveal any mechanical problems," and the "operator told the NTSB during an interview he blacked out and was awoken by the crash."

Dougherty defended Muni's safety record over the last several years, citing declines in overall collisions, but Dufty questioned whether the number of severe crashes has actually decreased. Dougherty did not have a direct answer, but said the MTA is "looking to improve on our data gathering, so we have meaningful data." In a later exchange, outgoing Muni Chief Operator Officer Ken McDonald said pedestrian collisions are down from 65 total in 2008 to 19 through July of this year. "Collisions and pedestrian accidents are two of the major focuses we have on reducing accidents and improving safety," said McDonald.

Dufty also cited concerns about having the same safety manual for rail and bus operators. Dougherty said that will soon change. "We are planning to have a new rail rulebook out in September," Dougherty said, and "a new bus rulebook out by the end of the year."

Dougherty  addressed various other concerns, including cell phone use by drivers, which he said the agency is working to crack down on.

He also discussed retraining for operators who have been in multiple unavoidable crashes. In the past, Muni has not required additional training for drivers with such a record, which Dufty said "didn't make sense." Dougherty said Muni is looking at changing this.

Responding to Supervisor Sean Elsbernd's questions, Dougherty also reassured the Supervisors that the MTA would not sacrifice safety for on-time performance.

"This has been framed as between on-time performance and safety," said Elsbernd. "By far, the number one priority is safety. No one is going to get a citation for not being on time, correct?"

"That is correct, sir," said Dougherty.

Debra Johnson, chief of staff at the MTA, later clarified that "no one has been terminated solely for not adhering to the schedule," though it was a factor in the termination of nine people last year.

That's a point the operators and unions have protested. "That's where we kind of disagree," said Rafael Cabrera, vice president of the Transport Workers Union Local 250-A. "A lot of times we sacrifice performance for safety."

In another ongoing controversy, Dufty said he hopes to see "regular riding by police officers" on buses and trains, referring to the MOU signed between the MTA and the SFPD recently. "That is not just about fare evasion and safety on the vehicles, it helps to provide oversight and accountability."

Though he said he was "impressed" by Dougherty so far, Dufty said he found it concerning that the chief safety officer position had gone unfilled for 18 months prior to Dougherty's arrival.

Supervisor Chris Daly was largely detached from the meeting, saying he had "mixed feelings" about it. He chided Dufty early on for not using his control of the San Francisco County Transportation Authority board to "pull the purse strings" at the MTA.

"It's a bigger issue than two accidents. We have just come through a budget where we've seen significant service cuts" and fare increases, said Daly. "Now you've got to pay $2 to get in an accident on Muni."

This fall, the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (TA) will release a Strategic Analysis Report outlining the impacts of these shuttles, which Supervisor Bevan Dufty has called "a whole other world of transportation" outside of Muni. Margaret Cortes, a senior transportation planner with the TA, said the companies have been very cooperative during the study, which she says will be ready in September.

In the past, news coverage of the shuttles has focused on their luxuriousness, their impact on real estate values, their contributions to gentrification, and their occasional noisiness. Less dissected has been their impact on livable streets issues and sustainability. Suburban corporate campuses may be inherently unsustainable, but are heavily-used shuttles at least mitigating the problem?

According to Google spokesperson Sunny Gettinger, Google's shuttle service has allowed at least some employees to live car-free. "We definitely have people who've gone car-free, or people who never bought a car," said Gettinger. "I know folks who leave their cars down here, if they have cars, and live in the city car-free more or less, and people who've moved here from other places and not gotten cars because of the shuttle."

Though Google hasn't conducted any surveys, Gettinger said anecdotally, "there's a fair amount of people who would choose to live in the city anyway … and would then have to drive."

In total, Google shuttles over 1,600 people every day throughout the Bay Area. They do not disclose how many of those riders are in San Francisco specifically. Apple estimates that its various shuttle, transit subsidy and carpool programs have taken the equivalent of 4,500 cars off the road, according to its 2008 Environmental Update, part of its Facilities Report (off-site PDF.) Further statistics from other companies that provide shuttles, such as Yahoo, Apple, and Genentech, will be available as part of the study.

The Google Maps icon on the iPhone home screen is a subtle reminder that Apple's headquarters are located just off I-280, over three miles from the nearest Caltrain station. Apple offers its employees direct shuttles from San Francisco. Flickr photo: bindermichi

"I think people are generally supportive of the shuttles. It's got to be done right," said Rosen. "They don't just have carte blanche. Like any other form of transit, they've got to work to be low-impact. You know, we have to keep after Muni on some things."

Like Muni, the shuttles have the potential to bring more people to the neighborhood without increasing private auto congestion. "It's keeping cars off the street. Whenever you put a bunch of people on a bus, rather than an individual car, that's a good thing," said Rosen. "It's making it nice and convenient for people to live in Noe Valley and be able to commute down the Peninsula, rather than having to live down there. We'd rather have them in our community and being vital and interested members of the community. We believe in transit. We believe in cars too, you know. The less cars on the street, the better."

Rosen said Upper Noe Neighbors and other neighborhood groups got a presentation from the TA and Google, Apple, Yahoo, and Genentech on the study, and the companies have been responsive to concerns about things like idling and speeding.

Amandeep Jawa, an Apple employee since 2002 and a transit activist, says he used to bike to Caltrain to get to work, but reluctantly switched to the shuttles about a year ago. "A lot of people who were driving are now taking the shuttle," said Jawa. "The shuttles are doing pretty well with picking up people who were driving otherwise."

For his part, Dufty said he's concerned about whether companies use vehicles appropriate for the neighborhood, but ultimately welcomes the service.

"For these private shuttles, the driver is the cost," Dufty said. "One of the things I want to understand is, are these companies, both the companies hiring the bus services, and the bus services themselves, making the best choices in terms of the equipment that they're using, because it's fungible between having a Gary Bauer Greyhound limo versus something that's smaller that might have a little less of a neighborhood impact."

Dufty said the shuttles have become a part of the neighborhood fabric in ways that commuters who drive to work outside the city sometimes don't. "There used to be a complaint, 'All these people live in these live/works and they just get in their car and they go out,'" said Dufty. "No, this is a better choice that people are making, and it's a more part-of-the-neighborhood-fabric choice that they're making to participate in a shuttle service."

Another question the study could touch on is whether the employee shuttles are siphoning riders from Muni and Caltrain. Muni has not historically catered to Caltrain riders commuting out of the city in the morning and back at night, and for now, Caltrain is nearing peak capacity during rush hour commutes. But with the eventual electrification of the Caltrain line, it should be able to run more trains and carry more passengers.

Jawa, who now rides the Apple shuttle daily, said public transit riders are more likely to stand up for Muni and Caltrain, but private shuttle users are still taking a step in the right direction.

For transit riders, Jawa said, "there's a more natural pull for them to become advocates for that transit, because they have a stake in it. Whereas people who ride Apple shuttles, the thing they have a stake in is Apple's shuttles."

"I do think disengaging people from cars does actually help, either if it's on a private shuttle, just getting used to the idea that, 'you know what, I don't drive to work, and my life is such less hassle.'"

Alternatively, big tech companies could go with the Manhattan model of prestige, and buy or build towers downtown. "I would welcome some more companies like this" in the city, Dufty said. "But it just seems there is a certain synergy people have being in Silicon Valley, and there's not much I can do about it."

The entire family of San Francisco city agencies responsible for maintaining its streets made an unconventional decision to close a portion of a street to cars and convert the new space into a simple, yet elegant, public plaza.  The project combines all the important elements of plaza creation that have been successful in New York City and elsewhere: take space from cars, use simple treatments to convert the space into a pedestrian sanctuary, including movable furniture and leftover granite blocks from city salvage yards, and engage commercial interests around the plaza to help maintain and care for the new public realm.

Though some neighborhood constituents voiced skepticism that the plaza would be empty at best, or filled with miscreants and vagabonds at worst, the plaza's success is hard to dispute. In fact, so many people are using the new space and enjoying the tables and chairs, the businesses around the plaza have contemplated leaving the furniture out later than sunset, which was the initial closing time agreed upon between them and the Castro/Upper Market Community Betterment District. 

This film, shot and edited by Paul Jaffe and produced by Streetsblog SF editor Bryan Goebel, takes an in-depth look at the construction of the plaza with some of the agencies responsible for it, and includes some entertaining man-on-the-street interviews.

A free parking meter in San Francisco. Flickr phto: .dru

"I don't support Sunday parking. I don't think that was part of the budget and...I support the budget as passed.  I don't believe in it," Newsom, a former parking and traffic commissioner, said yesterday following a press conference to unveil a new Muni bus shelter. 

Newsom's fervent opposition comes despite a change of heart by several politicians and organizations, including some that have traditionally opposed increasing parking enforcement. As Supervisor John Avalos explained at a recent BOS meeting "times have changed" and "there’s a different feeling about moving forward on revenue from parking that didn’t exist before." Except, of course, from the politician with the most power over the MTA.

Even the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce likes the idea of Sunday metering: "We favored Sunday enforcement because that will turn over parking for merchants just like it does on Saturday," said Jim Lazarus, the chamber's senior vice president.

As we've written, other cities that have managed street space with market-rate pricing and curbside vacancy targets, and have invested additional revenues in pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure improvements, have seen a rise in business, not a drop. There was further proof of that this week, with the release of a TA study noting that most shoppers in downtown San Francisco don't drive.

But with Newsom opposed, the Sunday measure is not likely to be added back in, even if a study favors it, because, as the MTA and its Board proved during this latest budget cycle, it is not independent, instead taking orders from the Mayor.

Ford told Streetsblog after this week's BOS meeting that "it would be premature" to assume the Mayor would oppose stronger parking enforcement after a study, but talk of penciling it in now seems like lip service or insincerity. Even if stronger parking enforcement is resurrected, such as evening metering, it will most likely be watered down.

Ford did indicate that the MTA's current 90-day study on parking enforcement might include outreach to merchants.

"My concern is it’s seen as simply automobile users versus transit users. That’s not the exact equation. There’s also the small businesses that are suffering out there, and we wanted an opportunity to go out there and explain to them that from a parking standpoint, it may mean more turnover, which may mean more business for them."

Supervisor Bevan Dufty, a likely mayoral candidate who is also opposed to Sunday and evening metering, said Castro merchants might be open to an experiment of either Sunday enforcement or evenings but they don't want both.

“Small business people are almost more passionate about parking than almost any issue but health care in this city, and so I just want to be sensitive to that and to talk to them and bring them into the process,” he said.

Supervisor Avalos on parking enforcement: "The more I think about how we need to do what's best for the environment and what's best for riders my position has changed."

“I too have come to a different feeling about parking. I mean, I was one who said I don’t know about Sundays and I don’t know about 10 [p.m.] but I am reconsidering and I think a lot of other people could too, so I think it’s something that should really be put on the table.”

Maxwell asked MTA Chief Nat Ford how soon an MTA study on parking would take. As part of a "compromise" reached with Board President David Chiu last week, Ford agreed to study increasing parking enforcement downtown from 6 to 8 p.m. Advocates, however, have proposed that Ford's original plan to enforce parking until 10 p.m. be added back in.

“My concern is that without pressure maybe the discussion won’t happen because the parking issues are something that we need to look at and I want to look at it sooner rather than later," said Maxwell.

Ford indicated that more parking measures will be studied and brought before the MTA Board, especially in light of the fact that the agency is now facing an additional $13 million gap, due to the recent rejection of an SEIU contract and more state budget impacts.

While not giving a specific time line, Ford responded: “It will be something that we’re looking at very quickly.”  He had earlier indicated additional parking measures would not be added without consultation with the MTA Board and the Mayor's office, which is opposed to adding more parking revenue in the budget.

Maxwell's comments came after Avalos, who told Streetsblog San Francisco he gets around mostly by car but occasionally rides Muni and his bicycle, said he believes "times have changed" on parking enforcement.

"I think that there's a different feeling on moving forward on revenue from parking that didn't exist before. We have the Chamber of Commerce, which is actually supportive of Sunday and evening parking metering and enforcement," Avalos said. "I would say that my opinion has evolved as well. I actually saw some of these things as the third rail, which would never fly, but the more I think about how we need to do what's best for the environment and what's best for riders my position has changed and I think other colleagues have as well."

Supervisors Bevan Dufty, Carmen Chu, Michela Alioto-Pier and Sean Elsbernd voted against delaying the rejection motion.

Said Dufty: "Given the lack of investment that this city has made in its own transportation infrastructure over many years and many politicians using Muni as a whipping post to gain and score political points the reality is in this country there has never been the type of investment that we’ve seen in European countries.”

Chiu, meantime, responding to a question from Elsbernd, seemed to indicate support for his colleagues trying to force more changes in the MTA budget.

Elsbernd to Chiu: “We have four members of the Board who have already articulated they're supporting the budget. Supervisor Maxwell has indicated she is interested. This is only worth doing if you are interested in reopening this budget. You said you wanted to table the budget based on the compromise last week. Supervisor Maxwell said she's open to changing. If you are not interested the votes will not be there, we do not need to go through this exercise of scheduling a meeting."

Chiu responded: "I will tell you at this time I still think there is a lot of room for us to talk about where we can move things forward and like Supervisor Maxwell I do think there is additional information we can get from Mr. Ford to illuminate this and hopefully get us to a budget that we do not have to reject."

Budget and Finance Committee file photo by Bryan Goebel

The 3-2 vote, with Supervisors Bevan Dufty and Carmen Chu dissenting, followed a lengthy discussion in which Supervisors John Avalos, David Campos and Ross Mirkirami argued that the MTA budget was still woefully unacceptable, with all agreeing the rejection motion was the only way to get the MTA to budge some more. A procedural move at the last meeting allowed members to consider the motion again.

"We were able to get to where we got to yesterday because we had a measure before us calling for the rejection of the MTA budget," said Avalos. "I do think that we live in a political world and need to have this rejection measure before us in order to be able build the kind of pressure we might need to get some more changes."

Avalos said if there was anything flawed about the process over the last week it was that supervisors weren't being specific enough about changes and ideas they wanted to see in the budget, instead only criticizing what they thought was wrong with it. 

"I think if we have a process where we can come to some agreements that are specific and take those to the MTA and the Mayor and use the next week to discuss that somewhat further, we might be able to make a few other changes that can alleviate perhaps fare increases [and] service cuts that are alarming.”

Dufty, however, warned that continuing the debate over the MTA budget would unravel the Board of Supervisor's ability to reach an agreement on the city's budget. He refused to call the result of Chiu's negotiations with the MTA and the Mayor's office a compromise, instead referring to it as "adjustments in the budget." 

“There is a lot of anger out here, but let’s be real about it. We can’t make everyone happy," he said. "There’s no way you can cobble together the discontent across this city with our budget, specifically about the Muni budget, which frankly is in better shape than the city budget is."

After the budget committee's vote, Chiu told Streetsblog San Francisco he doesn't "expect any movement on this. I mean, we voted on exactly the same item yesterday."

In an interview shortly before the vote, he said: “I think the agreement that was reached was the best possible deal we could have gotten given the enormous financial and budgetary constraints that we’re under right now. $10.3 million dollars for Muni riders, I think, is a really good thing.”

Rather than caving in to the Mayor's office, as some advocates have suggested, City Hall sources say Chiu failed to secure Supervisor Sophie Maxwell's vote on the rejection motion, despite an intense lobbying effort, and felt the 11th hour compromise was second best.

Mirkarimi told Streetsblog he understands the politics behind the move but added: “I think that when we look at the aggregate budget deficit before us I think it would be highly premature for us to close the case on the MTA.”

Campos agreed that given the harsh feedback he's hearing from his constituents he feels compelled to do everything he can to force more changes in the MTA budget.

“There are still a lot of outstanding issues and I think that the people of my district, that the people who ride Muni on a daily basis, expect us to do better and I think that we have an obligation to do our best.”

Under the city charter, the Board of Supes has the power to accept or reject the MTA budget, but not to make line item changes. The rejection motion is expected to be considered again at next Tuesday's meeting, which is also the first time the MTA Board will meet since it passed its $778 million budget.

Updated 10:50 a.m.

DPW worker painting around an unused track in the plaza. Bollards in the background on the right and left will be filled with gravel and soil and will have plants growing out of them. Photo: Matthew Roth

DPW crews have been working at a feverish pace to complete the city's first "Pavement-to-Parks" plaza, pouring yellow, slip-resistant road paint over the surface and installing 70 demarcation bollards that will be filled with soil and gravel and adorned with fan palms, yucca jewels and birds of paradise. Crews are installing movable barriers at both ends of the plaza to allow for emergency fire access. Tables and chairs will also be situated around the plaza, and locked at night on a nearby catenary poll. 

"The goal of this opening on Wednesday is to show how you can do something really quick, really simply," said Andres Power, an urban designer at the SF Planning Department.

Liz Ogbu, an architect with Public Architect Inc., which has designed the project pro bono, said, "This is a little nuts. It’s sort of forced everyone to have to think out of the box and sort of roll with the punches and just be quick on their feet."

For example, Ogbu said they ran out of paint Sunday and a new shipment was still a day away but "somebody came up with the idea of, well, we can tap the traffic paint, and we were a little skeptical because we couldn’t match the color, but it works well and we’re in good shape.”

Crews have also set up the bollards to accommodate the streetcars and buses that will continue passing through the plaza. Ogbu said plazas with transit ways have worked well in some European cities, including Amsterdam.

"All the Muni drivers have been giving us thumbs up as they’ve been coming through," said Ogbu. "And the business owners who we’ve been back and forth with, they’re in good shape.”

Worker attaching bollard supports to a movable gate that can be opened for emergency vehicles to pass through. Photo: Bryan Goebel

Christopher Gonzalez-Crain, a Castro resident, said he first heard about the plaza on Streetsblog.

“I think this is fantastic. I think that the Castro has needed public space for awhile ever since the community garden was closed down and turned into a private community garden. With this, and in conjunction with the new Farmer’s Market, I feel like both city officials and the local business district have really gotten the idea that we need more public space and it’s wonderful to see. It’s really inspiring.”

Supervisor Bevan Dufty, who plans to attend the opening ceremony tomorrow with Mayor Newsom, said he's heard nothing but positive news too, though he has been told some residents opposed to the plaza might turn out with picket signs.

“I think it’s great. It’s the Castro. There’s always a lot of controversy, a lot of opinions. But you know, the word that I got at the gym this morning... three people gave me a thumbs up and said they were really pleased to see it happening.”

Rob Cox, a resident of nearby Hartfort Court, said he feels like residents were not properly notified. He doesn't like it because he thinks it will attract homeless and create more problems at night when crowds from nearby bars let out.

“It’s a dark quiet corner and so people use it as a bathroom and a place to sleep and this is just going to exasperate it," he said. “I think it’s a great idea to have some great space in the Castro, I really, really do. I just think this is a bad location for it."

But Aiello with the Castro CBD said they're hiring a full-time police officer to patrol the area on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. Power from Planning added that as a condition of their permit, the Metro Bar, which is opening soon, agreed to provide security.

Join community members, businesses, agency staff, Supervisor Bevan Dufty, and Mayor Gavin Newsom at 10 am, tomorrow, May 13th, for the plaza dedication ceremony. On Saturday, May 16th, from 12:30 pm until late afternoon, the community will celebrate the opening of the plaza with music and performances. Upper Market merchants will also be holding their sidewalk sale that day, so it should be a great chance to enjoy the new space.

The streetcar merging into traffic on Market Street after passing through the plaza. Photo: Matthew Roth

So whether or not this is a result of Supervisor Bevan Dufty's oversight hearing or a very auspicious coincidence, Streetsblog San Francisco reader Megan Allison (who runs several good blogs, including goodurb.com) sends us this photo of a cop and his K-9 companion on Muni.  Unlike jackalope and Sasquatch sightings, we're pretty sure this is an authentic member of the SFPD and his trusty German Shepherd. 

Too bad he wasn't on the 71 when my friend was assaulted and robbed a few months ago, in broad daylight.  From the police report:

On Saturday, January 24, police arrested Humphrey Garrett, 27, no local address, in a brutal assault and robbery that occurred on a No. 71 Muni bus at approximately 1:45 P.M.  The victim, a 26-year-old San Francisco woman, had boarded the bus at Market and Powell streets and was talking on her cell phone at the rear of the bus when the male suspect walked up to her, punched her in the face, grabbed her phone, and punched her again.  Another Muni rider, a woman, taking advantage of the situation, attempted to take the victim’s purse, but the victim held on and the woman fled off the bus.

Stories like the above are unfortunately too common, though maybe this new attention from the SFPD will help.

Thanks for the photo, Megan.  Readers can add their good shots to our Flickr pool here.

Flickr photo: Thomas Hawk

The plan, first reported in the Chronicle this morning, was formed in discussions between the Mayor's office, Supervisor Bevan Dufty and the MTA, which is facing a $129 million budget deficit, and considering fare hikes and service cuts: 

The SFMTA will share a greater role in management of the SF Police Department's Traffic Division. The Traffic Division will now be under SFPD Deputy Chief Tony Parra, who already works closely with the SFMTA. This will ensure the Police Department's traffic enforcement functions are coordinated with the SFMTA's goals for safe streets and accident reduction. 

The SPFD has been under a lot of scrutiny lately over of its work orders to the MTA. Dufty held a Budget and Finance commitee hearing recently in which he blasted the SFPD for billing Muni a whopping $19 million, mostly to fund its traffic functions.

The plan also calls for the implementation of "a new, more highly structured management program for its Muni Response Team and Bus Inspection Program (BIP)" on the T-Third line which the document claims will save $1.2 million. Muni has been getting hit with bills for overtime for officers who are supposed to patrol the T-Third line but rarely do.

Ford is no stranger to managing a police force. In Atlanta, he oversaw a staff of 300 police officers at the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, and said in a recent interview that he often heard the same concerns voiced in San Francisco that police are rarely seen on buses. "That was the number one complaint," he said.

So far, we haven't heard of any opposition to this plan from supervisors who were very critical of the SFPD and the MTA at that hearing. "It's a good first step," said Dufty's legislative aide, Boe Hayward.

The changes would allow the Department of Parking and Traffic officers to conduct late-night parking enforcement, a function currently held by the SFPD. And it addresses 311 inefficiencies, by "changing the methodology that "311 uses to allocate costs to the SFMTA, which will result in a savings to the SFMTA of about $800,000."  311 bills MTA on average $1.96 for every bus schedule call it receives, and total MTA-related calls account for 63 percent of all 311 call volume.

Supervisor Bevan Dufty aboard a streetcar recently named in honor of gay civil rights legend Harvey Milk.

District 8 Supervisor Bevan Dufty was elected the chairman of the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (TA) this week, rounding up the necessary six votes to beat District 6 Supervisor Chris Daly. It's a position Dufty says he's excited about.

"It's a very creative, energetic environment. It's not at all bureaucratic. There a lot of young, hard-working transportation planners that are there. I would like to have a culture at the staff level that is positive and good and keep the talented staff that we have and hopefully get a lot of good things done."

Dufty, who is serving his last two years as supervisor, was first elected in 2002 and is a likely candidate for mayor in 2011. His District 8 encompasses an area stretching from the Lower Haight, to the Castro, all the way south to San Jose Avenue. 

Today we present our second Streetscast. The interview, with myself and reporter Matthew Roth, was recorded on Inauguration Day, January 22nd, a week before Dufty was elected TA chair:

Download audio file (BevanDuftyInterview1.mp3)

A rare bike ride for Dufty: "I never learned how to ride a bike so Bike to Work Day is always exciting for me because they get me a tandem bike and they always put a handsome guy in front of me."

• On Muni:"We have the bones of a great system and hopefully we’ll continue making progress. The volume of Muni complaints  that I’ve gotten in the last six months has diminished quite a bit.”
  
• On traffic calming: “I think we feel that this is a very pedestrian-oriented town and that speeding vehicles, unsafe driving habits, these are all things that are dangerous for pedestrians and bicyclists and really creates a hostile environment for people living in a neighborhood."
• On a car-free Market Street: "I'm excited and open to it," Dufty said. "I think that there is a lot of potential and a lot of questions...there are a lot of tools we can apply to Market Street to make it a better thoroughfare, a grand thoroughfare for the city."
• On the Upper Market Community Plan: “What was important to me was that developers not be demonized, and looked at as money grubbing people and that people in the neighborhood not just be viewed as NIMBYs and people opposed to anyone’s related view by anyone at anytime.”
• On Market/Octavia: "I've been very engaged trying to protect the safety of bicyclists and making sure we don't have illegal right turns onto the Central Freeway entrance there and that's important. My intersections in the Castro are not what I want them to be."