Today’s Headlines

  • Senate Can’t Muster the Will to Touch Transportation in Its "Climate"
    Bill (ClimateWire)
  • Steve Jones: Appointing a Good SFMTA Board Member Doesn’t Redeem Newsom (SFBG)
  • Yonah Freemark Writes About the BART/OAC Debacle (Next American City) 
  • Green
    Caltrain     Wants the SFCTA to Help Solve Caltrain’s Funding Crisis
  • Bayshore Caltrain Station to Get a Makeover (SF Business Times)
  • Castro Muni Riders Who Protested Cuts Will See Service Restored (BAR)
  • FasTrack Sales Soar Following Bay Bridge Toll Increases (SF Examiner) 
  • Toll Authority Hires Firm to Help Prevent Further Cracks on Bay Bridge Span (SF Gate)
  • California Sues the Feds Over Green Loan Program for Homes (SF Gate)
  • NEA Grant for Arts Projects Will Help Spruce Up Mid-Market (SF Gate)
  • LA Metro Rail Turns 20 Years Old (The Source)
  • "Transition Tours" Will Explore SF Urban Farming, Water and Solar Projects (SF Gate)
  • Stimulate This! The Growing Appeal of Highway Teardowns (Marketplace)
  • Got a Question About Obama Admin’s Sustainable Communities Initiative? (Planetizen)

  • Bevan Dufty gives the Noe Valley Plaza the finger, forces Andres Power under the bus. Film at 11.

  • Holy crap John. Sadly, civil discourse will never be the same. Yell and moan and kick and shout and you’ll end up getting your way. All over a trial plaza, my goodness.

    Hopefully the parklets are well used and in 5-10 yrs you’ll be able to try for a plaza again.

  • In 5-10 years 20% of the opposition will be dead. Their kids will fight over the house, each trying to snag the low property tax assessment, but not be able to resolve the internicene battle, resulting in a court ordered sale from the estate, and the house will turn over to another dot commer, removing 3-4 opponents and adding 2 supporters and their soon to be filled double wide stroller.

    They are trying to convince the city to use millions from an open space fund to buy the parking lot between Sanchez and Vicksburg (currently used on Saturdays for the Farmer’s market) and make it a park. I’m fine with that, though I think the ROI on that money will be pretty poor. At that point the argument that the money should go to underserved communities starts to kick in. Nonetheless I’ll support it – but I’m sure my heart won’t be in it.

    Of course, now some NIMBY living behind THAT park will bitch about the noise from people rolling out of the Dubliner to go smoke a doobie in the park.

    The sadness is not getting the traffic calming for 24th Street.

    As a non-coffee drinker I will be trying very hard to get the parklets someplace besides “in front of Bernies, in front of Marthas”. There is already seating in front of the coffee shops. I’m thinking the Auto Body shop needs a parklet.

    /irony

    (wow – I had really dialed it back, now all that pressure is going to blow out like the Maconado well…)

  • John, that is why I said 5-10 yrs. The old timers that just want to drive up and down 24th got their way because they screamed the loudest. And where they get off turning around wanting to spend open space money to convert a parking lot is beyond me, but probably because they don’t use the parking lot and they use the street (more then they should).

    And it’s nice to have you back.

  • patrick

    Sorry to hear about this John.

    Well, I can say that Dufty has lost any chance of getting my vote for any mayoral bids he may make. So easily caving in to NIMBYs is not the type of leadership I’m looking for.

  • Re: Noe Valley.

    “If all goes to plan, we would like to add two Parklets along 24th
    Street this Fall. We will be working with the merchant community to
    identify the most suitable locations but it is important to note that these
    spaces will be open and free to use by anyone. As in all Pavement to Parks
    projects, these Parklets will be trial and closely monitored for success.
    If they do not work out, they will be removed.”

    The Noe Valley Plaza Project has now become the “Noe Valley Tavern Parklet Project”. Help support a parklet in front of the Noe Valley Tavern.

    Please email…

    Bevan.Dufty@sfgov.org
    Andres.Power@sfgov.org
    noevalleyplaza@gmail.com
    I will forward it to the head of the Noe Valley Merchant Assn.

  • Nick

    Bike Nopa has a good ARCO story:

    http://ibikenopa.blogspot.com/2010/07/correction-exit-from-arco-into.html

    It begs the question: Will there now be enforcement of the illegal left turn onto Divisidero from westbound Fell? This is afterall a hazard to cyclists.

  • Sebastian

    John,
    These trying times sometimes lead to moments of introspection.
    You may find that the tactic of jumping up and down and screaming like a red faced Spockian 3 year old; I WANT IT AND I WANT IT NOW!!! is in fact sometimes not enough to overcome raesonableness.

  • John,
    These trying times sometimes lead to moments of introspection.
    You may find that the tactic of jumping up and down and screaming like a red faced Spockian 3 year old; I WANT IT AND I WANT IT NOW!!! is in fact sometimes not enough to overcome raesonableness.

    I didn’t even win the irony award today. Doh!

  • rocky’sdad

    You know I don’t really give a rats ass what John Murphy thinks..and he feels the same way about me. big deal.

    But some of the opinions here are sounding like a bunch of sore losers..Both sides of the plaza issue were passionate about their point of view. I believe the City listened and made the wise choice to not close off Noe St. and simply move forward with the parklet approach. While I don’t think the parklets are much of a substantial improvement toward making our streets more walkable and livable, they also will probably not cause much of a ruckus. I’d like to see permanent sidewalk widening with lots of street-side landscape and permanent seating.

    I’m lobbying to Andres Power and Bevan to have a parklet installed in front of both Bernies and Marthas. that should keep people happy.

    As for the parking lot as future plaza idea: awesome idea, will take time, money and energy, but guess what?

    It’s possible and potentially a great public space for all of Noe.