Masonic Avenue Street Design Study Community Workshop

From the SFMTA:

Come join us for the third and final community workshop of a new street design study for Masonic Avenue, focusing on the area between Geary Boulevard and the Panhandle, with the goal of calming traffic on Masonic Avenue and improving access and safety for all modes of transportation. The City wants to hear your input on ways to improve this important corridor so that it safely and efficiently accommodates the needs of all users.

To this end the SFMTA, along with the Department of Public Works and the Planning Department, have conducted two community workshops on June 15 and August 10, 2010 to identify how Masonic Avenue can be redesigned to achieve this goal. Based on the input received from community members in the June 15 workshop, four options were developed. At the August 10 workshop, these four options were presented and a survey was conducted to gather community input on various elements of each option. Since that time, City staff has been working on combining preferred elements to develop two refined options which will be presented at the upcoming workshop.

Proposed changes to the Masonic Avenue corridor being discussed include:

* Addition of a median and other traffic calming features
* Improved pedestrian crossings
* Addition of bike facilities
* Partial or full removal of existing on-street parking
* Increased landscaping and tree planting
* Enhancements to transit stops
* Removal of daytime tow-away restriction

During this third meeting, city staff will give a brief presentation on existing conditions, review the options presented at the second meeting as well as the results of the survey conducted, and present and solicit comments on two street design options. The goal of this last meeting is to gather input on the most favorable/practical option.
About the Project

The primary goal of the Masonic Avenue Street Design Study is to identify how Masonic Avenue between Geary Boulevard and Fell Street can safely and efficiently accommodate the needs of all roadway users, including but not limited to pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and Muni.
Objectives:

1. Engage representatives of all constituencies within the community who would be impacted by changes to Masonic Avenue including, but not limited to, residents on Masonic Avenue, residents on side-streets, merchants, school representatives, bicyclists, Muni passengers and pedestrians.

2. Improve transit operation.

3. Improve pedestrian and non-motorized access to transit.

4. Increase the safety of pedestrian crossings.

5. Increase motorist compliance with traffic rules and regulations.

6. Reduce the number of vehicular collisions, especially those involving pedestrians and bicyclists.

7. Support neighborhood vitality by creating a more inviting and accommodating public realm.
Contact

Javad Mirabdal
415.701.4421
javad.mirabdal@sfmta.com