This Week: Transbay Center Goes to the Planning Commission

Join SPUR on Tuesday for a forum on upcoming Bus Rapid Transit projects in San Francisco and the South Bay. On Wednesday, Shaping SF holds a discussion that’s sure to be a captivating on “challenging the 20th century paradigm of automobile-centric streets.”  Then on Thursday, the Transbay Transit Center could pass a major milestone at the SF Planning Commission hearing on its environmental impact report.

Here are all the highlights from the Streetsblog calendar:

  • TuesdaySFCTA Board of Directors Meeting. The board may approve state and regional funds for the Free Muni for Low-Income Youth pilot and speed improvements on the 8X Bayshore and Mission corridor routes. SFCTA staff will also present an update on ongoing transit, pedestrian, and bicycle improvements in Districts 3 and 9. 11 a.m.
  • Also Tuesday: SPUR Lunchtime Forum: Implementing Bus Rapid Transit in the Region. Join Kevin Connolly of the Valley Transportation Authority, the SFCTA’s Tilly Chang, and the SFMTA’s Timothy Papandreou for a review of upcoming BRT projects (and the challenges they face) in the South Bay and on SF’s Van Ness Avenue and Geary Boulevard. (Also, don’t miss SPUR’s Thursday forum on Jane Jacobs.) 12:30 p.m.
  • WednesdayShaping SF Talk: What Are Our Streets For?  Representatives from the SF Bike Coalition, Walk SF, the Planning Department’s Green Connections Project, and Nature in the City host this discussion on exploring ways to “challenge the 20th century paradigm of automobile-centric streets.” 7:30 p.m.
  • ThursdaySF Planning Commission Hearing. On the agenda is approval of the final environmental impact report for the Transbay Transit Center, which is expected to transform the surrounding downtown district with the addition of a new skyscraper and regional transit hub for high-speed rail, Caltrain, AC Transit, and Muni. 10 a.m.
  • Also ThursdaySF Bicycle Advisory Committee Meeting. Hear all the latest updates on the SFMTA’s bicycle projects and provide direct feedback to planners. You can see this month’s SFMTA bike project report here [PDF]. (Note: this month’s meeting is held at the SFBC offices.) 6:30 p.m.
  • Friday: Critical Mass. Kick off your weekend with a ride in the San Francisco-born monthly tradition of reclaiming the streets for bicycles. 5:30 pm.
  • SaturdaySFBC Connecting the City Ride: America’s Cup and Bay Trail Bikeway. Join the SFBC for this ride from the Ferry Building to Crissy Field, exploring the Bay Trail and learning about the SFBC’s vision for this important segment of their Connecting the City campaign. 10 a.m.
  • Also Saturday: Green Connections Walk: Holly Park to Alemany Farm Butterfly Walk. The SF Planning Department continues its series of walks for its Green Connections project, an effort to “improve the city’s streets and routes that lead to our parks, waterfront and open spaces.” Explore the area around Bernal Heights and ”provide feedback about what you like along the way and how certain elements could be improved.” 1 p.m.

Keep an eye on the calendar for updated listings. Got an event we should know about? Drop us a line.

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