Why Isn’t SF Painting the Streets Red Like New York Is?

Just after our look at the faltering pace of plaza expansions under San Francisco's Pavement to Parks program last week, we get another glimpse of New York City's ongoing efforts to reclaim street space for people and improve safety using low-cost, temporary measures like posts and gravel epoxy.

Apparently, these kind of space re-allocations happen so frequently, our Streetfilms manager Clarence just stumbles across them while making his way around Manhattan.

After hearing a speech from NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Jannette Sadik-Khan at the SF Bicycle Coalition's Golden Wheel Awards last week, I asked SFMTA Director Ed Reiskin why the city isn't reclaiming space for pedestrians at the pace New York is. He pointed to the agency's efforts to reclaim road space for protected bike lanes, and said he's "not sure that there are that many great candidates" for other public space expansions.

It only takes a quick peek at Streetsblog New York, however, to cast some serious doubt on that claim.