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Reviewing the Policing of Critical Mass
Now that the new police chief has announced he is going to
"review" department procedures with respect to Critical Mass, I think
it might be a good time to "review" the history of the relationship
between Critical Mass and the police. I have to emphasize that this
relationship has evolved in the context of a police department that has
been consistently biased against bicyclists for as long as anyone can
remember. Recent efforts to bring the SFPD into the 21st century have
not yielded noticeable results yet. Chief Gascón has an opportunity to
direct the department culture towards an altered cityscape with
thousands more bicyclists and pedestrians, or he can maintain an
obsolete approach to reinforcing a car-centric society's prejudices. I
have to admit that I'm not hopeful. Also, I hope this review further
debunks the silly reporting
from KPIX starting last summer, that somehow Critical Mass is not
paying for the police that accompany it, and thus costing the city some
$100,000 a year in police overtime.
February 8, 2010
StreetUtopia North Beach
StreetUtopia is a new community organizing effort centered in North Beach. Launched by Hank Hyena and Phil Millenbah at an inaugural event in early January, they drew upwards of 150 people to an empty historic storefront at 1 Columbus Avenue, where they showed Streetfilms, had a small art exhibit, and conducted a survey of the folks who turned out. Hank Hyena explained his motivation in terms of European cities which are often greener, more bike-friendly, and with more pedestrian-centers than US cities. Along with several other parents of children at Yick Wo Public School, including co-instigator Phil Millenbah, a San Leandro city planner, they staged an inspiring evening of art, film, and conversation.
January 25, 2010
Sign on, Root in, Branch Out
I wrote that passage in my novel a few years ago, set in San Francisco 150 years in the future. Imagine my pleasure when I found out that an ornamental portal to the Wiggle is the first project envisioned by some activists along our much-loved route. A week ago I sat down on the Wiggle at Bean There Café with Morgan Fitzgibbons, one of the instigators behind the new Wigg Party, whose mission is to have the folks who live and ride and eat along this route “become the leading community in America in the transformation to sustainability.” Recognizing what more and more people are coming to grips with, that we’re on the cusp of a dramatic change in how we live in cities, and on earth, the Wigglers want to lead the way, taking action one community at a time, anchored in place. Given the high mobility and transience of so many young San Franciscans, a focus on a local neighborhood as a site of transformation is immediately encouraging.
January 21, 2010
Dates and Locations For 2010 San Francisco Sunday Streets Announced
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has announced the dates and locations for nine Sunday Streets events for 2010, starting on March 14th along the Embarcadero and finishing October 24th around Civic Center. Building off the tremendous success of the events in 2009, Mayor Newsom announced the events will expand to new communities and run for an extra hour, eventually becoming a permanent San Francisco tradition.
December 19, 2009
Eyes on the Street: Powell Street Parking Lane Becomes Trial Sidewalk
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's office this weekend experimented with the temporary removal of a handful of parking spaces on Powell Street between Ellis and Geary Streets to give holiday shoppers in and around Union Square more space to navigate the crowded sidewalks.
December 14, 2009
Muni Reaps the Benefits of Reduced Traffic on Market
It's been half a century since the "roar of the four" streetcar lines dominated Market Street, but with the Market Street traffic diversion trial in effect today, trains and buses reasserted themselves over automobiles as the uncontested dominant vehicles on the city's main thoroughfare. With eastbound automobiles forced to turn right at 6th and 8th Streets, the roar of the four subterranean transit tracks - BART and Muni Metro - was easily audible in certain spots. For the first time, subways, streetcars, and buses included, San Franciscans could hear the roar of the eight.
September 29, 2009
Presidio Launches Temporary Street Closure and Traffic Calming Study
In an effort to make the Presidio function less like a traffic shortcut and more like a national park, the Presidio Trust is trying out an idea that's caught on in the dense city that borders it: a trial street closure. From today until October 27, Presidio Boulevard will be closed to private automobiles between West Pacific Avenue and Upper Simonds Loop [map PDF], as the Presidio Trust and the MTA study traffic impacts. Muni and emergency vehicles will still have full access.
September 29, 2009
Streetsblog Off Today, Cars Off Market Tomorrow
Following the lead of Streetsblog NYC, we're off today in observance of Yom Kippur, though we remind you that your bike commute to work down Market Street tomorrow morning will be quite different than today, should you be riding. With the trial to impose mandatory right turns for private automobiles traveling eastbound at 8th and 6th Streets, your Muni ride might be better, too. At a minimum, pedestrians shopping at Westfield should see a big difference! For more information on the closure, be sure to go over to the Better Market Street website.
September 28, 2009
Reaction to Market Street Pilot Seems Overwhemingly Positive
The series of trials scheduled to begin September 29 on Market Street are still seeping into the public's awareness, but so far, pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit riders seem to share an excitement about the plan, which will reduce traffic by forcing eastbound private automobiles to turn right at 6th and 8th Streets, and enliven the city's main thoroughfare with art projects, mini-plazas and entertainment.
September 10, 2009
San Francisco’s Two Newest Trial Plazas Nearly Complete
San Francisco's two newest Pavement to Parks trial plazas are both on track to open by Thursday, with only the finishing touches remaining. Jane Martin, who helped about 40 neighbors plant trees and shrubs in the planter beds at the San Jose/Guerrero plaza this Sunday, said the space has already begun to come to life.
September 8, 2009