Parking

An appeal claiming that the repeal of Sunday parking meters is an action that requires environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act is baseless, according to responses issued by the SFMTA and Planning Department this week.

The SFMTA has released a proposed map of Muni stops where commuter shuttles would be permitted to load passengers, part of the agency's 18-month pilot program to test private-bus regulation. Shuttles currently use many of these stops, and the resulting conflicts between shuttles and Muni buses has led to transit delays. SFMTA says it hopes to reduce bus conflicts by replacing car parking with new loading zones, marked with white curbs, where shuttles can load passengers out of Muni's way.

The SF Chronicle printed an op-ed this weekend, written by the Republican-backed group that aims to "restore balance" on San Francisco's streets. And by "balance," they mean enshrining a status quo where cars, not people, get the lion's share of the public streets, in the form of more pavement and more traffic.

SAP Center, the corporation that owns the 19,000-seat arena across Santa Clara Street from San Jose's downtown Caltrain station, doubts that the next 30 years of transit improvements will bring more visitors to events at the "Shark Tank." Instead, they insist that 20,000 new car parking spaces be built within its redeveloping neighborhood.

Michael Andersen blogs for The Green Lane Project, a PeopleForBikes program that helps U.S. cities build better bike lanes to create low-stress streets. Fifth in a series.

Gwyneth Borden will fill a year-old vacancy on the SFMTA Board of Directors, Mayor Ed Lee announced today. Borden has sat on the Planning Commission since 2008 and is the executive director of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association.

The SFMTA web page that provides guidance on "how to park legally" currently tells drivers that "you may park in your own driveway as long as no portion of your vehicle extends over the sidewalk." The text is accompanied by a photo of someone walking a bike past cars parked in "driveways," but with their rear ends extending well into what appears to be the sidewalk.

The backers of the ballot initiative to "restore balance" on San Francisco's streets are beginning to emerge. The "balance" they speak of would enshrine free parking and give over large parts of streets to cars.

Update: Avalos said on Twitter that his email was meant as a joke.