SFPark

In a "bittersweet farewell," the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition announced today that its policy director, Andy Thornley, has been picked for an internship at the SFMTA's SFPark program. His transition to city government is a positive sign for the livable streets movement in San Francisco.

The SFMTA announced yesterday that it would no longer include areas of the Dogpatch, Potrero Hill, and Mission neighborhoods in its pilot expansion of SFPark after pushback from a vocal group of opponents.

Speaking of extending parking meter hours...

Giving away free curbside car parking when it's in demand on Sundays and evenings just doesn't make any sense.

Mayor Ed Lee stood behind the merits of the SFMTA's SFPark program at a Board of Supervisors meeting today when questioned about the recent backlash against parking meter expansions in the Dogpatch and Potrero Hill neighborhoods. Those proposals have been put on hold while the SFMTA conducts more outreach to neighbors and merchants.

San Francisco was one of two cities this week to receive the Institute for Transportation and Development's prestigious 2012 Sustainable Transport Award. No doubt, the ITDP award was well-deserved for the SFMTA's successful implementation of the groundbreaking SFPark program, as well as the SF Planning Department's proliferation of parklets under its Pavement to Parks program. Those efforts have grabbed attention around the world.

An SFMTA plan to put a rational price on car parking around the developing Mission Bay area has run into fierce backlash from residents and merchants from the Potrero Hill, Dogpatch and northeastern Mission neighborhoods.

It's too soon in the development of SFPark to draw any conclusions about the effectiveness of demand-responsive pricing on parking habits, says the SFMTA's Jay Primus, who manages the SFPark program.

Year after year, the champions of free car parking come to defend its sanctity when the SF Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) works up the guts to raise the issue in its search for budget solutions.