GJEL

Streetsblog caught up with Russo on Friday near his office in downtown Oakland to talk about how he's settling in, what he thinks of the strides Oakland has made so far, and how he will shepherd the department towards a safer, more equitable and more sustainable future.

The San Francisco County Transportation Authority (CTA) released the results yesterday of what it calls "the first comprehensive estimate of the volume, frequency and coverage of ride-hailing trips by Uber and Lyft in San Francisco."

A little over a week ago, the San Francisco Examiner ran the Op-Ed: “Fast and cheap: Getting Caltrain to Transbay Terminal … this year." Author Stanford Horn proposed extending Caltrain via Muni’s T/N tracks on King Street and building some more tracks on Howard Street to a platform at the new Transbay Terminal, as a stop-gap measure until the DTX tunnel is built.

As Streetsblog readers are surely aware, when it comes to public transit, pedestrian safety, and above all good bicycle infrastructure, the Dutch are the global champions.

There are now four design options for a San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA)'s project to add parking-protected bike lanes, possible transit lanes, and wider sidewalks on Howard and Folsom Streets in SoMa. All four of these designs are pretty darned good. All four have pretty good protected bike lanes.

As fans of San Francisco's F-Market and Wharves historic streetcar line are aware, the trains only clickety clack and clang as far as Jones St & Beach St--just shy of the Fort Mason tunnel, which once permitted trains to continue to Marina Boulevard and Laguna Street...and beyond. The San Francisco Examiner reported today that SFMTA has applied for a $1.1 million Federal Lands Access Program grant to study re-opening the tunnel.

It was a long wait, but neighbors and tourists alike finally get to enjoy one of San Francisco's most iconic spots, Alamo Square Park. "Thank you for your patience," said Phil Ginsburg, SF Rec & Park General Manager, during an opening ceremony this morning. "Neither Herculean, drought-busting rains or even the Bay to Breakers run would stop us from opening."

There's no denying that the State Route 35 freeway interchange with State Route 1 is not the most comfortable place to ride a bike. Two lanes in both directions, barely a shoulder in places, and automobiles continually speeding. A cyclists was killed in the area two years ago, although it is unclear who was at fault.

Robert Clark's son Gashaw, 25, died in a bike crash three weeks ago. Gashaw was riding through the large intersection at Third Street and Mission Bay Boulevard, when he collided with a car. "There were over 600 people at his memorial," said Clark, fighting through tears as he spoke to about 40 people in the Sports Basement grotto on Bryant Street in San Francisco yesterday evening, just prior to this year's 'Ride of Silence.' "He was the best kid ever."