L Taraval Project: "Vision: Zero Loss of Parking"

Based on community screams, the SFMTA managed to save all the parking and create "bus shelters" out of paint, parked cars, and the broken promise of enforcement along the L Taraval corridor.
image found here.

The SFMTA presented on the L Taraval project, a plan to address the needs of 29,000 daily riders with bus bulb-outs, transit lanes, and all other kinds of things that were booed and hissed by a parking obsessed audience.  One SFMTA representative told the fiery group that Taraval Street is one of San Francisco’s most dangerous corridors, which the audience promptly replied with eye-rolls, indignant looks, and a single muffled cough.

SFMTA representative, wet from rain, tears, or fright.
image found here.

Even though the SFMTA told them the project adds 13 to 40 parking spaces, a ravenous audience member screamed “You’re still ruining it for those merchants!” noting that parking has to be right in front of the business because no one should be forced the indignity of walking. When the SFMTA representative tried to explain that 22 people were hit while walking to the trains, the audience screamed “doesn’t seem like that many!"

Supervisor Katy Tang introduces herself to the group before she sits down and listens to her constituents devalue human life and demand space to store their personal property. 
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Despite all the screams from a few merchants and residents who abhor safe bipedal movement, the project will move forward as a pilot.  The SFMTA said they would look into the ideas presented by people who value the immobility of their car above human life.   None of the precious parking will be moved at four of the five business-located stops.  Instead, the SFMTA will paint white cross-hatches and pray to whatever deity they believe in in the hopes that no train riders will perish.


Every "Vision Zero" project should result in a net gain to parking!
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Mark Farrell - Moving San Francisco Forward Into the 20th Century

“It boggles my mind when I take my kids to basketball on a Sunday and I’m still in a traffic jam”
Image found here.

Mark Farrell, District 2 Supervisor, acknowledges that his beloved suburb is going through some "growing pains" but Mark knows that true leadership involves mitigating changes to a grinding halt through a process called "balance" & "community input".

From The Marina DoubleSpeak Times: "With our city’s population marching higher month after month, some of those growing pains are felt on our city streets in the form of traffic congestion, crowded Muni buses, and overflowing sidewalks with pedestrians. I firmly believe a responsive and accountable city government should and can impliment needed improvements to address problems. But the responses to the growing pains must take into account the reasonable concerns of the residents and neighborhoods affected."

After the SFMTA conducted a painstaking year-long study to address the needs of 28,000 daily bus riders along the 30 Stockton, one of the busiest routes in the city.  Through this data-driven study, they came up with a package of changes to increase pedestrian safety and speed up the bus.  But Mark, who takes the bus twice a year, knows these kinds of meaningful changes need to be properly weighed with the screams & tantrums of the residents.  He laments not having the authority to prevent these changes entirely, but promised to amplify the resident's lust for parking spaces over pedestrian safety & dedicated bus routes.

Chestnut Street "Character"
image c/o Henry

Mark sought "balance with the SFMTA" and clearly beat Ed Reiskin, the director of the SFMTA, into submission.  His priority was to ensure "the project would no longer involve the elimination of any parking spaces." by removing the following from the 30 Stockton plan.

• Traffic Signals 
• Transit Only Lane
• Bus bulbs  
• Turn pockets
• Anything Resembling Pedestrian Safety

The District 2 parking warrior also helped set the tone with the Polk Street Redesign. “When they presented the Polk Streetscape project, I saw diagrams that were totally car-free. I said, ‘Okay, then we need to build some parking garages.’ Getting around the city is more frustrating than ever in my lifetime, and everyone shares the blame — people bike, walk, and drive recklessly."  It's this kind of pedestrian & bicyclist shaming, grounded in reality, that clearly puts Mark ahead of the pack when it comes to street safety.

Who would be better suited for making ~balanced~ decisions on public transit than someone who took Muni twice during the 22 day Muni Challenge?

As Mark says, "the soul of San Francisco has always rested in our unique neighborhoods, and we cannot lose sight of their character as our city population continues to grow".  And that soul is filled with free on-street parking, slow buses, and speeding cars.  Thanks for all you do for San Suburbscisco, Mark Farrell!

And don't worry folks, Mark has plans to "Save" Lombard Street".

With Mark's help ~balancing~ priorities of safety, parking, parking and parking on Lombard, we can go from this, to this.
image c/o Kyle