Sunday, January 25, 2009
PVN Report: Cesar Chavez Improvements
At least 25 people showed up for the PVN meeting last Saturday.
Andreas Power from the San Francisco Planning Department spoke at the PVN meeting about the Cesar Chavez improvements. There have been many ongoing workshops with the extended community, and a final design has been chosen.
The features will include:
One of the issues that has come up is the removal of the left turns on Alabama and Harrison. Some neighbors are concerned that this will put more traffic onto Precita for the people who want to get to Harrison or Alabama, but other thought that drivers would just make a U-turn at the streets where permitted.
The Planning Department cited a traffic study they did that counted traffic flows and turns, and found out that a very small number of cars turn left on Alabama or Harrison, and they believe that this will cause very minimal disruption.
One other issue had come up: while funds had been set aside for this project, the State budget crisis is impacting its progress. However, there is also belief that Federal Stimulus funds will be available to fund the project in the near future.
Andreas Power from the San Francisco Planning Department spoke at the PVN meeting about the Cesar Chavez improvements. There have been many ongoing workshops with the extended community, and a final design has been chosen.
The features will include:
- 14’ planted median
- Regular spacing of trees on median and sidewalks. As well as the purely aesthetic and environmental benefits, trees along roads are proven to slow down traffic.
- Corner bulb extensions at most intersections increase visibility an provide a shorter street crossing distance for pedestrians.
- Pedestrian refuge areas halfway through cross-walk in the median (a safe place for a pedestrian to stop who is unable to cross the entire street in the time available)
- Pedestrian lighting
- Bike lanes
- 4 lanes of traffic with turning pockets at Bryant, Folsom and Mission
- Stormwater planters, designed to catch street runoff and not funnel all the water into the City's storm drain system
One of the issues that has come up is the removal of the left turns on Alabama and Harrison. Some neighbors are concerned that this will put more traffic onto Precita for the people who want to get to Harrison or Alabama, but other thought that drivers would just make a U-turn at the streets where permitted.
The Planning Department cited a traffic study they did that counted traffic flows and turns, and found out that a very small number of cars turn left on Alabama or Harrison, and they believe that this will cause very minimal disruption.
One other issue had come up: while funds had been set aside for this project, the State budget crisis is impacting its progress. However, there is also belief that Federal Stimulus funds will be available to fund the project in the near future.
Labels: Cesar Chavez, Precita Valley Neighbors, pvn, traffic calming
