Posts Tagged ‘cars’
Thursday, March 11th, 2010
From District 5 Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi comes this newsletter update concerning floats at the upcoming 2010 ING Bay to Breakers footrace. Certainly appears as if last month’s plan to start floats only at Divisidero and then stop them 1.2 miles later in Golden Gate Park is dead.
The new idea is having two staging areas for floats to enter the race – at the beginning in eastern SoMA and at Civic Center. Deets below.
These mariners will need a place to sail their float again in 2010:
Oh, whoops, they abandoned their stripper pole-equipped vessel in the Golden Gate Park Panhandle last year. Oh well.
Bay to Breakers Update
The 99th Bay to Breakers will be run on Sunday, May 16th. Last year’s race saw a significant reduction in problems and impacts on the neighborhood, although there is still more work to do be done. Plans are still being developed for how floats will participate this year. Race organizers initially proposed having all floats start on Divisadero; however, this raised concerns with both neighbors and with float advocates. Supervisor Mirkarimi organized a meeting with the race organizers, the Mayor’s office, float advocates, and neighborhood representatives. We are still waiting to hear the organizers’ revised plan, but they have indicated that they now plan to have two staging areas for floats: at the beginning of the race and at Civic Center.
We are encouraged to hear that the organizers plan to adopt Supervisor Mirkarimi’s suggestion to implement a registration system for floats. This will generate additional revenue to pay for the impacts of the floats, and also create a new level of accountability for floats that are abandoned on the streets. Despite the improvements last year, the impact on the Panhandle area was still unacceptable. Supervisor Mirkarimi remains committed to changing the practice of floats celebrating in the Panhandle for hours after the race has passed. Ross continues to encourage the race organizers to provide an end-point for floats in Golden Gate Park. He believes creating an event in the Park that encourages floats not to stop in the Panhandle will significantly reduce the impact on the neighborhood.
More information:
- www.baytobreakers.com
- Float registration information (to be posted soon)
Tags: 12k, 2, 2008, 2009, 2010, 5 fulton, 7, 97th, 98th, alcohol, alix rosenthal, annual, anschutz, b2b, bad, Bay, bay to breakers, bay2breakers, beer, body, breakers, cars, carts, channel, Chepkurui, chris fox, citizens, Conor Johnston, cops, corrals, CPBB, crawlsf, cups, david scott, David William Scott, department, dept., destroyed, direct, district, divisidero, dj, dpw, dumpsters, edelman, Edward Sharpless, Elite, eventbrite, facebook, fell, floats, footrace, footstock, foto, fundraiser, gabe, garbage, gavilanes, Gavin, glass, golden gate park, good, Greater Body Expo, haight Ashbury, howard, ing, John, John Gray, Jon Dishotsky, kegs, Kelsey Nagie, kgo, KGO-TV, Kipsang, Korir, Lineth, liquor, Liz Brusca, map, Matt Seliga, Men's, Mike Moscuzza, Muni, naked, nat ford, Newsom, nimby, nimbys, nude, paint, panhandle, photographs, photos, plastic, police, police department, pr, preservation, public relations, purple, recycling, red, richmond, roe, ross mirkarimi, sam singer, Sammy Kitwara, San Francisco, SFPD, smoove, store, street, sunset, tickets, towed, trash, TV, ugly, vehicles, Wilson Ling, women's, zaq, zero tolerance
Posted in events, sports | No Comments »
Thursday, February 18th, 2010
Come on, you can do it. Take a gander at the dollar amount of the fine for abandoning your car on the streets of San Francisco. Let’s agree that dollar amount has two digits, but it is $75? $85? $88? $98? $80? $90?
This is no mere triviality - if you don’t get the proper notice then you might not have to pay the fine. As to whether San Francisco can legally tow away your ride with the way the local laws are written these days, well, that’s up in the air.
Can I explain why the owner was given only three days to move in light of the last year’s policy change allowing seven days? No, no I cannot. Click to expand.
Are San Francisco drivers gonna get a massive refund the way it just went down South San Francisco Way with the red light cameras? [KRON's Eve Taft- why isn't she in every romcom Hollywood can produce?] No se.
I’m the first one to rain on the parade of plaintiff’s attorneys with ridiculous notions of what constitutes a decent lawsuit, but this one, this one looks good.
The mise-en-scene atop Buena Vista Heights at the end of Masonic, where it’s so hilly you might need an exemption to drive your SUV around.
This aging, now-woodless Willys Jeep Wagon ur-SUV needs no exemption for excessive weight as it’s not close to the weight limit. (I ought to call it in to Pimp My Ride or something.) Wonder where it is now, wonder if it got towed. [Dude, where's my car? What happened to my woody?]
Anyway, we’ll just have to bide our time to see what occurs with this not-yet-certified class action lawsuit. Writer Joe Eskenazi will keep us posted, I’m sure.
To Be Continued…
Tags: 165005, 2009, 2010, abandoned, attorney, Buena Vista, bux 596, bux596, california, cars, channel 4, code, court, days, Deborah England, DPT, evelyn taft, filing, fine, former, heights, highway, j, jeep, John, KRON, laws, lawsuit, lawyer, license, masonic, moved, municipal, on-strret, plate, retired, riley, San Francisco, section, seven, sf weekly, sfdpt, sfgov, station wagon, streets, three, ticket, tow, tow away, towaway, towing, traffic, upper terrace, vehicle, wagon, willys, willys jeep, woody
Posted in cars, government | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010
[UPDATE: Word on the street is that, for 2010, floats will be confined the 1.2 mile stretch betwixt Divisidero Street and Arguello Boulevard. Is that a fact? No se, hermana/o. And people, use your words - this new rule ruins B2B because....]
Let’s see here, the Citizens for the Preservation of Bay2Breakers (Bay to Breakers) are upset about not being consulted with a change to where the floats start at the 2010 ING Bay to Breakers coming up on May 16th?
Today’s Beef of the Week:
“Even with an organization of more than 25,000 members built in just a couple of weeks in 2009 to fight AEG’s bans and preserve the traditions of the race, AEG did not approach CPBB or any of its officers to discuss the new 2010 restrictions prior to their announcement. AEG did not approach Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi’s office or the Board of Supervisors to discuss the new 2010 restrictions. AEG did not approach Mayor Gavin Newsom’s office to discuss the new 2010 restrictions. AEG did not approach the North of Panhandle Neighborhood Association to discuss staging floats in their neighborhood instead of at the start of the race.”
All right. Spokesman Sam Singer is saying that the rules will be the same as last year, except for the float starting point. Actually, I thought people were mad in 2009 when they were required to start their floats down in the SoMA starting area. Oh well. Won’t this all get worked out when the permits get issued, and during the ISCOTT hearing ’n stuff? I mean the Third Sunday in May is three months away, right?
Haven’t run this photo in two or three months, or something. Click to expand:
Maybe changing the float starting point is a bad idea, I don’t know. There are pluses and minuseses.
This change wouldn’t seem to be enough to be able to “destroy” the B2B race though…
Tags: 12k, 2, 2008, 2009, 2010, 5 fulton, 7, 97th, 98th, alcohol, alix rosenthal, annual, anschutz, b2b, bad, Bay, bay to breakers, bay2breakers, beer, body, breakers, cars, carts, channel, Chepkurui, chris fox, citizens, Conor Johnston, cops, corrals, CPBB, crawlsf, cups, david scott, David William Scott, department, dept., destroyed, direct, district, divisidero, dj, dpw, dumpsters, edelman, Edward Sharpless, Elite, eventbrite, facebook, fell, floats, footrace, footstock, foto, fundraiser, gabe, garbage, gavilanes, Gavin, glass, golden gate park, good, Greater Body Expo, haight Ashbury, howard, ing, John, John Gray, Jon Dishotsky, kegs, Kelsey Nagie, kgo, KGO-TV, Kipsang, Korir, Lineth, liquor, Liz Brusca, map, Matt Seliga, Men's, Mike Moscuzza, Muni, naked, nat ford, Newsom, nimby, nimbys, nude, paint, panhandle, photographs, photos, plastic, police, police department, pr, preservation, public relations, purple, recycling, red, richmond, roe, ross mirkarimi, sam singer, Sammy Kitwara, San Francisco, SFPD, smoove, store, street, sunset, tickets, towed, trash, TV, ugly, vehicles, Wilson Ling, women's, zaq, zero tolerance
Posted in events | No Comments »
Monday, February 8th, 2010
BIKE NOPA has just posted details on the SFPD police report and the District Attorney’s response to the death of pedestrian Melissa Dennison, killed by a collision at the intersection of Fell and Broderick on September 15th, 2009.
The intersection of Fell and Broderick
Tags: 2009, 29, 600, accident, ada, bac, bike, BIKE NOPA, california, cars, cited, crosswalk, da', dead, denison, denisson, dennison, department, dept., District Attorney, divisidero, driver, facebook, fault, fell broderick, haight, homicide, Honda, hope, intersection, Kamala Harris, killed, lake tahoe, Lieutenant, lt., manslaughter, melisa, Melissa, melissa dennison, melissa dennisson, melissa hope dennison, memorial, NOPA, north of panhandle, ocean beach, Park station, partial, ped, pedestrian, pit, PM, police, police report, prosecutor, Ramlin, referred, San Francisco, september, sfgo, SFPD, SFSU, shrine, snowboard, snowboarding, state, street, truckee, university, vehicular, western addition
Posted in transit | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 13th, 2010
Is this a scene from Austin Texas or Austin Alley in San Francisco?
Of course the parking spaces out in front of this banal building have the requisite brace of yuppy imports (Subaru, BMW, Mercedes, Acura), but there’s also a couple of pick-em-ups in there too, and Texans love their pickups. Let’s look for more clues.
Mmmm, there’s a Victorian in the background next door, and all the license plates say “California” and there’s that San Francisco-looking AUSTIN sign too – that all adds up to the 415.
But whoever thought it was a good idea to build suburban-style housing/parking like this in San Francisco has clearly made a huge mistake.
Click to expand
Oh well.
Tags: alley, arrested development, austin, banal, bush, california, capitol, cars, frank norris, franklin, gob, gough, i've made a huge mistake, lots, parking, pine, place, San Francisco, street, texas, way
Posted in architecture, buildings | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 13th, 2010
San Francisco’s Ferry Building is just to the right in this photo of Pier 1/2 (“one-half” – that’s what they call it). People used to park there and then buy (or sell) expensive mushrooms next door.
But now the pier is condemned so the parking lot on top just sits around, a proud symbol of The City That Knows How to let things go to hell.
The macadam looks a little wavy, huh? Click to expand:
Savor the Good Old Days, pre-condemnation:
Phase 2 of the Downtown Ferry Terminal Project will eventually replace this 70-year-old pier, one of these decades.
Now, you better know your Condemned San Francisco Parking Lots.
Tags: 12, 2009, 2010, 85, building, cars, city That Knows How, commission, condemned, dollars, Downtown Ferry Terminal Project, DPT, Embarcadero, ferry, ferry building, Half, lot, one half, parking, pier, pier 1/2, port, San Francisco, The City That Knows How, tickets, vehicles, waterfront
Posted in cars | 3 Comments »
Wednesday, January 6th, 2010
The failings of the drivers of San Francisco are well-documented…
…but what about pedestrians - how are they doing?
Not well, based upon their behavior in the Financh and other nearby districts. Let’s take a look at the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s “Safety Toolbox: Common Violations for Pedestrian-Involved Collisions” for some help:
Common pedestrian-at-fault violations
The problem is that lots of peds violate California Vehicle Code Section 21451(c) and 21456(a) without knowing it. That is, they routinely enter crosswalks immediately after their light turns green. That’s a no-no in CA unless you make sure that traffic has cleared the intersection first.
“21451(c) A pedestrian facing a circular green signal… may proceed across the roadway within any marked or unmarked crosswalk, but shall yield the right-of-way to vehicles lawfully within the intersection at the time that signal is first shown.”
“21456 Whenever a pedestrian control signal showing the words “WALK” or “WAIT” or “DONT WALK” or other approved symbol is in place, the signal shall indicate as follows: (a) “WALK” or approved “Walking Person” symbol. A pedestrian facing the signal may proceed across the roadway in the direction of the signal, but shall yield the right-of-way to vehicles lawfully within the intersection at the time that signal is first shown.”
Can a ped get a ticket for blocking a car? Yes, but I’ve never heard of it. Prices start at $108 - I’m sure that they can easily exceed that what with court fees and whatnot.
21451(c,d) Green Signal–Pedestrian Responsibilities $108.00
So, green does not mean go. Green means go after the intersection has cleared – this applies to pedestrians, cyclists, motorists, everybody.
The real concern for pedestrians is them being held at fault after being hit by a vehicle. The issue turns on whether the driver entered into the intersection on a red light or not. When you encounter Third Street and Market, where cars need to travel 175+ feet to clear the intersection, extra vigilance is needed. The only thing keeping most pedestrians from immediately crossing on a green is a caravan a slowly moving cars trying to clear the intersection.
So you can continue living your life thinking that cars are running red lights at every busy intersection during every light cycle, or you can learn the PEDESTRIAN CROSSWALK DUTIES in California.
Your choice, ped.
Tags: 21451, 21451(c), 21456, 21456(a), cars, citation, cvc, drivers, green, intersection, law, mrket, pedestrian, red, San Francisco, street, third, ticket, Vehicle Code, vehicles, yellow
Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, December 30th, 2009
This one. All the way up to the central anchorage of the suspension span…
When (or if) they build a pedestrian / cyclist path on this part of the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge (the way they’re doing on the span that will go from Treasure Island to Oakland), people will finally experience, first hand, how hilly a bridge can be.
Click to expand
Tags: bicycle, bike, bridge, cars, central anchorage, hilly, island, Oakland, path, pedestrian, San Francisco, span, suspension, treasure
Posted in architecture, streets | 1 Comment »
Monday, November 30th, 2009
Not officially or anything, but the DPT /SFMTA / SFPD folks who normally work on keeping inbound Market Street free of cars from Eighth Street to Fifth Street took a break last Friday (yes, Black Friday). So it was like totally wide open to traffic, temporarily anyway.
This was the result: a string of slow-moving vehicles for as far as you could see, all the way to the Ferry Building. Click to expand:
Note the new signs. The previous versions talked about how “private vehicles” were banned from continuing. The current versions allow ”buses, taxis, trucks, and bikes” on Market. So that makes things more clear for the tourists.
Speaking of whom, Our Visitors just ignore the signs. They understand that they need to keep out of the bus and taxi-only diamond lanes, but they don’t seem to get the idea that they’re not allowed to proceed on Market the way they used to. It seems they need a crew of MUNI Parking Control Officers to tell them what’s up.
Oh well.
(Myself, I got doored by one of these cars a couple minutes after I snapped this photo. I was on the slow lane of the beige portion of the street to the right of the vehicle when the passenger door opened - it was an against-the-rule dooring just like the Incident at the Juicy Couture.
Oh well.)
Tags: 27th, 6th, banned, bicycles, bikes, black friday, car-free, cars, commercial, cyclists, department, dept., doored, dooring, DPT, experiement, free, friday, inbound, market, meter maids, mta, November, parking control officers, pco, police, San Francisco, SF, SFMTA, SFPD, shopping, signs, street, temporary, traffic, union square
Posted in cars | Comments Off
