Posts Tagged ‘citations’
Friday, May 10th, 2013
I guess I know why the SFMTA, America’s worst and slowest large transit agency, wants to spend millions and millions of taxpayer dollars to improve its image. So it will then be able to obtain and spend even more of our money, of course.
But I’m mystified as to the thought process behind its marketing.
For example, here’s a happy meter maid saying, ”I am a single mom working to send my child to private school. I am SFMTA.”
Click to expand
So the San Francisco Unified School District is that bad, huh?
OK fine.
(TRIGGER WARNING, Lookism: And she’s not a model, she’s a Real Person, an actual DPT Parking Control Officer? Latina/a, just a guess. Very attractive/appealing, huh? How did she get selected? Does someone at at the SFMTA’s in-house agency thumb through a bunch of PCO headshots saying, ” …pooch, dog, I-don’t-think-so, oh-now-here-we-go?” Is that how it works, something along those lines? Funny that, SFMTA.)
If I were the SFMTA, I’d take this ad down and never run it again.
If I were the SFMTA…
Actually, if I were the SFMTA, I’d stop lying to people.
I’d say, “The Central Subway is mostly about pork barrel spending.”
If I were the SFMTA…
Tags: 2013, ad, bay area, bus, california, campaign, central subway, child, citations, count on us to get you there, i am sfmta, latina, latino, logo, Lookism, marketing, meter maid, mta, Muni, muni death spiral, parking control officer, pco, private, public, red, San Francisco, San Francisco Unified School District, school, sfgov, SFMTA, sfusd, side, slogan, teacher's, tickets, TRIGGER ALERT:, union, wherever you're going, wOMAN
Posted in transit | 3 Comments »
Wednesday, February 13th, 2013
If you want to get there and back again from the Panhandle bike path and Mid Market (and beyond), your best choice is McAllister Street.
It’s waaaaaaay better than The Wiggle route.
Why?
Well, why not? McAllister Street (aka the Hastings Cutoff) is shorter and swifter and straighter and safer.
Actually, The Wiggle is The Rookie’s Choice, full of part-timers like CW Nevius (oh he just quit cycling in The City, hardly surprising) and fast fixie riders who don’t know any better.
And The Movement prefers the Wiggle, for some unknown reason. But if you just want to get from A to B, then its Market McAllister Divis and eventually Fell for you.
Like this – that’s UC Hastings, your Hastings Cutoff lodestar, there in the background on the left:
Click to expand
So you climb a bit more using McAl, like 20 more vertical feet if you add up all the ups and downs, but big whoop.
All right, see you out there on the HC!
Tags: 20, 2013, alamo heights, asphalt, attack, bicycle, bicycle coalition, bicycles, bike, bike coallition, bikes, boulevard, citations, civic center, construction, cops, cyclist, dept., eastbound, fell, fillmore, flat, golden gate, haight, hastings, inbound, lead, lower, market, mcallister, new, oak, octavia, officer, officers, outbound, panhandle, paving, pierce, pipe, police, repaving, route, route 20, route 30, safeway, San Francisco, sfbc, SFPD, snick, snickerdoodle, street, tickets, uc hastings, westbound, western addition, wiggle
Posted in bikes | 3 Comments »
Thursday, February 23rd, 2012
Usually it’s motorcycle cops enforcing traffic laws in the Mid Market area (which, let’s face it, is an open-air halfway house filled with people who are just out of jail, about to go to jail, or a little of both.)
But yesterday AM, there were beat cops asking for ID’s and handing out citations on Market betwixt Mason and Fifth Street, so I don’t know.
Begrudging compliance with the fuzz:
Click to expand
If you get the chance, ask Alexi Celine Wasser of the somewhat saucy ImBoyCrazy.com - maybe she’ll have the full scoop.
I don’t know, I’m working on my third decade of cycling in the 415 and I’ve never been busted for running red lights or stop signs, which, you know, is what I do many times each and every day. Mmmm.
Anyway, this is an especially good time to avoid the overrated Wiggle route, due to its numerous enforcement actions. Try McAllister to Divis to get to the Panhandle, if you want. ‘Cause, you know, it’s faster, shorter, easier, quicker, etc.
And there’ll be no cops to give you tickets, I assure you.
Tags: 2012, 5th, Alexi Celine Wasser, Alexi Wasser, bay area, bicycles, bikes, busted, california, citations, cops, cyclists, ImBoyCrazy, ImBoyCrazy.com, light, loin, market, mid market, red, San Francisco, SFPD, sign, stop, street, tickets, twitter, twitterloin
Posted in bikes | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, November 29th, 2011
[UPDATE: And, you know, I guess I hadn't considered the one-way streets. Particularly inbound, they can get you there fast if you're up for lights timed at 20-something MPH. I've seen people on Oak and Golden Gate inbound, but, due to geography most likely, I haven't seen that many using the outbound analogs Fell and Turk. See footnote.]
Well here we go. This shot from United 931 shows, in high relief, why you’re better off talking McAllister Street, Bike Route 20, to downtown from the Panhandle and vice versa.
You see Alamo Square inside the red box on the lower left? It’s the summit of Alamo Heights, sitting there in the sunlight jutting in from the left.
The vaunted Wiggle bike path takes you from the Panhandle through Lower Haight and then behind the Church Street Safeway to Market Street and beyond. Your preferred alternative has you leaving the end of the Golden Gate Park Panhandle by taking Baker north to Fulton to Divisadero up to McAllister. That’s the pass over Alamo Heights – it’s the intersection of McAllister and Divis. Then it’s all the way downhill to Market.
You’re going between the camel humps, between Alamo Square and Kaiser Heights (seen in the sunlight on the left side).
Via jpp123
Now it’t true that Route 20, aka the Snickerdoodle, does have you climbing up, outbound, 20 more feet vertically, net, than the Wiggle (and also inbound – there’s one block of Divis that’s uphill a bit) and it’s also true that Route 20 has a couple steeper blocks betwixt Fillmore and Pierce in the Western Addition.
But, Route 20:
Is a third of a mile shorter
Is faster*
Has better pavement
Has you waiting less time staring at red lights (which is nice when compared to the Wiggle’s concomitant Market Street section with the Octavia Boulevard obstacle, which has traffic signals biased for car drivers heading north-south using Octavia)
Avoids hated Octavia Street / Boulevard entirely (cause Octavia simply doesn’t exist as a road in the McAllister area – it’s like you have a permanent green light)
Has less traffic
Has fewer peds to deal with
Has fewer cyclists to deal with (cause, you know, especially in the Lower Haight area, you just don’t know what those cyclists are going to do)
Is, due to the factors cited above, safer
Avoids the ridonculas behind-the-Safeway-to-inbound-Market puzzle that makes no sense (that I can see – I don’t know how to get across Market at Duboce legally without getting off and walking in the crosswalk)
Has zero cops sitting around handing out tickets (because you’re avoiding Fell and Scott, and Duboce and Steiner, and Haight and Pierce, and all the other places the SFPD hangs out during those periodic stop sign and red light enforcement actions)
Has Gallery 1269 to look at (optionally)
So, I don’t care, go whichever way you want. I’m just saying the Wiggle is the wrong way to get the Panhandle (and Beyond) from Downtown.
And vice versa.
*I suppose that jinking over to Oak and taking it all the way (almost) to Market might be faster still, although you’d have to decide which side of the street to go on. (The left side has more room, but there’s no longer a dashed line to keep left lane traffic out of your way. The wait at Octavia Boulevard might slow you a bit, however.
Oh, and there’s Golden Gate Avenue as well, inbound…
Tags: 20, alamo heights, asphalt, attack, bicycle, bicycle coalition, bicycles, bike, bike coallition, bikes, boulevard, citations, civic center, construction, cops, cyclist, dept., eastbound, fell, fillmore, flat, golden gate, haight, inbound, lead, lower, market, mcallister, new, oak, octavia, officer, officers, outbound, panhandle, paving, pierce, pipe, police, repaving, route, route 20, route 30, safeway, San Francisco, sfbc, SFPD, snick, snickerdoodle, street, tickets, westbound, western addition, wiggle
Posted in bikes | 4 Comments »
Friday, August 5th, 2011
Oh boy, the SFPD is going to bring it to 5th and Market come Monday.
Officers from Southern Station:
“…will initiate enforcement operations during the week of August 8, 2011. Enforcement will be conducted at the intersection of 5th Street and Market Street and will involve officers in cars, on motorcycles and on foot. The Police Department and SoCPAB plan to expand this traffic safety campaign to other parts of the Southern District in future weeks.”
They’re going to be all over the place!
Sorry, “Red Bull Street Team Girls” of Market Street, the Boys in Blue from Southern Station won’t have as much time for you starting next week:
Click to expand
All the deets:
San Francisco Police Partner with Community for Pedestrian Safety
11-088
Posted Date: 8/5/2011 12:00 PM
San Francisco Police Officers will partner with members of the Southern Station Community Police Advisory Board (SoCPAB) to improve pedestrian safety in the Southern Police District.
On Saturday, August 6, 2011 from 9:00 am to 12 noon, members of the SoCPAB will be at the intersection of 5th Street and Market Street to share their “be-city-smart” message and increase pedestrian awareness at this location. Members of SoCPAB will hand out fliers in an effort to educate the public on traffic safety.
Captain Charlie Orkes, Commanding Officer of Southern Station stated, “In a city named most walkable in the country (www.walkscore.com), it is unacceptable that our Southern District has the highest incidents of traffic related injuries and fatalities.”
SoCPAB Co-Chair and Community Leader echoed that, “If our joint effort between SFPD and residents saves just one life of those walking, riding or driving, it will be a success.”
Following Saturday’s educational campaign, the Police Department will initiate enforcement operations during the week of August 8, 2011. Enforcement will be conducted at the intersection of 5th Street and Market Street and will involve officers in cars, on motorcycles and on foot. The Police Department and SoCPAB plan to expand this traffic safety campaign to other parts of the Southern District in future weeks.
Tags: area, autos, bikes, cars, citations, Community Police Advisory Board, cops, district, foot, lights, motorcycle, pedestrians, peds, red, safety, SFPD, SoCPAB, soma market, south, Southern District, Southern Police District, Southern Station, Southern Station Community Police Advisory Board, Southern. Police, tickets
Posted in cars | 4 Comments »
Tuesday, March 29th, 2011
The other side this Chrysler product had a few as well.
Since this shot was taken, the City came along and added a tow-a-way sign.
It won’t be long now…
Click to expand
Tags: 2011, 72 hours, bay area, boot, california, citations, denver, DPT, mta, parked, San Francisco, SFMTA, tickets, tow, towed, twaway
Posted in cars | No Comments »
Thursday, March 3rd, 2011
Now do I think that this SFPD officer was told to drive around in his truck all day and hand out tickets to cyclists? Nope, not really.
H0wever, it seems that, for whatever reason, as far as cyclists should be concerned, there’s a new Sheriff in town, so to speak, you know, for 2011.
Can I prove this with satistics* and whatnot a month or a quarter or a year or two down the road?
We’ll just have to wait and see.
Irregardless, with great power comes great responsibility, or something:
Click to expand
Choose wisely.
*It’s just like with Pruis drivers at night – do I notice them because I want to, because I’m biased, because I only see what confirms my suspicions? Don’t know for sure, I s’pose. But the fact remains that most of the drivers going about the Streets of San Francisco at night without headlights on are Prius owners. This has to do with a lot of factors, and Toyota is somewhat to blame, apparently, but anyway, the point is I can’t do anymore to persuade than I’ve already done. Oh well.
Tags: action, bike, chief, citation, citations, cops, crackdown, Crime-Ridden, crime-ridden Tenderloin, department, dept., enforcement, market, offiser, pickup, police, SFPD, street, tickets, truck, with great power comes great responsibilit
Posted in bikes, crime | No Comments »
Monday, October 11th, 2010
San Francisco’s very own “auto insurance analytics company” down there at 388 Market Street, Quality Planning, thinks you drivers of gas-electric hybrid vehicles have issues. They’re saying stuff like, ”Hybrid drivers show shameful lack of social responsibility.”
Harsh.
Try this on for size:
“Studies by auto insurance analytics company Quality Planning, collision publication “Mitchell Industry Trends Report” and the Highway Data Loss Institute found that:
Hybrid owners drive 25 percent more miles than owners of gas-powered cars.
Hybrid owners receive almost two-thirds more traffic citations per mile than their all-gas counterparts.
Hybrids are involved in more collisions than non-hybrids
Who knew the Toyota Prius can be as dangerous as its design inspiration, the deadly triggerfish?
Check out that article and see what you think. (And try not to chuckle when you read the Honda CBR rider’s comment about Priuseses…)
Tags: 2010, 388 market, accidents, bay area, california, citations, drivers, gas-electric, hdli, hybrid, insurance, miles, more, police, prius, Quality Planning, San Francisco, street, tickets, toyota, traffic
Posted in cars | 1 Comment »
Monday, August 16th, 2010
[UPDATE: Popular Curbed SF weighs in here. I don't know, the way the sign is now, everybody who doesn't have an "A" neighborhood parking decal is defined as a "visitor." That means "tourist" of course. Now, didn't people living on the twisty part of Lombard want to put up a gate? That's kind of the same thing (although there's no MUNI bus that goes down that part of Lombard.) Anyway, I've never seen a zero time limit in a neighborhood parking area - that's a first. Just getting rid of the spaces up there would seem to solve the problem of waiting-for-parking congestion. Explore the issue of privatising street parking in of San Francisco here.]
It’s not immediately obvious that it’s against the rules for tourists to drop people off at the top of Telegraph Hill, but it’s not suggested as an idea – check out this recently-installed sign.
Perhaps it’s time to scratch Coit Tower off the list of official points of interest for the 49 Mile Drive?
Click to expand
I don’t know, if the purpose of San Francisco’s absurd neighborhood parking program is to “reduce unnecessary personal motor vehicle travel” why don’t we just pull out those 29 parking spaces up there and then the richers of Telegraph Hill could walk or ride bus #39 along with the rest of us “visitors,”,you know, with the little people.
“The preferential residential parking permit (RPP) was established in 1976 to preserve neighborhood living within a major urban center. It is designed to promote the safety, health and welfare of all San Francisco residents by reducing unnecessary personal motor vehicle travel, noise and pollution, and by promoting improvements in air quality, convenience and attractiveness of urban residential living, and increased use of public mass transit.”
Tags: 2010, a, bay area, california, citations, coit, meter maids, mta, Muni, neighborhood, parking, pco, permit, residential, San Francisco, SFMTA, telegraph hill, tower
Posted in cars, transit | No Comments »
