Posts Tagged ‘path’
Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010
Via ActionNewsSF, you might search to find a KGO-TV bit covering the traffic-disrupting venting steam pipe at McAllister and Larkin today – it’s more steam than usual, that’s for sure.
But this area of Civic Center right in front of our Asian Art Museum (this year, it’s Shanghai) is basically steaming all the time, right?
HC SVNT DRACONES:
Click to expand.
This intersection is usually steaming, unless it’s flooding. Like this:
via Lulu Vision
Oh well.
As per usual, it all happens on (or near) McAllister Street, Gateway to the Golden Gate Park Panhandle and home of the Snickerdoodle bike path (Route 20), your best way of getting over Alamo Heights while avoiding the abysmal, Hayes Valley NIMBY-designed Octavia Boulevard 24-7 traffic scrum.
Tags: 20, 7, alamo heights, art of the city, asian art museum, bicycle, bike, boulevard, broken, channel, civic center, cover, crosswalk, ctiy hall, cyclists, department, dept., disrupt, disruption, dpw, dragons be here, flodding, flood, hayes valley, HC SVNT DRACONES, Here Be Dragons, hic sunt dracones, hill, intersection, kgo, larkin, macallister, manhole, market, nimby, octavia, octavia boulevard, pass, path, pipe, public works, repair, report, restaurant, route, San Francisco, shanghai, snick, snickerdoodle, soluna, Steam, steaming, street, tc, traffic, vent, venting, water
Posted in streets | No 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 »
Tuesday, December 8th, 2009
Well the Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) came to Market Street last night to ask the public the best way to raise tolls on Bay Area bridges (except the Golden Gate Bridge, an entity unto itself).
Who was at the meeting early and ready to go? None other than BATA Oversight Committee Vice-Chair and San Francisco Supervisor Chris Daly avec charming daughter Grace:
Click to expand
This was the open house part of the meeting early on. Not a huge turnout:
To see why, let’s look at the numbers on the numerous display boards:
BATA isn’t asking people if there should be an increase, but rather, which increase plan is the best:
The seismic safety upgrading for the Dumbarton and Antioch bridges – that’s the primary issues, a billion-dollar issue. How is BATA going to pay for that?
Well pick your poison. How would you balance charges for carpoolers vs. trucks (with all them axles) and would you be into congestion pricing? (Proposal 2 is called the Homer Simpson Option, due to his practice of charging $10 per axle when he lets people park on his lawn.)
Speaking of axles, you big rig truck drivers have gotten a free ride over the years, some people think:
Here are the anticipated impacts of each option:
How do these proposed tolls campare to what the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority charges people to drive across the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, you know, the one with the highest toll in America? Quite nicely, thanks for asking!
So now, what do YOU think is the best way to raise revenue?
You can tell your commissioners about your choice:
Let’s grab a holiday cookie and mull things over:
It looks like staff is going to make a recomendation tomorrow…
…and your toll will go up at least a dollar as of July 1, 2010.
Tags: 2009, 2010, Antioch, axles, bata, Bay Area Toll Authority, benicia-martinez, bicycle, bike, bikeway, cal-trans, CalTrans, carpool, Carquinez, Chris daly, committee, congestion, daughter, Dave Cortese, Dumbarton, fare, Federal Glover, July 1, market, Metropolitan Transportation Commission, mtc, option, Oversight, path, ped, pedestrian, pricing, Richmond-San Rafael, San Francisco-Oakland Bay, San Mateo-Hayward, Steve Kinsey, straits, street, Supervisor, Toll, tom bates, trucks, Vice Chair
Posted in bay area, government | Comments Off
Thursday, December 3rd, 2009
Here’s the scene on freshly-paved Scott Street this afternoon. The greening of the “bike box” red light waiting area on Scott Street near Oak at the terminus of the famous Wiggle Bike Route has begun. At long last, it has begun.
For now, anyway. The partial lifting of the Bicycle Plan injunction isn’t a 100% thing, but the City is moving ahead anyway.
Supervisors Bevan Dufty and Ross Mirkarimi, MTA chief Nat Ford, and Mayor Gavin Newsom all got in on the fun. Click to expand:
As Our Mayor’s extended paint roller got closer to the throng of reporters Supervisor Dufty was all, ”Watch out media, Gavin’s coming your way!” And here’s the reaction – a that’s-right-laugh-it-up-funnyboy smirk and then a quick departure:
Gavin’s ill humor wasn’t helped later on when Emmy Award-winning CBS5 political editor Hank Plante started asking about Geo Fanelli wanting his recent $500 donation back. Akit’s suggestion about suing in small claims court is interesting, non? I mean, you can’t give everybody their money back, right? (After your campaign buys a copy of PhotoShop, you don’t get much change back from a $500 banknote.) However, Geo has a pretty sympathetic case to make. Mmmm.
Anyway, in all the excitement, Bevan started painted bike helmets green, making mementos to allow us to remember this Special Day. (Bro was on today with all his Ammiano-like bons mots.)
San Francisco Bicycle Coalition leader Leah Shahum and Nat Ford were all smiles today:
Supervisor Mirkarimi looked dashing on his Trek Ride+ electric-assist bike. It’s just like Board President David Chiu’s. Said one wag, “Ross, you have the right equipment.” The loud reply, from someone famous: “That’s what she said!”
All in all, it was quite a celebration.
But this isn’t all for today. San Francisco’s first protected bike lane is now on Market Street, as of this AM.
Tags: 30, alamo square, alamo square neighborhood association, bevan dufty, bicycle, bicycle coalition, bike, bikes, cancelled, ceremony, chief, cyclist, cyclists, EaPA, East of Panhandle Area, fell, gavin newsom, green, green paint, india, injunction, Judge, lane, leah shahum, Mayor, media, mta, Muni, nat ford, NOPA, oak, paint, path, photo op, photo opportunity, plan, postponed, protected, ross mirkarimi, route, San Francisco, scott, scott street, sfbc, SFMTA, street, transit, wiggle
Posted in bikes | Comments Off
Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009
Well, we’re still waiting for the green paint to go down, but we got plenty of white paint on San Francisco city streets yesterday. It all has to do with the partial lifting of the Bicycle Plan injunction.
Anyway, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition (ask them about Winterfest on December 6th) had an after-party near Duboce Park last night, and when they finished up, some of them decided to test out the new bike lanes in a racous after-hours ride.
As here, on Scott Street. See the new Wiggle Bike Route icon? That’s fresh paint. Click to expand:
Here’s Leah Shahum and Andy Thornley in the vanguard:
And here’s the caboose – a seven-person bike piloted by Director Dan Nguyen-Tan
On Scott crossing Oak:
And onto the dark Panhandle Bike Path for a Victory Lap around the park:
Tags: 30, alamo square, alamo square neighborhood association, bicycle, bicycle coalition, bikes, cancelled, cyclists, Dan, Dan Nguyen-Tan, EaPA, East of Panhandle Area, fell, gavin newsom, green, india, Mayor, media, Nguyen, Nguyen-Tan, NOPA, oak, paint, path, photo op, photo opportunity, postponed, route, San Francisco, san francisco bicycle coalition, sfbc, street, tan, wiggle, winterfest
Posted in bikes | Comments Off
Tuesday, December 1st, 2009
Read here to see the way it was supposed to be this AM at the Scott Street part of The Wiggle bike path. See? We were all set for green paint on our streets. (And it’s about time, after all that beige.)
But Our Mayor couldn’t make it, so the Greening of Scott Street will get pushed back a bit, a few days, anyway. But you’ll know when the greening occurs – you’ll see a photo somewhere of Gavin physically painting the “bike box” green or mixing blue and yellow paint together, something like that.
The scene this morning in the East of Panhandle Area (EaPA). All dressed up, but nowhere to green. Click to expand:
Oh well.
And the members of the MSM who showed up to see one of the first manifestations of the partial lifting of the bicycle plan injunction? Well they wasted their time, as at least a few of them appeared to be unaware of the details of the postponement.
The Alamo Square Neighborhood Association and Bike NOPA were there, anyway.
Oh well.
Tags: 30, alamo square, alamo square neighborhood association, bicycle, bicycle coalition, bikes, cancelled, cyclists, EaPA, East of Panhandle Area, fell, gavin newsom, green, india, Mayor, media, NOPA, oak, paint, path, photo op, photo opportunity, postponed, route, San Francisco, sfbc, street, wiggle
Posted in bikes | 3 Comments »
Sunday, August 30th, 2009
Yesterday saw the debut of a brand-new 12-foot-wide path for pedestrians and bike riders on one of the spans of the Benicia-Martinez Bridge a way out there in the extreme East Bay. That means that you can now easily travel from the former home-town of the Zodiac Killer to the beaver-ridden shores of Martinez, CA without using your car.
Take a look at the circuit you can now make on your bike way out in the 925. Just use the Carquinez Bridge (cost overrun = $47,000,000 in 2003) one way and the B-M Bridge (cost overrun = $1,000,000,000 in 2007 mas o menos, due, in part, to the alleged suicidal tendencies of bay area fish, srsly) the other and you’re looping, baby.
Hurray!
Pedestrian/Bicycle Path Debuts on Benicia-Martinez Bridge
New Path Closes Gap in Bay Area Trail System
Festivities were held today to mark the official opening of a new pedestrian/bicycle path on the George Miller, Jr. Memorial Bridge leading from Benicia to Martinez. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) and Caltrans hosted opening events at both ends of the bridge, with a ribbon-cutting in Martinez at the foot of the bridge kicking off the festivities. Attendees then joined in the official first walk/ride across the bridge, where an opening ceremony followed at Vista Point in Benicia. A bicycle rodeo geared to youths at the nearby Amports lot was offered by the City of Benicia.
“The opening of the pedestrian/bicycle path is an exciting milestone that signifies completion of the final improvements to both spans of the Benicia-Martinez Bridge,” explained Bijan Sartipi, Director of Caltrans District 4 and an MTC/BATA Commissioner. “We are thrilled that we now have safe and efficient travel across the Carquinez Strait for drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians.”
The Benicia-Martinez Bridge connects Contra Costa and Solano counties across the Carquinez Strait. It is comprised of two separate spans, named for father and son (the late Senator George Miller, Jr. and current Congressman George Miller III), making the bridge a unique landmark. The 2007 addition, the Congressman George Miller III Memorial Bridge, carries five lanes of northbound Interstate 680 traffic from Martinez to Benicia and includes the Bay Area’s debut of open-road tolling technology. The original George Miller, Jr. Memorial Bridge, built in 1962 to carry traffic in both directions, now carries four lanes of southbound Interstate 680 traffic with full shoulders and the new pedestrian/bicycle path.
“This is a milestone project that has been in the works a long time and we are all very excited to see its completion,” said Laura Thompson, Bay Trails project manager for the Association of Bay Area Governments. “We are happy that we are making strides to close both the Bay and Ridge Trail gaps.”
Funded primarily through the Regional Measure 1 toll program approved by voters in 1988 and administered by BATA, the $50 million Benicia-Martinez Bridge project encompassed reconfiguring the bridge and adding the new path. The completion of the construction on the pedestrian/bicycle path indicates the final phase of construction on both bridges.
Caltrans owns, operates and maintains the state highway system, including seven of the eight Bay Area toll bridges. BATA, which is directed by the same policy board as MTC, administers toll revenues from the region’s state-owned toll bridges. MTC is the transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area.
FACT SHEET
GEORGE MILLER, JR. BRIDGE PEDESTRIAN/BICYCLE LANE
Significance The new Benicia-Martinez pedestrian/bicycle lane on
the Senator George Miller, Jr. Memorial Bridge will
close a gap in the San Francisco Bay and Ridge Trails.
This lane also serves as a link in the Carquinez
Strait Scenic Loop Trail, which is a 50-mile trail
that crosses both the Benicia-Martinez Bridge and Al
Zampa Bridge spans over the Carquinez Strait.
Bicyclists and pedestrians using this new path will be
treated to stunning views of the Suisun Bay, as well
as the Carquinez Bridge and the Mothball Fleet.
Official Name George Miller, Jr. Memorial Bridge
Original Structure
Opened September 16, 1962
Location Carquinez Strait linking Contra Costa and Solano
counties
Roadway Southbound Interstate 680 from Benicia to Martinez
Configuration Originally, three northbound lanes and three
southbound lanes; now four southbound lanes and one
pedestrian/bicycle lane
Length of
Pedestrian/Bicycle
Path 11,800 feet or 2.2. miles
Width of
Pedestrian/Bicycle
Path 12 feet; bi-directional travel
Vertical Clearance
of the Bridge 138 feet
Type of
Construction Deck truss
Project Cost $50 million to seismically retrofit the bridge and add
the pedestrian/bicycle path
Construction
Funding Regional Measure 1 funds: 77%
Federal funds: 21%
State funds: 2%
Seismic Safety A “Lifeline” structure designed to remain in service
following a maximum credible earthquake. The
Interstate 680 corridor has been designated as a
primary route for transporting emergency supplies into
the Bay Area after a major earthquake.
Tags: 2009, 29, 29th, 511, august, bay area, benicia, benicia-martinez, bicycles, bike, bridge, bridges, Carquinez, Contra Costa, cyclists, delta, east bay, fish, lane, martinez, new, overrun, path, pedestrians, peds, railroad, San Francisco, span, straight, transit, vallejo
Posted in bikes | Comments Off
Saturday, July 25th, 2009
The Yelp-rated Panhandle Basketball Courts in fox-laden Golden Gate Park are a buzz of activity what with the Uletix Three on Three Basketball Tournament going on right now, today, Saturday, July 25, 2009.
Yes, something’s always going on in San Francisco’s action-packed Panhandle.
There’s a blue Honda Civic in the paint - they were still getting set up at this time:
Click to expand.
Here are the deets for Hoops n Dreams.
It’s probably too late for you to enter, but you can always drop by to check out the action.
See you there!
When: Saturday, July 25th, 10:00am – 3:00pm
Where: Between Oak and Fell Streets at Ashbury; Panhandle Park, San Francisco
Purpose of the event: To help raise money for a non-profit charity that we feel is aligned with the spirit of our company, “Team Up For Youth”.
CASH!: There will be up to $1000 in cash prizes and additional prizes for some lucky spectators.
Cost: $120 per team of 3-6 players. You can enter online by going to www.uletix.com (here), you may also enter by downloading and printing the application form provided, send your completed application form to [Attn: Jamil Vaughn Tournament Coordinator @ Utility Athletics, PO BOX 341, San Francisco, CA. 94104-0341]. Once payments are processed you will be added to the roster. For questions: Contact Jamil Vaughn, Jason Mills, or Dan Taylor @ Uletix
Tags: $1000, +3, 2009, 25th, 3 on 3, 341, 94104, ashbury, ave, avenue, b ball, basketball, bike, box, ca, california, charity, clothing, Dan Taylor, fell, game, golden gate park, haight, hoops, Jamil Vaughn, Jason Mills, july, july 25, masonic, oak, panhandle, park, path, PO, San Francisco, satyrday, sports, street, team up for youth, teams, three, three on three, tournament, uletix
Posted in sports | Comments Off
Thursday, May 21st, 2009
Of course it’s only been two decades since the Loma Prieta earthquake damaged the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, so it’s only natural that we’re still working on it. Let’s check out progress on California’s Bridge to Nowhere So Far.
That’s Treasure Island you can see ‘neath the Bay Bridge’s northern cable, and there’s Azkaban in the background. Click to expand:
But guess what - a “15.5-foot-wide bicycle and pedestrian path will run along the eastbound deck of the 2-mile long structure.”
Can you see the white bicycle and pedestrian path there on the near side of the new eastern span? They even have balconies. Check it:
Man, that’s going to be awesome. What’s the speed limit going to be for those going downhill?
Try to imagine it filled up with cars though, as that’s how it’s going to be, 24-7. Think back to the old days when traffic was so light you could pull over and conversate, at least that’s the way it was according to this segment of Shadow of the Thin Man from 1941 (at about minute 8:30 or so). (And all the trains were underneath on the lower deck, but that’s another story.)
(One time, I managed to change a tire (illegally?) on the upper deck of the suspension span, but that’s another story. A scary story)
But hey, what about a bike path on the western span? Well, that’s still pie in the sky these days. Maybe in a couple MORE decades…
Required reading:
San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge East Span Seismic Safety Project : pedestrian & bicycle study.
/ California. Department of Transportation. Oakland, CA : Caltrans, 1998.
TG25 .S33,C275 1998 no.10
Feasibility report : San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge West Span : bicycle / pedestrian / maintenance path planning and feasibility study
/ prepared by CH2M Hill in association with SC Solutions. Oakland, CA : Caltrans, 2001.
TG25 .S335 C27 2001r Oversize New Book Shelf.
And There You Have It.
See you there!
Tags: alcatraz, area, azkaban, Bay, bay bridge, bicycle, bike, brdige to nowhere, bridge, CalTrans, coalition, cyclist, eastern, Oakland, path, pedestrain, San Francisco, sfbc, shadow of the thin man, span, thin man, treasure island, western, yerba buena
Posted in bikes | Comments Off
Monday, May 18th, 2009
What does the City and County of San Francisco look like in the foggy, cold dawn of day – the day after the 98th Annual Bay to Breakers Civic Event and Fun Run? Let’s take a tour.
As always, You Make The Call.
A cyclist on his way to work heading west on the Panhandle bike path - neatly avoiding the broken AND the unbroken bottle. That other stuff you can see is from the giant overhanging Eucalyptus trees. Click to expand:
An abandoned parade float and plastic cups that midnight recyclers don’t seem to value. (This was the same vessel used by some white-clad sailors the previous day – the mast was like a dancing pole. See?)
DPW will have its hands full today:
Divisidero. This block isn’t officially part of the course but it got some garbage anyway. The bulk of the garbage on Fell Street was sweeped up yesterday afternoon.
Uh oh, call the hazmat teamto Hayes Street Hill. On second thought, that’s going to cost taxpayers $1000 or something, right? Oh, this isn’t in your job description and your orders are to call the hazardous materials team for disposal of all ”toxic waste?” Alright, I get your point
The Anschutz people have some of these big bins out there with signs that go “TRASH HERE.” (Somewhat patronizing you might think.) Anywho, the neighbors know a free deal when they see it, so Bring Out Your Dead obsolete, bigscreen, CRT TVs. One two three, let’s throw it on the pile. (Bad form.)
DPW in Golden Gate Park proper near Oak. They get up early, huh?
JFK Jr. Drive near the Conservatory of Flowers. Some heavy-drinking frat boys got their float into the Dumpster. Good for them.
And it looks as if the Citizens for the Preservation of the Bay2Breakers were up to something after the street party. All you can do as a team of people is bag stuff up and leave it for DPW, right? Good form.
So there you have it.
Tags: 2009, 98th, aftermath, annual, anschutz, bay to breakers, beer, bike, bottles, broken, cans, City, divisidero, dumpster, fell, float, garbage, golden gate park, hayes, Hayes street hill, hazmat, ing, jfk, panhanlde, path, photos, pickup, piss, San Francisco, SFPD, stree, trash, urine
Posted in environment | 2 Comments »
