Paul Kozakiewicz: Take Good Look at Geary Plan

The Geary Citizens Advisory Committee is holding three workshops in April to gather information to improve bus service on the Muni #38 bus line on Geary Boulevard.

The workshops will try to determine if dedicated bus lanes are required on Geary; whether the lanes should be in the center median strip or on the outside of the boulevard and what other information would be useful for the plan.

The advisory committee has identified several goals to improve service, most notoriously a plan to put dedicated bus lanes on Geary with an eye on making the design "rail ready" in case funds become available for light rail.

The Geary corridor is one of the most heavily-traveled streets in the City. According to recent regional traffic predictions published in the SF Chronicle, the population of the City will increase, as will the number of vehicles traveling our city streets, in the next 30 years.

I hope a plan can be devised that would seriously improve mass transit for the #38 Geary and give people what they deserve - a high-quality, enjoyable bus, rail, streetcar or cable car trip - but any plan that does not address the needs of increased automobile use, the needs of local merchants to stay alive in tough economic times and the needs of consumers trying to shop, is not good for the Richmond or for the city as a whole and should be rejected. 

According to the lofty goals of the advisory committee, changes should be sought to improve transit ridership, including: Decreasing travel times, improving system reliability and in-vehicle comfort and increasing safety for pedestrians and bicyclists; increasing cost effectiveness and reducing operator stress; establishing attractive transit stations, reduce vehicle emissions and minimize potential impacts on residents and businesses; better communication for fares traveling to other parts of the City.

But one issue being glossed over that needs to be seriously addressed is that of ridership capacity. 

Every day, I see busses crammed with people, many of whom are standing and holding on for their lives. Even with a smooth bus driver, it is difficult to hold your weight while also holding a bag or briefcase.

Any plan that does not satisfactorily address the issue of capacity is smoke and mirrors.

Any plan that does not tackle proper staffing at key times, most notably the morning and afternoon rush hours, is deficient. We have huge reticulated busses - among the largest made - roaming Geary. How is any new plan going to get more busses on the boulevard when we need them most?

Mass transit riders deserve to sit down - that should be Muni's modest plan for showing a little respect for San Franciscans who ride the #38 Geary.

When Muni first identified the Geary corridor as a target for light rail about 10 years ago, it looked at dedicating two lanes in the middle of Geary Boulevard. That plan looked at removing a lane of traffic in both directions and eliminating left hand turns on Geary, like Park Presidio Boulevard and 19th Avenue currently do. It also called for transit riders to board in the middle of Geary, a truly dangerous proposition. (A number of people have been killed or lost limbs because of the Taraval and Judah street light rail systems.)

The plan for light rail at this time is delayed because there are no transit funds available, especially since a "central subway" to Chinatown is in the mix for funds. 

But this new study will have as one of its goals the prospect of going to light rail. That would seem to imply dedicated bus lanes in the center median of Geary because all of the city's streetcars and light rail systems are located in the center of city streets.

The impact of dedicating center lanes on Geary for mass transit could be devastating for local merchants.

On March 4, Mayor Gavin Newsom said the Third Street light rail going to the Bay View District "killed" merchants during its construction phase. We can't afford to have that happen on Geary.

The merchants on Geary have been having a tough time lately. Hurting them further, thereby hurting the city's ability to raise taxes through commerce, is not good public policy.

The light rail systems on Judah Street and Taraval Street have not been economic booms for the Sunset and Parkside districts. Business is scattered and many people avoid the streets while traveling.

I've never really liked the light rail plan for Geary. I think it is a burden for the overall community because any plan that limits left-hand turns or eliminates traffic on Geary will cause traffic to reroute to Fulton, Balboa, California and Lake streets. Additionally, the plan to put light rail in the median of the boulevard would be a safety hazard.

At this point, I'm not willing to sacrifice the local business community and live with a traffic-jammed, reduced-lane Geary Boulevard unless it can be shown that any improvements will increase the ability of people in the district to get a seat while using mass transit, that people driving vehicles can move efficiently through the neighborhood and that the safety of people boarding and exiting busses is properly covered.

Don't tell me busses passing through the neighborhood more quickly will reduce pollution - not when hundreds of vehicles are spending more time at stop signs, red lights and stuck in traffic because they avoid traveling on Geary, especially at peak times. I hope a good plan emerges - just don't sell me smoke and mirrors.

Paul Kozakiewicz is the publisher of the Richmond Review.