Supervisor Jake McGoldrick: Geary Transit Improvements

Geary Bus Rapid Transit
The Geary transit corridor traverses the entire city, from the Pacific Ocean to downtown. 

The corridor, which supports a diverse population, has the highest bus ridership of any transportation corridor west of the Mississippi River, with more than 50,000 transit trips per day.

Because of these factors, the livability and prosperity of our communities depends on good transit policy. This means that improvements to the existing transit service's reliability, capacity and speed are achieved with as few negative impacts to the environment as possible and that a public process is available to guide transit planning. 

As chair of the Transportation Authority (TA), one of my biggest priorities has been to address transportation and quality-of-life issues along the Geary corridor. One way to address this issue is through the development of a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system.   

BRT is a high-quality transit service that reduces travel time, increases reliability and improves passenger comfort. BRT routes are highly recognizable to customers because they include distinct stations and a dedicated right-of-way, which allows buses to avoid obstacles such as parked cars and traffic congestion. The technology was pioneered in Latin America and has also been implemented in Australia, Canada and Europe. It is catching on in the United States because it is cost effective and allows communities to experience benefits relatively quickly.

What will the Geary Corridor BRT project consist of? There will be dedicated bus lanes, distinctive stations and boarding areas, streetscape improvements, passenger information, including maps and electronic information that tells transit riders when the next bus will arrive, transit signal priorities, which allow traffic signals to detect buses and in some circumstances modify the signal cycle, perhaps to extend a green light to let the bus through the intersection. 

The project is making good progress and I am very excited about its latest developments. The transit authority, along with the City's Planning Department, will commence an urban street design study, which will review existing conditions on Geary Boulevard from Van Ness Avenue to the ocean. Based on this review, the study will be used to develop streetscape design concepts, such as street and station designs. The study will bolster both transit and neighborhood planning efforts. 

In the spring, public workshops will be held to introduce the urban street design study and survey the community's views on the most important transit problems and solutions for the Geary Corridor. In order to maximize and ensure input that is truly representative of the communities served in the Geary Corridor, outreach will be conducted in Russian, Chinese and Vietnamese. 

Another development is the Transportation Authority's effort to collect data for the use of a computer simulation (movie clip) of potential BRT alternatives for Geary. The TA will likely show these simulations at upcoming public workshops to be held during the summer. 

Public involvement is critical to the success of the Geary corridor BRT. I urge you all to participate. Even before the spring and summer Geary BRT public workshops begin, you can provide input to the Geary Corridor Citizens Advisory Committee. All committee meetings are open to the public and include a public comment period. You can find more information at www.sfcta.org. 

Pedestrian Safety, Traffic Calming, New Stop Lights
New traffic signals at the corner of Seventh Avenue and Clement Street, Fourth Avenue and California Street and 34th Avenue and Geary Boulevard have been turned on.

The new signal on Clement Street will make it safer for the children at George Peabody Elementary School to get to and from school. Also, the SF Department of Parking and Traffic (DPT) has added several seconds on crosswalk signals to assist disabled and senior pedestrians and painted yellow warning lines to clearly distinguish sidewalks. 

If you are interested in getting traffic calming in any part of the District, you can work directly with DPT. A "Traffic Calming Request Form" can be downloaded from its website. Be sure to have at least 10 people from your neighborhood sign the petition before you send it. Once DPT receives your request, the department reviews and ranks your request according to established criteria, such as the speed of vehicular traffic and the volume of traffic, as well as other safety concerns. 

Jake McGoldrick is a San Francisco supervisor representing District 1.