Paul Kozakiewicz: Supervisor Thumbs Nose at Constituents

"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result."
-Albert Einstein

Maybe this time our supervisor qualifies for a straitjacket.

Supervisor Jake McGoldrick has once again introduced a measure to close the streets in the eastern end of Golden Gate Park on Saturdays. Just months after the residents in the Richmond and Sunset districts had to spend hours lobbying City Hall officials to not close the streets, they once again have to crank up the machinery of protest to silence the crank ideas of an elected official who no longer represents his constituency.

Irwin Philips, former president of the Clement Street Merchants Association, said it best concerning the road closures: "This ugly snake has reared its head again."

McGoldrick's measure would make thousands of Richmond and Sunset district residents who live near the park suffer. Families and seniors would, of course, pay the highest price. Hardship for Richmond Residents On Sunday, residents who live near the park try not to use their vehicles because they know there will be no parking when they return. Many of them have adopted schedules that allow them to do their running around on Saturdays.

Closing the park on Saturdays would be a hardship. I know. I lived at Fifth and Cabrillo for 15 years. On Sundays, my wife or I would have to double park to unload the kids and then go off in search of a parking space, which was often two to four blocks away. As well, many people have families and friends on the other side of Golden Gate Park, or need to conduct business on the other side of the park, such as taking kids to baseball practice (which I can attest to). We need to be able to cross as quickly, safely, and efficiently as possible.

Traffic Patterns are Different on Saturdays
There is also a noticeable traffic difference between Saturdays and Sundays. Most people run their errands on Saturdays and rest on Sundays. That's why the City doesn't enforce parking meters on Sundays, so people can stay at home or walk to their local park. Many families drive into the park on Saturdays to enjoy its beauty.

If you are from outside the neighborhoods near the park, riding mass transit to the park with a couple of kids and a baby in tow might not be the most convenient option.

Walling the park off between Stanyan Street and Crossover Drive will cause major traffic problems. Crossover Drive will be a parking lot and the SF Parking and Traffic Department says the intersection at Stanyan and Fulton Street is already near capacity, and there are no mitigation measures available to remedy the situation if that vehicle limit is exceeded. The popular crossover route between 43rd Avenue in the Richmond and 41st Avenue in the Sunset would also be impacted, much like it currently is on Sundays.

Closing Off the Park is Elitist
By limiting the availability of the eastern end of the park to seniors, families with strollers, and those with disabilities, McGoldrick is doing a disservice to a large segment of the city's population. On Saturdays, the park is full of users, many of whom can only enjoy the Conservatory of Flowers or other park attractions by driving to the site.

McGoldrick would force lower-income people to park in the expensive underground garage or fight for parking in the Richmond and Sunset districts. McGoldrick has the nerve to call the Saturday road closures "healthy" while discriminating against seniors, low-income people, the disabled and families. He's puckered up to kiss the butts of the SF Bicycle Coalition and other so-called "progressive" groups, like the Green Party, at the expense of his constituents, the ones who voted to put him in office.

He doesn't think twice about making a lot of hard-working people once again trudge to City Hall to fight his misguided aims.

Every Saturday, Middle Drive in the center of Golden Gate Park is closed to vehicular traffic. McGoldrick and advocates for seizing the roads in the eastern end of the park say this area isn't good enough, even though it has restrooms and plenty of area for recreation. It has to be the eastern end of the park, or nothing, they say.

It's About the People
McGoldrick has tried to frame this as a fight between himself and the museums and cultural institutions in the park. While the institutions in the park are important and should be protected, it is the people who live in the Richmond and Sunset districts that should be the most important to the supervisor.

McGoldrick won't even wait until the Academy of Sciences reopens sometime next year to call for Saturday road closures. It defies common sense to not wait until the Academy is open in the park, especially since data would have to be analyzed objectively to determine the true impacts of Saturday closures. The subsequent analyzing of data after six months that omits the Academy's presence is just downright stupid from a planning perspective.

Time to Rally the Troops Once Again
Almost every community group on the west side is opposed to the road closures. The residents of the Richmond and Sunset districts voted overwhelmingly, by about 70 percent, to keep the roads open when it was on the ballot several years ago.

In his imperial robes, McGoldrick thumbs his nose at his constituents and disregards a direct vote of the people. Such hubris.

Now, we have to once again contact our elected officials and testify at City Hall hearings to tell them we want a "healthy" park, one that is open and available to all people, not just a small, select group of people who would gladly grab the park for themselves, at the expense of everyone else.

Last year, the SF Board of Supervisors voted to close the eastern end of the park but SF Mayor Gavin Newsom vetoed the measure. The veto was upheld by the votes of four supervisors, Fiona Ma, Michela Alioto-Pier, Sean Elsbernd and Bevan Dufty.

Please let the mayor and the members of the board of supervisors know that you oppose this misguided measure, particularly those four who respect the will of the voters and are looking out for the interests of all city residents, not just those who belong to special interest groups. (Ed Jew replaced Fiona Ma in District 4, the Sunset, in the last election. He said he opposes Saturday road closures.)
• Bevan Dufty: 554-6968, Bevan.Dufty@sfgov.org;
• Ed Jew: 554-7460, Ed.Jew@sfgov.org;
• Michela Alioto-Pier: 554-7752, Michela.Alioto-Pier@sfgov.org;
• Sean Elsbernd: 554-6516, Sean.Elsbernd@sfgov.org.

Paul Kozakiewicz is the editor of the Richmond Review and Sunset Beacon newspapers.