Supervisor Jake McGoldrick: Park Closed, BRT Proceeds

Compromise, compromise, compromise! I am delighted that a compromise has been reached over the decades-long debate to open part of John F. Kennedy Drive for recreational uses in Golden Gate Park.

I am so proud and thankful to all sides of the issue for sitting down for many long hours last month to come up with a solution that is good for everyone. I am especially thankful to the mayor, his staff and my staff for setting an example of good governance.

The groups represented at the negotiations consisted of a wide variety of interests, including: The Sierra Club; ARC; Protection and Advocacy Inc.; San Francisco Bicycle Coalition; Park Access for All; Walk SF; Planning Association for the Richmond; M.H. de Young Memorial Museum; California Academy of Sciences; and California Outdoor Rollersports Association.

The compromise is about half of what the proponents of "healthy Saturdays" were asking for, and for only six months of each year. The new proposal for Saturday is to close JFK Drive between Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive (west of Eighth Avenue) to Transverse Drive (approximately 19th Avenue), from the first Saturday in April through the first Saturday in May every year.

Also, Middle Drive West from Metson Road to Transverse Drive, which is already closed to vehicular traffic every day, will undergo much-needed capital improvements. These improvements are intended to enhance recreational uses in this area for all park users.

The SF Recreation and Park Department shall develop plans for this area in partnership with private philanthropic interests. The plans will be based on community input from park users and neighbors.

Update on the Geary BRT Project
The SF County Transportation Authority has completed the Geary Corridor Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Study, which finds that several potential BRT designs could provide significant transit performance benefits at an affordable cost, and with manageable impacts. Transit riders would benefit from 27 - 31 percent faster travel times on Geary, and more reliable transit service between home and work, school, or shopping.

BRT is a key initiative in the City's strategy to improve transit service and increase system efficiency. The federal government is investing sizable amounts of funding in BRT nationwide, as a cost-effective and relatively fast way to provide rapid transit and reduce congestion on city streets. Geary BRT would benefit more than 50,000 daily transit riders, and potential new riders who would switch from automobile use, in many ways.

The program reduces travel time, increases reliability and improves passenger comfort and convenience through a package of high-quality street treatments and technology components.

Together with BRT on Van Ness Avenue and other transit preferential streets, Geary will eventually link into a citywide rapid transit network that provides fast, reliable and attractive transit service that is easier to use. This is essential if we are to keep congestion at bay and enable our city to grow.

Businesses may worry about construction impacts, but BRT can be built in a relatively short time-frame and with less intrusive methods than light rail. Construction is fairly straightforward, and can be conducted a few blocks at a time, with each segment taking just a few months to complete.

Contrary to myths of significant parking losses, estimates predict that with mitigations some alternatives would result in a loss of fewer than 40 of Geary's more than 1,000 spaces - one alternative even results in a net gain of 160 spaces.

Geary BRT is a comprehensive solution, not catering solely to public transit users. Pedestrians would experience safer and more pleasant walking conditions with shorter and more visible crossings. If you've driven on Geary, you know that the outside lane basically serves as a bus-only lane right now.

Drivers would benefit from eliminating conflicts caused by getting stuck behind buses that make frequent stops, speeding up travel for everyone on Geary. The project would also include landscaping and other streetscape enhancements to improve the look and feel of Geary, and encourage people to visit, walk, dine and shop in Geary's many neighborhoods like the Richmond and Japantown.

Though the BRT feasibility study has concluded, analysis has not ended nor have opportunities to get involved. The study recommends initiating an environmental analysis to refine alternative designs, further understand potential benefits and impacts, and develop possible mitigation plans.

Through more technical analysis and public input, this process would help us to understand whether to build a Geary BRT line and, if so, what alternative would deliver the greatest benefits to Geary riders, neighborhood residents, businesses and shoppers.

Jake McGoldrick is a San Francisco supervisor representing District 1.