Supervisor Eric Mar: Protect our neighborhoods

The upcoming anniversary of the Great Earthquake and Fire of 1906, and the recent devastation unleashed by earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, are urgent reminders that San Francisco must be prepared for the next major earthquake or emergency. The Loma Prieta quake in 1989 was a striking example of what an earthquake can do to San Francisco. That's why I co-sponsored the Earthquake Safety and Emergency Response Bond on the June ballot.

San Francisco has come a long way with emergency preparedness, but our infrastructure is old and continues to deteriorate. The Earthquake Safety and Emergency Response Bond will help us be more prepared and ensure public safety.

The bond will fund critical projects ensuring swift emergency response, including:

• Upgrading the citywide Auxiliary Water Supply System (AWSS), a dedicated high-pressure water system for fighting fires;

• Seismic and health safety improvements to neighborhood fire-stations to ensure quick disposition of fire-fighting equipment and personnel;

• Construction of a new public safety building housing the police command center, which serves as the communications nerve center in the event of a disaster.

Through strategic planning, the city's Capital Planning Committee was able to assess and identify critical repairs to our infrastructure over the next 10 years. The committee has looked at how we can accomplish these capital repairs in the most cost-efficient manner; creating financial capacity to undergo these projects as old general obligation bonds are paid down.

Furthermore, the economic climate has yielded a competitive bidding climate for construction projects, saving the City money. The cost to undergo construction projects are now significantly less than they were before the downturn. This project will also create approximately 2,600 local jobs, a critical economic boost to our local economy.

The health of our public safety infrastructure is critical to the City's ability to respond to an emergency, which will ultimately affect our safety. In good times or bad, the next big earthquake is inevitable. It's important that our emergency response personnel have the tools they need to protect our families, schools, homes and businesses.

For more information, please visit the Web site at www.sfearthquakesafety.org.

2010 Census

The 2010 census is happening now! As our City faces another challenging budget year, it is important that we all get counted. An accurate count helps to ensure a more livable community, so all San Francisco residents have access to better services. It is vital to our community as a whole that we support marginalized communities, especially people of color, immigrant communities, residents of single-room occupancy hotels, and other disadvantaged communities to be included in the census count.

For more information, please visit the Web site at www.census.gov.

Smoke Free Ordinance

I am happy to announce that the smoke free ordinance I sponsored passed on March 16 and the mayor signed the legislation on March 25. This public health measure will protect thousands of people from exposure to second hand smoke. Smokers will have to smoke at curbside or 15 feet away from doorways and windows. Smoking will also be prohibited in outdoor dining areas, movie and ATM lines, and the common areas at housing complexes.

APRIL EVENTS: Bike to School Day

April 15 is Bike to School Day! Last year, approximately 500 students in 25 San Francisco schools biked to school in San Francisco's first organized citywide Bike to School Day! This year, we hope 1,000 students will join us along with parents on "bike trains" to and from their schools. For more information, please go to the Web site at http://sfbiketoschoolday.org.

Coffee with Eric

On Friday, April 16, from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., I will be at Cafe Muse, located at 785 Eighth Ave. (between Cabrillo and Fulton streets). Come meet with me and other Richmond District residents and share what's on your mind.

Community Budget Town Hall

In the coming months, the SF Board of Supervisors will be working to balance the budget. The Budget Committee will have a meeting at the Hall of Flowers on April 21, at 4 p.m. The Hall of Flowers, also known as the County Fair Building, is located in Golden Gate Park on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive at Ninth Avenue. At around 5:30 p.m., there will be a Community Budget Town Hall Meeting. Please join the meeting to participate in the budgeting process and voice your concerns to the Board of Supervisors.

Bike to Work

Each month a growing group of riders have been joining us for a fun and leisurely bike ride from the Richmond District to City Hall. Meet up with us at Velo Rouge Cafe, 798 Arguello Blvd., at Cabrillo, on Friday, April 30, at 8 a.m. Ride with us!

San Francisco Supervisor Eric Mar represents District 1.