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September 2006
Open Letter to Muni, SF County Transportation Authority
There are a number of alternatives the City has failed
to adequately consider in its preliminary planning for a proposed
Geary Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) plan several of whose considerations
would tear up Geary Boulevard, eliminating traffic lanes, snarling
traffic and potentially hurting neighborhood merchants, the lifeblood
of the community.
Add “Low-Cost” Alternative
to Environmental Impact Report
The SF Transportation Authority should add an alternative to its
EIR for the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system that considers a low-cost
option for Muni bus service, such as dedicated bus-only lanes along
Geary Boulevard for sidewalk passenger pick up and drop off.
The lanes could be reserved for buses just during commute hours:
7 a.m. to 9 a.m. eastbound and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. westbound. This
option would minimize the impact on merchants.
Consider Other Available
Options to Improve Bus Travel
From the beginning, the Transportation Authority has focused on
extraordinary measures to improve transit times, with little or
no consideration being given to less invasive remedies already available.
These remedies include giving buses the power to change traffic
signals and using GPS technology to avoid the bunching of buses.
Another option is to eliminate some stops along Geary. Certainly
the last suggestion comes with its own set of issues, but the fact
is that the buses are slowed considerably by having to stop at almost
every block of the boulevard.
Conduct an Economic Impact
Study
There are numerous merchants on Geary Boulevard and other nearby
commercial corridors who remember the construction of BART along
Market Street and the disruption and loss of business it brought.
Muni’s construction of the Third Street light rail has also been
challenging for local merchants and residents. It is for these
reasons that we have been urging the City to include a study of
the economic impact of both the construction and the implementation
of the system. Merchants fear negative impacts due to years of construction
or a change in shopping patterns along our successful commercial
corridor.
An economic impact analysis examining these issues
is necessary for the Transportation Authority to anticipate the
impact and lessen the damage caused by any potential project. |
