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Richmond ReView
October issue 2005 Concerns about Geary bus plan aired at Sept. workshop
by Charles Talkoff
The Geary Corridor Citizens Advisory Committee of the San Francisco
Transportation Authority held a workshop Sept. 21 to present information
on the various proposals for improving mass transit on Geary Boulevard.
The meeting drew a crowd of close to 50 people, including merchants
and representatives from various city organizations. The ROMA Design
Company presented several different options for transforming the
corridor.
The Geary corridor Bus Rapid Transit Plan, or BRT, is a study in
its conceptual phase that calls for the design and implementation
of a system that would use high-quality, cost-effective vehicles
that would reduce travel time, increase transit reliability and
improve passenger comfort and safety.
The study is being conducted by the SF County Transportation Authority
in partnership with Muni, SF Department of Parking and Traffic,
SF Planning Department and the SF Department of Public Works. Funding
for the study is provided by Proposition K, which includes funding
for design and implementation. Any plan investigated for the bus
study must also take into consideration the possibility of converting
the system to light rail in the future. Some $55 million in light
rail funding for Geary Boulevard is earmarked for the project if
it advances in priority with the project’s Expenditure Plan.
The main features of the plan call for the development of a priority
bus-only lane on Geary Boulevard in each direction so busses can
attain faster destination times; for giving the busses control over
traffic signals to reduce time spent at red lights; for providing
real-time information to riders about when the next bus is coming;
for purchasing well-designed busses to improve safety and comfort;
and for providing streetscape improvements to make the street safer
and more comfortable for pedestrians and bicyclists using the system.
District 1 Supervisor Jake McGoldrick supports the BRT plan for
the Geary Corridor. He says successful BRTs in Latin America, Australia,
Canada and Europe suggest that it could be viable for San Francisco.
But there are some concerns as to whether or not the system can
work to improve the quality of life in the Richmond District.
David Heller, president of the Greater Geary Boulevard Merchants
Association, agrees that the #38 Geary bus line can be improved,
but has issues with several of the study’s suggestions. He says
the plan would result in the loss of parking for local merchants,
negatively impact the local business community because of years
of construction and cause traffic problems on Clement Street and
other Richmond streets because of the potential loss of traffic
lanes to the BRT.
“The plan could take anywhere from two years to as many as 10 to
complete,” Heller said. “During those years, what are the merchants
supposed to do? The city is financially strapped so we can forget
tax breaks or low-interest loans to see us through the transition.
And when the committee or designers are asked about the expected
loss of parking, they keep saying they don’t know,” Heller said.
“A week, let alone a month, may seem like a short phase to someone
else, but it is an eternity for the small business owner who is
living on the edge all the time,” he added. “Banks don’t take into
account that the transportation Authority thinks its giving the
merchants a break by minimizing construction phases; they want the
mortgage paid. The City is giving the merchants nothing, except
words.”
“We’re looking at a growth of residents and moving them to jobs
downtown,” he said. “Housing will grow and the kinds of businesses
in the neighborhood will change. ”Balshone said he views BRTs as
great public transportation systems. “The system in Kyoto Japan
is excellent,” he said. “If we do the BRT here in the Richmond District,
we will see a rise in residential units, and that will add to the
population of the City; ask the merchants at Union Square and they
welcome it, even if they represent national, and international chains,”
Balshone said.
Heller is not alone among merchants on the corridor who are nervous
about the BRT project. Big O Tires co-owner Jack Rhiel is concerned
about how the project will transform Geary.
“I expect it will do to Geary what BART did to Mission and Market;
there used to be beautiful shops, theaters and a vibrant community.
Over the years, as rents fell, the streets changed and we ended
up with pawn shops as businesses were wiped out.”
Rhiel says he is frustrated by the evasiveness of the proponents
of the BRT. “Where do they expect the traffic to go?” he asked.
He thinks drivers will crowd the district’s side streets. “Balboa,
Anza, Clement and Lake streets will be swamped with traffic,” Rhiel
said. “Cars will speed down those streets because they have fewer
stops and fewer lights than Geary, which makes it not only a quality-of-life
issue but a safety issue as well.” Tilly Chang, deputy director
for planning for the SF Transportation Authority, looks at the project
as a positive long-term opportunity to change the corridor for the
benefit of the merchants by improving mass transit.
“Our goal is to make it more attractive to people,” Chang said.
“Part of our goal is to get people to see that the BRT is an attractive
system that will make their commute faster. We don’t want to eliminate
cars, but we want to reduce the number of cars being used along
the corridor,” Chang added. Rhiel is far more pessimistic.
“I can’t walk away,” he said. “My whole life is invested in this
business. With the BRT plan moving forward, I can’t sell to anyone,
so I guess I’ll renew my lease.”
"I’m going to die with this business,” Rhiel said. |
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