Comments for Streetsblog http://dev.streetsblog.org Covering San Francisco's livable streets movement Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:23:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 Comment on AC Transit Board to Consider Declaring Fiscal Emergency by anil http://dev.streetsblog.org/2009/04/23/ac-transit-board-to-consider-declaring-fiscal-emergency/#comment-4942 anil Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:13:46 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=2028#comment-4942 test this test this

]]> Comment on Moralism vs. Utopianism–of Red Lights, Helmets, Bike Lanes and… by John Murphy http://dev.streetsblog.org/2009/04/23/moralism-vs-utopianism-of-red-lights-helmets-bike-lanes-and/#comment-4941 John Murphy Fri, 24 Apr 2009 06:21:22 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=1997#comment-4941 Tragically, another example... http://www.ktvu.com/news/19267665/detail.html Tragically, another example...

http://www.ktvu.com/news/19267665/detail.html

]]> Comment on Moralism vs. Utopianism–of Red Lights, Helmets, Bike Lanes and… by greg h. http://dev.streetsblog.org/2009/04/23/moralism-vs-utopianism-of-red-lights-helmets-bike-lanes-and/#comment-4940 greg h. Fri, 24 Apr 2009 04:41:50 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=1997#comment-4940 I'd have to agree with Mr. Baker on that one. I agree that motorists are the largest offenders in this discussion (by, what I can only imagine, is a substantial margin). There are simply more cars on the road than cyclists. I can understand the logic behind this 'Idaho Stop', but I can see this innocent and well intended new rule being horribly abused by some cyclists in this city. It would be hard enough to get around (MUNI or car) without any cyclists on the road, and if they can legally coast through stops we'll never get anywhere. I just don't see it ending well. I'd have to agree with Mr. Baker on that one. I agree that motorists are the largest offenders in this discussion (by, what I can only imagine, is a substantial margin). There are simply more cars on the road than cyclists. I can understand the logic behind this 'Idaho Stop', but I can see this innocent and well intended new rule being horribly abused by some cyclists in this city. It would be hard enough to get around (MUNI or car) without any cyclists on the road, and if they can legally coast through stops we'll never get anywhere. I just don't see it ending well.

]]> Comment on Moralism vs. Utopianism–of Red Lights, Helmets, Bike Lanes and… by Jeffrey W. Baker http://dev.streetsblog.org/2009/04/23/moralism-vs-utopianism-of-red-lights-helmets-bike-lanes-and/#comment-4939 Jeffrey W. Baker Fri, 24 Apr 2009 03:53:53 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=1997#comment-4939 By the way, if you're willing to put your money where your mouth is, bring a tempting sum of money to the corner of New Montgomery and Howard, 5pm, any weekday. If no motorist commits and unlawful act in the first five minutes, I'll double your money. Otherwise, you donate it to the SF Bicycle Coalition. By the way, if you're willing to put your money where your mouth is, bring a tempting sum of money to the corner of New Montgomery and Howard, 5pm, any weekday. If no motorist commits and unlawful act in the first five minutes, I'll double your money. Otherwise, you donate it to the SF Bicycle Coalition.

]]> Comment on Moralism vs. Utopianism–of Red Lights, Helmets, Bike Lanes and… by Jeffrey W. Baker http://dev.streetsblog.org/2009/04/23/moralism-vs-utopianism-of-red-lights-helmets-bike-lanes-and/#comment-4938 Jeffrey W. Baker Fri, 24 Apr 2009 03:51:25 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=1997#comment-4938 And yet the streets are littered with the bodies of people killed by cars, not by bikes. Strange, eh? And yet the streets are littered with the bodies of people killed by cars, not by bikes. Strange, eh?

]]> Comment on Gav For Guv Short On Transportation Essentials by Greg http://dev.streetsblog.org/2009/04/22/gav-for-guv-short-on-transportation-essentials/#comment-4937 Greg Fri, 24 Apr 2009 03:45:22 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=1998#comment-4937 Look, between his cynical looting of Muni, his ownership of a too-heavy SUV that gets 18 mpg and his overall dislike of mass transit, looting it to pay for mayoral aides with no qualifications at all to take MUNI safety inspector funds, this guy is just another Arnold, but with better hair and whatnot. Keep on praising him for his platitudes because it's not like he ever did much as Mayor - hell he isn't even HERE most months and doesn't care a whit for sustainable anything - besides sustaining his thin career as a public official. Whatever. Flame on, San Francisco. The City That Once Knew How is now the City That Has No Clue. Look, between his cynical looting of Muni, his ownership of a too-heavy SUV that gets 18 mpg and his overall dislike of mass transit, looting it to pay for mayoral aides with no qualifications at all to take MUNI safety inspector funds, this guy is just another Arnold, but with better hair and whatnot. Keep on praising him for his platitudes because it's not like he ever did much as Mayor - hell he isn't even HERE most months and doesn't care a whit for sustainable anything - besides sustaining his thin career as a public official.

Whatever. Flame on, San Francisco. The City That Once Knew How is now the City That Has No Clue.

]]> Comment on Moralism vs. Utopianism–of Red Lights, Helmets, Bike Lanes and… by Mike Dahmus http://dev.streetsblog.org/2009/04/23/moralism-vs-utopianism-of-red-lights-helmets-bike-lanes-and/#comment-4936 Mike Dahmus Fri, 24 Apr 2009 02:43:52 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=1997#comment-4936 Running a red light or a stop sign is a childish tantrum, not a sensible act (unless it's an emergency). And, again, the more likely outcome of pushing this juvenile anarchism is that 'swing motorists' will stop taking cyclists seriously and instead, as I put it, legislate them to the sidewalk. No, motorists don't break the law in the quantity or quality that cyclists do. Anybody with a substantial amount of experience commuting in both modes, as I have, knows this to be true - it's only the virulently car-free cyclists that are able to delude themselves into believing otherwise. Running a red light or a stop sign is a childish tantrum, not a sensible act (unless it's an emergency). And, again, the more likely outcome of pushing this juvenile anarchism is that 'swing motorists' will stop taking cyclists seriously and instead, as I put it, legislate them to the sidewalk.

No, motorists don't break the law in the quantity or quality that cyclists do. Anybody with a substantial amount of experience commuting in both modes, as I have, knows this to be true - it's only the virulently car-free cyclists that are able to delude themselves into believing otherwise.

]]> Comment on The Rise of an Evil Anti-Car Multinational Conglomerate by Pete http://dev.streetsblog.org/2009/03/27/the-rise-of-an-evil-anti-car-multinational-conglomerate/#comment-4935 Pete Fri, 24 Apr 2009 01:45:27 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=1820#comment-4935 Oh Rob, you continue to entertain us around the country. Everyone knows that if you don't wear a helmet you don't mess up your hair! I've driven in San Francisco traffic. Yeah, it's the bike riders that are screwing it up.... right... Oh Rob, you continue to entertain us around the country. Everyone knows that if you don't wear a helmet you don't mess up your hair!

I've driven in San Francisco traffic. Yeah, it's the bike riders that are screwing it up.... right...

]]> Comment on Moralism vs. Utopianism–of Red Lights, Helmets, Bike Lanes and… by Pete http://dev.streetsblog.org/2009/04/23/moralism-vs-utopianism-of-red-lights-helmets-bike-lanes-and/#comment-4934 Pete Fri, 24 Apr 2009 01:37:57 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=1997#comment-4934 This isn't about anarchy or whether motorists obey laws or not. The opposite of cyclist is not motorist, it's non-cyclist. It's a fallacy to say that you're putting yourself in harms way on a bicycle any more than as a pedestrian or driver - check the numbers - and the Idaho statistics that Oregon legislators gathered from the Idaho State Police and DOT showed an incidental decrease in bicycle injuries and fatalities (which you'd think would satisfy critics saying Idaho stops are dangerous). The 'Idaho Stop' law simply documents the (sensible) behavior of just about every cyclist in California and Oregon I've seen in my 25 years of riding. To educate the non-cycling public that legalizing this is a good thing for everybody (including insurance agencies), though, would seem to be an insurmountable task - especially when legislatures are more focused on economic issues. Let's hope Oregon (and the BTA) have better luck with this in 2010. This isn't about anarchy or whether motorists obey laws or not. The opposite of cyclist is not motorist, it's non-cyclist. It's a fallacy to say that you're putting yourself in harms way on a bicycle any more than as a pedestrian or driver - check the numbers - and the Idaho statistics that Oregon legislators gathered from the Idaho State Police and DOT showed an incidental decrease in bicycle injuries and fatalities (which you'd think would satisfy critics saying Idaho stops are dangerous).

The 'Idaho Stop' law simply documents the (sensible) behavior of just about every cyclist in California and Oregon I've seen in my 25 years of riding. To educate the non-cycling public that legalizing this is a good thing for everybody (including insurance agencies), though, would seem to be an insurmountable task - especially when legislatures are more focused on economic issues. Let's hope Oregon (and the BTA) have better luck with this in 2010.

]]> Comment on Eyes on the Street: When Repaving Becomes a Hazard by Adrienne http://dev.streetsblog.org/2009/04/07/eyes-on-the-street-when-repaving-becomes-a-hazard/#comment-4933 Adrienne Fri, 24 Apr 2009 01:35:03 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=1898#comment-4933 This is an issue all over the city- San Jose Ave. between Monterey and Randall being the one that I find the most dangerous on a day to day basis. If you are pulling a Burley, you have to ride with the left wheel right on or just outside the line and into traffic. All because they refuse to pave right up to the sidewalk. All over the city you see this, and if you are not careful, that lip will throw you right into traffic. If the repaving is going on, there is almost never a space left for bicycles to pass safely. If there is any work of any kind going on, builders are not required to make space for bicycles. On Monterey Blvd, there are two construction zones that force riders into uphill traffic between Baden and Congo. The construction crew working at Valencia and 26th (? just up from the mortuary) parked their equipment so that it intruded into the lane, including sharp diggers that protruded 2 feet into the lane without the flag that would be required on a truck transporting cargo that is longer than the truck bed ( I nearly ran right into it, once). I often think that there should be a handout of how building sites and repaving projects should look in terms of their impact on and intrusion into bike lanes (which are transit lanes, after all). This is an issue all over the city- San Jose Ave. between Monterey and Randall being the one that I find the most dangerous on a day to day basis. If you are pulling a Burley, you have to ride with the left wheel right on or just outside the line and into traffic. All because they refuse to pave right up to the sidewalk. All over the city you see this, and if you are not careful, that lip will throw you right into traffic.

If the repaving is going on, there is almost never a space left for bicycles to pass safely. If there is any work of any kind going on, builders are not required to make space for bicycles. On Monterey Blvd, there are two construction zones that force riders into uphill traffic between Baden and Congo. The construction crew working at Valencia and 26th (? just up from the mortuary) parked their equipment so that it intruded into the lane, including sharp diggers that protruded 2 feet into the lane without the flag that would be required on a truck transporting cargo that is longer than the truck bed ( I nearly ran right into it, once).

I often think that there should be a handout of how building sites and repaving projects should look in terms of their impact on and intrusion into bike lanes (which are transit lanes, after all).

]]> Comment on Moralism vs. Utopianism–of Red Lights, Helmets, Bike Lanes and… by thiago benicchio http://dev.streetsblog.org/2009/04/23/moralism-vs-utopianism-of-red-lights-helmets-bike-lanes-and/#comment-4932 thiago benicchio Fri, 24 Apr 2009 01:02:23 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=1997#comment-4932 brilliant! A new-old masterpiece. Abraços! brilliant! A new-old masterpiece. Abraços!

]]> Comment on Moralism vs. Utopianism–of Red Lights, Helmets, Bike Lanes and… by Josh http://dev.streetsblog.org/2009/04/23/moralism-vs-utopianism-of-red-lights-helmets-bike-lanes-and/#comment-4931 Josh Fri, 24 Apr 2009 00:32:45 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=1997#comment-4931 @Mike Dahmus No bikes on sidewalks ever. Sort of a tangent but I feel the need to bring it up because, anecdotally, I've seen a huge uptick in the number cyclists clipping my elbows on the sidewalk. @Mike Dahmus

No bikes on sidewalks ever. Sort of a tangent but I feel the need to bring it up because, anecdotally, I've seen a huge uptick in the number cyclists clipping my elbows on the sidewalk.

]]> Comment on Mayor Newsom, Caltrans Announce Plans to Remove Portions of I-280 by Spencer Gusick http://dev.streetsblog.org/2009/04/01/mayor-newsom-caltrans-announce-plans-to-remove-portions-of-i-280/#comment-4930 Spencer Gusick Fri, 24 Apr 2009 00:18:29 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=1867#comment-4930 I get that this is a joke, but this would wreak havoc on the Peninsula. For one thing, if you are headed to SF for the day, 280 is the only realistic route for hundreds of thousands of people. 101 is always gridlocked from at least Cesar Chavez north. 280 provides fast access to Glen Park, Noe Valley, the Mission, Potrero Hill, SoMa and even the Marina. The alternative would put way more cars on the already miserable Franklin/Van Ness corridor, and it would take an hour or more to get across town. I would just stop coming. (Yes, now you can laugh about the benefits of keeping the B&T crowd out, but we spend money in restaurants and theaters same as everyone else, and see if that is really good for SF. BTW, I lived in the city for years before family-unfriendly policies like this sent me packing...) SF has effectively no mass transit accessible to folks from out of town. The real solution needed is better transit to all neighborhoods of SF, with parking lots at stations so that suburbanites can access the city and leave their cars at home. BART is great for the Mission and downtown, and CalTrain is great for, um, well, baseball games and not much else. Golden Gate Park? Crissy Field? Castro? Pac Heights? You need a car right now. Until that changes, we need as many good ways to access the city as possible, or else relegate 101 to permanent gridlock. May as well build a wall at the San Mateo County line at that point. I get that this is a joke, but this would wreak havoc on the Peninsula. For one thing, if you are headed to SF for the day, 280 is the only realistic route for hundreds of thousands of people. 101 is always gridlocked from at least Cesar Chavez north. 280 provides fast access to Glen Park, Noe Valley, the Mission, Potrero Hill, SoMa and even the Marina. The alternative would put way more cars on the already miserable Franklin/Van Ness corridor, and it would take an hour or more to get across town. I would just stop coming. (Yes, now you can laugh about the benefits of keeping the B&T crowd out, but we spend money in restaurants and theaters same as everyone else, and see if that is really good for SF. BTW, I lived in the city for years before family-unfriendly policies like this sent me packing...)

SF has effectively no mass transit accessible to folks from out of town. The real solution needed is better transit to all neighborhoods of SF, with parking lots at stations so that suburbanites can access the city and leave their cars at home. BART is great for the Mission and downtown, and CalTrain is great for, um, well, baseball games and not much else. Golden Gate Park? Crissy Field? Castro? Pac Heights? You need a car right now.

Until that changes, we need as many good ways to access the city as possible, or else relegate 101 to permanent gridlock. May as well build a wall at the San Mateo County line at that point.

]]> Comment on Moralism vs. Utopianism–of Red Lights, Helmets, Bike Lanes and… by greg h. http://dev.streetsblog.org/2009/04/23/moralism-vs-utopianism-of-red-lights-helmets-bike-lanes-and/#comment-4929 greg h. Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:29:51 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=1997#comment-4929 Cars and bicyclists cannot be equals on the road. It is not possible because cyclists embrace this idea that they can get away with whatever they want. I single out cyclists knowing that drivers do it too, but drivers will cause more damage when they disregard traffic laws. I've been on both sides, and its infuriating either way. As a bicyclist or driver, you cannot just choose which laws apply to you and which don't. To behave with such disrespect for the law - ANY law - is absurd. By getting on your bike in the morning you CHOOSE to put yourself in harm's way. Until BOTH sides decide to act responsibly and agree on a set of Road Rules we will have chaos on the streets of San Francisco. Cars and bicyclists cannot be equals on the road. It is not possible because cyclists embrace this idea that they can get away with whatever they want. I single out cyclists knowing that drivers do it too, but drivers will cause more damage when they disregard traffic laws. I've been on both sides, and its infuriating either way. As a bicyclist or driver, you cannot just choose which laws apply to you and which don't. To behave with such disrespect for the law - ANY law - is absurd. By getting on your bike in the morning you CHOOSE to put yourself in harm's way. Until BOTH sides decide to act responsibly and agree on a set of Road Rules we will have chaos on the streets of San Francisco.

]]> Comment on Moralism vs. Utopianism–of Red Lights, Helmets, Bike Lanes and… by Pat http://dev.streetsblog.org/2009/04/23/moralism-vs-utopianism-of-red-lights-helmets-bike-lanes-and/#comment-4928 Pat Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:38:29 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=1997#comment-4928 "Same rights, same responsibilities." Not only is that false by law, but it is complete nonsense. I don't have to take classes, tests and pay fees to ride a bike. I also can not kill several people (or even one) in a collision on my bike. I take it you have never rode your bike in San Francisco. "Same rights, same responsibilities." Not only is that false by law, but it is complete nonsense. I don't have to take classes, tests and pay fees to ride a bike. I also can not kill several people (or even one) in a collision on my bike. I take it you have never rode your bike in San Francisco.

]]> Comment on Eyes On The Street: Mayor Newsom Shames Earth Day by Caroline Samponaro http://dev.streetsblog.org/2009/04/22/eyes-on-the-street-mayor-newsom-shames-earth-day/#comment-4927 Caroline Samponaro Thu, 23 Apr 2009 21:20:48 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=2018#comment-4927 Good post, Matthew. I couldn't agree more re: dooming a real public-use bike program from getting traction. Leadership happens almost entirely by example. Good post, Matthew. I couldn't agree more re: dooming a real public-use bike program from getting traction.

Leadership happens almost entirely by example.

]]> Comment on Moralism vs. Utopianism–of Red Lights, Helmets, Bike Lanes and… by Jeffrey W. Baker http://dev.streetsblog.org/2009/04/23/moralism-vs-utopianism-of-red-lights-helmets-bike-lanes-and/#comment-4926 Jeffrey W. Baker Thu, 23 Apr 2009 21:03:03 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=1997#comment-4926 Yeah right, because motorists are all about following the law. Meet me in from of the door to my office and within five minutes I guarantee we will see someone speeding, running a red light, double parked, parked in a loading zone, parked in a handicapped spot, parked in front of the fire hydrant, parked in the bike lane, driving in the bike lane, parked in the bus stop, driving the wrong way (no joke, this happens a lot), making prohibited left turns, making prohibited right turns on red, blocking the box, or colliding with cars, bikes, pedestrians, or fixed objects. Yeah right, because motorists are all about following the law. Meet me in from of the door to my office and within five minutes I guarantee we will see someone speeding, running a red light, double parked, parked in a loading zone, parked in a handicapped spot, parked in front of the fire hydrant, parked in the bike lane, driving in the bike lane, parked in the bus stop, driving the wrong way (no joke, this happens a lot), making prohibited left turns, making prohibited right turns on red, blocking the box, or colliding with cars, bikes, pedestrians, or fixed objects.

]]> Comment on Disabilities Advocates Launch Campaign to End Sidewalk Parking by John Murphy http://dev.streetsblog.org/2009/01/16/senior-and-disabilities-advocates-launch-campaign-to-end-sidewalk-parking/#comment-4925 John Murphy Thu, 23 Apr 2009 20:54:13 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=1324#comment-4925 "For this month alone, I have received 2 citations, but what else can I do with the severe shortage of parking spaces in the neighborhood? (Sigh!)" 1) Drive around looking for a legal spot 2) Lease another parking space 3) Sell one of your cars While I have only one child and not two - I also work in the South Bay and we have only one car, I take Caltrain to work, riding to the station on my bike. It would be simpler (read: Lazier) for me to just get another car, drive to work and to park on the sidewalk when I get home, but it would also be selfish. There are limited resources available - this presents you with a choice. Make one - and not one that requires other people to pay the consequences of your choice. "For this month alone, I have received 2 citations, but what else can I do with the severe shortage of parking spaces in the neighborhood? (Sigh!)"

1) Drive around looking for a legal spot
2) Lease another parking space
3) Sell one of your cars

While I have only one child and not two - I also work in the South Bay and we have only one car, I take Caltrain to work, riding to the station on my bike. It would be simpler (read: Lazier) for me to just get another car, drive to work and to park on the sidewalk when I get home, but it would also be selfish. There are limited resources available - this presents you with a choice. Make one - and not one that requires other people to pay the consequences of your choice.

]]> Comment on Moralism vs. Utopianism–of Red Lights, Helmets, Bike Lanes and… by Mike Dahmus http://dev.streetsblog.org/2009/04/23/moralism-vs-utopianism-of-red-lights-helmets-bike-lanes-and/#comment-4924 Mike Dahmus Thu, 23 Apr 2009 20:46:40 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=1997#comment-4924 This is the opposite of awesome. Same rights, same responsibilities; if you behave like a juvenile anarchist, motorists who are otherwise friendly will stop being so, and you may find yourself legislated onto the sidewalk. This is the opposite of awesome. Same rights, same responsibilities; if you behave like a juvenile anarchist, motorists who are otherwise friendly will stop being so, and you may find yourself legislated onto the sidewalk.

]]> Comment on Eyes On The Street: Mayor Newsom Shames Earth Day by John Murphy http://dev.streetsblog.org/2009/04/22/eyes-on-the-street-mayor-newsom-shames-earth-day/#comment-4923 John Murphy Thu, 23 Apr 2009 20:22:35 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=2018#comment-4923 Keep it coming people. I am collecting notes for "The Case Against Gavin Newsom" coming to a theatre near you. While there was substantial noise to this effect on DailyKos (much coming from me and Jeffrey Baker, and other names I recognize), if you do a Twitter Search for Gavin Newsom it's pretty scary. Among the names - Lance Armstrong. Say it ain't so Mellow Johnny - Gavin was dealt 4 aces with respect to the bike plan, an opportunity to show leadership in doing what was necessary to overcome Sir Rob Anderson's meddling. Gavin decided to fold and focus on a couple of electrical outlets. Keep it coming people. I am collecting notes for "The Case Against Gavin Newsom" coming to a theatre near you.

While there was substantial noise to this effect on DailyKos (much coming from me and Jeffrey Baker, and other names I recognize), if you do a Twitter Search for Gavin Newsom it's pretty scary. Among the names - Lance Armstrong. Say it ain't so Mellow Johnny - Gavin was dealt 4 aces with respect to the bike plan, an opportunity to show leadership in doing what was necessary to overcome Sir Rob Anderson's meddling. Gavin decided to fold and focus on a couple of electrical outlets.

]]>