Where the Riders Are

Six months ago I highlighted a wonderful piece of work by Greater Greater Washington that took a look at ridership on the DC Metro. Well I finally got off my butt and did a similar thing for BART. I asked someone at BART who was affiliated with the recent rider survey for data on trips by station entry and exit.

Ask and ye shall receive; BART sent me an excel file containing average weekday origin/departure numbers for the spring and summer of 2009. I crunched the numbers a little and came up with the following

Department of Sidewalk Parking

Hat tip to Streetsblog for breaking word of the newly created San Francisco Department of Sidewalk Parking.

That number, in case you missed it, is 415-553-1200. Press 1 for English (if so inclined) followed by 6 to report sidewalk parking. Rinse, repeat.

SFMTA's Budget Drought

The link is currently in the blogroll at right, but it's worth posting to say 'happy New Year' and 'you need to check out Human Transit.'

Transit planner Jarret Walker offers a great metaphor for the health of transportation networks with specific regard to Muni and the looming specter of yet more service cuts. Must. Read.

Quote of the Day

Regarding the letter about parking in Menlo Park ("A better deal," Dec. 25): I could park for free in Modesto, too, but why would I want to? -Jeff Doane via SF Chronicle

Going... Going...

Some awesome pictures of the big old warehouse at Third and Mariposa Streets on the edge of Dogpatch and Mission bay. The old building is being systematically dismantled so that the site can become the new home of a UCSF hospital. The way they're taking it apart it almost appears to be fading away.

Wider Sidewalks on Valencia

City workers have been tearing up four blocks of Valencia Street for the Valencia Streetscape Improvement project for about six months now, and concrete results are now underfoot. The first blocks of wider sidewalks have opened and Pedestrians can now enjoy the extra space as well as the safety of some new corner bulbouts. Click through for a larger picture; you can follow the white line of the crosswalk to see the difference between the old sidewalk width (foreground, South of 17th Street) and the new (North, across 17th Street in the photo).

It's clear that there remains some more work to be done on these first blocks: pouring more concrete, installing street furniture, and planting a row of new trees in what was once the parking lane. And work has yet to begin on most of the blocks in the project area (Valencia from 15th to 19th).

But two blocks are open and usable right now, and the rest will follow before you know it. Go out and see for yourself what a difference a few feet can make.

M is for Muni-only

My monthly commuter benefit arrived in the mail today, and with it was an extra special reminder that the cambios significantes to which we're all still adjusting will soon be joined by a new fare increase in just over a week.

Reconnecting the Grid in Potrero Hill

According to Curbed SF, the plans for replacing the Potrero Terrace-Annex housing projects on the Southeast side of Potrero Hill call for re-establishing the street grid on the hilly property.

The maps above compare the street grid as it was planned from the 19th century and the streets that exist today. The map on the left was made in 1907, but doesn't differ significantly from earlier maps. North-South streets were named for states, and East-West streets were named for the original counties of California (most changed to the numbers they currently bear when the Potrero Hill grid was merged into the existing grid of the Mission District in 1895. The weird little jogs many streets make as they cross Harrison show the boundary between these two almost-aligned grids).

2010 Sunday Streets Schedule Announced

Streetsblog reports that the city has announced the schedule for 2010's Sunday Streets events:

• March 14: Embarcadero, starting at Fisherman’s Wharf and PIER 39, south to China Basin and Terry Francois Blvd.
• April 11: Along the Great Highway, coinciding with World Health Day's “1,000 Cities, 1,000 Lives” international event, as one of thousands of cities hosting simultaneous car-free events worldwide.
• April 18: Bayview, along 3rd Street from King and 4th (Caltrain Station) to Bayview Playground.
• May 23: Bayview, in conjunction with the 3rd Street Corridor Project and Bayview Merchant’s Association’s “3rd Street Festival.”
• June 20: Mission, along Valencia and 24th Streets.
• July 11: Mission.
• August 22: Great Highway/Golden Gate Park.
• September 19: NEW: Western Addition, exact location TBD.
• October 24: NEW Civic Center/Tenderloin, exact location TBD.

-Streetsblog SF

Really, Translink?

Clipper? Really?!