Note: GJEL Accident Attorneys regularly sponsors coverage on Streetsblog San Francisco and Streetsblog California. Unless noted in the story, GJEL Accident Attorneys is not consulted for the content or editorial direction of the sponsored content.

“I don’t want to die,” said San Francisco Bicycle Coalition Executive Director Janelle Wong. Under the pressure of a one-minute time limit for public comment, the long-time advocate was forced to boil down the reason for asking the San Francisco Board of Supervisors Tuesday to approve Mayor London Breed’s legislation to permanently ban automobile traffic on a portion of the western half of JFK Drive. “I don’t want to be mutilated.”

Ultimately, the majority of the supervisors heard that stark statement and the stories from many other people who called in or came to speak who told stories of getting hit by motorists while walking and biking in San Francisco, including on JFK before it became car-free . And after a marathon hearing that started at 9 am and lasted 12 hours, the Supes voted seven to four to make the JFK Promenade permanent, with Ahsha Safaí, Shamann Walton, Connie Chan, and Aaron Peskin voting against the car ban.

I would like for every supervisor who votes NAY on car-free JFK tomorrow to also admit they vote NAY on Transit First, NAY on Vision Zero, and NAY on meeting our mode share goal of 80% sustainable modes by 2030. Be honest with the voters, for once.

— Emily Huston (@ehuston101) April 25, 2022

Supervisor Matt Haney talked about the importance of keeping JFK car-free in moving towards a more sustainable future. “This is a very important step in that direction.”

Prior to the meeting, over a hundred pro-bike, pro-pedestrians, pro-safety advocates showed up at 8 am on the steps of City Hall to make a last push for the mayor’s proposal, which would, as advocate Marcel Moran put it , preserve “a tiny sliver of Golden Gate Park to be car-free.”

“I have a lot of difficult decisions to make at the Board of Supervisors,” said D5 Supervisor Dean Preston, who co-sponsored the bill, during the pre-vote rally. “This is not one of them.”

Even after the vote today, there is much more to be done, and staff will continue to do that important work. This city has an incredible park system that should make us all proud. Making JFK car-free will only make it that much better.

— London Breed (@LondonBreed) April 26, 2022

He explained that it wouldn’t be difficult because workers who travel by bike use JFK to commute. And while he acknowledged the value of the JFK promenade for recreation and community, it’s also a lifesaver—literally—for people who ride on two wheels. “It is an essential part of a car-free network and you deserve a safe way to get to work not in a car.”

Supervisors Rafael Mandelman and Dean Preston, co-sponsors of the legislation along with Matt Haney, at the pre-hearing rally discussing the likely outcome of the vote. Photo: Streetsblog/Rudick

“I’ve seen too many injuries on JFK–injuries that are totally preventable,” said Stephen Gamboa, a doctor of Emergency Medicine at Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center during public comment. He and other physicians who tested said they treat all sorts of trauma patients who, while not always injured seriously enough to make city statistics, suffer years of debilitating pain thanks to “car versus ped” collisions on JFK Drive. These collisions, they explained, ceased on the section from Kezar to Transverse when it was closed to cars at the start of the pandemic.

There is NOTHING about putting cars back on JFK that makes it safer, better for families, better for tourism or better for older adults. San Francisco needs and deserves a permanently car-free JFK. pic.twitter.com/fOUPo59SH3

— Dr Momifornia (@Momifornia1) April 26, 2022

Meanwhile, representatives from the de Young and others tried to frame the debate as an access and equity issue (many speakers gaslighted that only poor people of color drive cars and only rich white people ride bikes). Many speakers gave nearly identical statements opposing an imaginary proposal to close the entire park to drivers. In reality, of course, the only thing on the table was 1.4 miles from JFK Drive.

Walk SF’s Jodie Medeiros and Supervisor Matt Haney at the rally. Photo: Streetsblog/Rudick

Supervisor Connie Chan continued to push her “compromise” that would still allow cars on the 1.4 miles of JFK in question. But as Moran stressed during public comment, the car-free Promenade is already a compromise position. “The rest of Golden Gate Park is open to cars.”

Also open to cars: the massive, 800-space garage underneath the park, completed in 2004 and built specifically to reduce the need for parking on JFK

That said, a handful of motorists who spoke frankly about why they want JFK open to cars. “It makes for faster commuting,” said one speaker.

David Miles addressing the Board of Supervisors during public comment. That’s doctor Gamboa behind him. Photo: GovTV

Chan reiterated her belief that a survey instituted by the city, which showed that 70 percent of San Francisco residents want the JFK Promenade to endure what was cooked. “Some of the responses were from the same IP address,” she said, adding, “Can we wait some more?”

But ultimately a slim majority of the board decided 40 years is long enough to wait to have one portion of one street in the city car-free. They decided that allowing more people on bicycles and on foot to be maimed and killed is not a suitable “compromise.”

“In 1966, there was a proposal to build two new freeways. It was defeated by a six-to-five vote of Supervisors,” said advocate Danny Sauter. “In 1990, there was a proposal to demolish the Embarcadero freeway. It passed six to five by the Supervisors.” He said today’s vote, in 2022, to keep JFK car-free, would be looked back on in the same way.

The post Hurrah for J.F.Okay. Promenade Endlessly! – Streetsblog San Francisco appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

Here are a few streetsblog news nuggets to start your weekend off.

The city of San Francisco is committed to car-free JFK

For some time now, the powerful de Young Trust has been trying, through its paid lobbyists, to destroy the dream of a car-free JFK ride in Golden Gate Park. The city has been talking about this issue but it seems that things are moving in the right direction again.

From an SFMTA version:

Starting January 5, 2022, you will find new signage along the promenade route reminding users to be friendly, share space, move slowly and say hello to each other. Through over 50 outreach events by the Golden Gate Park Access & Safety Program team this fall and over 10,000 survey responses we received, the San Franciscans have overwhelmingly said they had the place to walk and roll along the JFK Appreciate Drive – but also want to see more Instructions on how to use the space. In response, the SF Recreation & Park Department and SFMTA jointly developed this courtesy campaign to encourage park users to put safety and friendliness first when navigating the boardwalk.

The editorial staff of the San Francisco Chronicle is now also heavily responsible for the boardwalk. From “JFK Drive is for people, not car commuters. So that it stays that way in 2022 and beyond “:

Before the pandemic, JFK was one of the most dangerous and deadly streets in San Francisco. From 2014 to its closure in 2020, there were 91 crashes. This is mainly because 75% of the people who travel with JFK had no intention of visiting the park; they just used it as a puncture. This would be a political failure for any city; however, for a supposedly transit-oriented city like San Francisco, this was an inexcusable display of incompetence.

And:

To ensure JFK remains a safe and enjoyable place, worthy of one of the most beautiful city parks in the world, it should remain closed to cars in 2022 and beyond.

It must sting the de Young Trust a bit to know that the newspaper that originally built its fortune is now officially written in the face. Of course, without a doubt, de Young will never stop stepping on the gas – pretending it’s a stock issue or that there isn’t a huge underground parking lot for people arriving by car. It is for this reason that the hard-working supporters of Walk SF are continuing their postcard campaign to protect the car-free JFK.

Register here as a volunteer service.

California’s high-speed rail project is getting more good news from federal agencies

A French high-speed train that travels at 200 miles per hour and draws power from the overhead line. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Streetsblog readers may recall that HSR opponents, including the chief of the railroad disaster, Ralph Vartabedian of the LA Times, predicted for years that the state would miss construction deadlines and receive $ 2.5 billion in federal matching Fund related to the Obama-era American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Well, this week the agency officially met its eligibility requirements.

From a California HSR publication:

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has notified the California High-Speed ​​Rail Authority that it has fully met its state funding requirements for federal dollars a year ahead of schedule. Today’s action meets an important requirement of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to fund the grant.

“Federal government investment in this transformative project has doubled dollar for dollar a year ahead of schedule,” said Brian Annis, chief financial officer for the agency. “With a strong, committed federal partner, we are able to further advance the provision of electrified high-speed trains to the Californian population.”

The agency has spent the $ 2.5 billion in federal ARRA funds by the September 2017 legal deadline. Funding benefited the 119 mile long backbone of the state’s high-speed rail system in the Central Valley, a historically deprived part of the state notorious for its poor air quality. The FRA asked the agency to match federal spending with state funding for qualified spending by December 2022.

This is big news. And it’s good news. Waiting to read your concise coverage, LA Times. Twitter, Twitter, Twitter.

Oakland launches “Universal Basic Mobility” pilot project

File photo of an AC transit bus

One of the main tenets of this blog is that mobility is a basic human right. Because of this, Streetsblog argues that building cities where residents have to buy an expensive car and wait to get around is inherently unfair. And everyone should be able to move regardless of their economic status. It appears that the City of Oakland is in agreement with its Universal Basic Mobility plan.

From an OakDOT version:

As part of its innovative Universal Basic Mobility pilot, the Oakland City Department of Transportation (OakDOT) announced today that it has successfully distributed 500 prepaid debit cards to East Oakland residents and employees. These cards are limited to the purchase of journeys or passes for public transport, bike sharing and shared e-scooters. Program participants started with $ 150 available on their cards. After recipients complete a survey in January, the second and final withdrawal of $ 150 will be loaded onto their cards. The goal of the Universal Basic Mobility pilot project is to increase walking, cycling, public transportation and shared mobility journeys in East Oakland while reducing private vehicle journeys.

“The Universal Basic Mobility Pilot is capitalizing on the huge investment in East Bay’s first Bus Rapid Transit Line (BRT) by providing participants with free rides on public transport, bike rentals and e-scooters,” added OakDOT- Director Ryan Russo added. “Removing financial barriers to mobility is critical to meeting the needs of East Oakland residents, who are most grappling with the dual costs of housing and transportation.”

For further information, click here.

The post Welcome to the J.F.Ok. Promenade, Fundamental Mobility – Streetsblog San Francisco appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF / BCN) – With San Francisco planning to upgrade the car-free route along John F. Kennedy Drive in Golden Gate Park, city officials said Wednesday they would ask city residents to contribute to these plans.

The city carlessed most of JFK Drive between Transverse and Kezar for the first time at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, to make way for social distancing for people who walk, jog and bike.

CONTINUE READING: UPDATE: Wind-powered fawn fire near Redding explodes to 5,500 acres; suspected arsonist arrested

Since then, the car-free route has become hugely popular, with San Francisco Recreation and Park officials seeing a 36 percent increase in recreational use along the road compared to pre-pandemic numbers. In addition, the car-free initiative has also reduced accidents with serious injuries on the road to zero – compared to more than 50 such collisions in the last five years.

Because of its success and in an effort to better serve residents, officials from Rec and Park and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency are now looking for ways to improve the route.

The agencies’ shared Golden Gate Park Access and Safety Program allows residents to provide feedback through an online open house, scheduled online office hours, virtual open house, pop-up information centers and tours of the park.

Specifically, the program is asking residents about options for JFK Drive and other parking streets, including permanently banning the current closures; Return to pre-pandemic configuration; or providing managed vehicle access to the restricted vehicle park on JKF between Eighth Avenue and Tansverse Drive for westbound traffic only.

CONTINUE READING: Oakland is charged with failing to clean up homeless camps

Proposed new services in the park to improve usability and accessibility include the establishment of parking spaces accessible under the American Disabilities Act; Establishment of taxi stands in the music hall; Creation of a drop-off zone in the station’s garage; Modernization of the existing parking shuttle service; Expansion of bike share and roller share services in the park; Allowing cycle rickshaw services; and modifying intersections to improve safety and traffic congestion.

“Public feedback is critical to determining the future of JFK Drive after the pandemic, and we look forward to your thoughts and experiences,” said Phil Ginsburg, general manager of the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, in a statement. “The Golden Gate Park belongs to everyone, so neither security nor access can be neglected.”

“The Golden Gate Park car-free route was designed to provide a safe recreational space during COVID. It turned out to be a huge draw, bringing more people to the park, serving commuters between sunset and downtown, and creating safe space for kids to learn to drive, ”said Jeffrey Tumlin, SFMTA Traffic Director.

To find out about virtual information events, upcoming park tours and personal events, visit sfmta.com/accessggp or sfrecpark.accessggp. In addition, the virtual open house, which runs until November 25th, can be found on the storymaps website.

MORE NEWS: Santa Clara County Supes beats 25 million

© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

The post San Francisco Officers Search Suggestions on Way forward for Golden Gate Park’s Automobile-Free JFK Drive – CBS San Francisco appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

Here are a few streetsblog news nuggets to start your weekend off.

Proponents of East Bay Transit are pushing for better transit.

About 50 transit advocates and elected officials attended an event in Latham Square, Oakland Friday to call for the restoration of service and priority for transit. “This is a critical moment for transit in the East Bay. It seems like the recession is forcing us to cut service every ten years. That forces drivers into cars. For our climate and social justice, we need to reinvest in our systems operations with new sources of income, ”said Darrell Owens, vice chairman of the East Bay Transit Riders Union and one of the speakers at the event.

The meeting in Latham Square was part of the larger Transit Month celebrations across the Bay Area aimed at bringing service back to pre-pandemic and beyond. According to a press release from Seamless Bay Area, which aims to integrate timetables and tariffs among the Bay Area’s 30 or so transport companies, the event provided the opportunity to:

• Show your support for public transport for its important role in our communities
• Thank you to the operators and employees for their tireless work
• Call everyone to make more use of local public transport
• Support post-pandemic recovery and the continued expansion of local transport, including redesigning our roads to make local transport a priority.

For more information on the month of transit and how to get involved, please visit the website.

Supervisor Connie Chan is promoting a completely car-free JFK?

Supervisor Connie Chan hasn’t made many friends in the community for safe roads lately with her support for the closure of the Great Walkway (turning it back into a freeway for de facto exclusive use by motorists). But she posted a letter from JFK Drive this week that looks pretty promising. From lawyer Emily Huston on Twitter:

Hold on to the handlebars, it looks like Connie Chan is promoting a truly car-free JFK!
The press release includes laudatory quotes from two supporters (@JaniceForBART and @walksf) as well as all of the recent opponents … which makes me nervous. pic.twitter.com/NTrZZ2zued

– Emily Huston (@ ehuston101) September 9, 2021

Streetsblog will keep an eye on this. According to the Twitter thread, several supporters were skeptical of de Young Director Thomas Campbell’s call to ensure “safe access for people with disabilities” for those who “need to drive.” That doesn’t make sense as the museum has underground parking with its own underground street leading to Fulton Street. The garage has 800 parking spaces, including ADA spaces directly in front of the museum entrance. The ban on cars on JFK trips has nothing to do with museum access. But the “Legislative text includes access for motorists to JFK on 8th Ave for ADA parking * on the JFK drive *,” emphasized supporters of the Great Walkway in the thread.

Still, it is a very encouraging sign that the letter appears to be supported by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and Walk San Francisco. Let’s hope all the harmful details can be corrected. Make sure to check out the thread.

BART scraps the last of his lemons

BART C2 train. Image: Wikimedia Commons

BART trains are not all created equal.

BART is reaching certain milestones as it is slowly replacing its old fleet. Last week the agency scrapped the last of its C2 trains, see above. Of all the old BART trains, the C2 bought 30 years ago had a bad breakdown history. BART was happy to see her go.

From a BART version:

The last of BEARDThe troubled 1990s wagons known as C2 wagons have left the building. The C2’s had more than their share of issues involving drivers and workers, and were strategically focused on being the first cars in the old fleet to be completely decommissioned. The last one was scrapped in August.

C2s were most likely to have had HVAC failures resulting in hot cars and driver ailments. The driver’s cab was cramped with sliding windows that were prone to failure. Engineers and mechanics had to find solutions to problems such as overshot windshield wipers and passenger doors jumping out of lane, car shutdowns and delays.

BART now has 23 new “Fleet of the Future” trains in operation. As Streetsblog reported in August, the agency is still working with the manufacturer to iron out teething problems with the new fleet.

The post East Bay’s Transit Month, Progress on J.F.Okay. – Streetsblog San Francisco appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

“I’m there [in San Francisco] nearly every year. I would like to retire there, ”he said and laughingly added,“ retire in the most expensive city ”.

The Cabrillo, the theater Harry owns in foggy Richmond, has seen better days, and his girlfriend, the practical Dana, wants him to sell it and they get out of town and go somewhere else. However, Harry really left his heart in the city.

He explained, “Harry is a pretty nostalgic guy and doesn’t want to let go of the past. Willy-nilly. These things seem to have something to do with his reluctance to push many things. ”

At the heart of the book is an “inconsistent up and down romance,” he explained.

Janjigian draws lively characters who are stuck in the midst of serious decisions. When asked where his characters come from, he referred to another writer, Jhumpa Lahiri, who had said in an interview that “she had no idea how this process worked and it just happened”.

He continued, “I would agree with that. For this novel at least, it started when I was living in San Francisco and really, really loved this movie theater and the San Francisco neighborhood. This cinema still exists in the Richmond neighborhood today. ”
Ken_Janjigian

In fact, the Cabrillo in the Richmond neighborhood seems to be inspired by the Balboa Theater in the same neighborhood, showing quirky films in beautiful surroundings.

Not only the main character and his circle are in love with the Beat writers; consider Janjigian a fan. “I got introduced to the Beats by a film professor and attended some avant-garde film courses at Clark [University in Worcester]. The whole environment was strange. I hadn’t read any beats or [Jack] Kerouac until he had us read On the Road in conjunction with a film called ‘Heartbeat’ based on the autobiography of Carolyn Cassady, wife of beat writer Neal Cassady.

(“Heart Beat” explores the love triangle of real-life characters Neal Cassady, Jack Kerouac and Carolyn Cassady in the late 1950s and 1960s. It shows Kerouac, who writes his groundbreaking novel On the Road, and its impact on their lives.)

Since then, he said, he has “tried to investigate the beats’ flaws, including the shortage of women”.

Nevertheless, by writing, he can still come close to this ideal. “Writing enables me to explore these lives,” he noted.

“I admire this bohemian way of life, but I like a bit of comfort,” he said with a laugh. “They usually have a much more interesting life.”

Janjigian added another piece of himself to the book: Gephyrophobia, the fear of bridges. It’s one that has been a part of Janjigian’s life for years.

“Like many writers, I use that fear and fear,” he said. And did he think that if he wrote about it, would he be able to master it? “That would have been the ultimate goal to drive it out.”

“Interestingly, when I was living in town and working at the Depot Bookstore in Marin County. I shuttled back and forth across that [Golden Gate] Bridge five days a week for over two years and had no problems. I didn’t have a phobia, ”he recalls. Slowly: “I had a little nervousness that began to develop over some high bridges.”

As he and his wife moved to Maryland over time, the phobia came with a vengeance. “When my wife and I moved to Maryland, my wife and I were walking across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and I was absolutely scared,” he recalls.

“I just really, really avoid high bridges,” he added.

Life during the pandemic

The pandemic made a huge difference in Janjigian’s life. First, a small book tour with stops in Boston and San Francisco was canceled, and second, because of the free time, Janjigian was able to write a screenplay about Kerouac, like his protagonist Harry, “in a case in which he imitates art” ”and a novel.

He explained, “I started doing this right after the novel was published in November. I started writing in December and am currently working through the final draft. It’s called ‘Kerouac’. We’ll see how it goes from here. ”

He added: “I wrote a novel, Confluence in Café Zürich, which is about the character Jackson and a previous theft. which is alluded to in A Cerebral Offer. ”

Janjigian had some advice for aspiring writers. “I subscribe to Hemingway’s simple advice: Travel. It forces you to meet other people and experience different things. It’s the greatest a writer can have. ”

The other piece of the puzzle is writing every day. “I never write. When I sit down to write, I always write something. It is whether it is a holder or not. Even if it’s only half an hour, it’s important to keep this rhythm. ”

Janjigian was born and raised in Massachusetts. He lived in Watertown with his family before moving to Belmont and graduating from Belmont High School. He attended Clark University in Worcester and later did his Masters at Leslie University in Cambridge.

“I was just finishing my degree at Leslie University and teaching full time,” he said. The expat’s life tickled him. So he decided to take some of the courses to complete his studies at St. John’s University in Rome.

He remembered his year living near the beach outside Rome: “I loved it. It was fantastic. I would have stayed longer if I had had the opportunity. ”

“I met my wife in 2005 and we moved here [to Washington, DC] 2009 for her job. She is a scientist who works for the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, ”he said.

They tried to move to San Francisco but failed and decided to go where the jobs were.

Janjigian is now Associate Dean of American University. He oversaw the founding and launch of the English Language and Training Academy (ELTA). Before joining the AU in 2012, he taught at UMBC, Northeastern, and the Institute for English Language at Harvard University. At Brandeis University, he helped launch their ESL pathway program.

He has published two other books, Gone West (collection of short stories), Defending Infinity (novel), in addition to A Cerebral Offer.

He and his wife live with their three cats.

To purchase A Cerebral Offer, go to Amazon or visit https://www.spdbooks.org/Products/9781604892581/a-cerebral-offer.aspx

The post Janjigian Delves into Wine, Ladies, Beat Writers and JFK in San Francisco appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.