Month: October 2018

What does resilient, adaptive, inclusive, and community-minded world-class architecture look like to you? This is the key question posed to a group of private sector multidisciplinary teams who entered a world-wide competition sponsored by C40: Reinventing Cities. The teams are competing for the opportunity to purchase or lease and redevelop two underutilized San Francisco sites located near Civic Center and Hallidie Plaza. The public is invited to an interactive evening to learn more about the competition and inform the design, construction, and programming features to be included in the final proposals. All welcome. RSVP’s appreciated. Light refreshments will be provided.

When: October 30, 2018 5:00-6:30 PM
Where: San Francisco Main Library
100 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA 94102
Room Latino Hispanic A + B

Reinventing Cities is an unprecedented global competition to demonstrate how innovative climate solutions for the built environment can be achieved in combination with noteworthy architecture and local community benefits.

About C40: C40 Cities connects more than 90 of the world’s greatest cities, representing 650+ million people and one quarter of the global economy. Created and led by cities, C40 is focused on tackling climate change and driving urban action that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and climate risks, while increasing the health, wellbeing and economic opportunities of urban citizens. The current chair of the C40 is Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo, and three-term Mayor of New York City Michael R. Bloomberg serves as President of the Board.

Join the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) at a concept design showcase event on October 25, 2018 between 5:00 and 7:30 PM on the 2nd floor of the Ferry Building. Attendees can expect to see and comment on conceptual designs for the longer-term Embarcadero Enhancement Project and get more information on what to expect as the project heads into the environmental review and preliminary engineering phase.

What is the Embarcadero Enhancement Project? The SFMTA, Port of San Francisco, San Francisco Planning Department, and San Francisco Public Works are collaborating on a project that will increase safety, comfort, and accessibility for all who travel along The Embarcadero. Working with a diverse set of stakeholders, the Embarcadero Enhancement Project will develop and implement “Complete Street” improvements along The Embarcadero from Townsend Street near AT&T Park to North Point Street near Pier 39 and Fisherman’s Wharf. Focused on providing a physically-protected, two-way waterside bikeway to reduce conflicts with other modes, the project will also include shorter, more accessible pedestrian crossings, more efficient traffic signals and intersections, improved load zones, and opportunities to enhance streetcar service and overall urban design of the northeast waterfront.

Between 2011 and 2016, 241 people were seriously injured on The Embarcadero, including two fatalities. More recently, a vehicle hit-and-run led to the death of a pedicab driver and injuries to passengers riding in the southbound bike lane. As part of citywide efforts to eliminate such tragedies and prioritize safety no matter how one gets around (an initiative called ‘Vision Zero’), the SFMTA and Port of San Francisco have committed to installing near-term safety improvements along The Embarcadero as quickly as possible.

Current conditions along southbound Embarcadero between Broadway and the Ferry Building include a “tow-away no stopping” curb lane restriction during the morning and afternoon peak commute periods (7-9 AM, 3-7 PM). To help provide a safer, more consistent, and more intuitive experience for all users along the city’s northeastern waterfront, the SFMTA and Port will allow all-day parking and re-stripe The Embarcadero southbound from Broadway to Mission Street with a full-time, green bike lane. Vehicle right-turn lanes will be provided at Washington and Mission streets to support the continued movement of people and goods.

Implementation of these safety improvements are expected to begin in mid-October and should be substantially completed before Thanksgiving. Except for brief periods outside of the peak commute times, two travel lanes will be maintained during implementation, while temporary parking restrictions will be in effect as crews work to complete the striping of the parking and bike lanes.

Additional crosswalk upgrades along The Embarcadero (new high-visibility striping) and potential bike lane adjustments will also be implemented later this year (focused between Green and Bay streets), with limited construction impacts.

To learn more about the Embarcadero Enhancement Project, please visit www.sfmta.com/embarcadero or contact Casey Hildreth at Casey.Hildreth@sfmta.com.

The Barbary Coast Neighborhood Association’s Board of Directors reviewed the local initiatives on the upcoming November ballot from the perspective of our neighborhood values, issues, and input from our members, including residents and businesses.

We have taken the following positions:

• Proposition A (Embarcadero Seawall Earthquake Safety Bond):  SUPPORT
• Proposition C (Additional Business Taxes to Fund Homeless Services):  SUPPORT
• Proposition E (Partial Allocation of Hotel Tax for Arts and Cultural Programs):  SUPPORT