This afternoon around 5:30pm, a large sinkhole opened up at the intersection of Lake and 2nd Avenue. Neighbors reported that a car drove over the area and shortly after, the ground began sinking in on itself.

We stopped by the sinkhole at 6:45pm tonight, and helicopters from two news channels were still circling overheard.

A DPW crew was there inspecting the hole, and the entire intersection was closed off with police caution tape. No repairs were being made yet.

Several streets were closed off from traffic leading into the intersection, including the first and third blocks of Lake Street, and 2nd Avenue between California and Lake.

The surface of the sinkhole looked like it had been covered with fresh asphalt recently, and a neighbor on scene confirmed that the area had been patched in recent weeks.

She drove over the intersection earlier in the day with her husband, and remarked that the ground was uneven and appeared to be sinking.

It’s unclear what caused the sinkhole, but typically it’s due to a break in a sewer or water line that then erodes the surface under the street. When we visited the scene, there was no sign of water and no smell of sewage, but there was definitely an absence of foundation under the street.

UPDATE: KTVU, who was manning one of the choppers over the scene, reports, “It is believed that the sinkhole was caused by an old 21-inch sewer line failure.”

There were several gawkers at the intersection, mostly neighbors who lived close by and wondered why helicopters were circling overhead. Guess it’s a slow news day.

Try to avoid the area for tonight and probably tomorrow, as crews will be assessing and repairing the sinkhole which is pretty large.

Thanks to reader Stacy L. for the tip.

UPDATE 5/8/13: SFAppeal reports that it could take as long as 2 weeks to repair the sinkhole, which was caused by the rupture of a 19-inch brick sewer line.

Sarah B.

Photo by Stacy L.

This Thursday night, the Richmond District Democratic Club is hosting a public forum/discussion on the new bike lanes in Golden Gate Park as part of their February meeting.

The RDDC has invited members from the SF Bicycle Coalition, pedestrian safety, seniors’ advocates, and the SFMTA to join the discussion.

The bike lanes sparked a lot of discussion here on the blog in an article last month entitled Bicycle Lane in Golden Gate Park Cause for Concern.

Comments about the new lanes were very mixed, and included negative reviews from cyclists who say the new configuration is detrimental to drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.

The RDDC meeting will be held this Thursday night in the Richmond District Police Station Community Room, 461 6th Avenue from 7pm until 8:30pm.

Sarah B.

It’s a new year and that means new ways for the SFMTA to grab revenue from residents and visitors to the city. Their latest brainchild goes into effect this weekend – metered parking on Sundays.

What was once considered a sacred right of San Franciscans – free parking meters on Sundays – will be a thing of the past beginning at noon this Sunday. Starting January 6, all parking meters across the city will be enforced from 12noon until 6pm every Sunday.

Here are a few extra tidbits about the new meter rules to keep in mind:

• Sunday metered parking is enforced from 12noon until 6pm only.
• Sunday meters will have 4 hour time limits. But per usual, you cannot “feed” the meter or exceed the four hour time limit.
• Meters will be programmed for prepayment so you can pay even if you arrive before the meter is in effect. For example, if you arrive at 10 a.m. and need to stay until 2 p.m., you can pay at 10 a.m. for two hours starting at noon when the meter goes into effect. Prepayment can begin at 4:30 a.m. at any SFMTA meter as of January 6, 2013. If the meter is $2 per hour and you put $4 in the meter at 10 a.m., the meter will show payment until 2 p.m. (10 a.m. to 12 p.m. free and $2 each for 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.)
• Meter rates on Sundays will be the same as those on Saturday
• Meters that were already enforced on Sundays, such as those at Fisherman’s Wharf (7am – 7pm) and the Port of San Francisco (7am – 11pm), will still maintain their regular, posted hours.

Aside from wanting to make more money for the city (which they don’t really mention in their FAQ, ahem…), the SFMTA says they are enforcing Sunday metered parking to “make sure that motorists can easily find a place to park in commercial areas, which is currently very hard on Sundays.”

Although parking has been free on Sundays since meters were first installed in the 1940s, the SFMTA says that unlike back then, businesses are now open on Sundays, making parking just as tough on Sundays as it is on Saturdays. Hence the need for meters to help increase parking turnover.

If you’re tired of carrying rolls of quarters around or refilling your SFMTA parking card, you might want to check out the PayByPhone app which is available for iPhone, Android or Blackberry. Punch in the meter space number, enter the number of minutes you want, and submit your payment. The app will remind you via text message when you meter is running out and if you haven’t hit the meter limit yet, you can add more parking time from the app (without having to trek back to your car).

Yes, there is a $.45 service fee for every PaybyPhone app transaction but it sure beats a hefty ticket and scrounging for spare change in your glove compartment.

Sarah B.

Another sinkhole appeared on the 3300 block of Fulton between 9th and 10th Avenues last week, this time taking a fire hydrant with it (and ironically, creating a new parking space).

Early last week, a hole formed near the base of the fire hydrant near the corner of 9th Avenue and Fulton and as of yesterday, it had expanded and completely swallowed up the hydrant. It has been reported to 311 and cones from the SF Water Department have been positioned near it.

This is the second sinkhole on the block in the past couple of months. The first appeared in early October in the roadway and stopped a SUV in its tracks.

Resident Jim M., who lives on the block, says he’s concerned there’s something more serious happening under the street.

“What I’m worried about is the connection between the two incidents, there’s something else going on. I’m not convinced the city is solving the bigger problem of why there are two sinkholes within 20 yards of each other within 2 months,” he said.

In fall 2011, the city embarked on a year long upgrade project to the 5 Fulton bus line, which put the electrical feeder cables that power the trolley buses for the route underground. The year long project concluded earlier this spring, and required construction work on Fulton from 32nd Avenue to 8th Avenue. Much of that work was digging trenches under the roadway to make room for the wiring.

Whether these sinkholes are related to the upgrade project work remains to be seen, but let’s hope that DPW digs a little deeper to find out what’s going on.

Sarah B.

Last night just before 9pm, a sinkhole trapped a car on the 3300 block of Fulton between 9th and 10th Avenue. Thanks to reader Jim for sending in the photos.

Jim lives right where the sinkhole started forming, and says he first noticed it that morning. “It was just a couple of inches when I pulled out of my garage.”

He arrived home later that night to find the stranded SUV stuck in the sinkhole, and another car double parked a little further down the block which may have also been damaged. It was unclear if the SUV sustained any damage.

Jim says the sinkhole is right over the trench that was dug during the 5 Fulton upgrade project, which put the electrical feeder cables that power the trolley buses for the route underground. The year long project concluded earlier this spring, and required construction work on Fulton from 32nd Avenue to 8th Avenue.

If you see a sinkhole forming on your block, call 311 to report it. You might just save a car!

Sarah B.

The San Francisco County Transportation Authority has announced one vacancy on the Geary Bus Rapid Transit Citizens Advisory Committee (GCAC). The Committee meets on a quarterly basis and advises the Authority throughout the project process.

The Geary Bus Rapid Transit project is designed to speed up buses and make service more reliable and comfortable along Geary Boulevard, as well as improve pedestrian conditions among the busy corridor with new medians, safer crossings, landscaping and countdown signals. BRT service could potentially begin in 2016/17. More on the pros & cons of Geary BRT

The Citizens Advisory Committee provides input in refining the BRT alternatives, considering project benefits and impacts for all users of the corridor, developing mitigation strategies, and identifying a preferred alternative.

Currently the project is working on an environmental study, with the study team and other public agencies working collaboratively with the GCAC, as well as inviting public participation through community meetings.

If you’re interested in applying for the open position on the Citizens Advisory Committee, visit gearybrt.org for more information and download the application form. Applicants from neighborhoods along the Geary corridor are particularly encouraged to apply. The application deadline is October 24 at 5pm.

Sarah B.

Next Monday, the SF County Transportation Authority will hold an informational public meetings on the Geary Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Project at the Richmond District Recreation Center from 6:30pm until 8:30pm (251 18th Avenue).

The BRT project is designed to speed up buses by creating dedicated bus-only lanes on Geary from Gough Street to 25th Avenue, which could improve service and reliability, as well as improve pedestrian conditions among the busy corridor with new medians, safer crossings, landscaping and countdown signals. View the project fact sheet (PDF)

But the Geary BRT has been dismissed by opponents as being too expensive, too disruptive to residents and local businesses, and unrealistic in its goals.

Still, proponents believe that Geary Boulevard can become the “Great Street” it was always meant to be, and that bus riders will benefit from the service improvements and merchants from the increased ridership into the Richmond District.

BRT is a long way from becoming a reality. Project timelines are long, with construction beginning in 2017 and wrapping up sometime in 2019-2020.

The project is currently developing an environmental study, and next week’s meetings will be a chance for residents to learn about project alternatives under evaluation, view design options being considered for key intersections, and provide feedback to the project team.

There are still 4 alternatives being considered for the project. The first is to leave Geary as is, meaning no new dedicated lanes for buses but improvements would be made to help flow of traffic and increase safety. The second alternative calls for “side-lanes”, or dedicated bus lanes that would hug the curbs on Geary with bulbs added to accommodate vehicle parking. The third and fourth alternatives create center lanes dedicated to the Geary buses, one plan with a dual median, the other with a single.

The BRT project is the source of much debate in the neighborhood. In 2009, we asked two David’s – David Heller of the Geary Boulevard Merchant’s Association and savegearyblvd.com, and Dave Snyder of Streetsblog – to weigh in on the major issues surrounding the project. Read their answers here. And the BRT was one of the key questions up at the mayoral debate hosted in the neighborhood in September 2011.

Sarah B.

Proposed configurations for the dedicated bus lanes on Geary from Gough Street out to 25th Avenue

We got word last week that a local Pedicab company is looking to expand across the city, including adding routes in the Richmond District.

Cabrio Taxi, known for their glittery red cabs, currently operates on the Embarcadero, offering rides to locals and tourists via their fleet of bicycle-powered taxis. According to their website, they also offer tours and services for special events.

Apparently business is booming and Cabrio wants to add more routes in the city. In their route map application to the SFPD and SFMTA (view application (PDF)), the company says they have plans to “grow into the cultural and commercial pockets of San Francisco such as the Marina, North Beach, SOMA, Mission, Polk St., Haight and the GGPark/Panhandle areas.”

Officer Tobius Moore, Permit Officer for the Richmond District station, said in an email that Cabrio Taxi wants to offer transportation between Golden Gate Park and the Presidio, and to support large events happening in Golden Gate Park (like Outside Lands, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass).

“Their main focus for the Richmond District is to provide “green transportation” for people between The Presidio and Golden Gate Park on normal days and nights. When there is a large event or festival in Golden Gate Park, the company’s focus is transporting people from Golden Gate Park to businesses and bus routes along Geary Boulevard, Clement Street, and California Street to help alleviate pedestrian congestion around Fulton Street and Golden Gate Park,” Moore wrote.

The route map in their application shows service running along JFK and MLK Drives in Golden Gate Park, as well as along Lake Street. Pedicabs would use 25th Avenue to exit and enter the park during the day, and 8th Avenue as well in the evenings.

No word on how much Cabrio Taxi plans to charge for rides. I haven’t been in a pedicab for years and the last time I inquired about a ride down on the wharf, I was pretty surprised at how high the price was. One Yelp reviewer notes that it’s “about twice as expensive per mile as a cab, but they can go up all the walking streets too!”

In addition to providing green transportation, Cabrio Taxi says the presence of their drivers can also help reduce crime in local neighborhoods. “Part of our legacy contribution to the City will be the fact that we will help in crime prevention. We hope to have our operators work with the local stations to become educated and certified for simple emergency response procedures. This has proven to be effective in other cities,” they wrote in their proposal.

Cabrio’s goal is to be permitted to operate their pedicab service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but note that they would likely not have any in operation between 4am and 10am in the mornings. Their “staging” areas would be at fire hydrants, per suggestion from the SFMTA.

Officer Moore notes that the pedicab company has engaged in ample community outreach about their plan, yet no Richmond District organizations made their contact list. In his email, Moore reached out to local groups like the Planning Association for the Richmond (PAR), the Geary Merchant’s Association, The Richmond Review newspaper, as well as local business owners and landlords for feedback.

What do you think about a pedicab service operating in the neighborhood? Leave a comment to let us know.

Sarah B.