Next Wednesday, January 31, the SFMTA will hold the next public meeting about the proposed 8th Avenue Neighborway Project.
As we detailed in a story back in November, the project proposes to add traffic calming measures to 8th Avenue including 10 speed humps and two “speed cushions” to slow down traffic or divert it to other streets in the nearby area. The calming measures would extend on 8th Avenue from Lake Street to Fulton Street, and on a few adjoining blocks of 7th and 9th Avenues.
The most radical part of the plan includes limiting vehicle access to a block of 8th Avenue. 8th Avenue between Anza and Balboa would be closed off to car traffic from certain directions.
Wednesday night’s meeting will include the SFMTA and Supervisor Sandra Fewer presenting updated proposals for the project.
“Based on community feedback, the SFMTA is proposing to install new speed humps, painted markings and stop signs to calm traffic in the neighborhood and near schools. The SFMTA is also proposing a study to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed traffic calming measures and determine if additional safety measures, including traffic diversion, would be warranted in the future,” Supervisor Fewer wrote in a recent newsletter.
The meeting will be help from 6pm until 8pm at Zion Lutheran Church and School, 495 9th Avenue. For more information on the project, visit the SFMTA website.
Sarah B.
Glad to see that the traffic diversions won’t be implemented.
I bike commute, and I have a kid that bikes, but I hope it’s blocked as per the SFMTA document, it reduced the traffic beneath some critical level on 8th, but diverted to above that level on my block, 7th, per their estimates. Also, it does it directly at Anza so my block will be the first affected. Additionally, there is a park on 7th Avenue between Anza and Geary that kids play at that will receive the additional traffic.
Many alternative solutions have been proposed elsewhere. I’m partial to just reducing the speed limit in the whole area and making sure it’s enforced, then I’d care less about the volume.
Diverting traffic to 9th Ave is such a bad plan. Happy to see the meeting is taking place on 9th Ave at Zion, where it will be evident that events & school traffic make it ridiculous to consider diverting more traffic to this block.
Why 8th street? All the streets in that area are too busy. Cabrillo street for example between Arguello and Park Presidio is highly trafficked, due the the bus lines and the Safeway traffic, including large delivery trucks. 6th Ave from Geary to Fulton is incredibly busy, and NOISY, in large part due to the bus line that runs down 6th, and the police traffic that flies up 6th from the station, with sirens blaring at all hours of the night. There is also McCoppin School on 6th! Diverting traffic from 8th to the neighboring blocks will only make things worse for the other streets in the area, which are already over burdened with traffic and noise. How is this proposal helping any of that?