San Francisco's Main Street is Now Officially Car-Free

[XXtwindad]

https://www.sfgate.com/commute/artic...e-14947731.php

I wonder if we will see the reign of the automobile over in our lifetime. This is a great step in the right direction. The streets belong to pedestrians and bikes. (eBikes too! Although, eventually motor capability will have to be addressed)

On a side note, I often have friends and clients come back from vacation in major European cities (Paris, Vienna, etc...) and marvel about how much weight they lost while eating really good food. I always asked them what kind of car they rented.

"We didn't. We walked everywhere," is the usual reply.

Exactly. Urban planning and public health go hand-in-hand.

[Bostic]

I grew up in San Francisco, road my skateboard and later bike all up and down Market street. Once I started working in the Financial district I road My bike to work everyday from the outer Richmond or Sunset districts. Market street was no where near as dangerous as the streets that feed into it. Perhaps that has changed in the last 10 years.

Isn’t this going to now crush Mission street with all that traffic that was on Market? Or on a typical busy Friday Night commute where everyone is trying to find a way to either the Bay Bridge or HW 280 south?

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by Bostic

I grew up in San Francisco, road my skateboard and later bike all up and down Market street. Once I started working in the Financial district I road My bike to work everyday from the outer Richmond or Sunset districts. Market street was no where near as dangerous as the streets that feed into it. Perhaps that has changed in the last 10 years.

Isn’t this going to now crush Mission street with all that traffic that was on Market? Or on a typical busy Friday Night commute where everyone is trying to find a way to either the Bay Bridge or HW 280 south?

Evidently, the new planning report addresses that very issue, and the planners don't see that happening,

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by XXtwindad

Evidently, the new planning report addresses that very issue, and the planners don't see that happening,

FWIW, JTakeda, should he care to contribute, should have a very educated take...

[bicycletricycle]

It will be interesting to see how they attempt to deal with the increased traffic on adjacent roads.

It will make a nice camp for the homeless

[Buzz]

Originally Posted by XXtwindad

Evidently, the new planning report addresses that very issue, and the planners don't see that happening,

I wonder if these are the same genius planners and city leaders who have brought us the current conditions in San Francisco. You know, all the poop, pee, drug use, vehicle break-ins, anti-business regulations, and so forth and so on.

I have literally seen folks pissing and ****ting, even publicly masturbating in front of cops who did nothing. Not the cops fault, they have been ordered to stand down. As some one said above it will make a beautiful homeless encampment.

[bshell]

Do you honestly believe SF city leaders and planners have brought on these conditions?

And if so, how do you explain the phenomenon across the nation?

[Gummee]

Originally Posted by bshell

Do you honestly believe SF city leaders and planners have brought on these conditions?

And if so, how do you explain the phenomenon across the nation?

I'm not the one that's going to get this thread closed down.

...but... I'll say 'CA govt is somewhat less than effective' on this issue

M

[bshell]

Non answer. It's nationwide, baby.

[Spaghetti Legs]

That’s a great move and I hope it works out. I lived in SF (North Beach) in the early 90’s and I crossed Market in that stretch in my car countless times, but rarely had reason to drive on Market. I wonder if you’ll see better traffic conditions on the cross streets as longer light cycle times will allow more throughput.

[Buzz]

Originally Posted by bshell

Do you honestly believe SF city leaders and planners have brought on these conditions?

And if so, how do you explain the phenomenon across the nation?

Yes. Seen it happening here before my eyes for 20 plus years now. I travel and have relatives all over the US. This isn’t normal or nationwide. I have relatives in Cleveland, Atlanta, NYC, Boston and nothing in those places approaches what is ALLOWED to take place here.

This reminds me of NYC in the 1980s. Different leadership was elected tand overnight there was cops at each end of every block. It didn’t take long to clean things up and make the city safe and tolerable to live in. It just takes willpower.

There is absolutely nothing compassionate about allowing a drug addict to sit in his or her own excrement. If a parent left a kid in a dirty diaper all day long next to an open bottle of aspirin the parents would be hauled in on neglect charges.

Guys that commit auto burglaries are given tickets instead of arrested. The whole thing is upside down.

Read the readers comments in the SF Chronice/ SF Gate on any story about this if you want to get a sense of how the citizens feel here.

[FlashUNC]

The only way to get folks out of cars and into other transit options is to make it harder for cars to get around. I applaud this move.

[unterhausen]

New York closed 14th street except to buses and things are going great so far. They haven't seen any bad effects on other streets and the buses on 14th have had a big increase in ridership and decrease in transit times. Those two things are probably related

[romalor]

I approved that move too . I deeply care about air quality, noise and visual pollution.
If I lived in the city I wouldn't own a car, except maybe for week-ends excursions and it would have to be cheap.

I know you in the US have a big car culture and geographical extansion, so people often live far from their work etc. I hope that people who can will avoid using cars in the future so that those who have to, will be less on the road. And homework thanks to technology for those of us who can.

But ask yourself why we don't have more people on foot, bike or others active ways or transportation . Or even public transportations. Ok some just want to enjoy their private metal cubicle , even if that mean being stuck in trafic.

Maybe others don't want to be confronted to the places and people on public transportations or streets. Safety and things related are a big if, and you can't talk easily about it in my experiences. Altough I won't ever silence myself about it.

I personnaly prefer to ride my bike or go on foot in Bruxelles ( belgium ).
Public transportation, the noise, the smell and even the sight it's a mess.
We live(d) in a society. Do we anymore ?

I've too read " stories " about san franciso getting less and less punitive overall .
Don't know if it's all real , but don't intend to try on and see for myself .

( when properties, physicals things under 1000USD are stolen no more police investigation etc )

In society , lot of things are related. So it's of course also about drugs ( sackler family nice people , and wellfare.

[fiamme red]

Originally Posted by unterhausen

New York closed 14th street except to buses and things are going great so far. They haven't seen any bad effects on other streets and the buses on 14th have had a big increase in ridership and decrease in transit times. Those two things are probably related

The study that found that things were going great was paid for by the NYC DOT, which created the busway as an emergency measure to deal with the L-train shutdown (which never ended up happening). You know the saying about "lies, damned lies, and statistics." In practice, 14th Street has become a ghost street, and the adjacent crosstown streets are parking lots with the constant sounding of horns during rush hour.

https://thevillagesun.com/busway-is-...h-st-merchants

https://thevillagesun.com/14th-st-bu...-residents-say