In this issue:

1. Housing Yes! project update
a. Weigh in on behalf of smart development in Glen Park
b. Public hearing on citywide zoning controls
c. Legalizing secondary units waiting for environmental review
d. Housing Action Coalition hiring an executive director

2. The Transportation Choices Project
a. Walk SF and SAN victory: Segways restricted from sidewalk use!
b. Bicycle Coalition Party & Auction Dec. 8
c. Bus Rapid Transit campaign accelerates:

The Housing Yes! project

More housing at more affordable prices, without increasing traffic

Weigh in on behalf of smart development in Glen Park. Glen Park Marketplace combines housing, a library, and a grocery store adjacent to the Glen Park BART station. Despite the proximity to transit, the developers are providing a 15-car parking garage to go along with 15 units of housing. However, they are not providing parking for the library or for the grocery, which are intended to serve nearby residents. Some neighbors are opposing the project because it doesn't provide enough parking! Balance out the car proponents and tell the Planning Commission we shouldn't build parking next to BART stations! For details, check out our Glen Park Marketplace page.

Public hearing on citywide zoning controls. It seems that a team of planners in the Department of City Planning has already developed a comprehensive overhaul of zoning controls related to density and parking, including many of the livable city principles TLC supports. But the Director of Planning, Gerald Green, has for months just sat on the proposals, dubbed the Citywide Action Plan. TLC wants to know: Where's the Action in the Citywide Action Plan? We have asked Supervisor Matt Gonzalez to request a hearing. Read this space for details on the first Board of Supervisors hearing on the TLC livable city zoning and development principles!

Update: Legalizing secondary units waiting for environmental review. Supervisor Aaron Peskin tells us his proposal to legalize new secondary units is awaiting environmental review. It should be less than a few months before the proposal is ready for a vote at the board of Supervisors. As reported here last month, Peskin's legislation will encourage homeowners to convert unused garage or storage space to new housing, exempting those spaces from the off-street parking requirement, and protecting existing on-street parking by restricting residents of such units from getting on-street parking permits. Read more about it in this article by Supervisor Peskin in the San Francisco Apartment Association newsletter.

Housing Action Coalition (HAC) ready to hire an executive director. Thanks to support from the San Francisco Foundation, the Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. Fund and the members of the HAC, including TLC, they are ready to hire a full-time director. The full-time position starts in January. [12/16/02 update: The position has been filled!]

TLC will work closely with the HAC, connecting the grassroots of the city's large and powerful transportation reform constituency to the housing encouragement projects of the HAC.

The Transportation Choices Project

Segways restricted from sidewalks. The scooter company's million-dollar lobbying effort was unable to convince eight San Francisco supervisors to allow these 13 mph+ scooters to turn the public sidewalks into private pathways for rich Segway users. For organizing public opposition, kudos to the Senior Action Network, Walk San Francisco, the Bicycle Coalition, and the SPUR Transportation committee. TLC encourages Segway to promote use of their scooters on the streets, restricting their use on the sidewalk to people who need them for medical reasons. The roll call:

Protecting our sidewalks for real pedestrians (yes on Segway sidewalk restrictions):

Supervisor Chris Daly (the sponsor)
Aaron Peskin
Jake McGoldrick
Matt Gonzalez
Mark Leno
Tom Ammiano
Sophie Maxwell
Gerardo Sandoval

What the hell I only use the sidewalks to get to the parking garage anyway (no on Segway sidewalk restrictions):

Gavin Newsom
Leland Yee

SFBC WinterFest Party & Auction is Dec. 8. It's the party of the year for bicycle enthusiasts. Free beer and food and fun for SFBC members (or join at the door). Sun. Dec. 8 at SoMarts Gallery 8th & Brannan — get more WinterFest details here . . .

Bus Rapid Transit campaign accelerates. Regionally, the Transportation and Land Use Coalition (TALC) has recently released another of its excellent reports, this one promoting bus rapid transit (BRT). Click here to see a copy of Revolutionizing Bay Area Transit … On a Budget. Locally, TLC will submit an application to the American Public Transit Association to work with Rescue Muni to promote bus rapid transit here in San Francisco. What TLC envisions is a municipal transit system with core lines upgraded to high-speed, high-frequency service. Quick-accelerating, quiet and clean electric buses will operate on exclusive right-of-ways, with control over traffic lights, and stops every five to ten blocks instead of every block or two. With travel times cut way down and frequency so high you never have to wait for the bus, people will have the choice of their existing bus service or a pleasant short walk to the a BRT station, where they can be sure of being whisked away to their destination! Variations of this plan have already been proposed by TALC, Rescue Muni, Muni itself, and SPUR. Keep reading this newsletter to follow this campaign.

Sign Up for the TLC Newsletter

©2002-2004 Transportation for a Livable City