Who's to blame?

Greg:

As usual your analysis is several degrees off. In your eagerness to hammer the SF Bicycle Coalition, you let the city off too easily. The SFBC is not a party to this litigation. It was the BOS, representing the City of San Francisco, that made the Framework Doc. part of the General Plan with no environmental review, by a unanimous vote and with no debate. The Planning Dept., the Planning Commission, and DPT also played important roles in the Bicycle Plan fiasco. But it would be interesting to know how many people in the relevant city departments are members of the SFBC, since that group exercises so much influence over city policy. For example, Marshall Foster of the mayor's office---and formerly of the Planning Dept.--- is listed as a contributor on the SFBC's website.

Greg Hayes wrote:

As a bicycle advocate and concerned citizen, I write regarding the CEQA law-suit re the DPT/SFBC bike plan. The SFBC actively worked to exclude important areas of study and intentionally sought to evade CEQA environmental review from the bike plan. The SFBC attacked and intimidated other bike adocates and City staff in order to push through their bike network only plan. The fact that the SFBC seeks to blame planning or other city Agencies for the current bike plan disaster at this point is sad and wrong. These agencies do a good job and should be commended. This case should be settled in the form of conducting the appropriate environmental review, such as doing an EIR or mit. neg dec. which recognizes and discusses the environmental effect of the plan. The people deserve the right to full review of plans that will effect their transportation options. The SFBC, though a well intentioned organization, has become hopelessly arrogant and undemocratic. Now they squander the goodwill and justice of the cause of safe and sane transportation in this city. Now they are costing the city a lot of money. Everyone wants safer streets, even Rob Anderson, and everyone deserves the right to speak about their streets. In doing the appropriate environmental review of the bike plan and holding the organization that created this expensive mess accountable, the Supervisors can help create a safer city for both speech and transportation. So I urge you to do the appropriate environmental review of the bike plan and admonish the SFBC for their bad corporate citizenship. Please make a decision that supports free speech, open public process and safe transportation in the City.

Thanks,

Greg Hayes

Western Addition SF