A how-to-fuck-up Masonic meeting

The city is determined to fuck up the traffic on Masonic Avenue on behalf of a militant minority of bike people. The second "community workshop" in the ongoing effort to achieve that goal will be held on August 10 at 350 Masonic. I was at the first workshop and wrote about it here. At that meeting the city provided some numbers that put the effort in a reality-based context: Masonic now carries more than 32,000 vehicles every day, and more than 12,000 people ride the #43 Masonic bus every day.

Mike Helquist, a bike guy who does the Bike Nopa website, has some questions for workshop participants to ponder: "Is there space for a landscaped median and a left-turn lane and a bike lane while keeping a steady traffic flow for Muni and motorists? In the midst of all that, can Masonic traffic be calmed so residents can enjoy the street and pedestrians can choose to walk along it?"

My answers: no and no. Masonic now works very well for more than 44,000 people every day. I often "choose" to walk on Masonic to and from the Trader Joes at Masonic and Geary and have never had any problems doing so. At the first meeting the city's numbers also showed that Masonic isn't really dangerous for anyone, except for motorists at Fell and Masonic.

In short, it's all bullshit and just another selfish attempt by the city's bike people to screw up city traffic for everyone but that obnoxious, anti-car minority.

For the context of the movement to screw up Masonic, click on "Masonic Avenue" below.

John Callahan: R.I.P.

John Callahan's website