"Don't shut us out"
Letter to the editor in today's SF Chronicle:
Please reopen John F. Kennedy Drive to cars so that all citizens of San Francisco can have access to the venues along this route. Throughout the park there are a plethora of paths, trails and bike lanes for young folks with good mobility who walk, ride, skate, scooter, etc.
But seniors with limited mobility are denied access when roads are closed. While I understand that we, the senior citizens of San Francisco, are a minority, we deserve to be considered in plans for our Golden Gate Park.
We have supported this city and this park for over half a century. Places like the Botanical Garden, Academy of Sciences, museums, Conservatory of Flowers, Japanese Tea Garden, etc., are supported by our funds and our hours of volunteering.
Don’t shut us out.
Lynette Porteous
San Francisco
Rob's comment:
The anti-car movement has a long history of trying to deny access to Golden Gate Park. See Anti-Car jihad targets Golden Gate Park from 2006 and Only the bike people opposed the garage from 2007.
And Still debating the Concourse garage in 2017.
Labels: Anti-Car, Bicycle Coalition, Concourse Garage, Golden Gate Park, History, Slow Streets
posted by Rob Anderson @ 1:39 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
GG Park is supposed to be a respite from urban activity and the amount of car/bus traffic allowed is absurd. Have you seen the year-round weekend traffic back-ups at the 9th Ave. entrance–especially when the museums are open?
My wish:
Generally close the park to vehicular traffic, especially tour buses. (diesel/noise = serenity??) Of course keep 19th/25 Aves. crossover open.
operate a free (or donation requested) frequent year-round electric shuttle that is well advertised and connects directly with Fulton and Arguello/Lincoln Streets (app-tracking of course a la NextBus). And yes, can stop at the buffalo paddock.
Allow only for disabled to gain access in a controlled way. Eliminate people parking in park and commuting to downtown jobs.
For equipment to be delivered to places like the Polo Field — obtain a permit in advance and have an attendant at the gate to let you in. (For you Rug Bees–you can’t hike into the park to get to the PF?)
Deal with the concerns of surrounding neighborhoods being indundated by traffic by social/mass media alerts to Bay Areans and tourists thinking about coming to the park, that you should take transit and beef up those MUNI lines for event days, better than what has been done in the past. Have Rita, Ritas working on weekends patrolling the neighborhoods aggressively ticketing violators–responding to residents’ texts/calls and pro-actively monitoring. Assign the expected ticketing revenues to support any of the above actions, as needed.
If wishes were bikes, the homeless could ride.
I think the commentator employs the the word "wish" in a courteous, civil way. The recommendations are solid, otherwise, RA, you could have presented a reasoned response. But you haven't. You simply continue with the sarcastic harangue against bikes and want to preserve your free parking spaces.
There is plenty of parking--it's what the museums pushed for and got: the underground parking garage. Expensive? You bet, but why should you be able to park for free anywhere when congestion reigns supreme in this City? UCSF Garage is another option for those who can walk a relatively short distance. Uber/Lyft which I detest, is still a cheaper option than the concourse garage. Buses #5 and #7 ply the routes on either side of the park; #44 cuts through and the N Judah is a few blocks away. The walk will do you good. And if you are disabled the options are well-known.
I've been making my "reasoned response" to the city's anti-car policies for more than 15 years on this blog. Click on the links I provide in this post and you see my response to this specific issue.
Yes, the museums on the Concourse supported the underground garage, but charging $33 to park there is another way of denying access. (Not clear exactly how much time this buys a motorist.)
Guess who opposed building that garage? Yes, the Bicycle Coalition and the city's anti-car movement.
"UCSF Garage is another option for those who can walk a relatively short distance." It's several blocks away. Why should seniors, the handicapped, and families with children be priced out of using the garage that was built specifically to improve access to that part of Golden Gate Park?
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