City Hall's "improvements" to city streets

A letter to the editor in today's SF Chronicle:

Tragedy waiting to happen

More raised, concrete, vehicle obstacles have been installed in the middle of two-lane Lake Street. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency calls them “pedestrian safety islands.” They provide little or no safety to pedestrians and are easily mounted by cars or trucks. They’re unnecessary — it’s a very rare pedestrian who can’t safely cross a level, straight, two-lane street without having to stop halfway across.

These concrete obstacles create hazards where none existed. A slightly inattentive driver, legally driving on his own side of the center line, can easily strike one of these barriers, especially at night. The impact will not only damage his car but it can send it out of control into oncoming traffic. 

A motorcyclist who hits one of these hazards could cartwheel, resulting in death or serious injury. I’ve seen overly cautious drivers “shy away” from the barrier into the adjacent bike lane on their right side. Many bikers don’t display flashing rear lights — they’re almost invisible at night. 

These useless, dangerous obstacles are a tragedy waiting to happen. It appears that the SFMTA will go to any lengths to discourage auto use on the streets of San Francisco.

Richard Covert

San Francisco

Letter to the editor in yesterday's SF Chronicle:

Fix the avenue

San Francisco has torn up Van Ness Avenue, one of its most important arteries. And yet all week I have seen only two workers on the project (I’ve driven up and down Van Ness Avenue several times each day). 

Given the importance of this street, any other large city would have people working nonstop to quickly do the necessary work and get commerce, life and traffic operating once again.

Sherman Griffin 

Seattle

See also Public Comment on the Van Ness BRT project.