Proposed: Traffic Signal For Intersection Of Church And Cesar Chavez Streets

There's a small sign posted on a pole at Cesar Chavez and Church Streets announcing a hearing about a proposed traffic signal for that intersection. Pretty big news, right? There have been calls for a stoplight at 24th/Church, but this is the first we've heard of one at this busy intersection. Our initial reaction is that it's not necessary unless it can smooth the interaction of pedestrian traffic on Church and all the cars trying to get to 101. Otherwise, this intersection flows pretty smoothly. So where did this proposal come from? Follow us down the rabbit hole (and watch out for PDFs).

Remember the SFMTA's Transit Effectiveness Project (TEP)? When we covered it in 2008 the main issue was bus routes - there was a strong push to alter routes and eliminate stops to speed up the service. Then in 2012 the J Church line was included in Muni Forward's Travel Time Reduction Proposal (TTRP). Basically, the proposal aims to speed the J Church along its route by reducing stops, relocating boarding areas, creating transit-only lanes and (this is the key part) including "traffic calming" at certain intersections (more on that below). The SFMTA study says changes will "reduce the travel time of the J Church within the study area by about 6.5 minutes total in both directions."

Projects like this are never easy in San Francisco, and of course there was an Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The huge public response sent everyone back to the drawing board, and many changes were made (for fellow planning dorks here are the three huge PDFs documenting response to public feedback: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3). The end result is that the amended EIR was approved with changes on May 22, 2014.

Approval of said EIR is what grants the SFMTA authority to add a traffic signal to Cesar Chavez and Church Streets. But what isn't clear is why the SFMTA is pursing a stoplight at this intersection only. The TTRP stipulates changes along the Church St route at 25th, 26th, and Day Streets -- the "expanded alternative" asks for unspecified "traffic calming" measures for those intersections, but offers a "moderate alternative" that will instead install traffic signals. (The TTRP makes clear that 24th and Church will get a light, but other changes there make for a bigger project that will likely happen later.) The August 1 hearing is asking the public to approve one of those traffic signals without addressing the rest of the J Church route.

If you have an opinion on this traffic light want your voice heard please attend the August 1 hearing at City Hall: 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 416 at 10:00am.

Can't make the hearing? Per SFMTA hearing guidelines (emphasis ours):

Opinions on these proposed changes may be filed in writing prior to the hearing by email (link to sustainable.streets@sfmta.com) with the subject line “Public Hearing.” Written opinions may also be transmitted to the Sustainable Streets Division via fax at 415.701.4737 or by mail: Engineering Public Hearing, Sustainable Streets Division, One South Van Ness Avenue, 7th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103-5417. Submitted opinions will become part of the official public record and will be brought to the attention of the person(s) conducting the hearing.

This Week In Noe Valley: Yoga Pants, J Church Disruptions, And Local Stairway Walks

News from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs:

• J-Church to share transit-only lane north of 16th starting this weekend [SFMTA]
• Scott Wiener's March 2013 Newsletter [SW]
• MTC: Google would be 7th largest transit agency in Bay Area [SJ Merc]
• Noe Valley stairway walks [The Whole Hog]
• Nearby St Vincent adding Saturday tastings, bottle sales and food [Eater]
• Time to get dressed, Noe Valley Ladies [WaPo]

[Photo: @friscolex]

Less MUNI on the J-Church Line = Quiet

SFGate.com is reporting that MUNI is (finally) opening a new maintenance and storage yard this weekend out on 25th St and Illinois.

So what, you ask? "By early next year, officials plan to keep 80 light-rail vehicles at the new yard, known as Muni Metro East, and 71 at the Green yard at San Jose and Geneva avenues in Balboa Park." In other words, that's a lot of trains that won't be moving up and down Church St in the dark hours. MUNI says something about improved service on all lines, too, but we'll wait to see if that works out.

What do you think: is the quiet worth not having a train show up every 2 minutes in the morning?

Muni Changes in Supe District 8

The SFMTA Board of Directors will consider staff recommendations to improve MUNI at their meeting on September 16th. They will accept public comment in person, by email, phone or USPS. Follow the link below for contact information. 

How does this effect Noe Valley?

From the SFMTA TEP website: 

Summary of Proposed District 8 Changes:

• Service would increase on Metro lines during peaks
  
• 33-Stanyan would be rerouted off of Potrero Avenue and onto 16th and 18th Streets to serve the Potrero Hill neighborhood
  
• J-Church would be extended to San Francisco State University
  
• 48-Quintara would be more direct between Portola and 24th Street via Clipper and Diamond Streets; Hoffman and Douglass would be served by modified 35 line and also connect to Glen Park BART
  
• 37-Corbett north of Market and Church would be discontinued and replaced by a new 32-Roosevelt line
  
• 26-Valencia would be discontinued; parallel service on Mission Street would be improved and
  
• Glen Park segment would be served by 36-Teresita

[SFMTA TEP website]