Showing posts with label j-church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label j-church. Show all posts

January 25, 2020

This Week in Noe Valley: Old School Super Bowl Fans, The J Church Is Very Late and Other Local Color


The latest news from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs:
[Photo: Anti-grey classic home via bringbackcandyland

August 12, 2017

This Week in Noe Valley: Ardiana Opens, the J Is 100, and Get Ready for the Eclipse!



The latest news from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs:
[Photo: Painted ladies of Noe Valley via guillevillena]

March 13, 2015

Noe Valley Is Getting A New Stoplight On Church Street


Remember that request for public comment regarding a proposed stoplight at Church and Cesar Chavez Streets? Looks like it's happening. The above sign is posted next to Noe Valley Pet Co. The referenced contract number 2419J specifies thirteen intersections around San Francisco (including here) and includes "traffic, pedestrian and transit signal installations, traffic routing and all associated work" for the bargain price of $1.726M. The entire project is expected to take one year, but don't count on construction at this one intersection taking that long.

What's not included in this is the rest of the Church St improvements approved under the same permit. See our post linked above for context (some links no longer work--SF redesigned its web presence and didn't redirect existing links...again). Here's the current page for the J Church Rapid Project. We're concerned that without making all approved changes vehicle traffic will reroute to avoid this light and make other intersections nearby more dangerous. What do you think?

[NVSF: Proposed: Traffic Signal For Intersection Of Church And Cesar Chavez Streets]
[Photo: @F6x]

July 27, 2014

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.

April 15, 2013

It's Windy! Mother Nature and MUNI Mix It Up On Church St

If your wait for the J Church seems longer than usual today, it's not your imagination. The wind downed a tree on Church St. just north of 24th St and the carnage has disrupted trains for hours. As of this writing, trains were still not running and buses had to detour around that stretch of Church.
Incidentally, it's the same set of trees that caused this MUNI backup and power outage last May.

If you're headed outside, hang on to your hat and watch for falling branches. The winds are expected to die down tonight.

June 6, 2012

Meeting: Upper Noe Neighbors June 2012

Vicki Rosen sent the agenda to this month's meeting, and also a call to arms. Emphasis ours:
We have a good meeting planned for June and hope many of you can attend. Here's the agenda:
  • J-Church effectiveness study and proposals--MTA's Transit Effectiveness Program will present options for improving service on our favorite streetcar line including suggestions they've gotten from people in our neighborhood so far. Also, MUNI reps will be there to discuss other issues we've been having on our line like the continued shuttling of non-J streetcars and excessive use of air horns.
  • Police report focusing on the break-ins we've been having recently that aim mostly for expensive bicycles. Bad people are getting into garages that folks think are secure.
  • Friends of Upper Noe Rec Center have applied for a grant to put an outdoor classroom on the Sanchez St. side...see the draft plans!
Wednesday, June 13, 7:30 pm
Upper Noe Rec Center (Day & Sanchez)

ONE MORE THING: We need volunteers to help Upper Noe Neighbors by being on the Board. It's very little work. We need ideas and a little bit of commitment. If we don't get people to step up to the plate, we'll have to reevaluate how UNN will operate in the future. Please help YOUR neighborhood group!

February 23, 2012

It Must Be The Weather

Blue skies and seventies. Great day for a walk in the nude:
At the intersection of 24th Street, a heavyset woman stood wrapped in a blanket, surrounded by medical personnel. A J-Church train was stopped, with passengers crowding and trying to see what was happening.

Suddenly, the woman whipped the blanket off and threw it at the medics, revealing that the only item of clothing she had on was a pair of closed-toe shoes, Knight said. And then she turned around and noticed Knight, still stopped and now shocked behind the wheel, about 50 feet away.

“She walks directly to me,” he said. “She walks up the hood of my car. And she begins stomping on my windshield, completely naked.”
Update (2/24): SFist received a NSFW photo of the lady in action from a Noe neighbor.

[SFGate: Heavy crime in the naked city]

July 27, 2011

Notes: July 27 Noe Valley Neighborhood Meeting

The Friends of Noe Valley sponsored neighborhood meeting with Scott Wiener this evening at St. Philips was reasonably well attended (40-50 people) and featured free wine and free pizza from Patxi's. The meeting got off to a a slow start with some random notes from the FoNV including ballot measures the group is interested in such as a move stop the privatization of park facilities. FoNV also needs the services of a pro bono lawyer and webmaster if anyone's interested.

Things picked up when guest of honor and District 8 Supervisor Scott Wiener arrived (a few minutes late). He jumped right in with a plug for the accomplishments of his office so far including balancing the budget, rescuing some money for tree maintenance, and bringing back the police academy classes to train new cops in SF. He also touched on…
AT&T Boxes – Scott spent some time recapping his position on why he voted yes on the boxes and fielding tangent questions such as: Could we get rid of the Clear Channel news boxes instead (no – it's a 1st amendment issue, they're paid for and you can't ban news boxes); could we turn the boxes into street art or benches (yes, good idea – Emeryville has turned its boxes into art); and why can't we underground them (too big and need cooling). Overall AT&T is aware that Noe doesn’t want boxes and is not likely put them here unless asked.

Town Square – "It's alive" and can happen, says Scott, but it's going to take "an enormous amount of work." It might need to be packaged up with some other projects in the Bayview and Mission and can’t be done with just open space funds. Private funds will have to fill the gap + buildout costs + income for ongoing maintenance.

Real Foods – Scott's goal is to get the owner of the building to finally "sell it and be done with it." He says he's "found new people" involved in the building and is "in a dialog" with them. He'd like to see retail on the ground floor and housing above – which means the buyer would have to be a developer.

Muni – It's going to be a "long road to progress" Scott admitted, but there are some hopeful signs including the new MTA Director Ed Reiskin (he takes Muni daily and doesn't own a car), and the fact that Muni can now hire part-time drivers to cover Muni's sky-high absenteeism (expect to see changes on that front in 12-18 months). Other interesting factoids – the J has the lowest ridership of any Muni train at just 18,000 per day (vs. the N Judah's 30,000 per day), and most J Church riders only use the line north of 30th St.
In between of all of this, Scott also fielded some wacky (boozy?) out-of-left-field questions thrown at him by people who didn't quite get the format. Q: How do you stand on the Muni to Chinatown plan? A: I wouldn't have backed it but the horse has left the barn. Q: How come third-world countries have better cell reception and they don't have big AT&T boxes? A: The boxes are about high-speed cable and Internet, not cell service. And so on.

After Scott left, the meeting wrapped up with a preview of possible planned events from the FoNV this year and next including:
· Music in the Park (BBQ, music and activities near Noe Courts after Labor Day)
· Happy Birthday Noe Valley (history event in November)
· Noe Valley Love Fest (Valentine's Day)
· Book Week (March 4-10 with a Book Fair)
· A Group Run (See Jane Run sponsored; heats for strollers, pets, etc)
· A Pet Event (for families and furry ones; sponsored by local pet stores)
And finally, at the end of the meeting FoNV president Todd David dropped a rumor that the Tuttimelon space on 24th Street may have a new tenant soon… First Republic Bank.

[Photo: @sdweiner on Twitter]

April 8, 2011

NVV April 2011: We Read It So You Don't Have To

The Noe Valley Voice is published ten times a year and has been a neighborhood fixture since 1977. Here are highlights from the latest issue. Links are to items we've covered here on NVSF or outside sources as the Voice doesn't post stories online until mid-month.

April 2011

Front Page: Cover to Cover closes - the remaining inventory, fixtures and playhouse are in the hands of a bankruptcy trustee; a profile of Dorothy Noe, great granddaughter of Jose de Jesus de Noe; cherry trees in bloom on 24th Street; update on Chabad of Noe Valley's expansion. 

Letters: A call to support Phoenix Books with the closure of Cover to Cover; laments of MUNI service cuts to the 35-Eureka bus; a rant about dog owners that bring their dogs into stores - and don't curb them either; a request for case numbers with the crime beat reports; more stolen planters at Sanchez and 24th.

Features: How to speed the J Church? City transit officials at a March 28 public hearing suggested converting 4 way stops to 2 way along Church Street, consolidating some stops, and installing traffic signals in select areas. SFMTA may set up a pilot to determine the feasibility of these ideas - any changes would require further public meetings to implement. Our district 8 supe Scott Wiener was "pleased" at the immediate and long-range proposals. [Ed note - for a different perspective check out StreetsblogSF's post on this meeting.]

Cost of Living in Noe: Zephyr reports 4 houses and 5 condos changed hands in Noe in February. One of those was a pricey "ultramodern" home on Hoffman that was bought last year for $3 million and sold 11 months later for $2.97 million. 

Short Takes: Noe merchants are pitching in with donations for the Japan Earthquake Relief Fund; the Easter bunny returns to Noe on April 23 for the annual Easter Egg Hunt (10 to noon at Douglass playground); Noe Garden Tour is on May 21.

Store Trek: Russo Music (2072 24th St. at Castro); Two Birds (1309 Castro at 24th St.)

Rumors: SF Giants pitcher Matt Cain is loving family life in Noe - you may see him with his daughter, wife and 2 dogs at the Noe Valley Farmer's Market or at Toast.

[The Noe Valley Voice]

November 5, 2010

NVV Nov. 2010: We Read It So You Don't Have To


The Noe Valley Voice is published ten times a year and has been a neighborhood fixture since 1977. Here are highlights from the latest issue. Links are to items we've covered here on NVSF or outside sources as the Voice doesn't post stories online until mid-month.

November 2010

Front Page: Two parklets approved for 24th Street - one in front of Martha & Brothers, the other near Just for Fun; fairy doors on 24th Street; cell phone antennas on utility poles will get a hearing with the supes.

Features: Holiday recipes from local food purveyors and restaurateurs; an announcement of the "24 HoliDays on 24th Street" which will run Dec. 1-24 and include this year's Noel Stroll, Yule Rides, a menorah lighting, and Santa (you'll find a sort-of schedule here); Noe Valley music series leaves the Noe Valley Ministry and relocates to NOPA in February.

Cost of Living in Noe: Trophy homes are cold, condos are hot.

Traveling Voice: See pictures of the Voice schlepped to Turkey, Mumbai and Greece.

Rumors: Halloween on 24th Street - Noe Valley was ranked as the #1 destination in SF for trick-or-treating in 2010; the top costumes from the One Stop Party Shop on Church @ 28th were Lady Gaga, vampires...and beards (Go Giants!); the J-Church rail repairs = quieter trains on Church @ 30th - check out this cool time-lapse video of the whole thing; a recap of the color project on Duncan Street.

[The Noe Valley Voice]

October 13, 2010

Video: J-Church Rail Replacement


Ken Murphy lives on 30th at Church and put together this 13 minute timelapse video of the last weekend's J-Church rail replacement from 18,520 images.

Also check out Streetsblog's writeup of the weekend's work. Best line: “Just as I was thinking it, a neighbor nearby noted with happiness, 'Hey, it doesn’t make noise anymore.'”

[Vimeo: Ken Murphy Via Streetsblog]
[Streetsblog: Replacing the Rails on the J-Church Line]

October 10, 2010

J-Church Rail Replacement Almost On Track


We spoke to workers this morning at 30th and Church who said work is going well, but that they are about a half-day behind. They expect the trains will run again by Tuesday night, but they won't finish all the paving they had hoped to before then.

They still had seven sections of track to lay/join as of 9:00am. The foundation bed and ties are in place. One person told us that the new track is stronger and that the new foundation means less vibration. They're also installing a new signal system to speed track switching and a quieter mechanism for switching tracks.

We also learned that while this project is disruptive, the project that will really make you late for work is scheduled for the end of 2011: replacement of all transit infrastructure at Church and Duboce.

[NVSF: PSA: J-Church Rail Repairs Continue In October]