Shuttle Buses: SFCTA Releases Final Draft Of Strategic Analysis Report

In 2009 Bevan Dufty initiated a studdy of corporate/private shuttle buses operating in San Francisco neighborhoods. Concerns at the time were that while the busses took drivers off the road and increased foot traffic to local business the busses were too big, too loud and took up space at MUNI stops -- all true to varying degrees according to the SAR finalized on May 25, 2011. Other claims were unfounded (for instance, Google was not paying to use MUNI stops).

After studying use patterns of employer and regional shuttles in the Marina, Glen Park, and Noe Valley (as well as in Seattle, New York City and Washington, DC), the SFCTA came up with two recommendations:

1) More formal management and recognition of shuttles. The SAR recommends the
development of a “Muni Partners” program at the SFMTA and dedicated SFMTA staff to liaise with the shuttle industry, respond to public inquiries and concerns, and provide for the orderly and beneficial growth of the shuttle sector. Shuttle providers would pay a fee to sustain the program which would provide operating guidelines and facilities for safe and complementary shuttle operations with Muni and other road users.

2) Designated shuttle coordinator. The Muni Partners program would include a shuttles staff person at the SFMTA to address management needs and develop regulations, coordinate with shuttle providers and operators, and act as a point of contact for the public. This coordinator would set certification criteria, provide operating guidance, plan needed facilities, set fee structures, conduct monitoring and evaluation activities, coordinate enforcement, and manage growth of the sector. The coordinator would also receive and appropriately direct public inquiries and complaints.

In other words, the shuttles are valuable, need to be regulated and the City sees a potential revenue stream.

Give it a read (PDF). Lots of good info.

[SFCTA: Shuttle SAR]
[SFCTA: SAR Final Report (PDF)]
[SFCTA: SAR Memo to CAC (PDF)]
[NVSF: Meeting: Upper Noe Neighbors]
[NVSF: Shuttle Buses: Useful or Menace?]

NVV: 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 notable highlights from the latest issue. Links are to stories we've covered here on NVSF or outside sources as the Voice isn't real-time.

December 2009 / January 2010

Front Page: Noe Valley resident Bill McBride is inspired by Three Cups of Tea and raising money for schools in Pakistan; Circle Bank to open on 24th St; Residents upset with all the new pole-top antennas that supply 3G service (picture from last February); Potential for parking meter reform; Vampires are hot, and a local novelist Clare Willis wants a piece of the action; Mission Education Center at 30th & Noe is now a "transitional school for recent immigrants."

Letters: More on dangerous drivers; A grandfather chimes in on the never-ending dog v. child wars at Noe Courts; Some clarification about the location of the NVV business office.

Feature: SFCTA has released the final draft of the Shuttle Bus SAR.

Cost of Living in Noe: "Homebuyers continued to find Noe Valley a desirable place to live" and the local market is "relatively healthy." And yeah...it's a buyer's market because they're paying only 2% over asking. Rent? Down from last year.

Short Takes: Friends of Noe Valley is looking for submissions to the Noe Valley Garden Tour on June 12, 2010; NV resident Paul Linde is promoting his book Danger to Self: On the Front Line with an ER Psychiatrist.

Store Trek: Noeteca Cafe and Wine Bar; Star Magic: The Second Generation (so far committed to stay only through the end of the year but entertaining options because "the response from the community has been overwhelming."

Traveling Voice: Versailles, Greece, London, Madrid.

Rumors: "For a neighborhood that prides itself on community involvement, Noe Valley seems to have little interest in the nuts and bolts of civic duty." Why's that? Low voter turnout in the Nov 3 election, expectations that few people will show to support/pan Bevan's proposal to add more restaurants to Noe Valley, and (most-importantly based on word count) the poorly publicized and hard-to-find Noe Valley Association survey about businesses on 24th St. In better news, La Boulangerie c'est arrivé! Cash-strapped Drewes Bros will send 600 pounds of turkey to St. Anthony's Dining Room as a matching gift based on the 1300 turkeys purchased for NV resident's Thanksgiving. Oh--and nothing has happened to the Real Foods/Nutraceutical space ("Turkey of the Year").

Bonus Rumor: The Voice found the blogosphere! They report that the Chronicle is looking to expand local news on SFGate.com with blogs and that Noe Valley is blessed to have its very own section. It's currently populated with rewritten posts from the (possibly-dormant) Noe Valley Buzz. Apparently they're looking for more bloggers.

[The Noe Valley Voice]

Tidbits: Post-Thanksgiving Roundup

Bevan Dufty wants your input on the final draft of the shuttle bus Strategic Analysis Report. In his monthly newsletter Bevan states: "This report will come for discussion and possible approval on Tuesday, December 8th at the SFCTA's Plans and Programs meeting 10:30 a.m. in room 263 of City Hall. You can testify in person or provide comments in advance to tilly.chang@sfcta.org." The most succinct analysis we've seen of the report is from SF Weekly's The Snitch.

The NVMPA, too, would like your input. This time the subject is proposed parking changes. Survey here.

Friends of Billy Goat Hill wants your help cleaning, restoring and planting trees this winter. January 16 is planting day on the the Hill with SFNAP and Friends of the Urban Forest. Details here.

China Wok: Slightly improved since last inspected. Still...ick.

History underfoot: Carl Nolte provides more info on the ironworks of yore.

Finally, Susanne Madux sent us the above photo of the Hope Valley in Derbyshire, England. Why? The River Noe runs through it. Susanne would like to point out that there isn't a nails/waxing to be seen anywhere in that particular Noe valley.

[SFCTA The Role of Shuttle Services in San Francisco ]
[NVSF: Update: Shuttle Study]
[Photo: RoyStone]

UNN Meeting Minutes: City-Wide Parking Changes

Here are minutes from last night's Upper Noe Neighbors meeting:

The latest parking meter proposals making the rounds at neighborhood groups were presented to the Upper Noe Neighbors last night at our monthly meeting. Jay Primus from the Municipal Transportation Authority and Jesse Koehler from the SF County Transportation Authority provided some background on "parking management" and what's in the works to improve parking in the city & increase revenues.

The idea is to potentially increase paid parking meter times based on supply and demand. Here are the highlights:

• Sunday: paid parking from 11:00AM-6:00PM (vs. not paying anything presently)
• 59% of meters: Mon-Sat: pay for parking until either 6:00PM, 9:00PM or midnight
• 23%: Mon-Thurs until 6PM; Fri-Sat until 9PM
• 17%: Mon-Sat until midnight (areas like the Mission, Castro)
• 1%: Mon-Sat until 6PM (area like Bayview)

Additionally, the city would increase the number of hours you'd be able to occupy a spot. So if you're in the Mission having dinner at Maverick and you park at a meter, you can load up your meter (ideally, in the future, via credit card or phone) for four hours so you don't have to run out during dessert to pop quarters in.

UNN members expressed concern for the parking attendants who'd be working the nightshifts. And questioned whether the cost of increasing meter enforcer hours & employees will outweigh any increased revenue. Jay says that the city currently gets $30M annually in revenues, as well as $18M in citations. Changing the meter times will apparently end up bringing in $9M in additional revenue.

Any comments? UNN would love to forward them to the right people. Email us at ebermingham@pacunion.com, and we'll make sure your input is included.

Eileen Bermingham
Board, UNN

[SFCTA: On-Street Parking Management and Pricing Study]
[NVSF: UNN Meeting: Parking Around Town]