Muni and Parking Initiatives ...Aug. 10‚ 2007Paul, What would be the result if both initiatives fail? I'm strongly opposed to the provision to make one-for-one parking a "right," because it encourages driving, which is the exact opposite of what needs to be done. Unless I can be shown that the compromise initiative will result in fewer cars on the road, I won't support or vote for it. Instead of spending money on building parking spaces, developers should be required to pay into a fund to increase public transit, beginning with either the creation of a viable subway system or at least physically exclusive bus lanes (too many cars ignore the ones that currently exist by mere signage and painted lanes, such as Mission St and Union Square) where the lights turn green for the buses as they approach. And why aren't we demanding that BART run out Geary to the ocean and out Van Ness to the Bay? Jeff Hoffman San Francisco Paul, After reading your story, I had some thoughts. People will not give up their cars. Cars mean freedom. Cars mean that you can go if you want. MUNI doesn't. People would ride MUNI if it got them there on time and showed up reliably. I've waited for a bus that hasn't come. I've walked home from downtown and gotten home without a bus catching up with me. I wasn't working 9 to 5. People would ride MUNI if it were perceived as SAFE. Many people do not want their spouse or children riding MUNI after dark. Standing in the dark waiting for a bus that may or may not show up. Riding a bus with pickpockets and people masturbating (seen this myself), etc. Try hauling an infant on MUNI. Yes I know that many people do it. But if they had a choice they wouldn't. If we want a successful transit first policy we need to show that the transit works. The transit has to be an attractive alternative. If we want people to ride bikes we need to make it possible to ride to work. Showers at work, a safe place to park the bikes. How about telling developers that if they want parking they have to put in free, safe parking for bikes? Five bike storage boxes per parking space. How about mandating showers in office buildings so that people can clean up? They don't have to be public, just for people in that building. How about telling BART that they have to allow bikes on their cars during commute hours? If people want to drive to work, fine let them. Start charging a parking assessment. $10 per space after 2 hours of parking. All to go to MUNI. People won't get out of their cars until transit is viewed as a good alternative. When it is clean, safe, timely and cheaper people will accept public transit. As for Peskin's proposal. I don't think it is a good idea to put in stone a policy that is having trouble working. And I really don't like the way he went about it. There is a real divide in this city about Public Transit. And its not just rich versus poor. Would Peskin's proposal have passed if it were not attached to a popular MUNI initiative? Probably not. Peskin effectively told a large portion of the city to shut up and sit down. This is not a good way to build support. Just because Don Fisher backed off doesn't mean that all of the "little people" who agree with him are anything less than pissed off. I'm a little surprised that you think people on Geary don't have cars? Some do. They just park somewhere else. You want to solve the bus stop issue. You don't need a Charter amendment to do it. You want to put a garage in front of a bus stop? Fine, the bus stop should remain. You don't like it? Too bad. There seems to be a belief that transit first means no cars. It shouldn't be that. What transit first should mean is that cars are not the first alternative. There will always be people who will drive their car first. Fine. Their car should be no safer than public transit. Public transit should be just as timely and reliable as riding a car. Public transit should be cheaper than driving the car. Transit first will work when public transit is perceived to be a good alternative. My last comment. Most of the Transit Advocates I've talked to are more interested in beating the evil, rich, SUV driving,(pick your favorite adjective) car drivers who are destroying the world. I suppose that's just human nature. How about instead working to put together a workable public transit system? Walt Bell District 5 Resident You can submit letters to the editor by clicking on this link: rshaw@beyondchron.orgor by writing to: Beyond Chron 126 Hyde Street San Francisco, CA 94102 415-771-9850 (phone) |