Curbed SF has the scoop:
The newly-landscaped Cesar Chavez Street will run from Hampshire Street, just west of that insane juncture of Bayview Avenue, Potrero Avenue and Route 101 (where Bullitt made his famous illegal u-turn) and extend to Guerrero Street with two less lanes of traffic, the ever present bulb-outs, and a fourteen-foot-wide planted median.
Sounds good. How long will it be before Chavez is the new Valencia?
Read on for more explanation, pictures and graphics.
 and extend to Guerrero Street with two less lanes of traffic, the ever present bulb-outs, and a fourteen-foot-wide planted […]</p>
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I can not wait. I have almost died crossing Chavez many times. Even when I had a green light. This will be good to calm down the hellish speedway that Chavez is currently.
Say hello to more traffic on every side street around Chavez: Precita, and 26th will become ugly.
Why is Chavez becoming a bikeway exactly?? I can understand Valencia as a Bikeway corridor, and support Folsom becoming one too. But I expect Chavez to be a waste of time, effort and money, it will be underutilized(like Potrero, seriously, have you ever seen a bike use the Potrero bike lanes?)
I used to bike down Potrero every morning. Cannot tell you the number of times I was thiiiiis close to getting doored. It’s still not that bike friendly and I wouldn’t encourage anyone to use it
because Valencia and Folsom are both north-south and Cesar Chavez is east-west.
I don’t see that much of a demand for bike traffic on the North-South Cesar Chavez corridor. I see this ending up like Potrero where there is a bike lane that is pretty much unused becasue its unsafe, since its pretty much an extended freeway onramp/offramp(same goes for the bike lane on San Jose).
This is truly great news. It’s really great to see SF and the people slowly (oh so very slowly) reclaiming our city from the sacred automobile. Regarding traffic, I doubt people will take 26th as that will still take longer with stop signs or lights at every intersection. Plus, if that really starts happening, then it will be time for bollards (and this is why cars are so bad, because when you drive them you don’t care about anything but yourself and would easily sacrifice the calm and safety of a quiet neighborhood street just so you can save a few minutes). Short-term it might be a little rough, but people will adapt by realizing that driving everywhere is inefficient and start living closer to where they need to be and walking, cycling, or taking public transit. I can’t wait to be able to cycle down Cesar Chavez safely.
By the way, when are the going to do the same to CC between 101 and 280? I actually thought that was going to happen first ….
I would assume no time soon, since that stretch is mainly, if not totally, non-residential.
Actually, CC from Hampshire to Illinois is going to break ground in 2012. Caltrans/MTA social-justice grants are funding it. Community meetings will be popping up in the winter/spring.
I used to commute on Potrero and ride on CC when I have to, and I can’t wait for the reworked Chavez.
Wow, really? If so, that is a pleasant surprise!
Oh boy, where to start, JD?
Let me ask you this, why are there so many people commuting out of the City down to their jobs on the Peninsula and South Bay in the first place?
Could it have anything to do with the anti-business climate in SF which forces many employers to either move out of the City, or even worse, to not even consider setting up shop here even when a significant percentage of their workforce actually resides here?
Believe me, people who commute south and use CC to get to 101 would much rather not have to do that, but what’s the alternative, JD?
Oh, yeah, public transit, riiiight? If you don’t happen to work for a company that provides a fancy (and free) shuttle for you, you can expect to spend HOURS and significantly MORE money than what you would spend on the operating costs of your vehicle to get to and from work.
If there was a viable alternative, people would use it, and as a result you would see less traffic on CC during commute hours. So get off your fucking high horse for a minute and realize that not everyone is as lucky as you are—to be able to live and work in SF. If you even work, that is.
Oh boy, where to start, bite me?
Have you been getting your data from CW Nevius columns in the Chronicle or something? San Francisco is neither unfriendly to business, nor is there any paucity of businesses starting in the city or, indeed, moving around within the city. It is is not without reason that San Francisco is a major worldwide technology and business hub.
Businesses move out of the city when they can’t find real estate that meets their requirements, not because of some imaginary “anti-business climate”. To claim otherwise is farcical.
ON the OTHER hand, what you say about Public Transit makes a good amount of sense. Some.. or, rather, MANY people DO need to commute in a car. And many of THEM do not have the luxury of co-workers that they would be able to carpool with. For the SFBC, or anyone else, to suggest otherwise is just plain silly.
As commenters on SF Curbed have pointed out, it’s Army. But I think the redesign looks great.
Why jou hate us Mehicanos?!
Kasmander: What are you talking about? Cesar Chavez hasn’t been Army Street in years.
Some who have lived there for a while still call it Army. You know, from back when the Mission was the Irish-Polish neighborhood
But I’m glad you went straight to hatred of Mexicans as an answer.
Clinging to old names is so boring. Embrace the new!
I actually still say “Army Street” sometimes, though I generally catch myself, or at least correct myself. That wasn’t what I was confused about, you said “It’s Army”, which is demonstrably false, as opposed to “It WAS Army” which, similarly, is demonstrably true.
I think this is an absolutely terrific idea. The bike fascistitos, not so much:
http://sf.streetsblog.org/2010/11/29/cesar-chavez-street-redesign-plan-headed-to-sfmta-board-for-approval/
Where are all the day laborer’s going to go while this is going on? And what are they going to about the mini projects? And the impact of an already problematic traffic issue?
The design seems great. It would help the traffic. There will be no Uturn for that?? Is that will sometimes affect our riders?