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Meeting Information



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BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Regular Meeting

Thursday, March 17, 2005

6:15 p.m.

1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place (Polk Street), Room 408

AGENDA

1. Roll Call

2. Announcements

3. Approve Minutes - February 17, 2005 Meeting

4. Public Comment: (Discussion Item)
The public may address the Committee on any matter within the jurisdiction of the Committee.
This should not relate to any item on this agenda since the Committee will take public comment after it discusses and/or before voting on each agenda item. The Committee requests that each person limit him/herself to three minutes.

5. Chairman's Report (Information)

6. Member Reports (Information)

7. DPT Report - See DPT Bicycle Program Report to the BAC for March 2005 (http://www.bicycle.sfgov.org/site/dptbike_index.asp?id=3170). `Items Recommended for BAC Action' may be included below. `Information Items' beginning on Page 2 will be open for public comment. (Information/Action)

8. SFBC Report (Information/Requested Action in Future Meeting)

9. Task Force Reports

    a. Bike Theft & Security - Josh Hart, SFBC

    b. Colored Bike Lanes - Andy Thornley, BAC

    c. BART/MUNI Ventilation Grate Replacement - Andy Thornley, BAC

10. New Business

    a. World Environment Day - Bicycle related activities during the week of May 30-June 3.

    i. Bicycle Tours on June 1 - Plans for VIP attendees (City Mayors, NGOs, delegations, etc.) to tour various aspects of environmental facilities and actions in the Bay Area; by San Francisco Bicycle Coalition.
    Action: Discussion

    ii. Legacy Greenway Projects - Planned bicycle facilities for presentation to attendees during the week, by Transportation for a Livable City.
    Action: Discussion

    b. Golden Gate Bridge Bicycle Toll Proposal - The Golden Gate Bridge District has proposed charging a $1 toll for Bicycles, San Francisco Bicycle Coalition (https://www.sfbike.org/?ggb)
    Action: Resolution

    Whereas a bike/pedestrian toll is at direct odds with San Francisco's transit-first policy, which encourages sustainable, non-congesting modes of transportation, such as biking, walking and public transit, over individual automobile trips. This proposed toll would send the exact wrong message about the priorities that San Francisco voters have approved.

    Whereas a bike/pedestrian toll is environmentally shortsighted. We know that auto trips are a major generator of air and water pollution, and a major problem for the Bay Area. To discourage people from choosing sustainable modes of transportation, such as biking and walking, will result in increased pollution. This is unacceptable.

    Whereas a bike/pedestrian toll will increase traffic congestion on the Bridge and on the overly crowded streets of San Francisco. More people will load their bikes on cars and choose to drive instead of walk across the Bridge if this toll is enacted. The Golden Gate Bridge corridor does not need more fast-moving auto traffic making our local streets less safe.

    Whereas toll collection will cost an unacceptable amount of Bridge District resources for the expected low return in revenue. Because maintenance and emergency vehicles need to access the Bridge pathways, it is unlikely that an automated toll collection system could be set up. Will this mean that the Bridge District hires costly staff to manually implement the toll? What about the costs of additional enforcement and auditing?

    Whereas a bike/pedestrian toll is an inequitable "user fee." As an SFBC member pointed out recently in a "Letter to the Editor" in the SF Chronicle, bicyclists could, at most, be charged pennies, based on their weight and related wear-and-tear on the Bridge. For instance, if the average vehicle weighs 4,500 pounds and is charged a $6 toll, then the average bicycle at 20 pounds should be charged 2.5¢. Flipping this equation around, if a $1 toll is levied on bicyclists, this would equate to a $240 toll on auto drivers. (Even the SFBC thinks that's a bit much!)

    Whereas a bike/pedestrian toll will set a poor example across the nation and will draw negative media attention to the Golden Gate Bridge. The Bay Area is considered one of the most bike-friendly regions in the country, and is an example for communities nationwide. A high-profile slap-in-the-face to bicyclists and pedestrians will not only draw intensely negative attention to the Bridge and the Bay Area (the already-hurting S.F. tourist industry will be impacted), but could also create a slippery slope as other communities try to back away from supporting forms of transportation that are more sustainable and healthy.

    The SF Bicycle Advisory Committee urges the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway & Transportation District to maintain no-fee access to the bridge by bicyclists and pedestrians

    c. TDA Funds Bicycle Facilities - The City and County of San Francisco's has applied for $450,000 in matching grants for FY 2005-06 TDA Article 3 funds for striping and signing bike lanes on Conservatory Drive East, San Jose Avenue ramps, and Townsend Street, purchasing and installing bicycle racks, and bicycle safety programs; by DPT.
    Action: Resolution


    The SF Bicycle Advisory Committee has reviewed and concurs with the City and County of San Francisco's application for $450,000 in FY 2005-06 TDA Article 3 funds for striping and signing bike lanes on Conservatory Drive East, San Jose Avenue ramps, and Townsend Street - as matching funds; striping and signing bike lanes on other Bicycle Route Network streets; purchasing and installing bicycle racks; and bicycle safety programs such as safety brochures, maps, telephone hotline, and advertising; and for $450,000 in FY 2005-06 TDA Article 3 funds for various pedestrian projects.

    d. Network Improvement Document - The second part of the Bike Plan Update will continue the implementation of the network across the city. DPT has submitted a Bicycle Program Project List with a tentative schedule for implementation (http://www.bicycle.sfgov.org/site/dptbike_index.asp?id=29438). The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition submitted a letter asking for changes to the planning and prioritization of the projects (http://sfbike.org/network/PropK.DPT.feedback.3.05.doc), and a suggested alternative schedule (http://sfbike.org/network/SFBCfeedback.Network.05.xls)
    Action: Resolution

    Whereas the Project List does not appear to give special priority to the 20 top Bike Plan Update projects, in spite of two years of public hearings and planning reviews

    Whereas the Project List schedules most conceptual planning at the end of the five year period for Proposition K funds, even though this planning is low cost and provides an early idea of the costs and complications of bicycle projects.

    Whereas there is no obvious coordination with Livable Streets traffic calming projects, such a Seventh Avenue between Kirkham and Lincoln Avenues.

    Whereas the combining of planning, design, and construction costs tend to obfuscate the timing and use of Proposition K and other funding sources

    The SF Bicycle Advisory Committee believes that the complexity of expanding bicycle facilities and services will require frequent periodic update of project schedules, and urges DPT and the Transportation Authority to incorporate the suggested changes and alternative schedule submitted by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition in the Bike Plan Network Project Plan.

11. Adjournment

DISABILITY ACCESS:

Room 408 of City Hall is wheelchair accessible. The closest accessible BART Station is Civic Center, three blocks from City Hall. Accessible MUNI lines serving this location are: #47 Van Ness, and the #71 Haight/Noriega and the F Line to Market and Van Ness and the Metro stations at Van Ness and Market and at Civic Center. For more information about MUNI accessible services, call 923-6142. There is accessible parking in the vicinity of City Hall at Civic Center Plaza and adjacent to Davies Hall and the War Memorial Complex.

Large print copies of the agenda, sign language interpreters, or assistive listening systems can be made available by contacting the DPT staff liaison, Lorraine R. Fuqua, at 415-554-9808.. In order to assist the City's efforts to accommodate persons with severe allergies, environmental illnesses, multiple chemical sensitivity, or related disabilities, attendees at public meetings are reminded that other attendees may be sensitive to various chemical based products. Please help the City accommodate these individuals.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS UNDER THE SUNSHINE ORDINANCE

Government's duty is to serve the public, reaching its decisions in full view of the public. Commissions, boards, councils and other agencies of the City and County exist to conduct the people's business. The Sunshine Ordinance assures that deliberations are conducted before the people and that City operations are open to the people's review. For information on your rights under the Sunshine Ordinance (Chapter 67 of the San Francisco Administrative Code) or to report a violation of the ordinance, contact Donna Hall; by mail to Sunshine Ordinance Task Force, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 244, San Francisco CA 94102 by phone at (415) 554-7724, by fax at (415) 554-7854 or by email at Donna.Hall@sfgov.org Citizens may obtain a free copy of the Sunshine Ordinance by contacting Ms. Hall or by printing Chapter 67 of the San Francisco Administrative Code on the Internet, at http://www.sfgov.org/sunshine.htm Persons from the public may inspect documents referred to on the agenda by contacting our staff liaison, Frank Markowitz at 252-4696.

LOBBYIST ORDINANCE

Individuals and entities that influence or attempt to influence local legislative or administrative action may be required by the San Francisco Campaign and Governmental Conduct Code, Section 2.100, to register and report lobbying activity. For more information about the Lobbyist Ordinance, please contact the Ethics Commission at 30 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 3900, San Francisco, CA 94102, telephone 415-581-2300, fax 415-581-2317, or visit their Web site at www.sfgov.org/ethics/.