[Carfreeliving] TLC-commissioned research at SPUR forum...

Sun Jul 17 19:19:36 MDT 2005

- Dave Snyder wrote:
"Two SPUR forums this month: [...] Thursday, July 28, "Getting the Parking
Right" and "Creating Complete Streets" [presentations of findings and
recommendations from two TLC-commissioned studies.]"

- Mike Sallaberry wrote:
"I hope these studies are based on fact, and not fiction."

- Jeremy Nelson writes:
Speaking as a private citizen and not representing any organization:  Just
for clarification, these forum are not presenting research undertaken by
either TLC or SPUR.  Rather, TLC commissioned two teams of student
researchers in SFSU's Urban Studies program who designed and carried out the
research as a 10-week long "client project" for their Senior Seminar
requirement.

Here's a sneak peak at what they found:

One team looked at the impact of residential parking on car ownership and
trip generation in San Francisco.  Among other findings, they discovered
that residential buildings with 1:1 parking have higher vehicle ownership
rates and generate more car trips per parking space than buildings with
reduced parking, even if transit-oriented neighborhoods.

The other team reviewed the emerging "Complete Streets" design concept and
looked at what barriers are preventing San Francisco from moving forward
with a Complete Streets policy to guarantees that all our streets are safe
and inviting for all modes.  Among other findings, they discovered that
their are significant barriers to a Complete Streets policy in San
Francisco, but none insurmountable.

As to the competence of the researchers, the empirical methods they
utilized, and the evidentiary basis for their findings:

The research was done by independent transportation planning students with
diverse backgrounds, some with training as community planners, some as
social scientists, some in the humanities, and some who are currently
employed with city transportation agencies.

They conducted intercept surveys, did trip generation counts, reviewed San
Francisco policy documents, researched best practices in other comparable
cities, and interviewed private and public sector stakeholders, including
many land use and transportation planners employed with the City.

I reviewed their work when I was with TLC and found their methods and
process to be rigorous and comprehensive, especially considering the limited
resources they were working with.  I understand that they all received high
marks for this research, so their professor must have agreed with my
assessment.  In fact, one of the students plans on using this work as the
starting point for his Ph.D dissertation, so the work must have some value.

Of course, as student work, the research certainly has some limitations
(which the researchers themselves are quick to admit).  But these
limitations are largely directly attributable to lack of time and resources
that were available to an unfunded student research team working under the
direction of a small, two-person non-profit.

Hopefully whatever limitations there may be in the research methodology
won't prevent stakeholders from engaging the research and the policy reform
recommendations on the merits.  Perhaps the appropriate city transportation
and land use planning agencies will find this pro-bono work useful as they
undertake their own policy reforms and multi-modal planning initiatives.

Look forward to a good dialogue at the SPUR forum.  Please do come and bring
a friend, loved one, and/or colleague who cares about working
collaboratively to move San Francisco towards a safer, more sustainable, and
more happiness-inducing (ala Penalosa) streets.

Perhaps they will catch the vision of creating public rights-of-way in San
Francisco that function not solely as channels for vehicular movement, but
also achieve their original and full purpose as public spaces and
neighborhood commons, sites of community, incubators of democracy.

Best - Jeremy

-----Original Message-----
From: Carfreeliving-request at livablecity.org
[mailto:Carfreeliving-request at livablecity.org]
Sent: Saturday, July 16, 2005 11:00 AM
To: Carfreeliving at livablecity.org
Subject: Carfreeliving Digest, Vol 6, Issue 3

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Today's Topics:

   1. Re: Two SPUR forums this month (Mike Sallaberry)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Fri, 15 Jul 2005 16:33:43 -0700
From: Mike Sallaberry <Mike.Sallaberry at sfgov.org>
Subject: Re: [Carfreeliving] Two SPUR forums this month
To: Carfreeliving at livablecity.org
Message-ID:
	<OFFF4823DE.E4F62C77-ON8825703F.00806B98-8825703F.008180BE at sfgov.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

I hope these studies are based on fact, and not fiction.  At least one
SPUR-adopted report recently was so filled with inaccuracies that I can't
help but question what SPUR has to say on issues with which I am not so
familiar.

Most recently, the director of SPUR calling DPT the "department of cars"
in an article does not lend professional credibility to the organization.

I've shared my thoughts on both topics with the people involved.

Michael Sallaberry, P.E.
Associate Transportation Engineer
San Francisco Department of Parking and Traffic
25 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 345
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 554 2351
(415) 554 2352 (fax)
Bicycle Hotline (415) 585-BIKE
http://www.bicycle.sfgov.org

Dave Snyder <dave at livablecity.org>
Sent by: Carfreeliving-bounces at livablecity.org
07/13/2005 08:31 AM

To
sfbike at topica.com, Carfreeliving at livablecity.org
cc

Subject
[Carfreeliving] Two SPUR forums this month

All SPUR forums are held from 12:30 to 1:30 at 312 Sutter at Grant, fifth
floor. Bike parking on the sidewalk.

---------

THIS Thursday, July 14, Reforming Local Interpretation of CEQA

The California Environmental Quality Act was designed to ensure that
policymakers are aware of any significant impacts of projects that come
before them. But the practice of defining "significant" throughout
California, including in San Francisco, has not evolved with changing
environmental values: transit improvements that might delay cars are
deemed a significant impact (therefore requiring expensive and
time-consuming reports), while a road widening would not be. Tilly Chang,
SFCTA deputy director for planning, planner Bill Wycko from the Planning
Department, and Andy Thornley from the Bicycle Advisory Council will
present their efforts to update our definition of "significant." $5. Free
for SPUR members.
No more details at http://www.spur.org/Calendar_Detail.asp?EventID=892

---------
Thursday, July 28 Getting the Parking Right and Creating Complete Streets

Transportation for a Livable City (TLC) recently commissioned SFSU to
undertake two parking studies. What's Parking Got To Do With It? examines
how providing too much parking in new housing results in higher car
ownership rates and increased vehicle congestion. Why Can't San Francisco
Complete Its Streets? examines best practices from other cities that have
successfully implemented "complete streets" policies. TLC Executive
Director Tom Radulovich and the research teams will present their findings
and recommend policy reforms San Francisco needs to make now to get our
parking policies right. $5. Free for SPUR members.
No more details at http://www.spur.org/Calendar_Detail.asp?EventID=899
---------
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