[Carfreeliving] Newsom opposes alternative transportation

[Joel Pomerantz]

Why is TLC a membership organization?! I thought the idea was to have 
it be a funds dispersing and support org for the membership orgs.

Joel

At 11:57 AM -0800 1/12/06, Dave Snyder wrote:
>You can't have it all. With Newsom's strongly worded opposition to 
>the limits on parking in new downtown development, he has finally 
>showed he hasn't changed his attitude on transportation since he 
>voted against the Polk Street bike facility and drove an SUV to work 
>on Bike to Work Day.
>
>Without limits on parking, new residences downtown will bring 
>choking traffic congestion, rendering more difficult if not 
>impossible the range of livable city transportation proposals TLC 
>supports: lane reductions on 2nd St., 5th St., Montgomery, Sansome, 
>Battery, and others, to put in bike lanes; car restrictions on 
>Market Street to put in bike and transit improvements; uncongested 
>streets for transit and emergency vehicles; and affordable housing 
>for people without cars. His language in support of car-sharing and 
>bike parking is meaningless without parking restrictions.
>
>Perhaps the Mayor knows better, but is doing a political calculation 
>that SOS and BOMA are stronger than that Bike Coalition, TLC, Walk 
>SF, and other groups that support the parking restrictions. TLC will 
>lead the effort to change that political calculus. Unfortunately, 
>TLC has just 160 members. If you're reading this and not a member of 
>TLC, please join today. I'll post the Mayor's letter below, as well 
>as a link to Supervisor Daly's comments on the topic:
>http://chrisdaly.org/site/bdsupvrs_page.asp?id=36899
>
>Thanks,
>
>Dave
>
>
>
>January 10, 2006
>
>Dear Supervisors:
>
>I write to share with you my position on parking restrictions in our 
>city's C-3 (downtown) zoning
>district.  As you know, an ordinance addressing this issue is 
>pending at the Land Use Committee (file
>number 051453).
>
>As I explained in an earlier letter on this subject, dated December 
>7, 2005, I strongly support our
>city's Transit First policy.  Along those lines, my administration 
>is actively working to strengthen
>public transportation and promote non-automobile forms of 
>transportation.  Elements of the
>current legislation appropriately advance these goals, including the 
>'unbundling' of parking so that it
>must be leased or sold separately from dwelling units and minimum 
>requirements for carshare and
>bike parking in all new developments.
>
>However, as a whole, I believe the current legislation overreaches. 
>Its unprecedented limitations on
>parking in new residential housing downtown threaten housing 
>production and housing
>affordability-particularly much-needed family oriented housing. 
>Furthermore, with several major
>retail developments opening soon downtown and our restaurants and 
>hotels rebounding from
>economic difficulties earlier this decade, these parking 
>restrictions threaten critical economic growth,
>job creation and much-needed tax revenue.
>
>While I must oppose the current legislation on this issue, I fully 
>support alternative legislation
>sponsored by Supervisor Alioto-Pier.  This ordinance makes several 
>meaningful changes to the city's
>parking policies- including provisions mentioned above-while 
>avoiding the restrictions that
>threaten housing production and affordability, and our local 
>economy.  Additionally, the legislation
>includes several innovative provisions to encourage non-auto 
>transportation, including minimum
>requirements for car share and bike parking in developments 
>citywide-not just downtown-and
>incentives for minimizing parking through density bonuses.  I 
>believe this approach moves our city
>forward on our Transit First path without creating barriers to 
>housing production and continued
>economic growth.
>
>Thank you very much for your consideration.
>
>
>
>
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