[Carfreeliving] Carfreeliving - sidewalk parking, sidewalk committee

Fri Jan 27 12:35:45 MST 2006

Thanks, Jason. Michael Ames from WalkSF will be starting a Sidewalks
Committee.  See message below.

-----Original Message-----
From: Acme Consulting [mailto:consultacme at yahoo.com] 
Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2006 6:34 PM
To: Near, Mitchell E.; gerstle at mindspring.com
Cc: BicycleSF at yahoo.com
Subject: 

Hi Mitchell and Steve,

Mitchell, thanks for jumpstarting the Sidewalks
Committee on the bb list. I agree with your basic
premise. Assembling the necessary firepower required
to take on the powers that be will require a Herculian
effort. And as Steve mentioned, we may need to
leverage the Sacramento Court ruling in order to get
the ball rolling.

Fyi, I was motivated to join walkSF last month
primarily because of the Sidewalks Committee's efforts
in pushing for enforcement of parking regulations. By
the end of the month I should be fully transitioned
into my new office digs and prepared to help
coordinate the committee's work. 

I look forward to meeting with you and Steve and
others who have expressed an interest in public
sidewalk accessibility.

Thanks for writing,

Michael Ames
WalkSF Director
http://walkSF.org

-----Original Message-----
From: Jason Henderson [mailto:jhenders at sbcglobal.net] 
Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2006 10:09 PM
To: amber at transcoalition.org
Cc: Near, Mitchell E.; Carfreeliving at livablecity.org
Subject: Re: [Carfreeliving] Carfreeliving - sidewalk parking, sidewalk
committee

I really have no idea what to do except somehow get BoS to inquire and 
act, but that could be easier said than done.
My biggest concern with response from going after sidewalk parking is 
that it becomes this psuedo populist issue about "families" and so on. 
Somehow the great liberal SF with its precautionary principle and 
anti-oil war stance can't figure out the parking thing. Like beating a 
dead horse.

I understand that Walk SF has this on their agenda, so maybe it is best 
to start by seeing where they are on it. I know it has surfaced in the 
last two years.  Rich, Cheryl, Emily, i am sure you guys have much 
greater insight on the political dynamics of this? What about an 
informal meeting at carfree happy hour, which I assume Dave will send a 
notice about soon? I have missed a couple so hope to get to the next
one.

By the way, tonight at the Hayes Valley Neighborhood meeting, myself and

other members of our board were called "blind car haters" by Bill Maher 
(former BoS). The topic was the UC extension but he seemed to really 
want to vent about "car haters."  HVNA passed a resolution opposing the 
AF Evans proposal. For us it was about a lot of things, but parking (too

much) was up there.

-jh

Amber Elizabeth Crabbe wrote:
> Sidewalk parking is also one of my pet peeves especially when it 
> forces me into the street, and ESPECIALLY when it forces someone using

> a walker or wheelchair to backtrack to a curb cut and then spend a 
> significant amount of time in traffic.  At least those of us who are 
> able-bodied enough have the option of walking OVER the car hood 
> instead of endangering ourselves in the street.  It's funny to me that

> sidewalk parkers often get a lot angrier about me climbing over their 
> vehicle than getting a ticket...
> 
> As far as exemptions go, I am also opposed.  If you accept the 
> privilege and responsibility of driving a car in an urban environment 
> like San Francisco, you accept the challenges that come with it, like 
> finding parking.  These should all be done without EVER impeding or 
> endangering other, less impact-full, users of the street by blocking 
> sidewalks.
> 
> To me it's ironic that:
> 
> *if a small group of people taking up as much volume and road surface 
> area as a car try to temporarily uses the public space designated for 
> moving vehicles, they will all get arrested for blocking traffic.
> 
> *if a car temporarily uses the public space designated for moving 
> vehicles and blocks traffic (whether due to a stall or collision or 
> picking up dry cleaning), they will usually get sympathy and support 
> from other drivers, or at least they will simply be navigated around. 
> Usually no tickets, certainly no arrest.
> 
> *yet if a CAR temporarily uses the public space designated for MOVING 
> PEOPLE (i.e. sidewalks), the driver usually won't even get a ticket, 
> much less towed, much less arrested.
> 
> So the walking public is chastised for even expecting parallel 
> "rights" to delineated space on our streets.
> 
> I'm up for meeting with others who want to think of ways to change 
> this.
> 
> Amber
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Carfreeliving-bounces at livablecity.org
> [mailto:Carfreeliving-bounces at livablecity.org] On Behalf Of Near, 
> Mitchell E.
> Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2006 11:50 AM
> To: Carfreeliving at livablecity.org
> Subject: Re: [Carfreeliving] Carfreeliving - sidewalk parking,sidewalk

> committee
> 
> Hi folks,
> 
> I read what Jason had to say and I am in strong agreement with him. 
> Autos create a myriad of problems, and the fact that in SF, drivers 
> can consistently park on the sidewalk is outrageous (and by default - 
> the city government allows this).  To have sidewalks clear for walking

> is not a radical proposition!  In Europe, many cities are, and have, 
> created ped only streets and even whole areas.  Now that would be 
> truly radical if done here -- with the auto nuts coming out of the 
> woodwork to work on preventing that.
> 
> WalkSF once had a sidewalk committee.  We met a couple of times, and 
> some members did meet with DPT officials.  Of course, nothing much 
> happened.  The last time we met (6 months ago?), several members 
> promised to take certain actions and never did.  Thus, much 
> frustation.
> 
> Let's consider forming a new sidewalk committee.  We need to 
> brainstorm, plan, influence, and change this situation.  I'm thinking 
> we (any of you who are interested) could meet informally at least once

> and talk about the possibilities.  I could meet after work one 
> evening.  I work in the SF financial district.  Thanks!
> 
> 
>>__________________
>>
>>Mitchell Near
>>Applications Analyst
>>Morrison & Foerster
>>Phone: (415) 268-7586
>>Fax: (415) 276-7586
>>mnear at mofo.com
>>*
>>__________________
>>
>>
>>
> 
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-- 
"Make wetlands not war"

Jason Henderson
Native New Orleanian
living in San Francisco
Cell: (415)-425-5844
Home: (415)-255-8136

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