| Columbus Avenue Neighborhood Transportation Study |
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About the Study RENEW SF and the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (Authority) received a community transportation planning grant from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to support the development of a communitybased transportation plan for Columbus Avenue. The objective is to identify transportation improvements that support livability and vitality on Columbus Avenue and which have strong community support. News 8.13.2008 WORKSHOP POSTPONED! As of August 8th, the Governor's Office issued Executive Order S-09-08, temporarily suspending all non-critical services contracts between State agencies and other parties. Unfortunately, this includes our community planning grant! Until further notice, we are prohibited from continued work on this project, and regret to announce that the workshop originally scheduled for August 19th at the Telegraph Hill Neighborhood Center is postponed. We look forward to re-scheduling in the next few months.
Get Involved
NewsDuring the first phase of the study, RENEW SF and the Authority conducted technical analysis and community outreach to identify the top priorities for transportation improvements along Columbus Read the complete summaries of both meetings. Based on community input and technical analysis, the study team is focusing on:
The locations along Columbus identified as highest priorities by the community are:
Improvement concepts are discussed below. In addition to the general concepts, we are developing specific design alternatives for the priority intersections (to be available soon). The study team conducted a scientific survey of pedestrians using Columbus Avenue during the weekday and weekend peak visitor periods. We learned that transit and walking are the main modes used by both visitors and residents of the area, regardless of income. Respondents' top dislikes include street congestion, slow transit, and parking availability, and their most preferred new investment would be in faster and more reliable transit service. Read more of the findings in our Pedestrian Survey Report. The study team conducted a parking study which found that about 40% of drivers to Columbus Avenue pay nothing for parking, however, about 30% pay more than $10 to park. This indicates that parking supply is bifurcated into under-priced on-street parking and relatively expensive off-street parking, which encourages drivers to circle for a free space. Read more of the findings and recommendations in the Parking Occupancy and Turnover Evaluation. The study team is developing designs for potential improvements for Columbus Avenue. You can review them below or Download a project fact sheet for an overview of some of the design concepts we are considering. We look forward to rescheduling our workshop to share these designs and get your input. The study team is happy to come to your organization to provide an update of the project. Please contact the team by email at , or call Rachel Hiatt, senior transportation planner with the Authority, at 415.522.4809. RENEW SF can directly be reached at http://renewsf.org.
Transportation Improvement Focus Areas for Columbus AveBUS BULBS Bus bulbs extend the sidewalk into the parking lane at bus stops. Currently, Columbus Avenue does not have any bus bulbs. As part of the City's rapid transit network, bus bulbs should be considered for all bus stops along Columbus Avenue.
Impacts:
WIDER SIDEWALKS Columbus Avenue currently consists of two 10 ft. sidewalks, two 8ft. parking lanes, four 11 ft. lanes shared by cars, transit and bikes, and an occasional 4 ft. median. Our study team is developing a design option that would widen the sidewalks to 13 feet- but to widen the sidewalk, space for traffic or parking would need to be reduced. Another option for "effectively" widening the sideewalks is to allow parking spaces to be used by restaurants for outdoor seating. Benefits
Impacts
COLUMBUS/STOCKTON/GREEN INTERSECTION The intersection of Columbus and Stockton/Green is the busiest for pedestrians and transit- three times as many people pass through the intersection on foot than in cars during the peak period! Even so, this part of the street is especially hard for pedestrians to cross, and transit experiences significant delays here.
COLUMBUS BETWEEN UNION AND FILBERT (AT WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK) The City is studying a Central Subway construction approach that would remove a tunnel boring machine at Columbus Avenue adjacent to Washington Square Park. Construction is planned within the next 5 years, and would not change the park itself- construction would occur within the right-of-way of Columbus Avenue. This construction is an opportunity to redesign the adjacent intersections to provide bus bulbs, wider sidewalks and shorter pedestrian crossings. STREET TREES
PARKING MANAGEMENT The study team conducted an inventory of on and off-street parking occupancy and turnover along Columbus and intersecting streets. Not surprisingly, we found that Columbus Avenue suffers from a parking management problem: on-street parking is free during peak demand periods (evenings and weekends), so that even when on-street parking nears 100 percent occupancy, there remains ample supply in off-street garages and lots. This indicates that drivers prefer to circle for low-cost and free on-street parking rather than pay for available off-street spots, which can cost up to 9 times more than on-street spaces. We recommend a two-pronged strategy. First, measures should be taken to better make use of existing available off-street parking, such as through visitor information, coordinated valet services, and more shared parking, such as exists with the Green Street Mortuary. Second, on-street parking along Columbus Avenue should be managed with demand-responsive pricing set to achieve an 85% availability target. The City's new SFPark program, currently in the pilot phase, will provide the technical tools to manage scarce parking through peak pricing. Read more about parking findings and recommendations in the Parking Occupancy and Turnover Evaluation. Study GoalsRENEW SF and the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (Authority) are developing a community-based transportation study for Columbus Avenue. The objective is to identify transportation improvements that support livability and vitality on Columbus Avenue for residents, merchants an tourists, and which have strong community support. These improvements may include pedestrian safety, parking, Muni service, traffic flow, streetscape, intersection treatments and open space. The Plan will identify and prioritize improvements for funding and implementation based on community input and technical analysis. The Study area includes Columbus Avenue between the Transamerica Pyramid and Ghirardelli Square. In recent years, Columbus Avenue residents, merchants as well as city agencies have identified wide-ranging transportation issues along Columbus, including:
Study TeamRENEW SF and the Authority are co-leading the plan. RENEW SF is a coalition of concerned citizens committed to improving the North East and waterfront sections of the city. The San Francisco County Transportation Authority supports the Columbus Avenue Neighborhood Transportation Study effort through technical assistance and oversight funded by the Proposition K Neighborhood Transportation Planning program. The Prop K half-cent local transportation sales tax program and New Expenditure Plan passed by voters in November 2003 dedicates a category of funding to support neighborhood transportation planning efforts that result in local transportation improvement projects based on widespread community involvement. Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)The Columbus Avenue Neighborhood Transportation Study is guided by an interagency technical advisory committee including community representatives, MUNI, Department of Parking and Traffic, Department of Public Works, Planning Department, Public Utilities Commission, Mayor's Office, and the Authority. The TAC meets periodically to review technical materials and help coordinate inter-agency efforts. Study Schedule
Frequently asked questionsQ: What are the goals of the study? A: Study goals are twofold: one, to work with community stakeholders along Columbus Avenue to get input into top priority transportation needs and improvements. The second goal is to conduct a thorough technical analysis of the community's top priority transportation projects and prepare them for funding and implementation. Q: What is the study area? A: The study area encompasses the entire length of Columbus Avenue from Fisherman’s Wharf to Jackson Square. The study area passes through many neighborhoods including Jackson Square, North Beach, Chinatown, Nob Hill, Telegraph Hill, Russian Hill and Fisherman’s Wharf. Q: Who is funding the study? A: The study is primarily funded by an $180,000 grant from the California Department of Transportation. Matching funds are provided by San Francisco's Proposition K transportation sales tax program and the Department of Public Works. Q: How will public input be addressed in determining the final outcomes? A: The study team will develop projects based on the concerns prioritized by the public and stakeholders, and the technical analysis performed by the consultants. For more frequently asked questions and responses, download a FAQ sheet. Chinese translation of the FAQ here. Get InvolvedObtaining public input is one of the two main key goals of the Columbus Avenue Neighborhood Transportation Study. As the study progresses, the study team will seek community input through stakeholder meetings with neighborhood organizations, public workshops, the website, and other activities throughout the study process. These other activities potentially include walking tours, surveys or participation in festivals and other events along Columbus Avenue over the next year. Summaries and presentation materials of stakeholder meetings and public workshops are located in the sections below.
Stakeholder MeetingsNEXT STAKEHOLDER MEETING: Postponed Summary of First Stakeholder Meeting, Wednesday, June 27, 2007. On June 27, 2007, the study team held its first stakeholder meeting at the Telegraph Hill Neighborhood Center. The purpose of the workshop was to understand which transportation issues (like pedestrian safety, better bus service, and parking) have the most community interest. Read the summary. Public WorkshopsFirst Public Workshop, Thursday, September 20, 2007. On September 20, 2007, the study team held its first public workshop at Jean Parker Elementary School. A bilingual flier of the event was posted in the study area and sent to study stakeholders and neighborhood organizations. Community members were invited to share their ideas on:
A presentation was given at the workshop discussing planning efforts in the area and examples of street and pedestrian improvements. Boards were placed around the room that displayed transit speed and pedestrian safety data in the study area. A summary of the workshop proceedings is available. Chinese language materialsClick here for the FAQ translated into Chinese and here for the bilingual Public Workshop flier. <!--[endif]-->ContactTo learn more or to be added to the mailing list, visit the RENEW SF website: www.renewsf.org, or contact the Columbus Avenue Neighborhood Transportation Plan at the Authority or call Rachel Hiatt, Senior Transportation Planner with the Authority, at 415.522.4809.
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Columbus Avenue has trees both in the sidewalk and in a planted median. Trees in the sidewalk take away from the already limited amount of pedestrian space. Instead, trees could be planted in the parking lanes, freeing the sidewalks for pedestrians and cafe seating. However, this design requires supplemental maintenance assistance from the community, either through a community benefit district or merchant's association. 
