Traffic & Parking
While Cow Hollow residents treasure the low-key neighborhood feeling of much of the district, there is no denying that traffic challenges are part of life in Cow Hollow. Marin commuters, visitors to the Presidio and tourists riding faux cable cars and tour buses all pass through in large numbers. The Traffic & Parking Committee monitors government plans and policies affecting traffic.
Doyle Drive / Presidio Parkway
Cow Hollow's location makes it especially sensitive to traffic impacts resulting from two huge public works projects now in process affecting State Highway 101 (which passes through the City under the names of Richardson Blvd., Lombard St. and Van Ness Ave.).
The first phase of the giant, multi-year project to replace Doyle Drive with a new Presidio Parkway is on track to be completed this spring. Caltrans will then close Doyle Drive for three days, pave a temporary bypass, and move traffic onto newly built structures until the rest of the Presidio Parkway is completed in early 2015. The demolition of the seismically-unsafe existing trestle structures on which we now drive will then begin.
Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
Over on Van Ness, environmental review for the Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit Project is entering its final phase, with the agency expected to release a Final Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) and a Record of Decision this year.
The project sponsor is the San Francisco County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and the goal is to create dedicated bus lanes for two miles along Van Ness from Mission to Lombard that will enjoy specially synchronized traffic signals and fewer stops than Van Ness buses currently do. The appeal of the BRT approach is its "cost-effectiveness": it is vastly cheaper than burrowing underground would be. Without a plan to widen Van Ness, though, we are concerned that the dedication of one entire lane in each direction to buses will inevitably cause more back-up and congestion for all other vehicles that may spill over into neighborhood streets.
Other topics of recent interest have included:
- Congestion Pricing
- Greenwich Street Bike Lanes
- Muni service changes