By Christin Evans, HANC Treasurer

PG&E and the City of San Francisco’s dispute over electricity contracts has delayed the powering of traffic signals and pedestrian light poles installed last year.   As part of the Haight Ashbury Public Realm plan which started its implementation in 2017, SFMTA planned new traffic lights at intersections along upper Haight Street between Shrader and Central streets.  Those traffic lights were installed where stop signs now control the traffic flow.  The city’s plan was to use traffic lights instead to speed the Muni buses and reduce the hazards of pedestrian-involved accidents.  But while those poles have been in place since Fall, 2020, the DPW project manager says contracts disputes with PG&E have delayed both the traffic signals and pedestrian light poles from being powered on.

There has been a rocky relationship between PG&E and the City of San Francisco.  In 2018 the Chronicle reported the city complained that as many as 16 major projects including affordable housing and recreational services had been delayed by arbitrary technical requirements imposed by the utility. The utility filed bankruptcy in 2019 after lawsuits stemming from fatal fires threatened its financial viability. In the fall of 2019 Mayor Breed offered a $2.5 billion infrastructure buyout which PG&E immediately declined.

So what’s the path to getting the lights turned on?  Supervisor Preston’s office has been in contact with the SF PUC (itself a troubled city department caught up in the Federal bribery probe) to work through the issues the utility has raised prior to the lights being powered.  The Public Realm project which has taken several years to complete will be held up until the issues are resolved.  Until then, the lights remain off.