By Jaime Michaels, HANC Board
In Spring 2020, after the COVID-19 lockdown had taken effect, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) implemented the Slow Street program in various neighborhoods to create more space where people could recreate at safe social distances and also away from car traffic. Page Street between its intersections with Stanyan and Octavia was included in the pilot program. To date, traffic management features on Page St. have been temporary and largely informal, but SFMTA is now proposing several more formal measures, as described below:
Vehicle Turn Restrictions at Page St. Intersections With Stanyan and Masonic. (1) At the intersection of Page and Stanyan, northbound and southbound vehicles on Stanyan would be prohibited from turning onto Page and, thus, from traveling eastbound between Stanyan and Shrader. Westbound vehicles on Page between Stanyan and Shrader, and turns from Page to Stanyan would be allowed; and (2) at the intersection of Masonic, northbound vehicles would be prohibited from turning right and left onto Page and southbound vehicles would be prohibited from turning left onto Page. According to SFMTA, the proposed measures are intended to affect eastbound traffic on Page, and would not apply to emergency vehicles or alternative modes of transit (e.g., bikes, wheelchairs, skateboards, and pedestrians).
Expanded Pick-Up/Drop-Off Zone at SF High School of the Arts. Along the curb directly in front of the San Francisco High School of the Arts (SFHSA) at 1950 Page Street, the existing white zone (drop-off and pick-up only) for three vehicles would be expanded to accommodate up to nine cars. White zone hours would be 7:30-9:00 am and 3:30-6:30 pm on weekdays through the calendar year; during those hours, general parking would not be allowed. A traffic management plan for the SFHSA site—a condition of the City’s permit for school expansion and construction—has not been prepared and, thus, the curb zone modification is presented without the benefit of understanding how the measure would help to manage traffic associated with school operations.
The proposed modifications would require a public hearing and action by SFMTA and the City Engineer. At the time of this printing, specific date(s) had not yet been set. Based on the information provided to date by SFMTA, the HANC Board has taken the following position on the measures:
1. No opposition to proposed turn modifications onto Page St. from Masonic and Stanyan;
2. Opposition to the proposed expanded white curb zone at 1950 Page St. (site of SFHSA) for the following reasons:
- SFHSA has not developed a traffic management plan as required by the City and, thus, the Board finds it premature to understand how a curb zone modification would fit into a more comprehensive traffic plan for the site. The Board is especially concerned since school-related traffic is already significant (at Page and nearby streets) and expected to intensify as school enrollment and capacity increase.
- Further, the Board believes that a draft traffic management plan for SFHSA should be reviewed by neighbors and interested parties with adequate time allowed to develop meaningful solutions to the school’s traffic issues.
- Prior to the implementation of proposed traffic modifications, including curb coloring changes, the Board believes neighbors and interested parties should be properly notified in order to participate fully in the process and provide comment or concern about changes.