Traffic and Muni Alert: PGA Presidents Cup at Harding Park

It's back... the PGA tour is back at the Harding Park golf course that is located on Lake Merced and next door to SF State University. What does this mean to you if you are within the region? Let's take a look:

The "region" I am describing is as followed and covers the likely areas where problems and issues may arise:

• North border: Sloat Blvd.
• South border: John Muir Drive (southern rim of Lake Merced and straddles between SF and DC border).
• East border: 19th Avenue
• West border: Great Highway and Skyline Blvd.

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**MAJOR PROBLEMS: MUNI RE-ROUTES AND SKIPPED STOPS FOR THE 18-46TH AVENUE AND 88-BART SHUTTLE**

I called 311 to find out about the re-routes for the 18-46th Avenue and BART shuttle, and the news is not very good.

MUNI RE-ROUTES/CHANGES EFFECTIVE: MONDAY, OCTOBER 5TH to SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11TH

The 18-46th Avenue bus line is going to hell:

• Going towards Stonestown (SF State area): At 47th and Sloat, re-route turns right on Sloat, left on Great Highway, right on Skyline, and continues normal route. Route will skip: SF Zoo, Skyline & Sloat, Herbst road (Disabled center, SF Zoo staff entrance), Harding park entrance/sewage plant entrance.
• It's "normal" route (map points "A" to "B") would turn left on Sloat, right on Skyline blvd., and turn into Herbst Road before continuing on Skyline.
  

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• Going towards Legion of Honor: At Winston & Lake Merced, re-route turns right onto Lake Merced (northbound), left before road changes to Sunset Blvd., continues down Lake Merced Blvd, turns right onto Skyline, and bus continues normal route.
• It's "normal" route between map points "A" and "B" would turn left at Lake Merced/Winston, go southbound on Lake Merced, turn right on John Muir Drive, turn right on Skyline, and continue on it's route to map point "C" and turn right on 46th Avenue.
  

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When you take a look at the maps, it shows a poor planning from the SFMTA/Muni. Look at the huge gap of service on the lower map, it literally removes all stops from Lake Merced/Winston, John Muir Drive, and Skyline (including the Center for the Disabled on Herbst).

I have officially lodged a complaint via 311's phone line about the 18's route changes:

1. You cannot disenfranchise service to these remote areas on the southern rim of Lake Merced (not boulevard, it's the lake) by not having the re-routes try its best to cover the areas where the roads are closed.
2. The re-route removes all bus service to the Center for the Disabled; who will supplement service for this problem?
   
3. The route going towards the Legion of Honor is the worst because it skips all the stops on Lake Merced Blvd. south of Winston, and the homes on John Muir drive near Skyline. Every time I ride the 18, I see SFSU students who live on John Muir hop on the bus and pay the $2 fare for a short 5 minute ride, versus walking 30 minutes on the very long walk to/from campus.
   
4. How about the old and disabled people who depend on that bus line to these far away regions? Do you know how far you have to walk?
5. Why is there NO INFORMATION ON THE SFMTA WEBSITE?
6. DID YOU TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEND NOTICES TO AFFECTED RESIDENTS AND THE SF STATE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY?
   
7. HOW CAN MUNI DO THIS TO THE PUBLIC??????

UPDATE: SFMTA/Muni finally posted the re-route information (but hidden from the SFMTA website; I found it on 511)... but I was FASTER TO POST THIS ON MY BLOG!!!

For the 88-BART shuttle:

• Inbound towards Balboa Park Station will operate normally.
• Outbound will be re-routed due to closure of westbound John Muir Drive. At southbound Lake Merced Blvd. and Font (corrected), bus will continue on Lake Merced, cross the Daly City border, turn right on John Daly Blvd., turn right on Skyline Blvd., cross San Francisco border, and turn right onto John Muir Drive eastbound.

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In this situation, there will be road closures around the golf course. This information is posted on the SFMTA's website, under the ISCOTT minutes (see here), be aware that this information is NOT yet posted on the "alerts" page of both SFMTA and 511.

Here's the road closures:

• John Muir Drive between Lake Merced blvd. and Skyline (westbound only).
• Herbst street (home to the Center for the Handicapped, SF Zoo staff entrance, and the National Guard).
• Skyline between Lake Merced Blvd. (the road that goes around the north west portion of the lake) and Great Highway.

While there is no official posting about this, expect delays anywhere around the region, even if the roads are open to traffic:

• Lake Merced blvd. between Sloat and Brotherhood will be bad, especially with the extra spectator entrance they've installed near Font.
• You can still take Skyline, but you are forced to use Great Highway to go around the closure between Great Highway and Lake Merced.
• I won't bet on this, but Sunset Blvd. may become a nightmare going Southbound.

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SF State University students, staff, and faculty... what should you do?

1. If you are going to park in the garage, bring your campus ID. Campus cops will kick-out any golf spectator who uses the garage that is exclusively for university affiliates.
2. PARKING IS BANNED (see photo below) on Lake Merced Blvd. between Winston and Font. This will be a heavy impact on the campus garage due to the large amount of street parking in that area.
   
3. If you are taking public transit, expect delays on the 29-Sunset and 18-46th Avenue.
4. Arrive to campus EARLY. Get yourself a nice breakfast on-campus.
5. If you live on John Muir drive and take the bus the campus, you may want to consider carpooling with a neighbor. Muni coverage will suck. I suggest complaining to your city supervisor and Muni officials NOW.

Tour of California - Closing roads TOO EARLY?

It's a wet day on my commute this morning from my home in the Outer Richmond district to SF State University. Although it is a major holiday for the governments, it is not for this university (it's a long story).

So I left my home at about 7:45AM and I always take my normal route that goes along the Great Highway (via Pt. Lobos (Cliff House)) and the police and DPT shut down the road for the "Tour of California" bike race. See my 'normal' route below:


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If you have been watching the morning news or reading the Chronicle, everyone knows that the bike race won't even enter the city limits by 8:45AM, which asks the question, why did the city shut down so early?

I called San Francisco "311" and asked. The guy on the phone said that based on their permits, the bike race folks requested a shut-down at 7AM. REALLY? 7AM? What is the purpose of shutting down a major North/South thoroughfare at that early in the morning? The 311 staff member REFUSED to note down my comments/complaints of the early shut-down.

Where is the common sense of both the event organizers and the city for closing the road that early in the morning? They knew that the bike riders won't even leave Sausalito until 8:30AM, so why spend 90 minutes shutting down a major corridor?

People like me still have to commute to work and we are forced to take a completely different route, which involves driving through flooded sections of Golden Gate Park and taking Sunset Blvd. See the route I took below:


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And just to show just how ticked-off I am this morning, here's a statement from the Department of Parking and Traffic:

The Tour will be in San Francisco beginning at approximately 8:40 AM and be at Hwy 35 by 9:15 AM.

The route will take riders off of the Golden Gate Bridge onto Lincoln Boulevard to El Camino del Mar into Lincoln Park onto Legion of Honor of Drive and leaving the Park onto Clement to Seal Rock Drive and out to Pt. Lobos Avenue and The Great Hwy.

Between 8:30 AM and 9:15 AM, traffic will be detoured or delayed in the area as the bicycle riders and associated vehicles pass by. Local access will be allowed for residents in the area with some delays expected.

WAIT A SECOND. The city just clearly said in writing, 8:30AM is the closure of roads and the use of detours. SO WHY DID THEY SHUT DOWN AT 7AM? Why did they mess-up my commute? The city gets another frowny face sticker.

I wonder how many people of Daly City and Pacifica at Highway 35 (Skyline Blvd.) got their commute screwed-up as well when the race won't even enter their area for a while.