Will Reisman

Bike plan injunction might be lifted

Once upon a time, city officials could add a bike rack to a sidewalk or paint a lane for cyclists on the street without fear of legal repercussions. Those days of yore could return tomorrow. A three-year-old injunction against The City’s bike plan might be lifted on a conditional basis by a San Francisco Superior Court judge, depending on his interpretation of two briefs due on his desk tomorrow. November 12 was the date set by Judge Peter Busch as the deadline for representatives in the legal battle to submit supporting briefs for and against the conditional dissolution of the injunction. Busch said he’d consider lifting the injunction, provided that any implementation of...

Continued...

 

Muni has new tool to monitor operators

Muni now has a new tool at its disposal to ensure the department’s bus drivers are following the rules of the road. On Tuesday, the department announced it has installed DriveCam, an exterior and interior camera system that will record and monitor any collisions or unsafe driving maneuvers by Muni’s bus operators. Muni will use footage from the cameras to review accidents, determine liability from collisions, and reduce excess expenses, including workers compensation claims. The cameras, which cost $1.2 million to install, will also help the department find examples of exemplary driving techniques. “This state of the art system is an important tool to improve the safe...

Continued...

 

With deficit looming, Muni raids stimulus funds

Millions of dollars will be siphoned from federal stimulus funds designated to improve crumbling Muni infrastructure under a plan to help San Francisco’s transit agency close a projected $45.1 million operating budget shortfall. The Municipal Transportation Agency, which oversees Muni, announced this week that just three months into the fiscal year that began July 1, it’s tens of millions of dollars in the red due to lower-than-expected returns from parking meters, an impasse with the taxicab industry on reforms and an unexpected spike in operating costs. The transit agency, which also lost about $180 million in state funding during the past three years, has proposed $25.5...

Continued...

 

Planners from major cities will discuss ideas with city leaders on Wednesday

Planning directors from five different major coastal cities will meet with San Francisco leaders on Wednesday night in a special discussion at City Hall. Developers from New York, Portland, San Diego, Vancouver, and Portland will discuss strategies for building their respective cities in a forum dubbed “Planning on the Edge of the Continent.” The forum, which is open to the public, will be co-hosted by the San Francisco Planning Department and SPUR, a local think-tank. It’s slated to run from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the North Light Court in City...

Continued...

 

Outdated Muni radios due for $60M upgrade

Muni’s current radio system — which was installed in the 1970s and will be inoperable by 2013 — is set for a $60 million upgrade. On Tuesday, the Municipal Transit Authority will vote on authorizing a request for proposal (RFP) for contractors interested in installing a new communications system for the department’s 1,100-plus vehicles. Muni’s current set of radios are no longer manufactured and lack the technological capability of many modern systems, according to department documents. Making matters worse, the Federal Communications Commission is expected to narrow Muni’s radio operating bandwidth in 2013, which will essentially render the current...

Continued...

 

Plan for erasing deficit unveiled Friday

Even though it raised tolls just last year, the Golden Gate Bridge District is once again in a financial mess, and on Friday, financial analysts will unveil a game plan for the cash-strapped district to get out of the red. Due to decreased ridership and heavy investment in capital projects,the bridge district faces a five-year, $137 million projected budget deficit, even though a $1 toll increase last September was supposed to wipe out a then-deficit of $91 million over five years. On Friday, a report from a special revenue panel will be heard at the bridge district’s board of directors meeting. Following the report, the bridge board could approve a “financial plan for...

Continued...

 

Bridge closure snarls traffic; transit use increases

The closure of the Bay Bridge for repairs snarled traffic across the region Wednesday morning. Wednesday morning, drivers crowded onto the Golden Gate, Richmond and San Mateo bridges. By 7:15 a.m., there had been no major accidents. The California Highway Patrol is expecting double the number of cars on the road, said CHP Officer Shawn Chase. By 7 a.m., congestion was already heavy on Bay Area bridges. “It’s definitely a lot more work for the other bridges to take,” Chase said. “We have more officers working in the East Bay and Marin, and extra personnel to handle the extra traffic.” Bridge traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge increased by an average of 70...

Continued...

 

Commmission to vote on waterfront Exploratorium

The proposal to relocate the Exploratorium to the Embarcadero could clear a major hurdle next week. On November 5, the Bay Conservation and Develop Commission, a state body created to address landfill issues in the San Francisco Bay, will vote on whether to grant a zoning exemption for the Exploratorium, which has plans to move to two waterfront sheds at Piers 15 and 17. As part of its mandate to reduce landfill, the BCDC requires that any shoreline development on the Bay be countered with mitigation or removal of artificial landfill at the same project site. However, the BCDC is recommending that the Exploratorium fulfill its landfill removal obligation at a site on India Basin, and...

Continued...

 

Legal jockeying will continue tomorrow

The City Attorney’s Office and opponents of San Francisco’s proposed bike plan will get in their next round of arguments tomorrow, in anticipation of the final decision on the much-debate proposal, which is expected to come on November 2. On October 13, lawyers representing Coalition for Adequate Review, a group founded by local blogger Rob Anderson filed an opposition petition against The City Attorney’s Office, which had attempted to dissolve a legal injunction against the Bike Plan, a city-backed initiative to install 34 miles of new cycling lanes in San Francisco. Tomorrow, the City Attorney’s Office will get to kindly restate their position about why they...

Continued...

 

Doyle Drive officials increasing outreach efforts as construction start nears

With heavy construction slated to start in a few weeks, officials involved in the project to rebuild Doyle Drive are starting to ramp up their outreach efforts. Representatives from Caltrans and the San Francisco County Transportation Authority are scheduled to hold three community meetings over the next nine days, including one in the Marina, and one in the Richmond District. The $1 billion project is expected to transform Doyle Drive, the seismically unstable southern approach to the Golden Gate Bridge, into a state-of-the-art freeway renamed the Presidio Parkway. On Thursday, project officials will meet with Richmond residents at 6 p.m. at the Self Help for the Elderly center on...

Continued...

 

Plans downsized for message signs on Fell and Oak streets

Panhandle residents can relax a little — The City isn’t going to try and turn Fell and Oak streets into a mini version of Interstate Highway 280. After receiving strong backlash from neighborhood residents and talking it over with Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, Muni has agreed to considerably downsize their plans to install highway-like computerized message boards on Fell and Oak streets. Initially, Muni was planning to place two variable-message signs as part of its SFgo program, a series of pilot projects aimed at improving traffic management throughout The City. However, locals said the electronic boards would incite faster driving behavior on the already speedy...

Continued...

 

Passionate pleas on parking policy

The contentious debate over whether to extend the hours of enforcement for parking meters is far from complete. After hours of passionate pleas from citizens both for and against the controversial proposal at the department’s Board of Directors meeting on Tuesday, Muni executive director Nathaniel Ford said the agency would hold public outreach meetings over the “next couple of months” before deciding whether to move forward with the plan. Ford said his department will reach out to business groups, neighborhood associations, and transit advocates to gather more feedback on the proposal, which would extend the running time on all 24,000 of The City’s parking...

Continued...

 

Arts in storefronts debuts on Market Street on Friday

The dim facades of vacant storefronts on Market Street will lose some of their gloom later this week. The City’s oft-talked about Arts in Storefronts project will kick off on Friday, with temporary exhibits scheduled to be unveiled in empty buildings on Market Street as well as in parts of the Tenderloin, Bayview, and Mission District. The opening celebration of the pilot program — which includes 11 original art installations and two large murals — will kick off at 5 p.m. Friday at 989 Market St. Representatives from the Mayor’s Office, the Office of Economic and Workforce Development and the Arts Commission are expected to attend the event on Market Street,...

Continued...

 

Local photographers to be celebrated by Supervisor Mar

When it’s not covered in mist, San Francisco can be a pretty stirring photo subject, and as a way of recognizing the uniqueness of The City, Supervisor Eric Mar is hosting an event to celebrate some local photographers. From 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, Mar will host an exhibit titled, “Photography from the Fog,” at his City Hall office. The gallery will feature shutterbugs from the Richmond District who specialize in capturing the essence of San Francisco. While the artists on display all now call San Francisco home, they originally hail from various parts of the globe. Their unifying theme is an appreciation for the sights and scenes of the Fog...

Continued...

 

Memorial service for Donald Fisher on Oct. 23

Thousands of people are expected to attend a memorial service for clothing magnate Donald Fisher later this month, although the event will not be paid for by city coffers, as was once proposed. The service is slated to take place at Piers 30 and 32 on the Embarcadero at 10 a.m. on October 23. About 3,000 people are expected to attend the memorial for Fisher, the Gap Inc. founder and prominent philanthropist who passed away on September 27. The event’s organizers — who include Mayor Gavin Newsom — had originally asked the Port of San Francisco, the local agency in charge of The City’s Bay waterfront, to waive the Port’s $25,000 usage fee for the service....

Continued...

 

Muni brews storm with meter plan

Drivers will be paying to park until midnight under a proposal to help raise money for transit in The City. Operating hours at all of The City’s roughly 24,000 meters would increase under the plan, which would generate almost $9 million per year for the cash-strapped San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, which operates Muni. The proposal calls for several neighborhoods to have paid parking until midnight Mondays through Saturdays, and paid parking until 6 p.m. on Sundays. The plan would extend some time-limits to four hours instead of the current two. The Mission district, Geary Street and North Beach would bear the brunt of the longer hours, according to a Muni parking...

Continued...

 

Weather forces delays to local transit, flights at SFO

Today’s stormy weather has forced setbacks for commuters travelling on local transit lines and passengers flying into San Francisco, where flights are delayed up to three hours. At the San Francisco International Airport, high-speed winds and low-lying clouds are forcing flights to land on one runway, a situation that is causing planes to arrive three hours late, according to airport spokesman Michael McCarron. The delays are likely to extend to departing flights this afternoon, McCarron said. The Oakland and San Jose airports aren’t experiencing any sorts of delays thus far, although San Jose is fielding some diverted flights that were scheduled to go into San Francisco,...

Continued...

 

San Francisco’s small bridges in line for maintenance

While their repairs aren’t likely to generate as much publicity as the major renovation work at the Bay Bridge, 18 small spans in San Francisco are set to undergo important maintenance upgrades. The 18 spans, all longer than 20 feet and all located within San Francisco limits, will be upgraded as part of a $7 million preventive maintenance program that is being administered by The City’s Department of Public Works. Over 88 percent of the funding for the program is coming from federal grants, but The City still needs to chip in a local match. On Wednesday, the Board of Supervisor’s Budget and Finance Committee will vote on releasing $48,787 in city funds for the first...

Continued...

 

Muni cameras working during fights on buses

In a departure from recent events, security cameras were working properly during two highly-publicized fights on Muni buses this week. On Monday, an aspiring actor was beaten up on the 9-San Bruno line by gang members, apparently over the color of his shoes. On Wednesday, two women were caught by an amateur videographer fighting and screaming at each other while aboard the 20-Columbus bus. The video was posted on YouTube and has attracted thousands of viewers. The events are among others that have raised the issue about crime on Muni. In a press conference Friday, Muni officials addressed the separate melees, affirming that video footage captured both fights. The department has turned...

Continued...

 

Judge rules that high speed rail studies can continue in the Peninsula, despite lawsuit

The show will go on for high speed rail in the Peninsula. In a tentative ruling issued Thursday, a Sacramento judge announced that engineers from the California High Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) can continue to conduct environmental review studies, despite an ongoing lawsuit from the Peninsula towns of Atherton and Menlo Park. The two cities, concerned about the potential impacts of high speed rail in their communities, sued the CHSRA, saying that engineers did not fully pursue options of routing the line through the East Bay. While the suit remains, the decision that the CHSRA can maintain its environmental review schedule was taken as a victory for the agency. “We’re...

Continued...

 

New Caltrain crossing open at Mission Bay

As the Mission Bay neighborhood grows with each new addition to the UCSF research center, accessibility to the area is beginning to keep pace. A new grade crossing, complete with a pedestrian walkway, emergency swing gates, and warning strips, was officially opened today at the Caltrain Mission Bay train stop. While residents should appreciate the safety measure of the crossing, they’ll have to get used to some noisy train approaches—under federal standards, conductors must blow their horns ¼ of a mile before any intersection. After some backlash from the community about the loudness of the horns, the agency is in the midst of lowering the decibel...

Continued...

 

Report indicates need for BART police reform

The BART police department should increase the visibility of its officers on trains, document and track racial profiling and streamline its use-of-force policies, according to an independent study of the transit agency. Those recommendations are among 23 made by the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, which urged the police agency to overhaul its hiring and promotion practices and blasted the Police Department’s aging facilities. Released Monday, the report is the second of two analyses of BART’s enforcement agency that comes in the wake of the fatal shooting death of a BART passenger. Oscar Grant III, 22, was killed by then-BART police officer...

Continued...

 

Weekend happenings will result in changes to Muni bus lines

This weekend’s slate of events in The City will result in plenty of changes to Muni’s bus routes. Sunday’s staging of the Folsom Street Fair will force alterations to nine separate Muni bus lines, including the 49-Van Ness, and the 30-Stockton. The Sunset Moon Festival, a markedly different festival held in a different part of town, will also results in some transit changes. The 71-Haight bus will be rerouted around the event, which takes place on Irving Street from 22nd Avenue to 25th Avenue. The festival will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. Transit riders trying to get information about their regular Muni bus lines should visit 311.org to get updates on any...

Continued...

 

State, local officials will mark safety improvements to Caltrain

An assortment of state and local officials, including San Francisco Supervisor Sean Elsbernd, will assemble Wednesday to discuss grade-crossing upgrades to Caltrain’s railway. The regional transit provider has been involved in 12 separate fatalities this year, including the deaths of three teenagers that were later deemed suicides. As a way to help prevent further tragedies, Caltrain has embarked on a $17.2 million project for safety improvements at 25 different street crossings in San Mateo County. State Assemblyman Jerry Hill, San Mateo Deputy Mayor John Lee, and Elsbernd, who is also the vice chair of Caltrain’s board of directors, will convene the event marking the...

Continued...

 

New technology could help maintain public streets

The Department of Public Works could soon have a new high-tech gadget to aid in their maintenance of San Francisco’s troublesome network of public roads. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission, a state agency in charge of funding and planning for the Bay Area, announced the release of the MobileRater on Monday. The new software program helps street maintenance evaluators instantly load reports of cracked and run-down roads. The technology, which can be used in hand-held devices, would let onsite DPW employees calculate the Pavement Condition Index (PCI) — a street safety standard — of San Francisco roads. DPW spokeswoman Christine Falvey said the department...

Continued...

 

Streetcar wreck may cost $85K in claims

A Muni accident in which a sport utility vehicle was sandwiched between two streetcars has already generated three injury claims against The City that could total $85,000. San Francisco resident Chris Ward was driving his Nissan Pathfinder on Market Street on Aug. 3 when he was abruptly rear-ended by an F-Market/Wharves historic streetcar. The impact rammed the vehicle into another streetcar parked at the Noe Street intersection. The operator, Lonny Butler, of the streetcar that rear-ended Ward’s car was “distracted by a customer who approached him” at the time of the crash, according to statements from Muni chief Nathaniel Ford following the accident. Ward and five...

Continued...

 

Log Cabin project part of Presidio restoration plans

In a rehabilitation project that would make Abe Lincoln proud, a historic log cabin in the Presidio is slated to be meticulously repaired this fall. To restore the 72-year-old cabin, a team of engineers and carpenters dug up 50 local Monterey cypress trees — the same kind of wood used by the Army when the structure was first built — to replace a set of aging logs that make up the cabin’s exterior. All the cypress trees were located from nearby Julius Kahn playground as part of a reforestation project in 2007, according to Dana Polk of the Presidio Trust, the agency in charge of the former military base. Along with carefully replacing the logs of the building, which is...

Continued...

 

Muni, Presidio Trust, introducing traffic calming measures

Driving in the Presidio will have a slightly different feel next month, with transportation officials testing out traffic calming measures in anticipation of the neighboring construction on Doyle Drive. Starting on Sept. 29, Presidio Boulevard will be closed to traffic between West Pacific Avenue and Simonds Loop, and Crissy Field Avenue is slated to be shut down on its one-way uphill portion. Along with the road closures, the pilot program, which is scheduled to last until Oct. 27, will also add speed bumps inside Arguello Gate, and four-way stops at the Lincoln Boulevard and Kobbe Avenue intersection. The study is being monitored by Muni and the Presidio Trust, the federal...

Continued...

 

Willis, Niners hope to sustain strong start against Seattle

Any pro athlete in the country will talk about the importance of finishing strong — be it in a game, a series or a season. But an abysmal season will often make the finish irrelevant, a situation the 49ers have been all too familiar with in recent years. Rolling on the momentum of a stirring season-opening victory against the defending NFC-champion Arizona Cardinals, the 49ers hope to erase the miserable memories of past Septembers with a win against another tough division opponent, the Seattle Seahawks, in the team’s home opener on Sunday. “One thing our coaches have really focused on this year is starting strong and staying strong,” said Pro Bowl linebacker...

Continued...

 

Muni to upgrade light rail vehicles

Transit agency plans on spending $56 million to improve doors, steps By Will Reisman Examiner Staff Writer Transit riders will soon have an easier time getting on and off Muni’s light-rail vehicles. The transit agency plans on spending $56 million during the next five years for rehabilitation work on their 143 Italian-built Breda trains that will include improving the doors and steps. The light-rail vehicles have been in use since 1997 without the benefit of any major rehabilitation work, according to agency officials. The improvements are part of a larger overall plan to improve Muni’s stock of vehicles. Earlier this year, the department identified $663 million in...

Continued...

 

Expect large numbers for 2-Clement debate

A packed house should be the norm once again for Tuesday’s Muni Board of Directors meeting. At the last meeting, held on Sept. 1, two overflow rooms were needed to accompany the hordes of visitors that showed up to offer their various opinions about the department’s proposed service changes to various Muni lines. One of the most vociferous and well-represented groups of that contingency were the folks feeling miffed about alterations to Muni’s 2-Clement line. To make up for a $129 million budget deficit, Muni has been forced to slash services on several lines, including the 2-Clement. Unlike the last board meeting, when service changes to a number of different Muni...

Continued...

 

TA will vote on extending contract

The San Francisco County Transportation Authority is so concerned with running a tight ship that it’s willing to dish out millions to make sure someone is watching its back. On Tuesday, the TA’s finance committee will vote on extending a contract agreement worth as much as $2.5 million with an independent contractor responsible for oversight of the agency. The TA originally signed an agreement with the Cordoba/Zurinaga Joint Venture group for $1.5 million. But with the county agency now in the midst of managing the Doyle Drive rebuild project, the staff has recommended increasing that contract by as much as $1 million. The group will make sure that the TA is doing a good job...

Continued...

 

Smile for the camera

It’s a situation most drivers might fess up to: late for work or an appointment, and desperate to shave a few seconds off travel time, you brazenly speed through a traffic light that has just barely turned red. Across the Peninsula, along with a growing number of cities nationwide, such transgressions are being picked up with increasing frequency as more municipalities install red-light cameras. Since San Mateo installed red-light cameras in 2005, other Peninsula cities have followed suit, including Burlingame, Daly City, Menlo Park, Millbrae, Redwood City and South San Francisco. South City was the most recent city to install red-light cameras when it went live with its program...

Continued...

 

On the hunt for pot plantations

It's autumn in San Mateo County, which means schools are back in session, the end of the strawberry harvest is near and the humming sounds of low-flying planes will become common. The planes are the property of the federal government and are sent to scout out large swaths of marijuana crops that grow in undeveloped, remote and often inaccessible public lands on the Peninsula. “A lot of these areas where we find the grow operations are pretty inaccessible and require about a two- or three-hour hike from any sort of trail,” said Lt. Marc Alcantara, who heads the San Mateo County Narcotics Task Force. “There is not a whole lot we can do to keep them from setting up shop....

Continued...

 

Golden Gate Bridge sees surge in traffic during Bay Bridge closure

If Thursday night offered any indication, this weekend will be a busy one on the Golden Gate Bridge, as motorists look for alternatives to get the East Bay while the Bay Bridge remains closed for Labor Day Weekend. From 8 p.m. Thursday night — when the Bay Bridge shut down for construction — until midnight, there were 1,608 more cars travelling southbound on the Golden Gate Bridge than compared to last year as this date, according to bridge district spokeswoman Mary Currie. Northbound travelers also increased, as the 2009 Labor Day drivers on the bridge were 1,954 more than last year, Currie said. The numbers increased even greater for Friday’s morning commute. From...

Continued...

 

Community leads charge for improvements to park

Unwilling to wait for The City to foot the bill, one community in San Francisco is taking it upon itself to improve a treasured but underutilized local park. Potrero Hill residents want to raise $500,000 over the next two years to improve McKinley Square, a six-acre park on 20th Street that serves a community with an ever-growing number of families. The park already features an enclosed play structure for children, patches of green lawn for dog-walking and natural shrubbery. But The City has never heavily invested in the neighborhood resource, according to Joyce Book, who founded the McKinley Square Park Foundation in May. About 80 percent of the park’s terrain has a steep...

Continued...

 

Wind gusts likely to be heavy in The City

The sun should continue to shine on San Francisco through the weekend, although some high winds may force outdoor enthusiasts to hold on to their hats. Clear skies are forecast and temperatures are expected to reach the 60s today, but San Francisco will likely catch the tail end of a front moving in from the Pacific Northwest. That system could bring wind gusts up to 30 mph, according to Diana Henderson of the National Weather Service. By Saturday, winds are expected to calm down considerably, dropping to an average of 5 to 10 mph, and temperatures should remain in the 50s and 60s, she said. Sunday looks much the same, with mild weather forecast. The sunny skies may change by Monday,...

Continued...

 

Rail-line deal riles Peninsula residents

Caltrain is expected to enter into a formal agreement today with the California High-Speed Rail Authority that will result in the two systems running either next to or above and below each other. The proposed partnership has drawn criticism from some residents on the Peninsula, who are concerned about a 220 mph train running through their community. And though voters statewide approved $10 billion in funding in November for the high-speed-rail project — which supporters say will whisk passengers from Los Angles to San Francisco in less than three hours — the alignment for the system has yet to be determined. Caltrain spokesman Christine Dunn said the two agencies are...

Continued...

 

Rodeo show takes leave from Cow Palace

After an uninterrupted 68-year run at the Cow Palace, the Grand National Rodeo will go on hiatus this year. But the show’s producers said events going on this weekend — the Professional Bull Riders tour and the Junior Stock Show — are more than worthy replacements. On Saturday night, the bull riders tour will feature cowboys from across the country. The stock show runs Wednesday to Sunday and will showcase livestock such as sheep, cows and pigs, along with displays of fresh dairy products. One young buck participating in the stock show is 15-year-old Travis Minard, a San Mateo resident who will be parading his steer. Minard, a Wisconsin native, discovered an interest...

Continued...

 

Firefighters corral single-alarm blaze in Civic Center building

Firefighters were able to contain a small blaze to a single floor of a six-story downtown building last night. The single-alarm fire started just before 11:30 p.m. on the fourth floor of the building at 10 U.N. Plaza, near the Civic Center BART Station, according to the San Francisco Fire Department. By 11:47 p.m., the fire had been contained, sparing the other floors in the building, which houses a Carl’s Jr. on the bottom level, the fire department said. While the cause of the fire is still being investigated, inspectors have traced the origin of the blaze to an equipment room, according to the fire department. Damage estimates of the blaze have not been released...

Continued...

 

Potty Patrol will be on duty tomorrow

It’s been over five weeks since a portable toilet in San Francisco has been torched to the ground, and the Clorox Company is putting forth every effort to ensure that that arson-less streak continues to grow. The Oakland-based toilet product company will be staging a “Potty Patrol” walk through areas of San Francisco on Tuesday, to raise awareness about the serial arsonist who has burnt 27 portable bathrooms in a bizarre crime spree that began back in November. The procession will start at 11 a.m. near a Clorox outhouse on Samsome Street and Pacific Avenue, and will go through locations on the Embarcadero and Broadway Street before wrapping up at noon. According to...

Continued...

 

4.4 magnitude earthquake strikes Bay Area

A 4.4 magnitude earthquake that originated 11 miles outside of the South Bay town of Morgan Hill rattled the Bay Area at 10:40 a.m. today. The earthquake’s epicenter was about 16 miles east southeast of the San Jose City Hall, according to Paul Caruso, a geophysicist with the United State Geological Survey. The depth of the earthquake was 3.8 miles under the surface, said Caruso, who did not know what underground fault line caused the...

Continued...

 

The 3-Minute Interview: Cory Doctorow

The London-based blogger, journalist and science-fiction writer recently completed “Little Brother,” the story of a teen who is tortured by the Department of Homeland Security after the worst terrorist attack in San Francisco history. Why did you choose San Francisco for the setting of your novel? Well, I lived in the Bay Area for several years and I thought it was a natural place to write about the counterculture movement. There has been a recent trend of postapocalyptic books targeting teenagers. Why do you think youths are so attracted to these novels? I think it's natural for kids to gravitate toward stories with a clean slate. There is that hopeless feeling that all is...

Continued...

 

Parade, film scenes, foot race will affect traffic, Muni this weekend

Simulated explosions, a slew of celebrants parading on Market Street, and a footrace in the Presidio will force some street closures and Muni service changes this weekend. Revelers are scheduled to gather on Second Street at 10 a.m. on Saturday for the Greek Independence Day Parade. The procession with move down Second Street to Market Street, where will it continue on until it reaches Grove Street, before it disbands on Van Ness Avenue and Larkin Street. As a result of the parade, Market Street from First Street to Eighth Street will be closed to all traffic starting at 11 a.m., according to a release from the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. As a result, 15 Muni buses...

Continued...

 

Sunny skies, temps in the 60s highlight weekend’s forecast

While it may be a little hasty to start unpacking the beach towels and swim trunks, this weekend’s weather should give San Francisco residents a reminder of what summer feels like. Unlike last weekend, which was marked by intermittent rain showers, gusty winds, and low temperatures, this Saturday and Sunday should see temperatures in the mid-60s and clear and sunny skies, according to Brian Tentinger of the National Weather Service. The early morning hours will be chilly—lows are expected to drop into the high 40s—and wind gusts could gets up to 15 miles per hour, but the skies are expected to be cloudless, said Tentinger. “We’re going to see a nice...

Continued...

 

Speed likely caused motorcycle crash on 101 last night

Excessive speed likely caused the crash of a motorcyclist who ran into a bridge rail on U.S. Highway 101 and fell about 50 feet to his death last night, according to the California Highway Patrol. The motorcyclist, 23-year-old James Gavel of Daly City, was travelling southbound on U.S. 101 near San Bruno Avenue in San Francisco when he lost control trying to navigate a sharp left turn and slammed into the guard rail, according to Officer Shawn Chase of the CHP. Gavel was ejected from his motorcycle over the rail and landed in a parking lot near 15th Street, about 50 feet below the highway, said Chase. Witnesses at the scene said Gavel was speeding, although how fast he was travelling...

Continued...

 

Water rationing down the drain

The rain during the last few months may have put a damper on outdoor fun, but it did save San Franciscans from being forced to ration water. After a dry December and January in which less than 3 inches of rain fell, concerns were raised that mandatory water rationing might have to be put into place for The City. However, February rainfall washed away those fears, according to San Francisco Public Utilities Commission spokesman Tony Winnicker. There were 6.4 inches of precipitation in that month. “Mandatory rationing has looked unnecessary, unless we see a surge in consumption,” Winnicker said. San Francisco’s position on water rationing is better than other parts of...

Continued...

 

S.F. seniors fear losing director due to Rec and Park budget cuts

Benita Lee, a longtime member at the Golden Gate Park Senior Center, did not hesitate for a moment when she talked about the prospect of losing the organization’s cherished director, Carli Fullerton. “To me, Carli is irreplaceable,” Lee said. “There is not much more to it than that.” During the past three years, Fullerton has introduced a series of classes at the center — including Pilates, yoga and guitar — and she has been a steadying force for the 1,300 seniors who visit the community bulwark each day at Fulton Street and 37th Avenue. Yet despite her experience, and the endless testimonials of the members she works with — some 400 of...

Continued...

 

San Mateo brings pool up to snuff with new law

Just in time for warm weather, the city is upgrading its public swimming pool to meet standards required by a new federal law. Passed in December, the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act — named after former Secretary of State James Baker’s daughter, who drowned in 2002 — requires that every pool in the country be fitted with special drain covers to prevent injuries, and possibly death. The act was signed after nine people, mostly children between the ages of 5 and 9 years old, drowned between 1999 and 2007 as a result of drainage systems in pools, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the federal group that enforces the law. The heavy vacuum...

Continued...

 

10-Minute delays for commuters on BART’s Richmond line

BART commuters using the Richmond line experienced delays of up to 10 minutes this morning because of a problem with the transit service’s computer system. The problems started at about 5:15 this morning and affected trains traveling in both directions on the line, which carries passengers from the Richmond terminus in the East Bay to the Millbrae stop in the Peninsula, according to BART officials. By 8:45 a.m., the problem had been cleared, and trains were operating at normal service...

Continued...

 

Action-packed weekend may slow down your drive

Never mind the exploding tanker truck, the slew of smashed up cars and the circling helicopter. The chaos planned for this weekend is part of the filming of the NBC television pilot “Trauma.” The new drama is filming an extensive action scene for its pilot episode at the King Street onramp and offramp to Interstate 280 starting Saturday morning, according to the Municipal Transportation Agency, which is monitoring street closures. On Saturday, the show’s crew will film a simulated freeway crash in which a tanker truck and several cars become involved in a major collision, according to a statement by the transit agency. The scene will include a large explosion and...

Continued...

 

Doyle Drive rebuild slated to start early

Design work to rebuild Doyle Drive is speeding up to make it more attractive for federal stimulus funding, with $36 million in county transportation dollars being released today in an effort to start construction on the $1.04 billion project by the end of summer. Jose Luis Moscovich, executive director of the San Francisco County Transportation Authority, said he believes the project could receive up to $100 million in federal stimulus funds. “We were in Washington recently, and I heard from officials there in such clear terms to ‘make sure our project is ready,’” Moscovich said. “These allocations are ensuring that we are prepared and ready to...

Continued...

 

Sunny, windy days forecast for the week

Today’s clear and sunny skies are expected to last in San Francisco through the week, according to the National Weather Service. Although the sun will be shining bright, temperatures are anticipated to remain mild, with highs reaching into the upper 50s, said Mark Strobin, meteorologist with the National Weather Service. The blustery conditions that were present this weekend should last at least through the rest of the day, with winds reaching 10 to 20 miles per hour, Strobin said. On Tuesday, the temperatures are expected to heat up a little, with highs reaching into the upper 60s, according to Strobin. Much like today, Tuesday is expected to be slightly windy, with northwest...

Continued...

 

Wire problems forces delays on five separate Muni bus lines

Five Muni bus lines experienced delays in their morning commutes because of a problem with the system’s overhead wires. The 1-California, 3-Jackson, 4-Sutter, 22-Fillmore, and 24-Divisadero all suffered service disruptions for about 40 minutes this morning as a result of the malfunction, according to Judson True of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. The problem began at 7:06 this morning near the intersection of Presidio Avenue and California Street, and was cleared by 7:46 a.m. True said. The 1, 22, and 24 lines are three of Muni’s most-used busses, combining to carry an average of over 50,000 passengers a day, according to department...

Continued...

 

Pedestrian suffers life-threatening injuries in car collision

A man was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after he was struck by a car while walking in the SoMa District on Thursday afternoon. The man, whose identity has not been released, was walking eastbound on Townsend Street when a car making a left turn onto Seventh Street struck him, according to the San Francisco Police Department. The accident occurred at about 2:30 p.m., and the injured man was transferred to a nearby medical center shortly after. The police did not have immediate information available concerning the status of the driver, of if they would be facing any sort of criminal charges for the...

Continued...

 

Protesters disrupt traffic, stop transit on Market Street

Automobile traffic was stopped and public transit routes were disrupted on Market Street, due to protests from civilians marking the sixth anniversary of the beginning of the Iraq war. Several Muni busses and the historic F-Wharves streetcar had to be briefly rerouted and turned around at the intersection of Montgomery and Market streets because of the protests, according to Judson True of the Municipal Transportation Agency. Cars were at a standstill at the intersection, as several protesters laid down on the street, according to eyewitness reports. About 1 p.m., police began arresting the protesters, but Montgomery and Market remained roped off to traffic. By 1:40, the protesters...

Continued...

 

Bomb squad investigating package in Silver Terrace

A suspicious package is being investigated by the San Francisco Police Department’s bomb squad unit in The City’s Silver Terrace neighborhood this morning. The package was first reported at 5:40 a.m. at the intersection Jerrold Avenue and Toland Street, police said. The bomb squad was dispatched to the scene shortly after. There was no information available about the size, shape, or contents of the package....

Continued...

 

Most revelers appeared to stay off roads

It was either the luck of the Irish or the free cabs, but only six people were arrested on suspicion of DUI on St. Patrick’s Day. The California Highway Patrol set up one checkpoint Tuesday on Harrison Street between Sixth and Seventh streets, and despite seeing a healthy dose of traffic, only four drivers were arrested, according to Officer Shawn Chase. Three people were also arrested on suspicion of driving with suspended licenses, Chase said. A separate checkpoint set up by the Police Department at Lombard and Scott streets resulted in two suspected drunken-driving arrests, though officers checked 334 cars, according to Sgt. Lyn Tomioka. “We noticed a lot of people with...

Continued...

 

February rainfall puts county farmers at ease

With descriptions like “blessing,” “godsend” and “gift,” San Mateo County farmers made it quite clear what they thought about the wet February weather. Just six weeks after agricultural workers on the Peninsula were making dire projections about cutting crops because of an abnormally dry winter, the industry appears to be back on normal planting schedules due to a torrid stretch of rain last month. County rainfall was a scant 3.05 inches in December and January, but precipitation in February alone more than doubled that total with 6.4 inches, according to Brian Tentinger of the National Weather Service. Rainfall in March has also been healthy, with...

Continued...