Give me some space! Shuttles clog Noe streets
June 8, 2009
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| Street hogs: Shuttles such as this one on Sanchez Street in Noe Valley have neighbors crying foul. Complaints include noise and blocking narrow roadways. (Cindy Chew/The Examiner) |
SAN FRANCISCO — Private buses driving through Noe Valley are causing a rumbling among residents.
The vehicles that shuttle workers between their homes and Silicon Valley idle loudly in the morning and clog up narrow streets, according to neighborhood residents.
The situation first emerged a couple years ago, when companies like Genentech and Google began offering their employees the option of riding a bus to work instead of driving, according to Eileen Birmingham, a member of Upper Noe Neighbors.
The crush of large vehicles driving through the community has increased recently, especially on 30th Street, which already hosts three Muni lines and various van shuttles because of a nearby senior center, Birmingham said.
“At first, there were just minivans coming into the neighborhood,” she said. “Now, you have more and more of these really big, tourist-style buses showing up.”
On Thursday, community members met with officials from four of the companies responsible for the shuttles, Genentech, Yahoo, Google and Apple, according to Upper Noe Neighbors President Vicki Rosen.
She said the businesses listened to the concerns about traffic congestion and noise, although it remains to be seen how or if operations change.
“We’re certainly aware that it’s helpful to have fewer vehicles on the road,” Rosen said. “But these companies have to do as much as possible to lessen the impact on the community.”
Supervisor Bevan Dufty, whose district includes Noe Valley, first heard of the problem last year and asked The City to investigate. He said the neighborhood has a large number of weight-restricted streets that large vehicles cannot drive on. As a result, many shuttle buses drive along the same routes in the neighborhood.
“There is a whole other world of transportation going on here outside of Muni,” Dufty said. “It’s good that people are getting off the road, but there needs to be some sort of assessment about how this is affecting neighborhoods.”
The agency tasked with analyzing the shuttle buses, the San Francisco County Transportation Authority, a local planning group, started a study in May.
Findings from the report will be released in July and could include charging fees for shuttles to enter The City, possible route changes and the creation of special zones for the vehicles, according to Margaret Cortes, a senior transportation planner.
wreisman@sfexaminer.com
