Momentum is again picking up on a long-discussed proposal to transform a dilapidated water reservoir on Russian Hill into a new public open space. Located on a hillside that overlooks Alcatraz Island and sits just a few blocks from Fisherman’s Wharf, the Francisco Reservoir is a wooden-roofed structure that hasn’t been used since the 1940s. Owned by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, the reservoir is barely visible from the street, hidden by a tangle of overgrown trees and fencing. Read More

A high school student struck and killed by an alleged drunken driver after celebrating her 17th birthday. A beloved teacher fatally hit while crossing Vicente Street. A young girl whose legs were crushed by a dump truck on The Embarcadero. So far this year, five pedestrians have been killed by motorists on San Francisco streets, and pedestrian advocates are wondering why more isn’t being done to improve protections. Read More

Last year, Bay Area motorists could glance up at huge billboards complaining, “Bay Bridge: 100% Foreign Steel” — part of a campaign launched by domestic manufacturers and union groups. The messages were intended to shame Caltrans and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the state agencies that own and operate the structure, for purchasing steel from China for the bridge’s new self-anchored suspension span. Read More

A project that repaired a beachfront pathway adjacent to the Sharp Park Golf Course in Pacifica has environmental groups once again concerned about the direction of the San Francisco-maintained property. The Recreation and Park Department, which manages the Sharp Park open space and golf course, recently completed a small re-grading project on a levee that acts as a path along the beach. The department filled in some potholes and leveled off the berm in some places, but it also left behind a new pile of large boulders on the beach. Read More

SAN JOSE — Disregarding Wichita State’s shellacking of Pittsburgh — No. 9 seeds actually have a better record all-time against 8 seeds — Oregon’s 68-55 dismantling of Oklahoma State at HP Pavilion marked the first true upset of the NCAA Tournament. Read More

Fewer than half of likely California voters support the state’s proposed high-speed rail project at its current price tag, according to a poll released Wednesday. In 2008, 52 percent of voters backed a $9.95 billion bond measure for the high-speed rail network. However, the projected cost of the plan has gone from $34 billion to $68 billion since then. The more expensive plan has residents wary, as only 43 percent of the 1,138 likely voters interviewed said they would support the project at its current cost, according to the Public Policy Institute of California poll. Read More