For several years BATWG has tried to focus attention on the disastrous 1.5 mile East-West Connector highway (now euphemistically called the Quarry Lakes Parkway) that the Mayor of Union City wants to foist upon the mostly unsuspecting residents of south Alameda County.

First, the new roadway would obliterate a nicely wooded section of Alameda Creek just north of Paseo Padre.

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Our companion article about Muni in this newsletter reiterated the current need for the SFMTA to cut costs.

The forthcoming APEC conference (scheduled to take place from November 11 – November 17) may offer a way for the SFMTA to avoid having to pay $20 to $25 million a year to keep the low ridership Central Subway running.

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Things have gotten out of hand – way out of hand.

It has been shown that fare evaders are more likely to commit crimes while on board transit vehicles than paying customers. BART sources say that while the actual amount of fare evasion is unknown (estimates range from 20% to 40%), what is known is “that virtually everyone arrested for criminal behavior on a BART train is also a fare evader.”

Needless to add, criminal activity aboard transit vehicles does not attract new riders. In many cases it isn’t just the criminality that turns people away from transit use. A large percentage of the residents of the Bay Area are used to comfort and safety. For this reason (whether socially acceptable or not), many will not willingly sit down or ride with people who are dirty, unduly noisy, disruptive, combative, hostile or plain obnoxious. It’s just not going to happen.

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The transit agencies are finally recognizing and beginning to respond to the fact that fare evasion often leads to unruly and criminal on-car behavior which in turn drives paying customers away.

Take BART for instance. Three years ago its board scoffed at the idea of cracking down on fare evasion. As one Director put it, “if someone doesn’t pay it’s because they can’t afford to, so let them be”.

This approach has not worked….anywhere. If there are no consequences for cheating or breaking the law, some individuals invariably take advantage of the situation. That’s just the way it is. Everywhere. In all situations.

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Letter sent to San Francisco Mayor London Breed and
Supervisor Engardia

Dear Mayor Breed and Supervisor Engardo,

Subject:  https://sfgov.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=11909851&GUID=7962909D-F96A-41CD-BC72-229395819237

With the 1960’s ” freeway revolt” San Franciscans became more focused on protecting their city from crass, politically-motivated development. Many horrible projects, all fully backed by City Hall, that would have been highly destructive to the unique character of San Francisco were stopped: The planned 53-story US Steel Headquarters located on the waterfront next to the Ferry Building was never built. Nor was the 6 story Oceanic Properties Development that would have protruded 1,300 feet out into the Bay. Nor the proposed highway tunnel under Russian Hill. Nor was the International Market Center, slated to be the fifth largest building in the world, wrapped around the east side of Telegraph Hill. Nor did the Scott/Divisadero Freeway proceed. Nor the plan to transform Upper Market Street into an eight-lane thoroughfare. Nor raising the height limits in North Beach to 65 feet. And many more.

And the ticky tacky residential architecture that degraded cities throughout the world was nipped in the bud in San Francisco.

Political tinkering with the San Francisco Planning Code and watering down CEQA are guaranteed to start the same old wars all over again. San Francisco’s housing problems can be addressed without ruining the City in the process.

Please desist.

Gerald Cauthen PE

End of June 2023 Newsletter