On the Issues: Geary Improvement Project

While a few of you may know this project down to every last detail, many of you are probably curious to know more. So let me break down the issue and my approach to it as simply as I can. 

This past week I attended an MTA open information session about the project. The team spent ample time walking me through it and had it laid out super clearly. But before I get into that, let me back up.

On the way to that meeting, I wanted to see things for myself first hand. I rode the 38-Geary bus from the Inner Richmond all the way to the end of the line and back. 

On the route back, I met the bus driver, who was exceptionally friendly and happy to chat about the bus. We’ll call her “T” and she has been driving the 38-Geary for the last six weeks, though she has been a bus driver for longer, including driving routes down Mission Street in the Mission. I asked her what her thoughts were on the Geary Improvement Project and she said she didn’t know much about it. I summarized for her that the plan was to make a bus-only lane which would improve bus transit, but would cost some parking spaces, which is the root of the pushback on the project.

At this point, I saw something light up in her. She said, “Ooh a Red Carpet Lane?” And then something lit up in me. I had never heard this term before, but instantly loved it. A Red Carpet Lane for the bus – brilliant!

Our timing on the conversation could not have been more perfect. We were just approaching a stretch of Geary where it has a bus-only lane for a few blocks, then there is a gap where there is no bus lane, and then a bus lane again. I was flabbergasted to see how inefficient and poorly designed the current set up is for buses. 

Then she said something else that really resonated with me. She paused for a second and then said, “Do you know what? I live in the Mission and have always been very much in support of keeping parking spaces as they are so valuable, but once I started driving the bus with the changes on Mission Street and saw how smooth the Red Carpet Lanes were, I have completely converted as a bus driver, bus rider and a resident reliant on parking. They just make so much sense but I needed to see it to understand it.”

I totally get that. And it’s this kind of forward thinking and understanding that is critical for decision makers for the district to have going forward.

After that, I met with MTA and got an overview on the build out. They have some great visuals and materials that you can find here. Simply put, the continuous third lane down Geary, a.k.a. the Red Carpet Lane, is going to be possible by converting the current angled parking to parallel parking. This is not only going to make the bus faster, but it is also going to alleviate some congestion for people who need to drive to the Outer Richmond since they won’t get stuck behind a bus. 

Addressing the construction concerns, the MTA team laid out very clearly how this project is going to have substantially less construction impact than the project on Van Ness, which some people have compared it to, because the Red Carpet Lanes are going to be on the right, versus the central running lanes on Van Ness. Construction is going to happen on a block-by-block basis, not involving the entire stretch for the entire buildout which decreases its impact.

For parking spots loss, here are the numbers that I found compelling: There is going to be a net loss of 16 spaces within one block of the entire project area from Park Presidio Boulevard to 25th Avenue. To put this in perspective, there are approximately 1,430 parking spaces in this same area. There are hundreds of accessible businesses in this area and the parking spot loss per business ratio is minuscule. Looking at the math, if there were only even 200 businesses that would represent a loss of 0.08 parking spaces per business. “Accessible businesses” excludes businesses that are vacant, under construction or not accessible due to reasons such as a resident operating a business from their residential unit, a real estate firm owning a residential or commercial property.

I understand the sentiment of how even losing one parking spot can feel like a hit to small businesses, but I also believe that a rising tide lifts all boats. And that it’s not always apparent until it’s complete, just like T said.

Supervisor Connie Chan has focused a tremendous amount of energy on the small business impact, which I agree should be considered as small businesses are the backbone of our neighborhood. And this has resulted in a lot of time and resources going to help offset the perceived potential loss of business. However, my approach on this issue is more holistic and it’s time to move the project forward. 

Finally, as the District grows and invests in alternative transportation, we need to make sure that we are considering how residents who live further west can access their homes more easily. The Geary Improvement Project will do just that. 

There is going to be a public hearing on the Geary Improvement Project on Tuesday, Aug. 15 at 1 p.m. I encourage everyone to make their voices heard.

I fully support the project as is and am all in for the Red Carpet Lanes for our buses! 

Until next time, Jen. 

Jen Nossokoff is a District Supervisor candidate and passionate advocate for District 1, seeking to uplift the community’s voice and preserve the heart of our neighborhood. To learn more please visit JenNossokoff.com.