Editor:
It’s frustrating that Supervisor Engardio keeps claiming to be mitigating Chain of Lakes congestion caused by the Upper Great Highway closure by replacing the stop sign at Chain of Lakes/Lincoln Way/41st Avenue with a traffic signal. In reality, at least for drivers using Chain of Lakes, it has made things worse, because the pre-existing stop sign at Chain of Lakes and MLK Drive just feet away is still there.
Previously, southbound Chain of Lakes traffic would pause at the MLK stop sign, then pause at the Lincoln stop sign, then proceed. Now, when the light at 41st turns green, a few southbound cars get through, but most are still stuck on the other side of MLK creeping toward that stop sign and miss their chance, forcing them to wait an entire signal cycle in frustration. I frequently watch the green light at Lincoln with no cars in the intersection while I and others are stuck on the other side of the MLK stop sign.
Meanwhile, traffic entering northbound Chain of Lakes from Lincoln or 41st hits the MLK stop sign moments later, causing backups during busy times.
A pair of timed signals would likely solve this; I suggested this to SFMTA months ago but have heard nothing since.
Unfortunately, there’s a disconnect between people who are hearing about Supervisor Engardio’s purported mitigation of problems at that intersection and people who actually use Chain of Lakes. Due to geography, I suspect that most of the people who drive on Chain of Lakes are Richmond District residents rather than Sunset District residents. Thus, it’s notable that those who will be voting in the upcoming recall election hear about “Supervisor Engardio’s mitigation measure,” but only a few of them actually experience the problems that it has caused; whereas most of the people impacted by the problems won’t be voting in the recall.
Matt Springer, Outer Richmond resident
Categories: letter to the editor
Richmond Review/Sunset Beacon 
Amazing how well the city does not function without even trying. Or is that the point. To make sure as many people as possible leave due to frustration with a non-functioning government? The author does an excellent job of describing the situation and suggesting a solution that will be ignored until the perpetrators are gone.
LikeLike
I’m a Sunset resident and drive COL frequently and agree with everything you said. I wrote to both Engardio and MTA. I got the same old song and dance from the former and MTA said that it would take two years to put in a 3-way light for turning into the park. I suggested they remove the stop sign or put in a synchronized light to replace the sign. I was told that couldn’t happen.
Hopefully we will vote him out. Please remind your friends who live in the Sunset to do so. The election is September 16 and the ballot will come to our homes about a month before.
LikeLike
I now avoid the intersection completely.
Fix this, Engardio!
LikeLike
Joel Engardio is a liar first and a representative not at all.
LikeLike
From what I was told, the SFMTA is reviewing this particular intersection and will make necessary changes in the future (I have no idea what the timeline is)
LikeLike
Joel and his tech bros turned a highway into a park. And a park into a highway.
LikeLike
A highway they can rent out to promotional groups for private profit!
LikeLike
Thank you, Matt Springer. So many people are complaining about this and how it has done nothing to mitigate the excessive traffic and gridlock caused by the rush of closing the Great Highway before working solutions were in place as promised by Joel Engardio. This area is especially problematic, as are our residential streets with heavy commercial traffic dangerously thundering past our homes. We need a new D4 Supervisor. Support the recall of Joel Engardio. Vote yes on A.
LikeLike