San Francisco

[mrsman]

Just some thoughts on San Francisco.  I did live in Nor Cal for a while in the late '90s, but only spent a few times visiting the city.

With the opening of the Salesforce Transit Center, I did some scoping around recently on GSV and satellite and had a few questions and observations that show the uniqueness of the city in many ways.

Powell & California:  Where the two cable cars meet.  This intersection is quite busy, but it isn't controlled by a regular traffic signal.  Each side sees a red light.  (Does it flash?  Does it go from steady red to flashing red?)  Cable Cars do not stop at all (and signs warn of that), but the auto traffic has to watch out for it all.  And don't forget about the pedestrians.  Can anyone tell me how it works?  Is it as dangerous as it sounds?

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.7921627,-122.4091678,3a,75y,164.25h,86.77t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sxuPoytODOpy4fb30nuR4Rg!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DxuPoytODOpy4fb30nuR4Rg%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D250.73239%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192

Also noticed that there are several one-way streets that have a special provision for school buses.  Here is Washington Street at Powell.  So even though it is one-way westbound, there is a lane eastbound for school buses only during school days.   It seems wasteful of the limited parking to limit a whole block of parked cars when buses could come out the other way.  Flash red when kids are coming and going to the bus and the rest of the time, just park on the left side of the street.

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.7947499,-122.4096717,3a,75y,88.2h,73.06t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1st7BIb3xOnfvD4RIEwmShCw!2e0!5s20160201T000000!7i13312!8i6656

Here's another example at Jackson and Larkin:

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.7943542,-122.4197623,3a,75y,78.59h,84.77t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1su4GHVoJDatOzx6NgpnULug!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo0.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3Du4GHVoJDatOzx6NgpnULug%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D33.75753%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192


Here's a view of the new ramp to the bus station (then under construction) off the Fremont St exit from the Bay Bridge.  It is interesting to see how the buses will come and go to the Bridge.  There seems to be a direct exit from the bus ramp (but not an entrance) to Harrison St.  It's also interesting that the ramp from Bryant St is limited to carpools during the afternoon rush hour, while the ramps from the north side force all the bus traffic to merge in with general car traffic.  IMO it would be nice if the right lane of the inbound bridge [and the left lane of the outbound bridge] would be limited to HOV and buses during rush hour from the toll plaza all the way to Fremont (with some leeway to allow access to Treasure Island).  This would allow a seemless connection from the I-80 HOV lanes all the way to the bus station and the busiest parts of Downtown SF.

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.7865718,-122.3959885,3a,60y,264.29h,83.31t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s8RQavtQUAxHKQxM5hywt-g!2e0!7i16384!8i8192