SUPERVISOR KATY TANG District 4 | Sunset | Parkside City Hall, Room 244, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102 (415) 554-7460 | [email protected] | www.sfbos.org/tang Message from the Supervisor Front Yard Ambassadors Program Planting Day Recap ur office, along with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), OFriends of the Urban Forest (FUF) and community members, implemented the pilot round of our City’s first Front Yard Ambassadors Program on Saturday, February 22. Program participants met at Sunset Reservoir to celebrate with a pot-luck before the planting. Participating Sunset District blocks include: the 1400 block of 37th Avenue, the 2000 block of 47th Avenue and the 1700 block of Ortega Street. Our office would like to thank the SFPUC and FUF for their strong partnership in this program. For each square foot of concrete converted to landscaping in the Sunset District, an average of about 12 gallons of stormwater runoff can be removed from the sewer system per year. When taken in conjunction with the other projects the SFPUC has underway, such as the Sunset Boulevard Greenway Project, the amount of stormwater diverted from our combined sewer system is significant FUF was instrumental in guiding residents through the permitting and landscaping process, and FUF staff applied the expertise from their robust street tree planting Planting with 37th Avenue Neighbors Debbie & Cathy program. Additionally, we would like to thank the Surfrider Foundation for providing volunteers, and Sloat Garden Center for providing a starter kit for participants and ongoing support out of their store at 2700 Sloat Boulevard. If you are interested in the Front Yard Ambassadors March Program, applications for our next round are open now through the end of March. Removing concrete and adding landscaping to your yard provides many 2014 benefits to our community. While beautifying the neighborhood, these yards also create permeable surfaces that take pressure off of our combined sewer system. In order to qualify for this program: · You must be a resident of District 4; · Have approval from the homeowner if you are a tenant; · Find at least four other houses on your block to participate in the program with you (total of five houses); · Must agree to maintain the landscaping for as long as you reside at the residence; and · The project must include the elimination of concrete from your front yard (solely re-planting existing lawns or planter beds is not allowed) Planting with SFPUC General Manager Harlan Kelly, Jr. If you are interested, please fill out an application on our website before March 31, 2014. Please call our office with any questions at (415) 554-7460 or email [email protected] or to request a hard copy of the application be mailed to your address. You can find information about the program and application materials on our website at: www.sfbos.org/index.aspx?page=15348. Follow SupervisorTang on Twitter Like Katy Tang’s Facebook Page Subscribe/Unsubscribe: email [email protected] SFMTA TransitEffectiveness Project Proposed Changes to the 28L & L-Taraval Lines he San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s (SFMTA) Transit Effectiveness Project (TEP) is a Tcomprehensive overhaul of San Francisco’s transit network with changes proposed to modernize Muni and make it more efficient, reliable, safe and comfortable. March 4th Meeting: Changes to the L-Taraval Line The TEP proposes to reduce by 20% the travel time for the L-Taraval using a combination of stop consolidations and changes to the traffic pattern along Taraval Street. There are also pedestrian amenities proposed such as boarding islands and bulb outs; as well as wheelchair ramps to increase accessibility. Join the meeting on March 4th at Congregation B’nai Emunah located at 3595 Taraval Street and 46th Avenue at 6:30pm to discuss these proposed changes and provide your input. Meeting Recap: Changes to 28L Line Recently, the SFMTA met with community members about the TEP and changes to the 28L line that runs along 19th Avenue. While changes are proposed to lines throughout the Sunset District, the meeting held on February 19th discussed specifically potential changes to the 28L. An opportunity to discuss changes to the regular 28 line will be held before summer. Currently, along 19th Avenue, there are seven existing 28L stops including: Lincoln, Judah, Quintara, Taraval, Sloat, Winston and Holloway. The TEP proposes to remove stops at Lincoln, Quintara and Sloat. Implementation of these changes will occur between the summer of 2014 and 2016. Other Opportunities for Public Input On May 14th, there will be a public hearing at the SFMTA Board of Directors meeting where they will take comments on the proposed changes. The SFMTA Board may take action on these proposed changes at their May 28th Board meeting. For more information on the TEP, please visit www.sfmta.com/projects-planning/ projects/tep-transit-effectiveness-project or contact Sean Kennedy, Manager of the TEP at sean.kennedy@sfmta. com. To contact the SFMTA Board about the upcoming public meetings, email [email protected]. We encourage everyone to submit their comments about any of the proposed changes to Muni lines throughout the City through www.tellmuni.com. Land Use Opportunities Workshop: March 5 ecently, our office partnered with the San Francisco Planning Department to conduct a soft site analysis of RDistrict 4 to see where there are opportunities for enhancement. There is much potential here in our own district, especially along our transit corridors, and much can be achieved without changing any of the existing zoning controls in our Sunset District neighborhoods. As Sunset residents, we have an opportunity to tackle our City’s housing challenge with focused attention and smart long-term planning. You have the opportunity to share with us your thoughts about where and how we enhance our district. Please join our office, along with the San Francisco Planning Department, for a Community Discussion on Land Use Opportunities in the Sunset District: March 5 (Wednesday) at 6:30pm at the Sunset Recreation Center – 2001 Lawton Street and 28th Avenue. Pedestrian Safety: Yorba and Sunset Boulevard Intersection Update he death of District 4 resident Isaak Berenson and the injury of a 15-year old boy at the crosswalk at Sunset TBoulevard near Yorba Street within a few weeks’ time serve as reminders of the need for caution and vigilance when driving and walking along our city streets. This intersection in particular has been known to be dangerous to pedestrians, and our office has worked to improve the visibility and safety n the area. Despite the pedestrian warning lights at the intersection, our office recognized the need for additional measures. We advocated for the installation of a traffic signal in the area, which was to be installed at the end of 2016. With the occurrence of the two recent accidents, however, the time line has been accelerated and safety measures will be implemented by the end of 2014. Our office will continue to make pedestrian safety a priority in the area and will keep the community informed as progress is made to make this area safe for everyone. N-Judah Turnaround Open House & La Playa Park Depot Design Workshop o you live near or often visit the Judah and La Playa corner and wonder about the potential opportunities Dthe space can bring? Whether it includes planters, a farmers market, sidewalk art, or any number of beautification ideas, share your thoughts with the N-Judah Turnaround Beautification Project at its next La Playa Park Depot Design Workshop on Saturday, March 22 from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm at the corner of La Playa and Judah. Participants will be able to select, discuss and choose image concepts to beautify the depot. For more information, visit www.njudahproject.org. Façade Improvement Fee Waivers for Small Businesses n preparation for Small Business Month in May, Supervisor ITang introduced legislation to the Board of Supervisors to provide assistance to small businesses seeking to replace their store awnings and install pedestrian level lighting. Under the legislation, awning replacement and pedestrian level lighting installation permit fees for small businesses would be waived during Small Business Month in May 2014. It is our hope that this incentive will provide small businesses with the opportunity to contribute to vibrant merchant corridors throughout the city. Although the fee waivers would be granted in May, we encourage small businesses to start planning for the improvements now. For more information on how to apply for an awning replacement permit, please contact the Department of Building Inspection at (415) 558-6088 or visit www.sfdbi.org. For more information on the legislation, please contact our office at (415) 554-7460. 19th Avenue Median Improvement Project – Phase II ineteenth Avenue is one of San NFrancisco’s major transportation corridors. As State Route 1, it is part of the state highway system linking San Francisco with San Mateo County to the south and Marin County to the North. The 19th Avenue Median Improvement Project implemented a recommended element of the 19th Avenue Park Presidio Neighborhood Transportation Plan. The San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA) has developed and is working to implement the Plan in conjunction with partner agencies, including San Francisco Department of Public Works (SFDPW) and the community. This complex corridor, serving both as California State Route 1 and as a local urban arterial with multiple types of adjoining land uses, must accommodate bus transit, auto traffic, and non-motorized travel. The median improvement project is a result of collaborative community planning process of the SFCTA Plan. The recommendations are aimed at improving pedestrian crossing conditions, sidewalk conditions, and bus and traffic operations.