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Showing posts from November, 2022

Construction Starts on the Battery/Sansome Quick-Build

Construction Starts on the Battery/Sansome Quick-Build By Eillie Anzilotti   Rendered image of the completed Battery/Sansome Quick Build Project The first-ever protected bike lane in the Financial District is on its way in!  This week, SFMTA crews are starting work on the Battery/Sansome Quick-Build project. Approved by the SFMTA Board of Directors in September, this project will bring a two-way protected bike lane to Battery Street. The project will also add pedestrian safety improvements on both Battery and Sansome Streets, and some loading changes on Battery.   This project is a major step forward for cycling in the city. Apart from the Embarcadero, there is no other protected bike lane near the Financial District — even though two out of the 10 most active bike share stations in the city are in the downtown area. With so many people returning to downtown offices after working from home due to the pandemic, this new route will offer a safer option for those looking for a more
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An uphill struggle in Sri Lanka’s tea country

While business chambers and affluent citizens are seeing a return to normalcy, most others in Sri Lanka are acutely feeling the impact of the economic crisis. For the Malaiyaha Tamils, who already face structural deprivation, the soaring inflation and joblessness have made everyday life a battle for survival, reports Meera Srinivasan Click here for more... from #Bangladesh #News aka Bangladesh News Now!!!
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Explained | Riots at China’s iPhone assembly plant

What led to the mass protests by workers at the Foxconn factory in Zhengzhou in China? How is the local government reacting to the protests? How did Foxconn and Apple respond to the clashes between thousands of police and factory workers? How will it impact iPhone production? Click here for more... from #Bangladesh #News aka Bangladesh News Now!!!
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The Future of Slow Streets

The Future of Slow Streets By Eillie Anzilotti Over the past two years, Slow Streets have shown how simple designs that prioritize people can transform streets. Suddenly, streets across San Francisco filled with the sounds of kids playing and neighbors chatting. They filled with people on bicycles and people rolling in wheelchairs; with joggers and dog-walkers. The streets came to life. Initially, the SFMTA introduced Slow Streets as an emergency response to COVID-19. People needed space for recreating at a safe distance outdoors. And with Muni service reduced or suspended at the time, people needed ways to travel to essential destinations on foot or bike. To quickly meet these early pandemic needs, we implemented Slow Streets with simple signs and barricades. Over time, it became clear that Slow Streets served an even larger purpose. They became places for communities to come together. Neighbors organized events like scavenger hunts and Trick or Treat parties around their local Sl
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Starting Tomorrow! Central Subway Special Service Opens

Starting Tomorrow! Central Subway Special Service Opens By Mariana Maguire Central Subway special weekend service starts November 19 with shuttle trains between Chinatown-Rose Pak Station and 4th and Brannan. Starting tomorrow, November 19, the four new Central Subway stations will open to the public with free special service, Saturdays and Sundays only, from 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. every 12 minutes. This is a special opportunity for customers to ride between the new stations and get to know them before the service change in January. To experience Central Subway special service, transfer at Powell Station from Muni Metro and BART by walking underground to the new Union Square/Market Street Station. SFMTA Ambassadors will be on hand to help customers navigate the new stations. Looks for our bright orange SFMTA Ambassador vests, hoodies and hats! At Chinatown-Rose Park Station, customers should listen to announcements and watch the displays for incoming train information. Trains may
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Taximeter Rate Increase

Taximeter Rate Increase By Today , our new taxi meter rates go into effect, providing a much-needed increase for taxi drivers. After extensive outreach, the SFMTA board passed an 18% increase in the taximeter rates – the first increase in 11 years. During this time, the cost of living  in the Bay Area has risen considerably.  45% increase in the cost of everyday items 50% increase in the cost of transportation  82% peak increase in the cost of gasoline. The new rates listed below will support an industry that is an integral part of  our transportation system, especially for SF’s paratransit program. The new rates go into effect beginning Thursday, November 17: First one-fifth mile of flag rate is $4.15 Each additional one-fifth mile or fraction thereof is $0.65 Each minute of waiting or traffic time delay is $0.65 SFO pick-up fee is unchanged at $5.50 For more information on the current structure of taxi fares, please visit Taxi Fares . To get a sense of what this
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New Muni Metro Station Opens in the Heart of Union Square

New Muni Metro Station Opens in the Heart of Union Square By Mariana Maguire Central Subway special weekend service will be running just in time for the holiday lights at Union Square The new Central Subway Union Square/Market Street Station puts Muni customers in the heart of historic San Francisco, beneath Union Square Plaza at Geary and Stockton streets – open just in time to enjoy Macy’s famous holiday window displays and ice skating on the plaza. Surrounding the Square, visitors can access world-class shopping from some of the most coveted names in fashion and jewelry. Travelers will be steps away from several big-name and boutique hotels. Quaint locally owned cafes, delis, restaurants and bars nearby offer a wide variety of cuisine from Asian to French to Irish, and beyond! Barbary Coast Trail markers on the sidewalk will lead you on an odyssey through old San Francisco. Maiden Lane – a polite reference to the activities that once took place in the early days of the city –
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Five Years of Data Show: Our Street Safety Projects are Making a Difference

Five Years of Data Show: Our Street Safety Projects are Making a Difference By Julia Malmo Ever wonder about the effectiveness of projects after they go into the ground? Us, too!   That’s why, in 2017, we launched the Safe Streets Evaluation Program to help project teams understand whether a transportation safety project’s design is effective, and where there might be opportunities to adjust the design if not. Project evaluation data can also be combined across projects to help the SFMTA track the effectiveness of a certain type of safety improvement, which can in turn streamline the design of future projects. The Safe Streets Evaluation Program helps us work towards achieving Vision Zero , an initiative to prioritize street safety and eliminate traffic deaths in San Francisco.   This week, we’re looking back on five years of data gathered through our Safe Streets Evaluation Program with the “ 2022 Safe Streets Evaluation Summary ,” an interactive website summarizing the results o
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The Good Times are Rolling on the Embarcadero Bikeway!

The Good Times are Rolling on the Embarcadero Bikeway! By Eillie Anzilotti If you build it, they will ride.  That’s the main takeaway from the new two-way bikeway along the Embarcadero, which opened earlier this year. The Embarcadero is one of the most vibrant and well-visited public spaces in San Francisco: people flock to the waterfront for Bay views, excellent food, and the popular farmers’ market. With more and more people traveling along the Embarcadero by bike and scooter, the shared-use promenade was, quite simply, getting too crowded. As part of the larger Embarcadero Enhancement Program to improve transportation along the waterfront, the SFMTA’s Vision Zero Quick-Build team recently extended the two-way bikeway between Mission and Howard all the way up to Broadway to provide more space for people traveling by bike and scooter.  Six months after the new bikeway was completed, the main question is: is it working? The answer is a resounding yes. After the bikeway was installe
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Chinatown Connects to Muni Metro

Chinatown Connects to Muni Metro By Deanna Leo With the completion of Central Subway, customers will be able to ride the T Third Muni Metro all the way from Visitacion Valley to Chinatown. Starting November 19, when Muni Metro riders can first take Central Subway's special weekend service to Chinatown,  prepare to spend the day in Chinatown enjoying all its sights, sounds and flavors. There is so much to explore in the largest Chinatown outside Asia! Tourist attractions include the Dragon’s Gate, Old St. Mary’s Cathedral and Portsmouth Square, the site of San Francisco’s original customs house where today, members of the Chinese community spend the days singing or playing mahjong, a traditional and very popular tile-based game. Fans of Amy Tan’s novel, The Joy Luck Club, can meander the streets of Chinatown searching for the places where her story unfolds. On Wavery Place you can visit the First Baptist Church where the four mothers in the story meet to play mahjong. Muni M
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