Traffic Improvements

The Board of Supervisors has passed legislation drafted by D5 Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi that will rescind the morning tow away lane on the North side of Oak Street from Divisadero to Buchanan Streets. For now, the left turn-only tow away lane from Buchanan to Laguna Streets will remain.

As you will recall, HVNA passed a resolution in 2005 and was joined by every other neighborhood group along Oak Street in asking for the tow away lane to be abolished. This will make the sidewalks in the area safer for pedestrians, people with disabilities and baby strollers by having a lane of parked cars as a buffer to the fast moving traffic on Oak Street. Another benefit is that people in the neighborhood can park closer to where they live, and not be forced to drive because of having to move their vehicles in the morning.

There has been much debate about the traffic on Oak and Octavia Streets, and the spill-over to Laguna, Page and Haight Streets in particular. The Transportation Authority is trying to get funding for a regional study to see how traffic patterns can be changed not just at the one intersection, but on feeder streets throughout the City. Studies show that Octavia Blvd is at capacity in the morning commute, as is Oak Street leading to the boulevard. Having extra lanes of traffic just result in more cars in the bottleneck. Oak Street and Octavia Blvd are carrying the same number of vehicles as before the freeway was closed down. The route actually has almost double the amount of vehicles as traveled through the neighborhood after the Oak St on-ramp was closed and before Octavia Blvd was built. During that time, people found other ways to get where they were going, and we are very supportive of a traffic study that will shed light on alternate ways for people to commute.

In the meantime, Supervisor Mirkarimi has assured us he and his staff will pay close attention to the area. A number of measures have been suggested to increase the safety of people, whether in vehicles, bicycles or on foot, and we will continue working with the folks at City Hall to improve the livability in the area.