As expected, the plan includes widening sidewalks, improving intersection safety, adding street trees, landscaping that includes small park-like areas, and improved lighting. With less road space and more walking space, the Planning Department hopes to increase safety while reducing car traffic and that scourge of urban life, double-parking.
If these plans indeed become actions, major intersections along Castro will be significantly safer with bus parking, longer sidewalks and more visible crosswalks. A refined version for community perusal shall be revealed in February, with an eye on beginning construction in 2013. This Castro street makeover is brought to you by the $4 million Prop B, penned by Supervisor Scott Wiener and approved by voters who also, apparently, believe in a safer, greener Castro Street.
· SF Planning Department [official site]
· Castro Street Gets a Little Nip and Tuck [Curbed SF]
Castro Project Overview
Castro Street between Market and 19th Streets is one of the most well-known neighborhood commercial districts in San Francisco. In addition to serving the needs of local residents, the two-block stretch of Castro Street is an historic center of the LBGT (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender) community and a destination for visitors from around the world. This stretch of Castro Street also serves an important transit-function in the City; the Castro Muni Metro subway station, F-Line historic streetcar turnaround, and several Muni bus lines all directly serve this area.
Castro Street’s existing design does not adequately accommodate the needs of the thousands of residents and visitors who use the street every day. Pedestrian safety and comfort are of special concern given the high volume of pedestrians combined with narrow sidewalks and busy street intersections. The Castro/Upper Market community has actively pursued opportunities to improve Castro Street, including recent planning efforts such as the Castro/Upper Market Community Benefit District’s Neighborhood Beautification and Safety Plan and the San Francisco Planning Department’s Upper Market Community Plan.
The Castro Street Design Plan will build off these previous efforts and develop a conceptual design that balances the needs of its users and enhances the street as one of San Francisco’s premier destinations for locals and visitors alike. The conceptual design will be used to define a first phase set of improvements to be built with funding coming primarily from the Road Repaving and Streets Safety Bond, passed by San Francisco voters in November 2011.
The project is an interagency effort of the San Francisco Planning Department, the San Francisco Department of Public Works, and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.
Article & Image Sourced from: www.sf.curbed.com & www.sf-planning.org
