After Svante Myrick, 25, became the youngest-ever mayor of Ithaca, N.Y., he gave up his car to join the estimated 15 percent of his city’s residents who walk to work. As mayor, however, Myrick has a prime downtown parking spot reserved for his exclusive use. So instead of letting it stand empty, last week he began to, as he put it, “turn the Mayor’s parking space into a park space.”

grist, 30.05.12.

A preview of closures for 70 state parks on July’s shutdown list shows the biggest job for California’s Department of State Parks is to get the word out what “closed” means.

From the closed gates and signs at the parks closed this winter, it might appear that all access is forbidden.

Nope. Parks are still open for walk-ins over or past the closed gates, but there are no signs at any of the parks and no notice posted at the State Parks website, that explains that to the public.

What’s closed are parking lots and all services, several rangers said this winter, most notably Brian Barton, a public safety specialist for State Parks, and Deputy Director Roy Stearns. You can still hike in, or in some cases, hoist a bike over the gate and ride in. They ask all visitors to use a “leave no trace” approach.

No restrooms, running water, garbage service or camping are available at parks closed because of a funding shortage in the state budget..

Just came back from the Special Meeting.

I was so obviously the youngest person there. 

There were two presentations on the project.
One was a summary of the Draft EIR focussing mainly on Jacobs’ plan (the main plan), the other was on an alternative to slow car traffic.

I spoke up during the public comments period.
All the 13 alternatives for this project default auto traffic as the main, only way for people to go to Balboa Park. I questioned why not have a streetcar line / trolley extension along Sixth Ave (or Park Blvd), with frequent service dropping people off on Laurel/El Prado. and improved bicycle infrastructure along with that. That way we get more people into (and out of) the park, without cars, without traffic — without needing to build a costly bypass bridge (aka “Centennial Bridge”), without needing to build a costly parking structure at the end of the bypass bridge. 

I’m in favor of closing Cabrillo Bridge and pedestrianizing that whole path into the park.

This main plan, aka Jacobs’ Plan, would have cars turn right—stopping right before these arches—onto the bypass bridge and to a dropoff zone / surface parking and enter the underground-ish multi-story car park. 

The carpark would have a rooftop garden, and so adds to reclaimed parkland to the park. The carpark would also add 124 or so parking spaces. 

But how visionary is this plan? Not very at all.

Read More

Cabrillo Bridge closed to auto traffic—and crowded with people—at Balboa Park’s December Nights, 03.12.2011. 

The Uptown Community Planning group is holding a Special Meeting this Thursday, February 16th, 6-8pm at St. Paul’s Cathedral “Great Hall”, 2750 Fifth Ave. The important topic at hand is the Plaza de Panama project in Balboa Park—traffic circulation, parking structure project, and review/comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR).

Project elements include:

1. Plaza de Panama: Eliminate automobile traffic from the Plaza de Panama and adjacent promenades and remove parking from the Plaza.
2. El Prado and Plaza de Panama: Allow pedestrian use of El Prado and Plaza de California by re-routing traffic to the bypass bridge.
3. Bypass Road and Bridge: Construction of a new two-way bypass road starting at the east end of the Cabrillo Bridge and continuing through the eucalyptus grove around the southwest corner of the Museum of Man to the Alcazar Parking Lot.
4. Alcazar Parking Lot and Walkway: Redesign the Alcazar Parking Lot to provide additional accessible parking as well as passenger drop-off, museum loading, and valet.
5. Esplanade & Pan American Road: Reclaim both the Esplanade and Pan American Road for pedestrian access by rerouting vehicle traffic west of Pan American Road.
6. Parking Structure and Roof-top Park: Construct a new parking structure with a roof-top park and garden at the location of an existing Organ Pavilion

The project has drawn many critics, especially against construction of a parking structure in the middle of Balboa Park and a bypass bridge stemming from Cabrillo Bridge. If proposed plans follow through, critics and the State Office of Historic Preservation (SHPO) have asserted that Balboa Park’s status as a National Historic Landmark District (NHLD) may be at risk, as mentioned in Elizabeth’s last article. 

State Historian Wayne Donaldson wrote in a letter (PDF) that “This massive project composed of unnecessary, intrusive, and incompatible new construction severely impairs the public’s ability to appreciate and understand the National Historic Landmark. Millions of visitors annually visit Balboa Park. Their experience and understanding of a remarkable historic setting would be impaired.”

Uptown Planners‘ Feb. 16 Agenda.

crossposted on sandiego.urbdezine.

I’m gonna be at this meeting. Anyone else coming out?

Come out this evening for an open house introducing Green Connections: an exciting new project to make it easier to walk to parks and bring nature into the city.

Drop by and check out a bunch of cool maps, talk about what parks you like to go to, where you’d like to go more often, and how to improve your trip(s) to parks. 

Want more trees? Less traffic? Better paths to the waterfront? 

Bring your friends and tell the City what you want to see!

Green Connections Launch & Open House
Wednesday, February 15
5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
LGBT Community Center, Rainbow Room, 1800 Market Street

sf planning via walksf.

Green Connections project timeline.

Green Connections will increase access to parks, open space and the waterfront, by re-envisioning City streets and paths as ‘green connectors’. This project builds on current efforts to create sustainable corridors that enhance mobility, green neighborhood streets, and improve pedestrian and bicycle access to community amenities and recreational opportunities.

Green Connections will result in a Citywide network of green streets that can be built over time, improving pedestrian and bicycle access to parks, open space and the waterfront.

At the end of the project, two products will be developed:

• A Citywide map of Green Connections
• Conceptual street designs in six neighborhoods

How can the City help you improve your path to the park?

We would like your input! Take our online survey here.