The Guardian Does Not Want You Driving, or Parking
Scene from Today's Pro-Life Protest On Van Ness
Fisher Pulls Museum Out of the Presidio
Day Around the Bay
Why Are You at Work Today?
Do you like the cheap gasoline? Many are willing to queue up for it.
The issue at hand: cars lining up for ARCO gasoline on Fell Street. Why do people do this when there's a nice Chevron/Union 76 across the street with no waiting? Money, money money. The ARCO tends to be a lot cheaper. Historically, ten to twenty percent cheaper for 87 octane (which is all you really need anyway). Who is upset about this daily car logjam and what is being done about it, after the jump.
This problem is the worst part of the bike commute of SF Public Health Director Dr. Mitch Katz.
The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition had a meeting about this as recently as June.
And the situation has been noted by local government: ""The Fell Street bike lane continues to be blocked by cars backed up queuing for the ARCO gas station."
O.K. then. Are things getting any better? It seems that things were worse before but it still gets kind of bad nowadays. What can you do about this?
Here's part of the solution provided by the ARCO station: a sign or two.
Mission accomplished?
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I buy my fuel there all the time. Getting in and out is a nightmare but damn if I don't feel like getting a bargain!
OH THIS MAKES ME ANGRY.
Not only do these guys block the bikes, they block the cars, they block pedestrians, they block everyone. And they don't even bother to move into the parking lot, and the Arco guys couldn't bother to direct traffic or do anything else.
Is that really worth it for a few pennies off a gallon of gasoline, when you can go to Costco for even less?
This marks the danger zone on my motorcycle commute from downtown to the Haight.
Now, with the opening of the Broderick Place condos/market in the next block to the west you have a new second danger spot just when you thing your troubles are over. The entrance to the parking garage is on Fell and is a tight squeeze between parked cars. Anyone trying to get in has to come to a complete stop and make a wide turn into the middle lanes.
1st: Like every Trader Joe's, every Arco passes on the savings from the poor design of their parking lot on to the consumer. The TJ's at Masonic recently had to remove parking along the road to create a proper turn lane. I think Arco should do the same.
2nd: Usually the approach from Divisadero is a bit easier to get into, though that involves many left turns because of the divided street there.
3rd: 30¢ a gallon is not just a penny-pincher for the Scrooge McDuck's out there. If you have a 10 gallon tank (a small tank for most cars) that's $3.00 less than the rip-offs across the street and around the corner. Anywhere else besides California and those other two places would change their prices or go out of business within a week.
The solution is rather simple - block access from Fell Street and make all the idiots who drive cars in SF - surely anyone who drives in this city is an idiot - enter via Divisadero. There, easy as pie.
looks like you guys are missing out on the real deal in the castro:
http://www.sanfrangasprices.com/map_gas_prices.aspx
that intersection has always been a nightmare for me. some drunk brother tried to turn left out of the middle lane and side swiped me about 20 years ago which i've never really gotten over. i drive as defensive as possible with anyone along fell, since nobody knows how to drive in this town
Don't even get me started on the Fell/Oak Mess. Two years ago there used to be a fourth lane open on Fell and Oak. They opened up a freeway ramp and take away a fourth lane -- genius I say! Create more hazards.
Next in the mornings on Oak this brilliant city allows garbage pick up and street cleaning during rush hours -- this reduces the former four lanes to two lanes going to a freeway entrance/exit.
Then in this brilliant transit first city they put bike lanes on what is essentially a freeway (at 20 mph). People have to realize some streets in this city are not for bikes ever. Fell and Oak -- freeways -- they should be treated like the rest of freeways in the state -- no bikes allowed.
Don't blame the gas station. Blame the city for being so stupid.
Oh yes, this is where some genius went the wrong way on Fell just long enough to ease into the gas station as I was rolling up in the bike lane Sunday afternoon. Classic.
And I'm an idiot who drives in this city. I have a school internship in the East Bay. To get there from my home in the Sunset I would have to leave between 6 am and 6.30 am because the N is so dependable.
Welcome to the real world. People have to drive sometimes.
Move the bike lane back up to Hayes and remove it from Fell. It sucks to have to go up the hill on block (on scott, between Fell and Hayes) but it is much, much safer. The bikes can then shoot down Hayes to Baker and into the panhandle.
That's the route for the return trip. But I see lot's of idiot bikers careening off the panhandle down to Oak to catch the wiggle. That's a death wish if you ask me.
Cranky, on behalf of everyone let me apologize for not finding the time to bend over and kiss your ass.
That station on Fell is a terrible idea. If you only fill-up 8 gallons for a savings of lets say a nickel a gallon difference than the competition across the street, it's worth just paying the extra 40 cents to find another place without the wait and the rage.
The one at Castro is even worse. You might as well go down there at 10PM when there is less people.
Costco is really smart on how they do their gasoline business. Multiple lines, a middle turn-out lane between pumps, extra long hoses so that you can pull the line to the other side of your car, and no washing your windows. Pump and get out.
Isn't Arco an arm of the Venezuelan state-owned gas company? This just goes to show that the average American will trash his patriotism in a second if it means he can save a few cents. You're supporting Chavez your fucking dipshits. And get out of the fucking bike lane. Oh, and they charge you a couple of bucks to use a debit card there.
Course another solution - rather than punishing the law-abiding bikers using the dedicated lane, would be to ticket the drivers and possibly also file a public nuisance complaint against the Arco station owner.
Why should the innocent parties be punished for the lame assedness of others?
Another well-researched rant on Sfist! It's Citgo not Arco that is owned by the Venezuelan Gov't.
ARCO is owned by BP, which of course is just as evil to lefties as Venzuela is to righties. Choose yer poison.
ChinaNob's point is good. If they put a parking control officer by that driveway, it would be like a DS for the city -- it prints money. I'm sure the drivers could afford the tickets, since they're saving so much on gas.
Also, how about some soft-hit posts to keep drivers from drifting into the bike lane? Although that might make on-street parking kind of difficult.
Whatever, Arco invested $20 Billion in Venezuela just last month. It's just a rule of thumb, but if your gas is 30c cheaper, it's coming from Venezuela. Personally, the Bentley only purrs when it's running on the top shelf stuff from the House of Saud.
Fizzandpop: Citgo is the owned by Venezuela. Arco is a U.S. Company.
AJ and Akit: There are no CostCo gas stations in the city. The closest one is about 9 miles away in South City. if you get about 20 MPG that's a little less than a gallon, which for the $3 extra you might as well get ganked at the 76 across the street. And also
Akit if you look at the sign in the photo, the price difference between the 76 and the Arco is not 40¢ for 8 gallons. More like $2.
Who gives a fuck, the money's not going to orphanages for seven-fingered blind kids who don't read good, is it?
The douchebags that block the road while queued up here make my blood boil. Living in the city requires one to be conscientious. Sometimes that means paying a bit more so as not to interrupt the evening commute for hundreds. I personally go to the 76 and get a gallon or two to tide me over until I can buy gas cheaper elsewhere.
One other thing that hasn't been noted yet is that ARCO charges a surcharge if you don't pay cash.
Get used to long lines.
Gas stations are closing all over the city. One on Valencia, one on 6th St, and ALL repeat ALL the ones on Matket between Duboce and Castro except the Chevron at Castro.
Bye bye gas, hello high density housing w/o parking.
This might sound glib, but we can get everything else delivered to our homes here--why not a roving gas filler-upper? Go ahead, let the snarky comments begin.
All I'm saying is that if people are willing to pay for gas and there are less gas stations, I'd think some capitalism-minded person would think outside the box about different gas delivery systems.
RollingJ415, no snark from me, I think that's a great idea. At least in theory. I'm sure there are many kinks to work out, such as spillage on your driveways, access to garages, finding someone's car when they've parked on the street 4 blocks away from home, double parked gas delivery vehicles, etc. Why not just build gas tanks under our homes? Or is that just stupid?
Or a car that could be refueled with energy that is already supplied directly to your home. Oh wait, GM already killed that one.
Why not just move the gas stations out to the Sunset, which is presumably where most of the cars are from anyway on Fell.
The roving gas truck is an interesting idea, but I do believe there are restrictions on that sort of thing within the city.
Renewable power sources do sound appealing, though unlikely to solve the issues on Fell anytime soon.
I agree with Ciaran -- put the gas stations where the housing, bike lanes, and buses are the fewest. That's where the cars are, after all. I believe 9th and Irving would be an ideal location.
My point was that it's not worth the trouble to block multiple lanes of traffic for 30 cents a gallon unless you drive A LOT, in which case you probably drive by a Costco (nearest is in San Bruno by the airport).
I often wonder why people even care about gas prices. Even at a DOLLAR more a gallon, you're talking $12 per tank (for a typical car). Most San Franciscans spend more than that on latte foam in a typical week.
One other thing that hasn't been noted yet is that ARCO charges a surcharge if you don't pay cash.
It's true. From their FAQ:
So who's good at math here? How much gas do you have to buy to make it worth it to pay the 45¢ surcharge?
All you people bitch too much. Why let your blood boil over a traffic congestion that adds, at most, 10 minutes to your commute? That's 10 minutes people. And to whomever suggested moving the bike lane to Hayes, have you even WALKED up that hill? Are you joking? I'm an active, strong young adult with a great deal of stamina, but that hill + the weight of a bike = jello legs. The blocking of the bike lane is the only legitimate thing anyone even said in this thread. Officers to direct traffic at a gas station? Are you joking? We can't even get officers to do a once-round-the-block at a well known high-traffic drug sale area. Let's please be realistic, on both sides of the fence.
I have to agree with the guy that says fell is a freeway. Traffic sewer is a more apt description.
The answer though is not get bikes off this road because its too dangerous. Better, lets turn Fell and Oak into two-way streets with bike lanes a la Valencia.
The only reason the street is laid out the way it is is because it used to hook up to the central freeway, which itself was a compromise to placate those who wanted to build the Panhandle Freeway (God forbid!) back in the 60's.
Let's time the change to coincide with the opening of the Geary BRT.
-jon