October 17, 2007
Divisadero: Smelly, Dirty, Dangerous, and We Liked it That Way
Ah, beautiful Diviz. Is there no boulevard more perfect, more blissful? When we think "nice places to take an afternoon constitutional," we are drawn instantly to its divine charm. It is, simply put, an Eden. To alter it would be to play God.
But SOME PEOPLE want to change all that. The out-of-touch bureaucrats in City Hall think that the stretch from Haight to Geary needs to be improved. Strange terms like "greening" and "streetscaping" have been tossed around. Now, we may be simple folk here in San Francisco, but we know when we're being taken for a ride by big-city special interests. Trees? Pedestrian amenities? Transit? Reducing graffiti, attracting customers to businesses, and improving safety? Hogwash, we say. We've been getting along fine without such folderol for years; and if a filthy, freewayish Diviz was good enough for our grandparents, then by gum it's good enough for us.
Anyway, the communist preverts from the Dept of Public Works and the Muni will be presenting their foul plans to spruce up the street at a meeting on Thursday, the 25th, from 7-9pm at Ida B Wells. They'll be announcing that they won $3,000,000 in federal funds -- money derived from taxes, and therefore stolen -- and that construction of these so-called "improvements" will begin in 2009. Harrumph! Bring your torches and pitchforks and let's chase these Hollywood Jews back to France.
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the sidewalks are so narrow and there are so many wires overhead that i'm not sure what kind of greening they're aiming for, but i vote for planting a giant shrub right in front of happy days so i can walk to jay's without being harassed, even in my grungiest sweats. i don't mind tuningit out, but i shouldn't have to.
If they clean up Divis, then where are we supossed to go and shoot people?
I wouldn't mind if they took a lane out of the street and gave it over to the sidewalk. Divis sidewalks are so narrow! Some big, leafy trees in the median would really clean the place up, too.
Um, sorry, but who are the Hollywood Jews in question and what are they doing exactly?
If they must touch Divis, and I mean like they have absolutely nothing else left in this lifetime to deal with, just fill some potholes. Nothing more. Please.
Trees?
Seriously?
We have two beautiful parks known around the world within cat-swinging distance, why do we need bloody trees growing out of a median?
I know it's heretical to say things like this, but if they got rid of the street parking there'd be two more lanes to play with.
I'd love to see improvements to the stoplight design along that whole corridor, including past Geary and up to say, Sacramento - few pedestrian signals, poor timing of lights...if it were any busier it'd be worse than Van Ness for pedestrians.
jt: trees in the median cut down a driver's horizon, which accomplishes two things. It makes them drive more slowly, because they can't see far down the road. And it makes them calmer and less angry, for the same reason.
If we lived in a normal industrialized nation a subway line along Diviz would be nice
I'm opposed to a redevelopment plan for Divisadero, on the grounds that it will increase police response time and endanger public safety. Time spent planning would be better spent responding to crimes.
Get rid of the street parking, add a center left turn lane, and widen the sidewalks a bit.
JWB, Divisadero makes drivers plenty angry as it is! So does oh so happy Octavia.
How about removing parking and creating bus only side lanes. "BRT light" just for the most congested stretch between Haight and Geary with dedicated lanes and signal priority
Of course in this "transit first city" merchants and neighborhoods would shit their pants in a conniption fit of opposition
You know, the Google Street View yellow line looks a lot like police tape...one of the first things one thinks of on this section of Divis.
Please please PLEASE add a central turning lane. Driving down Divis is like driving down a slalom course; if you're not pulling around someone stopped in the left lane trying to make a left turn, you're pulling around someone in the right lane trying to park. It's got to be the most frustrating street to drive in the city.
More hookers with hearts of gold. They should dress like they're in a Pat Benetar video, smoke Cools and lean up against muscle cars wating for their pimps, who will all look like El Debarge with pencil moustaches and crazy zoot suits with the sleeves rolled up. Fights will be settled with flick knives and a lone sax player will must be always on hand to lean up against some neon lights and blow his horn. Steam will come out of the manholes.
Bus only lanes would be awesome, but I can't imagine fitting those in without reducing the number of travel lanes.
Maybe the option is:
bus lane 7am-7pm every day, parking 7pm-7am; travel lane
center turning lane
travel lane
bus/parking lane
I wonder if that would fit if they are also trying to widen the sidewalks. Need to get out the measuring tape.
The pavement should always be wet as well, with lots of neon signs reflecting off of them in an impressionistic manner.
i cannot wait to walk down divis with a sense of security. i mean, just one tiny shred of it will do nicely.
getting up at 8 in the morning to move your car off a metered spot is one thing. getting up at 7 to do that is just bad ju ju.
What an interesting name for a business (on the photo in this story): "House of Stool"
JWB - I completely understand the rationale behind planting trees in medians having worked on a project to do just that along Alemany, where btw the redundant third lane was removed to create beautiful bike lanes. Tho I must say, the traffic situ being what it is on Divis between Haight and Geary what with the occasional bus, double parkers and pesky left-turners, I've never considered speeding drivers to be a problem, not in the slightest.
My problems with planting them along those blocks of Divis are 1) Upkeep of trees planted in a median strip that is as narrow as said stretch is dangerous for workers and would require blocking the inner lanes in either direction whilst our beloved line-level city employees water, trim and remove refuse 2) Over time the root systems would spread beyond the boundaries of the concrete median and create even more problems with the driving surface, i.e. ripples, cracks and even more potholes
Just fix the damn potholes so I can ride without getting a flat.
Hey that's a picture of my house! I live right above House of Stool! Except that I'm moving in with my bf Hunky Beau next month. He lives by Duboce Park. What the heck are they doing to Duboce Park? There's fencing up and everything. Are they finally doing the doggy apartheid thing? Abarktied?
Are there any plans that are available for public review?
I have no problem with Divisadero, so I'll leave it up to youse who drive the route. We take the 21-Hayes when we go to the Independent or eat at Nopa or Metro Kathmandu or wherever.
marke b, i didn't realize "house of stools" had a residence above it. even so, we are neighbors! i live next door.