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Death of a Prius-Eater
This monster pothole lurked on Townsend Street in the shade of the ramp connecting 6th Street to I-280. Under normal circumstances, we find the shrill complaints of motorists about pavement quality to be rather tedious. To motorists, we self-righteously sneer, "Why did you buy that SUV, anyway? If you want smooth roads, move to the country. Or Texas."
The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition takes a broader view: poor pavement quality isn't just an inconvenience, it makes roads more dangerous for both motorists and cyclists. As part of a "Good Roads" campaign, the SFBC has recruited "Lane Stewards" to identify road hazards and call them in to the Department of Public Works.
Thanks to the SFBC Lane Stewards and the DPW, cyclist and motorists need no longer fear the gaping maw of the Townsend Street fiend: the crater has been replaced with smooth new asphalt.
Townsend Street, as traffic-pattern aficionados know, is a particularly anarchic artery. More demolition-derby ring than "street," Townsend offers a panoply of other hazards, including chronic double-parkers, scampering Art Academy Institute University students, head-in parking, live-in parking, u-turning taxis, and an occasional locomotive blocking the street. And of course, there is no bike lane.