Streets Improved, And Now the Bill

A variety of road and streetscape improvement projects in San Francisco are reviving the city's streets. But now, the city has to ask itself whether it wants to keep paying for these improvements.

1 minute read

May 16, 2010, 7:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


This article from the San Francisco Bay Guardian looks at the various street improvement projects underway in the city, the increase in cycling, and the looming question about how it's all going to be funded.

"Even after this long ban on new bike projects, San Francisco has seen the number of regular bicycle commuters double in recent years. Bike to Work Day, this year held on May 13, has become like a civic holiday as almost every elected official pedals to work and traffic surveys from the last two years show bikes outnumbering cars on Market Street during the morning commute.

If it wasn't for the fiscal crisis gripping this and other California cities, this could be a real kumbaya moment for the streets of San Francisco. Instead, it's something closer to a moment of truth - when we'll have to decide whether to put our money and political will into 'democratizing the streets.'"

Tuesday, May 11, 2010 in San Francisco Bay Guardian

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