Mayor's Legacy: Revitalized Streetscapes

As San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom prepares to leave for Sacramento to become Lt. Governor, he praises the latest road diet plan - reducing busy Cesar Chavez St. from 6-4 lanes with landscaped median and bike lanes and views it as part of his legacy

1 minute read

January 7, 2011, 12:00 PM PST

By Irvin Dawid


"It's all about beautifying and revitalizing our streetscape," Mayor Newsom said Thursday (1/6). "This is a way of creating a sense of place and identity."

The Mayor was referring to one of the city's most important roadway 'diets', also referred to as upgrades. Cesar Chavez functions very much like an expressway today, separating the Mission District from Bernal Heights, and neighbors have been clamoring for increased safety for all road users, including motorists as there have been 150 reported crashes in the past 5 years.

"The plan calls for narrowing the street from six lanes to four, with left turn lanes at major intersections, adding bike lanes in both directions, widening and landscaping the median, planting more than 300 trees along the corridor and installing energy-efficient lighting." In addition, there will be two pedestrian plazas installed.

Thanks to MTC Library

Friday, January 7, 2011 in San Francisco Chronicle

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