Latest news with #SanFranciscans'
San Francisco Chronicle
17-05-2025
- Automotive
- San Francisco Chronicle
Downtown S.F. rush hour traffic at pre-pandemic levels despite tepid return to office
San Francisco may be a transit-first city, but driving is the main way to get downtown, according to a new study by the County Transportation Authority. The primacy of automobiles was among several sobering findings in the Downtown Travel Study published this week, which was first reported by the Frisc. Focusing on the period between 2019 and 2023 that includes the COVID-19 lockdowns and nascent economic recovery, the study provides a window into how travel patterns are evolving — and how much people love their cars. While downtown trips declined 69% overall, with more people working remotely and fewer leaving their homes to shop or eat out, the share made by private automobiles grew from 24% to 37%. Walking and biking are still preferred modes for people zipping through the city, but by a narrowing margin. In 2019, pedestrians and cyclists made 43.4% of weekday trips to, from or within San Francisco's metropolitan center — which in the study extends from the waterfront to Van Ness Avenue on the north side, 11th Street in SoMa and 17th Street in the Mission and Dogpatch neighborhoods. By 2023, the share of trips made by foot or bike had dropped to just under 40%. At the same time, traffic has rebounded to pre-pandemic levels during evening rush hour, even as the return to offices has stagnated. Despite fervent efforts to lure workers back, workplace attendance at the end of 2024 was about 45% of what it had been prior to COVID, the study said. It attributed much of the current freeway congestion to workers driving from the East Bay to the Peninsula or South Bay. For a city and region where political leaders have long tried to wean people off cars, the results of the study may seem dispiriting. But the key points did not surprise Supervisor Myrna Melgar, who chairs the San Francisco County Transportation Authority. 'I'm grateful that the TA did this, and that it gave us a temperature check on where we're at,' Melgar told the Chronicle, noting that the data helped corroborate San Franciscans' day-to-day observations. Anyone who is out on the roads experiences the misery of downtown traffic and knows it is getting worse, she said. Melgar also views the study as a potential roadmap for city and regional policy. It shows the need, she said, to create incentives for people to walk, bike or take the bus. 'I'm afraid that the increasing traffic situation is going to deter people from coming to work in person, or going out after work with their friends, because they know that getting back in the car is going to suck,' she said.
Axios
19-04-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Mayor Lurie's first 100 days follow a familiar playbook
Friday marks Mayor Daniel Lurie's 100th day in office. The Levi Strauss heir, who was elected after attacking established politicians as corrupt, vowed to deliver a safer, cleaner San Francisco — but so far, his policy slate hasn't looked too different from his predecessor's. Why it matters: Lurie inherited the mantle after a tumultuous few years when former Mayor London Breed struggled to bring San Francisco out of a pandemic-era slump. What they're saying: It's hard to say whether San Franciscans' increased "appetite for change" is specific to Lurie, but it does work in his favor, according to Sujata Srivastava, chief policy officer at urban policy think tank SPUR. His administration has responded by showing "a willingness to try new things," such as restructuring City Hall, Srivastava told Axios. 43% of residents say the city is "headed in the right direction," compared to 22% last year, per a February poll from the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce. State of play: Lurie said in a speech Thursday that while he's proud of what he's been able to achieve, the work continues. "San Franciscans want to live in a city they feel proud to call home," he said. "And we are going to deliver." Yes, but: While Lurie has made progress on a number of issues, many of his policy actions have been an extension of Breed's. Downtown recovery Lurie benefited from several major events that infused cash into the city shortly after his inauguration, including the NBA All-Star Game. He's built on Breed's successes by moving to create five more entertainment zones and extending a program that makes it easier for entrepreneurs to open small businesses. Where Lurie has stood out is in partnering with state legislators to bring back a last-call extension that would allow patrons to drink until 4am. Public safety Lurie has touted the decline in crime, which is at its lowest in 23 years citywide, but it was already falling before he took office. The same goes for encampments, which Breed cracked down on last summer. The launch of automated speed cameras last month was similarly greenlit at Breed's urging. Yes, but: Lurie launched a " hospitality zone task force" to focus on preventative policing in high-traffic areas and plans to open a behavioral health center in the Tenderloin. His fentanyl emergency order, which some critics called performative, helped expedite funding and staffing for tackling the epidemic. Housing Lurie recently introduced a rezoning plan that would concentrate taller homes in neighborhoods that haven't seen major construction in decades. Other initiatives include overhauling the city's homelessness response, deploying emergency vouchers for interim housing and adding 1,500 shelter beds. Between the lines: Lurie's push to reorganize departments is a start, but policy analysts say San Francisco's government — which Srivastava likened to a maze that gets a new section every time something goes wrong — still needs more reform. "It makes it really hard for people to understand, 'Who's responsible? How do I get these services? Who do I talk to when something goes wrong?'" Srivastava told Axios.
