Concepts in the Paradox

Sicko? No health insurance? Dying on the street because of greedy HMOs? Not in San Francisco.

Healthy San Francisco opened it’s doors to the city’s poorest this month, and in January ‘08 will offer basic health care for all citizens of the city seeking treatment in the city.

Did I somehow move to Canada when I wasn’t paying attention?

(Remember folks, beta test on the poor people, then move on to everyone else.)

If you live in the city, or even in the Bay Area, there is something you should go and see. Stop what you are doing, go ahead, just stop what you are doing and leave right now. Get on the J, and get off at 15th and Church. There is an amazing mural of the city from the Ferry Building to 8th street showing the Ferry Building as the past, and moving toward 8th street with time, with 8th being the fantastical future of San Francisco.

It’s worth a visit, really. Trust me. I was looking at it for a good 15 minutes.

While I was at it I walked around some more to find some artists filling dilapidated alleys with their art work. not tagging, not graf, but their creations on parts of the city that few people driving about would ever see.

Every day I come through Hallidie Plaza, often just known as the “Powell Bart” or “Powell Muni” station, on my way to my apartment in the Tenderloin. It isn’t the best part of my day, often I’m greeted by indigents begging for money, hordes of pigeons pecking away at trash, or someone, not even an indigents at times, urinating in the corner. On the way up and out of the plaza, I always see open air drug deals in broad day light, and if you come at 3am to the plaza… well, just don’t do it.

The Chronicle calls for the plaza to be filled in, citing it as another mistake of ’70s urban renewal. Years ago, the plaza was occupied by far more useful theaters, lost to the building of Bart and Muni Metro in the ’70s.

Coming out of Powell station was different today, however. Read more »

I’ve resumed reading The Death and Life of Great American Cities. I don’t remember why I stopped reading it, because I feel it is a pretty good book, and perhaps written ahead of it’s time.

Lately I’ve been thinking about what is important. What are the ideas that drive me to the next day, what is it that makes waking up and facing the day even worth it? For a few moments, nothing came to mind. It was a little frightening to think that I’ve been going day to day with no particular destination in mind. I really thought I had some master plan I was following, but at that moment I found that I had reached nowhere.
Read more »

I was on my way to return some items to CompUSA, when I noticed folks standing about Market Street with duct tape “X” symbols on them. “What could that mean?” I thought. I took a photo just in case it was a new fad.

A couple sporting duct tape

The Powell cable car turn around became very silent, perhaps eerily so. Little did I know that such markings meant that they were the next to be attacked by zombies!
Read more »

If you’re tired of bitching about Muni, now here’s your chance to do something about it. I’ll be there, but I won’t be buying anyone drinks at Trad’r Sam. :) Well, maybe the mayor.

Spread the link.

(What is a BRT?)

Sometimes the battles come to me, some times I come to the battles.

The first is the case of the battle coming to me is the new jet-sounding air exhaust system that the Parc 55 Renaissance Hotel installed just outside my apartment’s window a couple weeks ago. It is huge, loud, and runs full blast because of the latest heat wave to hit California. I’m not the only one who has to be annoyed by these buzzing fans, since the entire south side of the building faces them and I can hear it from the street level too.

The first stage of this battle is to look up noise ordinances, contact the San Francisco Tenants Union, and send the Parc 55 a letter. If that fails, I may have to resort to getting a lawyer as stage 2.

The second is the case of me coming to the battle is the GoGeary movement to implement a BRT system along the Geary corridor. While this is a good idea, it isn’t the best idea. Do we need more diesel powered vehicles on the road? They are noisy, uncomfortable to ride, and have short useful life times. Why they don’t expand the light rail to Geary is beyond me. Well, actually, it isn’t. Local business are meddling in the deployment of light rail, fearing that it will cost them business due to parking spots being lost.

I don’t know about you, but if I can take a non-crush capacity vehicle to your business, I’ll likely spend money. Why a another vehicle in Muni’s fleet? Why not the devil we know, the Breda cars?

I’ve been doing some research, of which I’ve made some very interesting finds on both San Francisco’s internal workings as well as just how a BRT will not help the dire situation the 38-Geary line is in. I’m going to prepare a 2-minute statement and let Muni and the GoGeary folks know during the project meeting on July 29th.

Heck, I don’t even take the Geary line anymore. I moved because it was just so bad — the downtown area transit is so much better. And guess what, it is mostly electric rail!

We have to set the president.

Go here to see why Muni buses are in such bad shape: Kids proudly damaging multiple trolleys.

(reported to sfpd via rescuemuni)

The Transportation Commission pulled $5.3m out of car registration fees for 3 more spare the air days. So guess what? Transit is free tomorrow. [Linky linky].

I was wondering why my DMV fees were so high — so enjoy a ride on one of the 25 transit agencies on my dime. No really, go ahead, and don’t forget to exit using the rear doors (STEP DOWN!!!).

(ridership goes up 10%, or 155,000 people, on STA days)

At 6:30, I walked over to the Flood Building around the corner to sit in on a Market Street Railway meeting. I wanted to see what kind of people attended, how the meetings were conducted, and find out the who’s who.

As with any meeting, minutes were called, and the budget was discussed. Various tidbits were discussed, the meat of the gathering being about the new museum and store opening near the Ferry Building. It was your standard meeting stuff, finding out what they can sell, profit margins on their calendar, and the like.

A few MSR members brought some old photos they had dug out of their closets, mainly photos of old rail cars in Hayes Valley, as well as they stories attached to them.

“The 21 line, seen here at 700 Hayes St on it’s last day of service, had to have it’s rail replaced on the last day of service. Muni had little choice, other street cars needed to cross that line, so the 21 got to run over some freshly laid track on it’s last day of service. All these buildings you see here in the background are still there to this day. Circa 1941.”

One of the local landmarks presidents said a few words by proxy for a very old gentleman who wanted to preserve the old LRV shelters. There are about 6 in San Francisco still, the two I can remember are the Fort Mason one, and the other is the Dolores Park shelter. When taking the J-Church through Dolores Park, note the old street car passenger shelter as you come out of the right away into the park. Back behind that is an old Muni LRV shelter, part of the original line, fenced over and covered in litter and graffiti. There is an effort to restore that brewing, so if anyone wants to help clean that up, I’m sure Dolores Park would look even more beautiful after.

I wouldn’t say an MSR meeting is the most exciting thing in the world, though I may show up to the September meeting. If you like trains, and you like to see all the people in their 50’s discuss train politics, that’s the place to be.

Also, Muni is all powerful. Bow to Muni. Nothing happens without Muni’s grace.