Should Haight Street Go Both Ways?

Should Haight Street Go Both Ways?
Andrew Dudley
Published on May 10, 2011
Cheeky headlines aside, there's a serious transit decision up for discussion tonight -- whether to open the stretch of Haight Street between Market and Octavia to two-way traffic.

Currently, folks heading eastward on Haight towards Market Street enjoy two-way traffic until they hit Octavia, at which point they're forced to turn right or left. The detour is particularly inconvenient for bus riders, as Muni detours a block earlier, at Laguna. If you've taken the 6 or 71, you're familiar with the zig-zag: make a left at Laguna, followed by a right onto Page, which forces you into competition with every driver heading down Page to the Octavia freeway entrance. During any given morning rush hour, this can add several frustrating minutes to your commute. Tonight, the SFMTA will be hosting a community meeting "to present and discuss options for improving transit and pedestrian flow" by converting the one-way stretch of Haight into a two-way.
The proposed re-routing of Muni due to the two-way traffic flow / SFMTA
Not only would opening that section of Haight to two-way traffic make the overall commute quicker, but as one-ways tend to encourage speeding, it would have the effect of calming traffic, thus making the street safer and more pedestrian- and bike-friendly. (At least that's the idea.) Before moving forward with the plan, the SFMTA wants to address any concerns and solicit any feedback that neighbors might have about the change. Thus, tonight's meeting. The discussion will take place tonight from 6pm-7:30pm at Caffe Trieste, 1667 Market (at Gough). All are welcome to attend. We'll keep you updated if and when any final decisions on this traffic transformation are made.