Back in March, we reported that the pedestrian scale lighting that was included in the final draft of the Public Realm Plan (PRP) was under threat of being nixed. Now, a new funding effort could bridge the gap towards lighting implementation.
If you need a refresher, here's a summary of the issue: Lights were ranked as the highest priority item in the PRP during multiple rounds of surveys. The full-scale install of lighting would cost the city about $2.4 million. Other (slightly cheaper) partial-install options were put forward, such as upgrading the street hardware and installing the actual lights later, or supplementing existing lights, neither of which seemed palatable to a number of Hoodline commenters.
Following March's article, there was a flurry of pressure on Supervisor Breed's office to get the lighting put back at the top of the priority list. And now, the city has applied for a Caltrans grant to cover the budgeting shortfall. Caltrans grants, for the uninitiated, award money for "increasing active modes of transportation, such as biking and walking, via safety and pedestrian/bicycle infrastructure improvements."
In an effort to secure the grant, neighborhood groups have been encouraged by the Planning Department to write letters in support of the grant application and the need for improved lighting. HAIA does not support the grant, but HAMA and HANC do. London Breed's office has also told Hoodline that they will be submitting a letter of support.
HAMA's letter included the following:
"This project builds on two significant efforts. In February 2015, the City produced the Haight Ashbury Public Realm Plan, the result of a three-year collaboration between the City and Haight Ashbury neighbors to identify and design pedestrian improvements. The Plan describes specific site designs, vetted through a community planning process, to add amenities that enhance the safety and experience of the street. The second effort is Muni Forward, a citywide initiative to improve transit service and delivery. In the Haight Ashbury neighborhood, a multimillion investment of City funds will improve transit with stop consolidation, intersection signalization, and transit bulbs for faster boarding/alighting. Implementing pedestrian improvements in concert with the transit upgrades will be more cost effective and less disruptive to the neighborhood."
Patrick Race of the Planning Department told Hoodline in an email that we can expect to find out if the grant has been awarded in October.
