Say Hello to Our Friends to the North

I'm pleased to announce the launch of Streetsblog San Francisco. We opened the doors to the site yesterday and, from now on, you'll be able to find it at this address:

SF.Streetsblog.org

Streetsblog seems to be arriving in the Bay Area not a moment too soon. As Streetsblog San Francisco editor Bryan Goebel reports, the SF MTA's board voted to eliminate a critical piece of bike infrastructure at Market Street at Octavia Boulevard on Tuesday. Why? Apparently, the eastbound bike lane on Market Street is interfering with motorists' ability to make an illegal right turn on to the 101 freeway.

It looks to me like a classic example of old school traffic-engineering at its worst: Reduce cyclist and pedestrian injuries by simply discouraging cyclists and pedestrians from using the street. Frankly, it's incredible that this kind of planning and engineering still holds sway in a city whose mayor claims to be building "a new green economy" and a "sustainable vision."

Bryan and Streetsblog San Francisco reporter Matthew Roth are going to make sure that issues like this receive the regular coverage that they deserve and officials are held accountable for their press releases. It should be fun. And Streetfilms was already there...

A few notes:

1. We know that we need to redesign our web sites to make it easier to find Streetsblog San Francisco, Los Angeles and Streetsblog.net, our national network of 175 livable streets bloggers. We hope to have a quick, interim redesign finished soon and a more comprehensive redesign of the Livable Streets Network later this year.

2. Streetsblog San Francisco is funded by a generous donation from Jonathan Weiner, a bike-commuting, Muni-riding, San Francisco-based software entrepreneur, a grant from the Wallace Global Fund and ongoing support from Mark Gorton and The Open Planning Project.