APRIL 2016

Upcoming Milestones

• The contract for the Van Ness Improvement Project is expected to be amended by the SFMTA Board of Directors to include construction services at its May 17 meeting at 1:00 p.m. in City Hall Room 400. Once the amendment is approved, the contractor will be issued the Notice to Proceed to begin construction.

• Bus stops will be consolidated before construction begins. Consolidation is scheduled for Muni and Golden Gate Transit routes beginning June 4. We will have ambassadors and signs to help customers locate their nearest stop beginning May 21. North and southbound bus stops will be located on Van Ness at Union, Vallejo, Jackson, Sacramento, Sutter, Geary, Eddy, McAllister and Market.

• San Francisco Public Works recommended approval of the permit to remove and replace 86 median trees and 4 sidewalk trees that are in conflict with the implementation of the project. Trees will be replaced at a ratio of 2:1. An appeal of this decision has been filed with the Board of Appeals and a hearing has been scheduled for June 22, 5:00 p.m. at City Hall Room 416.

Recent Milestones

• Project staff hosted a second Van Ness Improvement Project Overview Walking Tour public engagement event attended by 30 participants. Held on the 110th anniversary of the 1906 Earthquake and Fires when Van Ness Avenue served as a firebreak that saved the western part of San Francisco, the tour highlighted features of the Van Ness Improvement Project once completed along the historic corridor. The next public walking tour is scheduled for May 10 and will cover the northern segment of the corridor (see right column for more info).

• Collaborations are ongoing with Construction Manager/General Contractor to optimize planning and construction processes and methods.

Upcoming Events

Meet The Expert: Van Ness Improvement Project Construction Sequence May 4, 6:00-7:30 p.m. Village Pizzeria, 1243 Van Ness Ave

Join us for an overview of the ins and outs of the Van Ness Improvement Project construction sequence and schedule. Jay Simms from Walsh Construction will present.

Meet the Expert is a fun and informal talk series hosted by a different Van Ness-corridor business each month. Presenters provide their expertise on a variety of Van Ness-related topics, from construction to Muni service to history. This is your chance to join the conversation, ask questions, or just kick back and listen—all while enjoying the best of Van Ness. Each event is free to attend, but attendees are responsible for purchasing their own food and beverages.

Van Ness Improvement Project Overview Walking Tour May 10, 6:00-7:30 p.m. Meet at the northwest corner of Van Ness and Jackson

Project staff will be leading a fun and informative half-mile walking tour highlighting the changes you can expect to see once construction of the project is completed. Heavy rain cancels. Space is limited! www.tinyurl.com/ VNwalk3

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Recent Media

• Article: “Come Out to Sunday Streets for Fun With Muni This Weekend”An announcement of the first Sunday Streets event of 2016, where kids gotto explore one of the new Muni vehicles and complete a scavenger hunt.Information on Muni Forward and the Van Ness Improvement Project wasalso on display. From Moving SF, April 7, 2016, www.sfmta.com/about-sfmta/blog/come-out-sunday-streets-fun-muni-weekend

• Newsletter: “Van Ness Improvement Project: Spring 2016” (attached)Get all the latest news and information about the Van Ness ImprovementProject in the quarterly project newsletter, also available online atwww.sfmta.com/sites/default/files/projects/2016/VN_Newsltr_2016-02_FINAL.pdf. This Spring 2016 newsletter was also mailedto more than 30,000 neighbors of the Van Ness Improvement Project withaddresses between Aquatic Park and Howard Street, and from Franklinto Larkin streets. To add your office to the mailing list, please emailvannessbrt@sfmta.com.

sfmta.com/vanness

415.646.2310 vannessbrt@sfmta.com

All images can be made available for your use. Please contact our photo department at photo@sfmta.com

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Upcoming Events (cont.)

Van Ness Business Advisory Committee Meeting May 19, 3:00-4:30 p.m. One South Van Ness, 3rd Floor Civic Center Conference Room

Van Ness BRT Community Advisory Committee Meeting May 19, 6:00-7:30 p.m. (Special date) One South Van Ness, 7th Floor Union Square Conference Room

MINDING BUSINESSES

See page 2.

SAFETY TIPS

See page 3.

By Sean Cronin

Construction on the Van Ness Improvement Project begins this spring, and a strategic construction schedule will bring a lot of exciting changes to the two-mile stretch by 2019.

When the project breaks ground, a few things will happen right away. Bus stops will be consolidated and most left turns from Van Ness will be restricted, so transit riders and drivers may need to plan alternate routes. Additionally, most of the median, the raised center island on Van Ness, will be temporarily removed and paved.

These immediate changes are necessary to maintain two lanes of travel in each direction, provide room for construction equipment and crews, and preserve on-street parking.

“These changes reflect how traffic will flow on Van Ness not only during construction, but once construction is over,” Walsh’s Senior Project Manager Jay Simms said. In other words, people will be able to make adjustments to their preferred routes early and know that minimal changes will take place going forward.

Once traffic is moved to the median, the first, two-year phase of construction can begin. This phase comprises the much-needed curbside utility work on the corridor like replacing the 100-year-old water and sewer systems.

For construction, Van Ness will be divided into two segments—north and south—at Sutter Street. One crew will start work on the eastern side of Van

Ness at Lombard, while another will work on the western side at Sutter. Both crews will move south until they reach the end of their segment (Sutter and Mission streets). At that point, crews will repeat the sequence on the opposite side of Van Ness.

By using this method, work will minimize the burden of construction on any given block and allow for adjustments with minimal impact to the budget or timeline. “The bigger reason,” Simms said, “is that it ensures parking remains available on at least one side of Van Ness throughout this phase.”

When this work has been completed, construction crews will move to the median to begin phase two of construction: building San Francisco’s

SEE CONSTRUCTION, PAGE 2

PHASES OF CONSTRUCTION

See page 3.

Constructing Your New Avenue

VAN NESS IMPROVEMENTPROJECT

SPRING 2016 | ISSUE 2

FROM PAGE 1

Construction: Moving Forwardfirst Bus Rapid Transit system—also called BRT. Features of a BRT system like physically-separated, center-running transit-only lanes will be paved and boarding platforms will be built.

This second phase, anticipated to last approximately one year, will also move traffic into the existing parking lane where boarding platforms are built in order to maintain two lanes of travel.

The final two months of the project will focus on safety improvements, beautification, testing and Operator training. This will include sidewalk extensions at intersections (also known as bulb-outs) to increase visibility and decrease crossing distances for people walking, as well as planting 210 new trees in the median.

At the end of the 36-month construction schedule, Van Ness Avenue will be transformed into a safer, greener, more efficient street for everyone.

Get notifications about upcoming Van Ness Improvement Project construction workshops when you sign up at sfmta.com/vanness#receive.

This civic improvement project on Van Ness Avenue from Aquatic Park to Mission Street provides transportation upgrades, including San Francisco’s first Bus Rapid Transit system, a globally proven solution to improve transit service and address traffic congestion; utility maintenance, including street repaving, and sewer, water and emergency firefighting water system replacement; and civic improvements, including streetlight replacement, new sidewalk lighting, landscaping and rain gardens.

All images by SFMTA unless otherwise noted.

NEWSLETTER IS PRODUCED BY

San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency One South Van Ness Avenue San Francisco, CA 94103

415.646.2310 vannessbrt@sfmta.com

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2 VAN NESS IMPROVEMENT PROJECT | Spring 2016

The Van Ness Improvement Project is working with corridor businesses to minimize the adverse effects of construction.

You Asked! Why will construction take three years?

The City bundles construction projects together so that once construction is done on a project, neighbors won’t be bothered by construction again for several years. Two years of Van Ness Improvement Project construction will be spent replacing 1800s-era water main, the existing sewer and a section of the emergency firefighting water system that serves fire hydrants. Another year will be spent building San Francisco’s first Bus Rapid Transit system, striping parking and traffic lanes, landscaping and installing new bus-power wires.

Peter Gabancho, Project Manager and Engineer at the SFMTA, has 25 years of experience working on the design and construction of SFMTA infrastructure projects, including the Van Ness Improvement Project.

Minding Our Businesses on Van NessBy Sean Cronin

In preparation for work beginning on the Van Ness Improvement Project this spring, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency has been connecting business leaders and merchants with City partners to strategize on ways to navigate obstacles construction could present through 2019, when the project is expected to be completed.

In January, the Van Ness Business Advisory Committee held its inaugural meeting. This group of merchants meets monthly with project staff and City partners to address concerns, learn more about City programs and develop campaigns to encourage people to visit Van Ness during construction.

Part of those campaigns will involve standard strategies such as providing signage indicating businesses are open. Additional programs, however, will include meetings with professionals tailored to address the individual needs of businesses such as information about tax incentives or training in the latest record-keeping software. Advertisements showcasing businesses along Van Ness will also be considered.

There will be opportunities for businesses to work with construction staff, too. The contractor will be working one-on-one with businesses throughout staging to coordinate delivery and construction schedules and to relocate loading zones. Merchants and residents will also have the chance to speak face-to-face with the team during weekly office hours.

Through thoughtful campaigns and frequent conversations with the commercial community, the Van Ness Improvement Project team is bringing businesses forward, too.

Van Ness Business Advisory Committee meetings are open to the public and held on the third Thursdays of each month at 3:00 p.m. at One South Van Ness Avenue. For more information about the Van Ness Business Advisory Committee, go to sfmta.com/vanness#meetings.

A QUICK LOOK

What work will be done during construction?

Observe traffic laws, signals and signs:

• Pay attention to construction signage and guidance from construction crew.

• Follow signs that tell you where to drive, walk or bicycle.

• Observe fencing that restricts access to construction areas.

• Always walk on the sidewalk or designated walkway. Watch for posted notices of temporary walkways and sidewalk closures.

See and be seen:

• Keep your eyes up. Limit distractions such as using hand-held devices in construction zones.

• Cross only at intersections and make eye contact with drivers of construction vehicles.

• Be on alert for moving construction vehicles.

Practice defensive road habits:

• Give others on the road plenty of space.

• Be on guard and anticipate others’ moves.

• Stop your car for people walking.

• Keep a safe distance between your vehicle and the construction workers and their equipment.

• Consider using alternate routes and allow for extra travel time.

Utility & Roadwork

Replacing underground sewer and water

systems and a segment of the emergency

firefighting water system, installing an

electrical duct bank, followed by sidewalk

and roadway reconstruction work.

BRT Build

Building center-running Bus Rapid Transit

lanes, station platforms and medians.

Bus Power

Building sidewalk extensions, installing

new overhead bus-power wires, painting

crosswalks and training Muni and Golden

Gate Transit Operators.

VAN NESS IMPROVEMENT PROJECT | Spring 2016 3

P

SLOW DOWN, STAY ALERT AND MINIMIZE DISTRACTIONS

Construction Safety Tips You Need to KnowBy Dadisi Najib

Report dangerous conditions and roadway safety hazards such as potholes and uneven pavement to 311.

2016-2017 2018 2018-2019

EVENTS

Meet the Expert: Van Ness Construction SequenceWednesday, May 4 | 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Village Pizzeria, 1243 Van Ness Ave

Meet the Expert is a fun and informal monthly talk series hosted by a different Van Ness- corridor business each month. Presenters provide their expertise on a variety of Van Ness-related topics, from construction to Muni service to history. Join the conversation, ask questions, or just kick back and listen — all while enjoying the best of Van Ness. Each event is free to attend, but attendees are responsible for purchasing their own food and beverages. RSVP at vannessbrt@sfmta.com.

To find out more and sign up for updates about the Van Ness Improvement Project, go to sfmta.com/vanness.

For questions or comments, contact us at vannessbrt@sfmta.com or 415.646.2310.

如有疑問或需要免費語言協助, 請發電子郵件至

vannessbrt@sfmta.com 或致電415-646-2310。

Si tiene preguntas o para servicio gratis para el idioma, póngase en contacto con vannessbrt@sfmta.com o 415-646-2310.

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Don’t miss our summer issue available only online! Join our mailing list at sfmta.com/vanness#receive.