Issue 309 ___Will you want to live in San Francisco - tomorrow ___January 2007

The Central Subway
Is Muni’s Proposal Boon or Boondoggle?
Many San Franciscans will be surprised to learn that Muni is planning to build a subway under parts of Fourth and Stockton Streets. Its cost would be enormous – $1.4 billion for a little more than a mile of subway. If constructed this stretch would probably become infamous as having the highest cost per mile of any subway in the world. Because Muni has foreshortened the stations in a desperate attempt to cut costs, the subway would likely also provide the world’s lowest carrying capacity. What’s going on here? Why we are doing this and what we are getting for our money? Here are some of the questions that need answering before any more commitments to this project are made.

Are we getting what we voted for? When San Franciscans voted for Proposition K the measure included money for a Central Subway: "central" because the subway was to accommodate both a Stockton Street line and a future Geary line. Since Muni’s current design would prevent the use of the subway for a future Geary line, it calls into question the basis on which the project was sold to the voters.

Could Muni afford to operate this subway without cutting service elsewhere? Capital investments are normally made to improve efficiency. Not this time! In this case the $1.4 billion public investment would actually increase Muni’s annual costs. A few months ago a SPUR report detailed Muni’s chronic fiscal problems and called for reduced costs and increased revenues. This project, with its very high operating costs, would dig Muni’s fiscal hole even deeper.

Would Other Neighborhoods benefit from the subway? Because of heavy North Beach and Chinatown traffic, Muni Lines 30 and 45 are notoriously slow and unreliable. Yet the expenditure of $1.4 billion for a subway directed toward their part of San Francisco would do nothing for the Marina, Russian Hill and Cow Hollow neighborhoods. On the contrary it appears that the subway would actually degrade service on Lines 30 and 45.

How about Bay View, Hunters Point and Visitation Valley? When the Third Street light rail line opens later this year, it will carry residents of Southeast San Francisco directly into the Market Street subway, giving them access to many important downtown destinations. The Third Street Line will also provide convenient transfers to other Muni Metro lines and to BART, thereby providing fast access to East Bay job opportunities. However if the Central Subway were built, the Third Street Line would be rerouted via the subway to Chinatown. Those desiring access to the Market Street system would then be faced with a relatively inconvenient transfer. For example, if a Bayview resident wanted to use BART, he or she would need to ride the light rail train to Macy’s and then walk back to the Powell Street Station. For the residents of Southeast San Francisco, the Central Subway would water down a long promised transit improvement.

Before plowing ahead with this venture, let’s at least get the facts straight. The Mayor should convene a blue ribbon panel and charge it with examining all financial and other aspects of the Project. In view of the bad advice so often given by so-called experts (e.g. "get rid of the streetcars", "build a freeway through Golden Gate Park", "rebuild the Embarcadero Freeway" "eliminate the cable cars", "six lane Market Street", "shorten the subway stations"), the panel should be comprised of skeptics as well as proponents. San Franciscans are entitled to a reasonable basis for determining whether Muni’s proposed Central Subway is boon or boondoggle.

In Washington they talk of ending the dismal process under which billions of public dollars are lavished upon wasteful pork barrel projects. It would be too bad if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s efforts to clean up the mess were marred by what could become the bridge to nowhere. It’s time to take another look at the Central Subway.

PaRC Rangers

We wanted to let you know about a group that has formed to support the San Francisco Park Rangers.

San Francisco’s Park Rangers are Recreation and Park Department employees who provide a positive presence that enhances public safety and helps protect our valued park facilities. Never seen or heard of the SF Park Rangers? That’s because the program has become almost invisible. In 1978 there were 24 San Francisco Park Rangers. The program was almost entirely eliminated in 2003. Currently, there are only six part-time Park Rangers for 230 Recreation and Park facilities located on 3,400 acres of land throughout San Francisco.
PaRC, the Park Rangers Coalition, is a newly-formed group of San Francisco citizens who believe that the City and County of San Francisco should hire, train and staff the Park Ranger program at a level sufficient to meet the safety and security needs of all San Francisco parks and the people who use them. Please consider writing a letter of support even though the January 18th Recreation and Park Commission meeting will have been held by the time you read this. Contact PaRC directly at their website, www.sfparc.org or sfparc@aol.com.

DAY AT THE BEACH
Snowy Plovers vs. one dog

Notes from Dan Murphy, avid birder: On Thursday, December 28, the Golden Gate Audubon Society sponsored the annual SF Christmas Bird Count. While observing on Ocean Beach we counted 46 Snowy Plovers between about 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. This was an all-time high count for Snowy Plover on the beach, and the additional 4 birds seen at Crissy Field gave us 50, a high total for the count. At the beach, we saw two off- leash dogs. Both of them bothered the birds. One chased gulls and other birds feeding in the shallows along the water line. The second seemed to focus on Snowy Plovers. It first chased a flock of about a dozen Snowy Plovers on its way north. On its return, it flushed a flock of 22. The owner seemed absolutely oblivious.
I have yet to bird at the beach in early morning when off-leash dogs were not chasing birds. I have also never seen a single uniformed National Park Service officer there. Enforcement remains at the same level as before the new regulations went into effect, so the birds are no safer than before.

Jake Sigg, Naturalist and SFT friend, writes:

At last, a voice of reason about the planting of trees to change climate. When it was first suggested in the 1980s, I was certain that the idea of planting trees to counteract this massive problem would be perceived as a pathetic response and would be laughed off the stage early. I was wrong; it was too appealing, and it has persisted. We are converting huge areas of forest to agricultural land or into cities, slashing and burning tropical forests, and logging temperate forests. The idea that we can prevent an evolving catastrophe, by planting trees to compensate for our unwillingness to change our ways, is patently absurd. Aside from its questionable effectiveness, planting is labor-intensive; nature does it effortlessly if we let her. Planting always struck me as dishonest; it is much easier than giving up our car dependence, or stopping jetting around the world (“environmentalists" are just as guilty as anyone)--AND, it doesn't work, as these stories reveal.

Planting trees to combat climate change is a waste of time, according to a study by ecologists who say that most forests do not have any overall effect on global temperature, while those furthest from the equator could actually be making global warming worse.

"The idea that you can go out and plant a tree and help reverse global warming is an appealing, feel-good thing," said Ken Caldeira of the Global Ecology department at the Carnegie Institution of Washington in Stanford, California, a co-author of the study. "To plant forests to mitigate climate change outside of the tropics is a waste of time."

The carbon dioxide used by trees for photosynthesis helps cool the earth by reducing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. But forests also trap heat from the sunlight they absorb.
The Reverend Pat Robertson said in August last year: "I have not been one who believed in the global warming. But I tell you, they are making a convert out of me. It is getting hotter, and the ice caps are melting, and there is a buildup of carbon dioxide in the air. We really need to address the burning of fossil fuels."

Good grief, things are so bad that people are beginning to notice! Pat Robertson isn't the only one; several climate change doubters--right-wing Republicans, including Congressmen--are beginning to take it seriously. One even said: "There are more and more Republicans willing to stop laughing at climate change who are ready to get serious about reclaiming their heritage as conservationists." (!!!) Yes, Congressman Inglis, that's one of the inherent traits attached to the word 'conservative'.

Planting trees to save the planet is pointless??

And on the other side,

Please hear from
Friends of the Urban Forest

Plant a Tree Each year, Friends of the Urban Forest helps communities plant over 1,500 trees. You – and your neighbors – help organize the plantings. Friends of the Urban Forest obtains permits, removes sidewalk concrete, supplies tools and materials and selects, purchases and delivers the trees. The cost for all of this is at maximum $150 per tree.

Neighborhood Tree Plantings Friends of the Urban Forest will plant trees in any neighborhood of San Francisco where at least 30 trees are requested. Plantings are initially organized by a volunteer Neighborhood Organizer who works to generate interest for the planting and gets local homeowners signed up. Our plantings generally happen on Saturday mornings, and are group efforts that involve the neighborhood residents themselves, FUF volunteers and staff. We are usually finished by noon, and we conclude each planting with a potluck lunch in the neighborhood for everyone involved!

If you are interested in planting a tree through FUF, first contact Community Outreach Coordinator, Suzanne Gavin, at Suzanne@fuf.net or (415) 561-6890 x.101 -- or complete the form online on our Sign Up to Plant page. We will let you know if your neighborhood is currently being organized for a tree planting and how you can join in. If there isn't anyone organizing your neighborhood, then we will put your name in our database and you will be called when someone starts organizing your area (please leave your full name, tree address, and phone number).

1. You can also download, complete, and mail in the application forms which are available on our website: the FUF Letter of Agreement and the DPW Tree Planting Application. We will let you know if your neighborhood is currently being organized for a tree.

2. Once your Neighborhood Organizer has collected a minimum of 30 application forms, we can schedule a planting date about 2 months out. One month before the planting there is a community meeting to discuss tree species, finish filling out forms and collect payments. The following month trees are ordered, sidewalks are marked, concrete is cut and soil is augured.

3. On your Planting Day your group is joined by our corps of trained volunteers for a morning of rewarding work planting trees. Then, as your trees grow our experts remain on call to advise you on proper tree care. We even have a low-cost tree care program to ensure your trees become established, develop well and have healthy futures.

Replacement Trees are available through our program. If you have an empty sidewalk basin where a tree once grew please print out, complete, and mail into us the FUF Letter of Agreement and the DPW Tree Planting Application forms available on the website, or call (415) 561-6890 x110 and a staff person will let you know how to qualify for a replacement tree. We schedule replacement tree plantings about every six weeks.

If you want to remove a tree you need to first get a removal permit from DPW. The City states that a permit is required before any tree – alive, dead or hazardous – can be removed.

Choosing the proper street tree Consider the natural and constructed features of your site. How will wind direction and force, fog, sun and soil type affect your tree? How wide are your sidewalks? Are there overhead wires? What form would you like your tree to have (round, weeping, spreading, or upright)? What character, color, or special features do you want (evergreen, deciduous, native, flowers, etc.)? How much time do you have for maintenance?
Try to identify the healthy, mature trees in your area, as there are many microclimates throughout the City and the thriving trees right around you may be the best choice for your site. Please visit our online Gallery of Trees for the list of species we frequently plant. Mike Sullivan, a longtime supporter of FUF has also written the definitive book on the subject aptly called ¬The Trees of San Francisco¬. This reader-friendly book showcases over seventy of San Francisco’s established trees species complete with color photographs, locations to view and interesting facts about our urban environment and detailed tours through SF’s colorful neighborhoods. This striking and handy compendium presents botanical information, historical tidbits, cultivation hints, and more.

Volunteer with Friends of the Urban Forest Perhaps you would like to initiate a tree planting in your neighborhood or would like to come out and help plant trees in one of our upcoming plantings? Friends of the Urban Forest was started in 1981 by a small group of citizens (volunteers just like yourself!) who believed that our community would be a healthier and more hospitable place by the presence of more trees. Please call the Volunteer Coordinator, Reed Milnes at Reed@fuf.net or (415) 561-6890 x.103 – he will help you join in on one of our many volunteer opportunities. No experience is necessary to participate. We provide the tools and instruction. Individuals and groups are always welcome!For more information about tree planting, urban tree species, tree maintenance and volunteering please visit www.fuf.net.

SFT Board Supports Creation of Space for Recreation

The “Pits”
Because of the lack of an appropriate venue for skateboarding in Golden Gate Park, or for that matter western San Francisco, skateboarders flock to the Music Concourse, grinding down the edges of the historic fountains and the new curbing. When asked, they reply, “It’s the only place we don’t get hassled.” SFT supports in concept conversion of the abandoned Horseshoe Pits in the northeast corner of the Park to create a space for this park user group. Compared to the $700K and $1.5 million spent by the city on skateboard parks at Crocker Amazon and in
the Mission respectively, the $15 to $20K estimate for this project could create a cost effective space for “boarders”.

Permanent Embarcadero Rink

Additionally, SFT supports a proposal by the California Outdoor Rollersports Organization (CORA) to convert an under used-space into a permanent venue for ice skating and roller skating. Every Christmas Justin Herman Plaza is taken over for an ice skating rink. The CORA proposal would provide this activity a more permanent space while in off-season serving a growing need for rollersports along the Embarcadero.