A Message from CCSF HEAT (Higher Education Action Team)

Subject: Save Access for City College SF Students – Stop Quick-Build Project

URGENT! The SF Municipal Transit Agency (SFMTA) is rapidly moving forward with its Quick-Build Project on Frida Kahlo Way, right in front of City College. The project removes parking; creates traffic management problems on Frida Kahlo Way; disregards the dangerous intersection at Frida Kahlo Way and Ocean Avenue; and will create unpleasant traffic congestion and toxic greenhouse gasses throughout the neighborhood as cars search for parking. The plan also does not take into account the fact that there is major construction planned on both sides of Frida Kahlo Way. You can learn more about the project here:  https://www.sfmta.com/projects/frida-kahlo-way-quick-build-project.

If the City wanted to kill City College, they could not be doing a better job. The loss of parking may seem nominal but combined with eliminating 1,000 parking spaces in the lower Balboa Reservoir, the changes will limit educational access for many students who rely on private vehicles in order to juggle work, childcare, and other responsibilities.

SFMTA is undertaking this project even though Frida Kahlo Way is not designated as a high-injury street. There’s little evidence that the proposed changes will actually improve bike safety. 

The Agency created this project with minimal study and input from CCSF and the surrounding neighborhoods. As with other SFMTA Quick-Build projects that created serious negative impacts, this is another example of SFMTA making false promises of transparency, ignoring community input, and overlooking impacts. 

SFMTA has scheduled this project for quick implementation. The project may move to the SFMTA Board of Directors for approval as soon as April. 

We need your help now to stop this nightmare on Frida Kahlo Way! 

1. Sign our petition

2. Copy/paste/sign and send the email below to SFMTA, the SF Board of Supervisors, and the CCSF Board of Trustees and Chancellor

And, please share this message with your San Francisco and Bay Area friends.

To:  MTABoard@SFMTA.com

cc: Alan Wong <alanwong@ccsf.edu>; Aliya Chisti <achisti@ccsf.edu>; Murrell Green <murrellgreen@ccsf.edu>; Anita Martinez <anitamartinez@ccsf.edu>; Susan Solomon <ssolomon@ccsf.edu>; Vick Chung <vchung@ccsf.edu>; Shanell Williams <swilliams@ccsf.edu>; studenttrustee@mail.ccsf.edu; dmartin@ccsf.edu; Board.of.Supervisors@sfgov.org; MayorLondonBreed@sfgov.org; ChanStaff@sfgov.org;  DorseyStaff@sfgov.org;  EngardioStaff@sfgov.org; MandelmanStaff@sfgov.org; MelgarStaff@sfgov.org; Aaron.Peskin@sfgov.org; Dean.Preston@sfgov.org; Hillary.Ronen@sfgov.org; Ahsha.Safai@sfgov.org; Catherine.Stefani@sfgov.org; Shamann.Walton@sfgov.org; Jeffrey.Tumlin@SFMTA.com; ricardo.olea@sfmta.com; pallavi.panyam@sfmta.com; elliot.goodrich@sfmta.com; casey.hildreth@sfmta.com; kimberly.leung@sfmta.com

Subject: Stop the Frida-Kahlo Way Quick-Build

Dear President Eaken and Members of the MTA Board of Directors:

I urge you to cancel the Frida Kahlo Way Quick Build Project.

This project has been planned by SFMTA with inadequate input from the CCSF community and the surrounding neighborhoods. SFMTA has provided no safety data that justifies the redesign of Frida Kahlo Way. Instead, SFMTA mentions vague "prevention" of undefined "future problems". SFMTA’s lack of transparency raises concerns.

The most significant impact of this project is the loss of crucial parking for CCSF students, faculty, and staff. The project must be postponed until new parking for CCSF is in place.  

The loss of parking will:

• Reduce educational opportunities for hundreds of CCSF students, many of whom need a car to get to class and other destinations on time

• Impact the College as it is coming out of COVID and working hard to increase enrollment

• Increase competition for very limited parking on the quiet narrow streets surrounding the College

• Create congestion and increase greenhouse gas emissions throughout the neighborhood as cars search for scarce parking

But loss of parking is not the only reason this project should not be approved at this time.

• It is unclear whether the Project would improve or hinder traffic flow on Frida Kahlo Way. For example, under this plan buses stop in the vehicle lane as passengers get on and off the buses. Cars behind the buses will have to stop during pick-up and drop-off, causing traffic jams that would extend into nearby neighborhoods. 

• The Project has no plans for increasing public transit in the community. 

• There is no evidence the Project improves bicycle safety, nor is there data that supports the need to increase or alter the current bicycle lanes.

I call on you to reject this Quick Build.

Thank you for your efforts to improve transportation throughout the city and for your attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,

( name )