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Axios San Francisco
What's happening with West Portal
By Megan Rose Dickey,
2024-05-01
Following backlash from community members and local businesses, city officials are holding off on implementing a plan that sought to make major traffic design changes to the West Portal area.
Why it matters: Following a crash that killed a family of four waiting at a West Portal bus stop in March, city officials in April unveiled a plan that would prevent cars from driving through the intersection of Ulloa Street and West Portal Avenue.
But some residents and business owners quickly opposed the plan, arguing the city was "undermining" the thriving business district.
Driving the news: Supervisor Myrna Melgar, whose district includes West Portal, recently announced the creation of the Welcoming West Portal, which was asked to evaluate potential street design changes in the area.
The group will look at loading and passenger drop-off zones, the number and location of bus stops on Ulloa Street and more, according to a press release.
The committee will include business owners, neighbors and those who frequent the area.
What they're saying: The committee's purpose is to "come to a consensus that works for all parties," according to a joint statement from Melgar and Deidre Von Rock, president of the West Portal Merchants Association.
The other side: Luke Bornheimer, a sustainable transportation advocate who supported the original plan proposed in April, said in a written statement that the city's creation of a committee is a delay tactic.
Between the lines: The intersections surrounding West Portal didn't land on the police department's list of the 10 most dangerous , but San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency director Jeffrey Tumlin previously called it a " high-conflict corridor ," the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
What to watch: The committee will meet at least three times over the next few months to develop a proposal to present to the SFMTA board to coincide with the return of the L-Taraval this fall .
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