New Phelan Avenue Left-Turn Lane Endangers Pedestrians, Bicyclists

Students crossing the loop entrance of are constantly in fear of being struck by NB and SB motorists entering the college

  Upon arriving on the City College campus this week for the fall semester, I noticed a new left-turn lane has been installed on southbound Phelan Avenue into the City College campus loop.  This left turn is critical for drivers arriving from the north side of campus in order to access the loop, however, this new turn lane has created a dangerous conflict for pedestrians walking along the east side of Phelan Avenue. The newly installed bicycle lane on Phelan was also not taken into consideration during the redesign process.

  As the photo suggests, pedestrians must dodge cars entering the loop, or run to avoid being harassed by impatient drivers for blocking the entrance. This is the most widely used entrance to the campus by drivers picking up students, disabled-access vehicles, campus police, and faculty accessing the parking lot in front of Conlan Hall.  This was already a dangerous place for pedestrians crossing the entrance to the loop, now it is a death trap.

The existing conditions at the CCSF loop entrance looking Northbound

Suggested lowest-cost option for the CCSF loop entrance

  Options include installing a wide, brightly painted crosswalk, adding curb bulbouts to reduce the distance needed for pedestrians to cross, or adding a dotted line to link the bike lane on either side of the intersection. Pavement markings in the actual turn-lane could instruct drivers to yield to pedestrians for left turns into the loop.  Besides the curb bulb-outs, these other options are low-cost, simple solutions to a situation that can only get worse.

  All the intersections along Phelan Avenue were poorly designed to begin with (due to the bureaucracies involved in the initial design of the avenue) since the SFMTA, the fire department on Ocean, City College, and the City all had a say in the final design. Since no consensus was ever reached on the safest designs for these intersections due to bickering, we now have to redesign this street for everyone who uses it; without regard for red tape and the opinions of those who probably rarely walk or bike through the Phelan corridor.

  A copy of this blog post has been forwarded to the maintenance department of City College, the City College Police, and the CCSF Student Association to make them all aware of the importance of safety for pedestrians and bicyclists who attend or visit City College.

'Anonymous' Won't Stop Until It's Own Image, BART Police Destroyed

'Anonymous' terrorist group member, pre-selected lesbian, see fit to block the bike lane now too

  In it's latest effort to ruin it's own image, the "Hacktivist" group Anonymous claimed it will not stop interrupting BART service until the BART Police are disbanded. As this will never happen, and since I giggle everytime our lamestream media gives these social tangents an ominous characterization on our behalf, I thought some reflection was necessary. To lighten the mood, I'd like to point to a few other ways in which Anonymous has continued it's downward spiral of attention-grabbing nonsense.

1.  Certain protesters were climbing atop the BART trains at the Civic Center and Powell Stations to disrupt service. Of course

Slip-Up in Chinese Military TV Show Reveals Cyberwar

Slip-Up in Chinese Military TV Show Reveals More Than Intended | China News | Epoch Times:

BREAKING NEWS: 5.9 Quake Rocks D.C. Region

USGS map showing the strength and location of the 5.9 quake.  The worst earthquake in anyone's lifetime.

   Northern Virginia and the nation's capitol experienced a 5.9 earthquake at 1:51p.m. EST.  Speaking with relatives in Reston, VA and Frederick, MD, they reported light shaking for about 10 seconds, and then a moderately violent shake for about 3 seconds.  The earthquake was near Lake Anna, VA, which is about 100 miles southwest of Washington, D.C..

UPDATE from TBD.com: Two nuclear reactors near the epicenter have been taken off-line. Howard County and Prince Georges County Schools are now being evacuated. Planes at Ronald Reagan National Airport are on a ground stoppage. D.C. Metro trains are currently restricted to 15MPH, causing major delays throughout the evening. The U.S. Capitol buildings, The Pentagon, and most critical government facilities within the District are now evacuated.  Massive traffic delays are expected during the afternoon and into the evening.

   The quake was only 1/2 mile below the surface and noticeably shook buildings in downtown D.C., which sits atop a very think layer of clay.  D.C. sits on an ancient wetlands area containing loose and moist soils.  More reports will come soon telling of settling and areas of liquefaction.

Twin Cities Bicycle Plan Nearing Completion

Add caption

Public Transit Peace Terrorists, Or How I Manage on MUNI.

photo courtesy of Mondayne

  Calling attention to yourself is not new to terrorism.  Leaked videos and intercepted communications are par for the jihadist course. Regimes and governments use this information to their advantage; and to deter or prevent civil unrest. In the case of groups like Anonymous and No Justice, No BART, they are no more than iterations of the lack of values of certain groups of passive-aggressive individuals. Free speech doesn't come at the cost of shutting down a region's busiest transit corridor during rush hour.

VIDEO: Threats To Freedom And Those Who Create It

Zoom to 7:18 for the meat

1-California Cheats on The Richmond, Prefers Forest Hill

  Upon exiting Forest Hill Station yesterday, I encountered an apparent lost bus.  I notified the Muni operator of the error and he informed me that sometimes the new LED placards go, "All like crazy and shit." I responded, "I like kinda think, like, they should like, do something about it, ya know?" 

  I then told told him about similes, to which he responded, "Thanks, I like, try and take care of my teeth?!"