Since 2004, it has been City policy for San Francisco to study alternatives to The Stub. 20 years later, there has been no completed study. We have kicked the can down the road year after year after year.
What would it take for City agencies to finally get around to completing a study? Very little effort, in fact. A completed analysis of The Stub would cost San Francisco about $150,000, which is roughly 0.0009% of San Francisco's $16 billion dollar budget. Would City agencies have to divert a bunch of resources to complete the study? Nope. An independent design and planning firm, like Arup, can take on the study. City agencies can continue to go about their business while an independent firm dutifully completes the task. A task, by the way, that was first enshrined as City policy on May 11th, 2004.
On that date, eight San Francisco District Supervisors voted to adopt a resolution that urged the State government to work with City agencies to complete a study. The Transportation Element of San Francisco's General Plan, which was independent of this District Supervisor resolution, also called for a study of alternatives in 2004. Since then – nothing. Why?
It's a stretch to put too much blame on our local government when the resolution was first adopted. In 2004, the State was much less willing to collaborate with San Francisco on freeway removal studies. Arnold Schwarzenegger was California's governor (remember that?), and Caltrans was not the most sympathetic partner at the time.
Fast-forward 20 years, however, and we are in a completely different political and bureaucratic landscape. Directors at Caltrans, up and down the state, have expressed interest in working on new infrastructure projects, just like Vision Blvd's proposal. The federal infrastructure bill has led to an apparatus of federal grants with the specific purpose of helping local communities alleviate harmful infrastructure, just like San Francisco's lone stub freeway. The State government is now in a position to collaborate. However, many San Francisco leaders have displayed an unwillingness to take the initiative. This lack of action needs to come to an end.
The coalition in support of finding alternatives to The Stub is strong, and will only become stronger. City agencies have a green light to fund a study right now. There is nothing standing in their way aside from unreasonable fears and lack of initiative. Let's see them show some spine, get the job done, and make the city proud.
After all, 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of this important resolution. Give us something to celebrate.
-VB