Comments on: Balboa Park Station Area Plan http://sftod.com/2009/11/20/balboa-park/ Coordinating architecture and movement in the San Francisco Bay Area Fri, 16 Jul 2010 15:50:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Streetsblog San Francisco » Phelan Bus Loop Project, First in Balboa Area Plan, Gets Federal Funding http://sftod.com/2009/11/20/balboa-park/comment-page-1/#comment-1539 Streetsblog San Francisco » Phelan Bus Loop Project, First in Balboa Area Plan, Gets Federal Funding Thu, 08 Jul 2010 20:25:00 +0000 http://sftod.com/?p=370#comment-1539 [...] Balboa plan is an ambitious blueprint for the area. Planners have envisioned a full deck over I-280 that would reconnect neighborhoods while dramatically improving pedestrian, [...] [...] Balboa plan is an ambitious blueprint for the area. Planners have envisioned a full deck over I-280 that would reconnect neighborhoods while dramatically improving pedestrian, [...]

]]> By: Bruce http://sftod.com/2009/11/20/balboa-park/comment-page-1/#comment-1236 Bruce Wed, 19 May 2010 17:08:19 +0000 http://sftod.com/?p=370#comment-1236 Great overview, I would think this is just the kind of project that developers would be salivating over, and could bring a lot of additional revenue into the City and County that are much needed. Long-term landleases on city-owned property or outright sales, a firm area plan that is used to guide development and zoning and tax-increment financing to pay for the station and decking. Other cities are doing these types of things in similar combinations, what's SF's problem. Does it take while? If done right and with a seriously plan this could all be done in a decade. Great overview, I would think this is just the kind of project that developers would be salivating over, and could bring a lot of additional revenue into the City and County that are much needed. Long-term landleases on city-owned property or outright sales, a firm area plan that is used to guide development and zoning and tax-increment financing to pay for the station and decking. Other cities are doing these types of things in similar combinations, what’s SF’s problem. Does it take while? If done right and with a seriously plan this could all be done in a decade.

]]> By: Scott http://sftod.com/2009/11/20/balboa-park/comment-page-1/#comment-1111 Scott Tue, 09 Mar 2010 01:19:56 +0000 http://sftod.com/?p=370#comment-1111 This is a BART station I've only used once but that once was confusing and scummy. A friend dropped me off on the corner of San Jose and Ocean "next to the BART station" and I couldn't even find the place until I heard a BART train rumble by and went towards the sound. I finally ended up going down the scummy MUNI alley with college students practically shoving me onto the train tracks on the 2-foot wide sidewalk. WTF is up with this station? This place is as ugly, hidden and hellish as they come.. It needs any redesign it can get. This is a BART station I’ve only used once but that once was confusing and scummy. A friend dropped me off on the corner of San Jose and Ocean “next to the BART station” and I couldn’t even find the place until I heard a BART train rumble by and went towards the sound.

I finally ended up going down the scummy MUNI alley with college students practically shoving me onto the train tracks on the 2-foot wide sidewalk. WTF is up with this station? This place is as ugly, hidden and hellish as they come.. It needs any redesign it can get.

]]> By: Ted King http://sftod.com/2009/11/20/balboa-park/comment-page-1/#comment-786 Ted King Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:12:11 +0000 http://sftod.com/?p=370#comment-786 The "Pedestrianist" leaves out a killer barrier to the T-Third - a DOUBLE border. For the loop to be closed via the Bayshore and Geneva the tracks would have to run through both San Mateo County and the city of Daly City. That would trigger a jurisdictional furball that would make a transit planner blanch. There are three possible extensions for the southern end of the T-Third : 1) LIKELY - Bend east to Caltrain's Tunnel Ave Stn.; 2) Maybe - Connect to Balboa Park BART Stn. via Bayshore + Geneva. The western end might be routed via Alemany - Ocean so as to avoid the dip and the traffic as well as tie into the Mission + Ocean node; 3) GREAT DREAM - After #1 continue south into Brisbane, through the hill into South S.F., and continue on to South S.F. BART Stn. This would link the isolated pocket of Brisbane to the county government center and the Kaiser Permanente Hospital (back door bridge needed).. NB - The T-Third has a yard of its own just off Third St. north of Cesar Chavez (aka Army St.). NB2 - The two reservoirs were paved (at least as far back as 1975 IIRC) and could have held water very easily. The pipes, pumps, and covers were not installed. The northern one has been reconfigured with a different ramp and lights in the last few years. The southern one has some sort of condo / apartment building going up on it right now. The “Pedestrianist” leaves out a killer barrier to the T-Third – a DOUBLE border. For the loop to be closed via the Bayshore and Geneva the tracks would have to run through both San Mateo County and the city of Daly City. That would trigger a jurisdictional furball that would make a transit planner blanch.

There are three possible extensions for the southern end of the T-Third :
1) LIKELY – Bend east to Caltrain’s Tunnel Ave Stn.;
2) Maybe – Connect to Balboa Park BART Stn. via Bayshore + Geneva. The western end might be routed via Alemany – Ocean so as to avoid the dip and the traffic as well as tie into the Mission + Ocean node;
3) GREAT DREAM – After #1 continue south into Brisbane, through the hill into South S.F., and continue on to South S.F. BART Stn. This would link the isolated pocket of Brisbane to the county government center and the Kaiser Permanente Hospital (back door bridge needed)..

NB – The T-Third has a yard of its own just off Third St. north of Cesar Chavez (aka Army St.).
NB2 – The two reservoirs were paved (at least as far back as 1975 IIRC) and could have held water very easily. The pipes, pumps, and covers were not installed. The northern one has been reconfigured with a different ramp and lights in the last few years. The southern one has some sort of condo / apartment building going up on it right now.

]]> By: San Francisco News: “The Scoop” » Blog Archive » Big Plans: Balboa Park Area Begins Growth Spurt: Plazas, Freeway Deck Coming http://sftod.com/2009/11/20/balboa-park/comment-page-1/#comment-668 San Francisco News: “The Scoop” » Blog Archive » Big Plans: Balboa Park Area Begins Growth Spurt: Plazas, Freeway Deck Coming Tue, 01 Dec 2009 01:11:25 +0000 http://sftod.com/?p=370#comment-668 [...] other urban transformation news, the Balboa Park Station Area Plan that got passed back in April is just about getting its start. [...] [...] other urban transformation news, the Balboa Park Station Area Plan that got passed back in April is just about getting its start. [...]

]]> By: Pedestrianist http://sftod.com/2009/11/20/balboa-park/comment-page-1/#comment-512 Pedestrianist Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:02:14 +0000 http://sftod.com/?p=370#comment-512 The devil is in the details for the revamped BP Station. There are a lot of connections that need to be ironed out, the M coming up from the South, the K from the West and the J from the North. All of those lines need access to the rail yard as well as the station itself, without obstructing rider circulation through the station. I'd add to that mix an extension of the T-Third up Geneva from the East, connecting the T to BP Station and the associated rail yard. The devil is in the details for the revamped BP Station. There are a lot of connections that need to be ironed out, the M coming up from the South, the K from the West and the J from the North. All of those lines need access to the rail yard as well as the station itself, without obstructing rider circulation through the station.

I’d add to that mix an extension of the T-Third up Geneva from the East, connecting the T to BP Station and the associated rail yard.

]]> By: Christopher http://sftod.com/2009/11/20/balboa-park/comment-page-1/#comment-509 Christopher Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:54:04 +0000 http://sftod.com/?p=370#comment-509 Great overview, I would think this is just the kind of project that developers would be salivating over, and could bring a lot of additional revenue into the City and County that are much needed. Long-term landleases on city-owned property or outright sales, a firm area plan that is used to guide development and zoning and tax-increment financing to pay for the station and decking. Other cities are doing these types of things in similar combinations, what's SF's problem. Does it take while? If done right and with a seriously plan this could all be done in a decade. Great overview, I would think this is just the kind of project that developers would be salivating over, and could bring a lot of additional revenue into the City and County that are much needed. Long-term landleases on city-owned property or outright sales, a firm area plan that is used to guide development and zoning and tax-increment financing to pay for the station and decking. Other cities are doing these types of things in similar combinations, what’s SF’s problem. Does it take while? If done right and with a seriously plan this could all be done in a decade.

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