Thread by @_fruchtose

Hello San Francisco. This meeting is happening now. Or, more accurately, it may be happening. The Slow Streets appellant, Mary Miles, has not shown up yet.

She indicated to staff last week that she could not use Microsoft Teams to give her presentation. She gave a phone number to SFBOS staff, but then said she may call in from a completely different phone number.

Deputy City Attorney Anne Pearson says Miles was given legally required notice so the Board can proceed. Supervisor Peskin notes that the written record is before the committee of a whole and they can judge it. President Yee is asking if the item should be continued.

Somehow, Mary Miles has called in. She says she requested a continuance six days ago. President Yee is not aware of this request. He says that the SFBOS will not continue the item.

Miles has several reasons to continue the item:
1. San Francisco Metropolitan Transportation Agency now says this is a permanent project.

2. Appellant (Coalition for Adequate Review) "has not had adequate time to inform the Board on the factual and legal issues of Slow Streets." It has several phases, and the CAR has appealed Phase 3 separately. Issue before the SFBOS is on CEQA emergency exemption.

Miles concludes by asking the Board to reconsider a request for continuance.

President Yee: I see this as one of several appeals. Would a supervisor like to make a motion to continue?

Yee calls on Supe Peskin.

Peskin would not like to make a motion. He's read the written record and does not believe that it warrants a continuance. Appellant is welcome to bring new information forward, so the matter can be heard.

President Yee, hearing no motion to continue, says the appeal will proceed

Miles: The appeal is hobbled. We've been refused adequate time to prepare a brief. MTA has changed Slow Streets many times since this appeal was filed. It's now up to 44-53 city streets, including major corridors and neighborhood streets. Many Slow Streets are miles in length.

CAR: You don't have full information in front of you. The appeal was only filed in light of Phase 1. You need accurate information, not the lies told by the MTA and Planning. It's absolutely a permanent project. They're constructing permanent barriers.

This pointless scream of rage at pedestrian infrastructure is a waste of time for a legislative body befitting San Francisco.

CAR: "We have the desire of some bicyclists and pedestrians to close streets to cars so they can walk in the middle of streets instead of sidewalks." That's not an emergency definition under the California Environmental Quality Act.

CAR: "There's no evidence that pedestrians and biyclists are on quote-unquote essential trips" when walking in streets. Experts say cars are the safest way to travel during the pandemic. SFFD and SFPD are essential services, and Slow Streets obstruct vehicles for them.

CAR: The project endangers everyone by blocking access to emergency vehicles and it causes congestion. Public process is an important part of CEQA. "The public has been denied that process every step of the way."

CAR: By making this project permanent, it is antithetical to a sudden, unexpected occurrence. The Board should find that this project does not qualif—

The Clerk of the Board cuts off Mary Miles as her 10-minute presentation time expires. This is so sad Alexa play Despacito

The BOS is now taking public comment in favor of the appeal against Slow Streets. The first caller supports the appeal for "tons of reasons": There's no traffic, no enforcement. The project is a failure. I feel really let down by all of you.

Next caller: After gate to Twin Peaks Park was closed to cars, we've seen increased car break-ins, vandalism, speeding, erratic driving, noise, garbage, and weed smoking. These problems have increased since auto access to Twin Peaks has been closed.

Next caller: This is a land grab during a pandemic. Lake Street is now filled with traffic. Streets are for cars, but bicycles and pedestrians don't know this. Contrary to Jeffrey Tumlin's assertions, the streets are becoming playgrounds. Soon we'll see barbecues.

Next caller: As a cab driver, it's terrible to encounter a Slow Street without warning. Sometimes I have to get out of my car and move the barriers. There needs to be more warning. In the Bayview there are some Slow Streets but they're violated all the time—they have no residents

David Pilpel, a notorious NIMBY, says that it hasn't been shown that Slow Streets are necessary. Additional environmental review is warranted.

After two comments complaining about their commute, a caller says that they support Slow Streets, which is why they support a full environmental review.

Public comment is now closed. We're now about to hear a presentation by the SF Planning Department.

Laura Lynch, a senior environmental officer, has a presentation. She notes that COVID-19 has been declared a presentation. And public health officials have stated that social distancing is necessary.

Lynch: a permanent project would require separate review.

Another presenter is here: Shannon Hake, who's working on the SFMTA Slow Streets program. It uses temporary barriers to prevent through traffic so people have a space to walk and bike.

Hake: Initial project outreach was limited due to shelter-in-place. Feedback via surveys has been overwhelmingly positive.

Hake: For any permanent changes, a much more thorough review would take place with public engagement.

Presenters are now taking questions from SFBOS. Supe Fewer said she had a question about public engagement for a permanent program, but it's been answered.

President Yee is asking if the barriers are temporary. (Yes.)

With no other questions, President Yee is opening public comment against the appeal, in support of Slow Streets.

Somehow I was the first caller in support.

Several callers after me are in support of Slow Streets. One caller says is a thinly veiled attempt to fight anything that doesn't cater to car drivers.

The final caller says that Mary Miles is grasping at straws and asks the SFBOS reject the appeal.

Mary Miles for CAR is back for rebuttal: several comments seem to believe that COVID-19 is the emergency at hand, but the SFMTA says the emergency is for closing streets so children can play and people can walk in the middle of streets.

Miles: The SFMTA is also installing permanent barriers. [?????????]

Miles: SFMTA has requested funding to make this project permanent. There has been no public proce—

President Yee cuts off Miles, as her time expires.

Supervisor Preston: This clearly falls under the emergency provision. And the need to socially distance warrants the response via Slow Streets. It's absolutely not a permanent project, even though it's wildly popular. There will be a process if it's to be made permanent.

Preston: Outreach was not needed for n emergency project, but SFMTA had done it anyway. Slow Streets could be taken down at a moment's notice, so they're not permanent.

Supervisor Peskin: I was going to make comments very similar to Supervisor Preston's. A pandemic falls within the intent of the CEQA statutory exemption. And Supervisor Preston has illustrated that the project is temporary.

Peskin: David Pilpel pointed to signage as evidence of a permanent project. Signage by its very nature is temporary.

Supervisor Preston moves to affirm the CEQA exemption.

Peskin seconds the motion.

The SFBOS has voted unanimously to affirm the CEQA exemption for Slow Streets as an emergency measure. The appeal is done and the SFBOS is now moving on to the next item on the agenda.

What an incredible, hour-long waste of time this has been. Thanks for reading.