🚀 go-pugleaf

Dave Simpson <nospam@newsranger.com> wrote in message news:<RkBO6.4138$r4.246164@www.newsranger.com>...
> Don Hagstrom wrote:
> 
> >> Ah, but think of the many journeys avoided because people didn't want to
> >> sit in traffic through the city.  Think of all those who might consider a
> >> 60-mile commute along the route, but don't, because you can't get there
> >> from here in a reasonable amount of time.  *That's* where the pollution
> >> savings are, not in the trips taken, but in those not taken.
> >
> >Nope.
> 
> You're right; your illustrious opponent is (again) wrong.  By his logic, let's
> get rid of much, much more pollution by eliminating all roads, and while
> we're at it, let's get rid of still more power plants, which also are icky and
> pollute; at the least, we should prevent new plants' being built!  Just the
> thing California needs!  Oops, "no-build" has shown itself already.
> 
> > As Chris pointed out, those trips happen anyway.  If people have to
> >travel, they do.  Only now they are sitting in traffic on streets that were
> >never designed to hold such high traffic volumes, which only increases
> >pollution.  Traffic is one of the #1 concerns in San Francisco.  Under your
> >philosophy, there should be no problem.
> 
> HIs philosophy is illogical and has other flaws.  Everyone with a mind that
> works knows the 101 freeway gap in San Francisco should have been closed
> decades ago.  The only reasonable questions are of cost and engineering,
> not whether or not it should be done.  Sadly, you still have the resistance,
> which is anti-progressive, anti-modern, and anti-human.
> 
> 
> Dave Simpson


There have been many plans over the years for freeway connections in
and through the People's Democratic Republic of San Francisco.  If you
recall the double-decked Embarcadero Freeway on the waterfront; this
monstrosity was to be extended up through the Fisherman's Wharf/Pier
39/Ghiradelli Square tourist trap, through Aquatic Park, through Ft.
Mason and down the Marina Green to connect with the Golden Gate Bridge.
Like the high-roller property owners along the Marina Green and the
Fisherman's Wharf merchants were gonna buy into that one!  Do recall
what the Loma Prieta earthquake did to the Embarcadero Freeway; it was
about three-five seconds from coming down like the double-decked Cypress
did.

In addition to the Embarcadero Freeway extension scheme, there were
also the Panhandle Freeway and the Western Freeway schemes.

The Panhandle Freeway was to be a double deck extension of the Central
Freeway placed between Oak and Fell Streets with the attendant loss
of many blocks of housing and the brand-new DMV office (what a big
loss!).  Where it met the GG Park Panhandle, it was to be partially
below ground level in a trench, still double-decked, cut through the
NE corner of GG Park and continue in a trench on Park Presidio Boulevard
to ultimately connect with the GG Bridge; double-decked the whole way.
Again, recall what the Loma Prieta did to double-decked freeways in the
area; the only one left is the I280 east of the 101 and it took SIX+
**YEARS** to modify even THAT one.

The second gem was the Western Freeway.  This one was to extend east
from where the I280 turns to parallel Alemany Blvd.  It was again to
be a double-decker in a trench.  It was to follow Junipero Serra Blvd.
and enter the Sunset district at about 17th Ave.  It was then to
extend to GG Park, bisect the park and continue on Park Presidio Blvd.
(see above), double-decked in a trench the whole way.  This scheme
would have removed at least 12 city blocks of row housing, a new junior
high school, two churches and their associated grammar schools and a
lot high-roller homes on the edge of St. Francis Woods, Forest Hills
and Stearn Grove (yaright!).

The City was insisting on the Crosstown Tunnel scheme, direct from
the Civic Center and Central Freeway to the GG Bridge; ALMOST sensible
for San Francisco political whackos.  During this whole time, both the
City and the state blissfully ignored the obvious solution, a cut and
cover tunnel under Geary Street to Park Presidio and then to the GG
Bridge; minimal land loss.  While the City and State were duking it
out over these routes, Geary Street was torn up and rebuilt *** 3 ***
times and the local freeway funding wound up going to Southern
California to enhance the I5.