🚀 go-pugleaf

"John Lincoln" <jl@cypress.com> wrote in message
news:e6615fa2.0106041721.115a47a7@posting.google.com...

(snip)

> 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.

The old double-decker designs like the Cypress and Embarcadero were flawed.
The Embarcadero would have been a valuable freeway had it been at-grade, had
it better blended with the area, and had it been completed to Doyle Drive.

(snip)

> 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.

Had just 1/2 of these freeways gone in much of San Francisco's traffic
problems today would not exist.  They have only themselves to blame for
losing out on all those gas tax highway dollars.  Instead, they rely on 19th
century trolley bus technology with those overhead wires.  And the majority
of San Franciscans drive so the joke is on all of them because the car
hasn't gone away and the traffic is awful.

Too bad, though, that the cut and cover or other solutions weren't hammered
out to a compromise to get one or two through freeways in there.  That or
something like it still needs to be done today for any improvement to
happen.

Don

--
http://www.fixtraffic.org  Fighting for the Rebuilding and Expansion of
Southern California's Freeway and Highway System
Discussion at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sc_hwys
Discuss the 710 Fwy Gap Closure--Pro or Con--at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Go_710