ISLAIS CREEK BRIDGE (7/2/06)

Shimmick and Homer and the San Francisco Port Authority Agency are nearing the deadline to declare the opening of the Islais Creek Bridge and thus starting the pollution of a wide area. The Bay will be bombarded daily by millions of vehicles polluting the air, the land, and most importantly the water with the worst polluting particulates. You have heard how the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition wants jurisdiction of bicycle lanes on Illinois Street so that on weekdays and weekends they can take on the heavy vehicular traffic and more breathe the filthy air. What sense does this make at all? Go take a drive, a hike or a ride and check out facts for yourself by visiting the area. It amazes me how Mayor Gavin Newsom will permit idiots to defy basic planning requirement by endorsing the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition to invade areas where the Bicycle Coalition has no community roots and what is more has not done any meaningful dialog worth the salt. On San Bruno Ave between Manzell and Arleta the Bicycle Coalition has made a fool of itself imposing Bicycle Lanes and putting innocent bicyclists and others in harms way. The same can be said on the main Streets by the Clam House near Bayshore leading inside in an area that has very heavy vehicular traffic. There are other areas too where some one has painted signs encouraging bicyclists to ride and put themselves in harms way. Who is liable if some one gets injured more dies? It is only right that in a very heavy industrial area we should avoid putting any bicycle riders in harms way much like an ant walking in the path of an elephant. But some folks will not get it. Recently the Court ordered the City and County of San Francisco to undertake an Environmental Impact Report that covers the whole City linked to the proposed Bicycle Lane Plan. This keeps the Bicycle Coalition and the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA) from wasting funds. The Bicycle Coalition should refrain from fake takeover of roads that should keep bicycles away until the issues of health and safety have been resolved. The San Francisco Port Authority has been wasting money on the Illinois Street Bridge ­ time will tell. The new bridge has adversely impacted near by businesses. This City has chosen not to aid small businesses and has done everything possible to harm businesses along Illinois Street. However, it has gone out of its way to take over roads in areas that are meant for industrial uses and loading. Paying no attention to small business owners that fail to understand the stupid logic the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition propagates in San Francisco today.

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