Victory for Healthy Saturdays at the Board of Supes

Victory for Healthy Saturdays at the Board!

After years of grassroots efforts, legislation passed the Board of Supervisors on May 9th to extend the popular car-free space on JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park on Sundays to Saturdays as well. At the urging of members of the SFBC and our allies in the skating community, Sierra Club, Walk SF, TLC and other groups, Supervisors Jake McGoldrick introduced legislation, with support from Supervisors Ross Mirkarimi, Gerardo Sandoval, Tom Ammiano, Chris Daly, Sophie Maxwell, and Aaron Peskin, have supported a 6-month trial measure - Healthy Saturdays in GG Park - to begin in late May/early June. Supervisors Alioto-Pier, Dufty, Elsbernd and Ma opposed Healthy Saturdays.Please send a thank you to the supes who did support the legislation - contact info here. Please CALL THE MAYOR (http://www.sfbike.org/?leaders#sf) and ask him to support Healthy Saturdays and sign the 6-month trial into law!

Public Testimony about Healthy Saturdays at Land Use Committee on April 14th (http://www.phrank.com/20060414/)
Setting the Record Straight About Healthy Saturdays
Healthy Saturdays does not hurt the museums.

Until very recently, the de Young Museum leadership has erroneously publicly stated to the press, City Hall, and its membership that their attendance is 15-20% lower on Sundays, due to the car free space. Under pressure from a freedom of information request, the de Young belatedly released its attendance figures. The de Young's own numbers prove that car-free space does not reduce Museum access or attendance. In fact, according to their own figures, the de Young average attendance is slightly HIGHER on Sundays when the park attracts more visitors due to the car-free space. (For a copy of the actual attendance figures, contact the SFBC at 415/431-2453 x306.) On Sundays and during the Healthy Saturdays trial, all cars have front door access to the de Young and the Academy via MLK Drive to the Music Concourse. And the garage is fully accessible at all times from both its entrances.

Healthy Saturdays are not only good for Park users, but also good for the museums in the Park.
Health Saturdays does not limit park access for persons with disabilities.

The Healthy Saturdays legislation includes significant improvements for access for persons with disabilities. It was crafted with close communication and advice from staff of the Mayor's Office on Disability. The legislation includes enhancements to disabled access seven days a week, while protecting access on Saturdays. These include new accessible parking spaces and drop-off zones, as well as a commitment to run a shuttle ensuring disabled access on JFK Dr. on both Saturdays and Sundays. Enacting Healthy Saturdays will be an improvement for disabled access in Golden Gate Park.
This legislation has not been rejected by voters.

In 2000, a different proposal went before the voters to extend Sunday car-free space to Saturdays. That proposal was not a six-month trial, did not include front door car access to the Museums or garage access, and did not include the extensive improvements for access for persons with disabilities. That legislation (Prop. F) was undercut by a competing proposition (Prop. G) put on the ballot at the last-minute by opponents that split the vote. Prop. F called for car free space on Saturdays immediately, before the garage was built; it garnered 46% of the vote. Prop. G called for car free space on Saturdays only after a garage was built; it garnered 34% of the vote. The supporters of F & G worked hard against each others’ measures, so split the vote. Polling on Prop. F conducted before Prop. G was put on the ballot showed greater than 61% support for it citywide.

Healthy Saturdays, which is a new proposal, would satisfy the desires of the voters who wanted car free space even without a garage and supporters who wanted car free space only after a garage was built.
Moving Healthy Saturdays to the west end of the Park is not a comparable alternative.

The west end is far less accessible to public transit and the new Park garage. It is significantly further from most neighborhoods of the City, especially those with less park space: Bayview, Excelsior, Chinatown, SOMA. The west end is far from concessions, such as restaurants, bike & skate rental shops, or any other commercial services such as those on the east end (Stanyan, Haight, Irving, Fulton). It is also more hilly and cold, hardly conducive to bringing families and teaching kids to skate and bike safely. The west end is not an alternative because it is already well-used for picnics, sports, and large group activities, which are more likely to need car access to the Park.