The $ 7 million project converted two busy lanes of vehicle traffic into permanent pedestrian and bicycle-only pathways in McLaren Park – a first for San Francisco .
“ McLaren Park is the Golden Gate Park of the southeast – our largest open space – and the improvements on Mansell open the doors to the wealth of opportunities that exist in the park ,” said San Francisco Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru . “ Families from the neighborhoods all around McLaren Park can now bike , jog , walk and feel safe since they ’ re not sharing the road with a bus or car .”
The four-lane road , which some described as a speedway , was transformed . Two lanes were kept for vehicle traffic . The two other lanes were made into a protected pathway for cyclists , pedestrians , skaters and joggers . A planted median keeps the motorists from the other users .
The project also added signage , raised crosswalks , flashing beacons , solar-powered street lights , landscaped bioswales for wastewater management , bus stop benches and clearly marked crosswalks at major intersections . Plus , the condition of the road used by vehicles was vastly improved with new paving .
Mansell Street was conceived in the 1950s as part of a nevercompleted cross-town freeway . By design , Mansell Street primarily served motorized vehicles and the width of the traffic lanes encouraged freeway-level speeding .
The improvement project was a partnership among San Francisco Public Works , San Francisco Recreation and Park Department , San Francisco County Transportation Authority and San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency , as well as community groups , including the McLaren Park Collaborative , Walk SF and the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition .
Public Works co-managed the community planning process , designed the new amenities and managed the project through construction . Together with Gordon Ball , our general contractor , we implemented the plan to make Mansell safer , sustainable and more fun for all users of McLaren Park .
Funding came from state vehicle registration fees , gasoline tax revenue , the City ’ s half-cent sales tax for transportation funds , grants from One Bay Area and the State ’ s Urban Greening program , and the 2012 Clean and Safe Neighborhood Parks Bond .
The new amenities , officially unveiled at the Feb . 4 ribboncutting ceremony , were put to use immediately . On a recent Sunday , two bicyclists in spandex sped by , a couple walked their cocker spaniels , kids were riding on the new bike path , joggers with earphones ran by , and a woman with a walker sat on a new bench comfortably waiting for her bus .
Read more about the Mansell Streetscape project in the San Francisco Chronicle !
February 2017 - San Francisco Public Works Newsletter