Plaidophile

Japan:

San Francisco:

South Van Ness is pretty much falling apart. There isn't a single area between Division and Cesar Chavez that isn't pocked with giant potholes and temporary metal plates, and when it rains or gets dark out it becomes nearly impossible to see the lane markers. There are even some sections where the road surface has buckled so severely that there are giant bumps right in the middle of the lane, leading to even more of a hazard when people suddenly swerve to avoid them. This street is very dangerous to drive or bicycle on, and yet is very heavily-trafficked as it's the most convenient thoroughfare from the Mission to SoMA.

It absolutely needs to be resurfaced, and it would be nice if it also had designated bike lanes added, as opposed to the current de-facto "bicycle gap" left from where people park in the curb lane.

It would also probably improve street safety and traffic flow if the lanes were reconfigured to be more like Valencia street, with a single traffic lane in each direction, a central shared turn lane, and dedicated parking and bicycle lanes.

But at the very least it MUST be repaved and restriped.

Thank you for your consideration.

Thank you for contacting DPW with your concerns regarding the roadway condition of South Van Ness. You are correct that it is in need of repaving and is a major thoroughfare for SOMA. To repave a major artery such as South Van Ness, all utility companies and construction operations must be coordinated. Once the roadway is paved, it cannot be opened unless there is an emergency. According to the 5-Year Paving Plan, efforts to coordinate construction/repair operations have commenced on January 3, 2011 with PG&E, SF Water, etc. and appear to continue from Market to Cesar Chavez through 2015. For more detailed information and adjacent roadways affected, please visit DPW's website at http://www.sfdpw.org/index.aspx?page=370 and click on Five Year Plan.

To be fair, the Japan roadway doesn't have the utility issue, but still. Five years?! On a street that's already been in massive need for repair for at least that long?