4 ms·

Something of a bait-and-switch. It's not that transit projects are not still required to prepare enormous reports that take years to complete if there is any po

Something of a bait-and-switch. It's not that transit projects are not still required to prepare enormous reports that take years to complete if there is any possible "negative impact" -- it's just that worsening traffic is no longer considered a "negative impact." The immense bureaucratic snarl still exists, it's just being pointed in a slightly different direction that fits the new anti-car political winds.

epistasis 11y ago
I can't totally agree with this. Vehicle miles travelled is a much more relevant environmental metric than "level of service" for cars. While "level of service" does measure the impact for car drivers, it neglects any environmental impact, and also neglects other, non-car transportation as being something that people may want to do. So now, for the environmental impact report, the metric will actually be environmentally related rather than "speedy car traffic" related.
- 13thLetter 11y ago
  My main concern is that the immense bureaucratic delay is still in place. "Level of service" for cars may no longer trigger it, but that just means something else will instead. We can't go on being a nation that takes decades to build minor transit improvements due to walls of paper. Well, we can, it'll just suck.
  - intopieces 11y ago
    >We can't go on being a nation that takes decades to build minor transit improvements due to walls of paper. The sad thing is, the minor transmit improvements are lauded as "marvels". Being recently back from Hong Kong, taking 15 years to build a 2-mile bus route just doesn't impress me. And when you consider that a system like this (only far more extensive) is already in place in Bogotá [0] and has been for about 15 years... well, this little 2 mile stretch seems a bit underwhelming. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy SF is improving transit. I just wish it didn't take decades because it seems like other solutions are likely to come about in the mean time, which means wasted time. [0] http://www.streetfilms.org/bus-rapid-transit-bogota/ http://www.streetfilms.org/bus-rapid-transit-bogota/
  - epistasis 11y ago
    >but that just means something else will instead Well if this article is to be believed that would not have happened here. I think the process of environmental review is essential, and I think that too often NIMBYs throw wrenches in projects and make them worse, but that these forces must be balanced. This is a time when they are becoming more balanced.

epistasis 11y ago

I can't totally agree with this. Vehicle miles travelled is a much more relevant environmental metric than "level of service" for cars. While "level of service" does measure the impact for car drivers, it neglects any environmental impact, and also neglects other, non-car transportation as being something that people may want to do. So now, for the environmental impact report, the metric will actually be environmentally related rather than "speedy car traffic" related.

13thLetter 11y ago
My main concern is that the immense bureaucratic delay is still in place. "Level of service" for cars may no longer trigger it, but that just means something else will instead. We can't go on being a nation that takes decades to build minor transit improvements due to walls of paper. Well, we can, it'll just suck.
- intopieces 11y ago
  >We can't go on being a nation that takes decades to build minor transit improvements due to walls of paper. The sad thing is, the minor transmit improvements are lauded as "marvels". Being recently back from Hong Kong, taking 15 years to build a 2-mile bus route just doesn't impress me. And when you consider that a system like this (only far more extensive) is already in place in Bogotá [0] and has been for about 15 years... well, this little 2 mile stretch seems a bit underwhelming. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy SF is improving transit. I just wish it didn't take decades because it seems like other solutions are likely to come about in the mean time, which means wasted time. [0] http://www.streetfilms.org/bus-rapid-transit-bogota/ http://www.streetfilms.org/bus-rapid-transit-bogota/
- epistasis 11y ago
  >but that just means something else will instead Well if this article is to be believed that would not have happened here. I think the process of environmental review is essential, and I think that too often NIMBYs throw wrenches in projects and make them worse, but that these forces must be balanced. This is a time when they are becoming more balanced.