Update on the Cesar Chavez Sewer and Streetscaping Project

About 100 people turned out for the community meeting regarding the Cesar Chavez Sewer & Streetscape Improvement Project. Representatives from the Planning Department, SFPUC, MTA, & SFDPW were presenting the project and answering questions.

The project will be done in stages starting with Phase 1, the construction beginning at Hampshire Street and proceeding up to San Jose Avenue.  There will also be segments of work done on Harrison Street (from Cesar Chavez to 26^th Street), Valencia Street (Cesar Chavez to Mission Street), Fair Avenue (Mission Street to Coso Avenue), and on Coso Avenue (to Coleridge Street). This phase will line the existing sewer pipe and add a second sewer line to increase the reliability of the system and to minimize flooding in the area.

Phase 2 of the streetscape improvements will start approximately 9 months after construction and will follow the construction up Cesar Chavez to San Jose Avenue.  This is the phase that will reduce three lanes of traffic to two.  Using low impact design (LID), the medians will be widened, there will be added left turn pullouts at some intersections, added bike lanes and the busy street will be made over to be safer and greener!  Trees and landscaping will be planted in the newly widened medians, the corners will bulb out and storm water planters will be installed.  New street lighting will be LED, providing a brighter, whiter light while being more energy efficient.

The time line for the project is estimated to be 24 months, and is expected to begin this fall.  What’s really unusual is, to meet deadlines, the work will take place 7 days a week!

Many neighbors voiced numerous concerns such as the displacement of traffic on to secondary streets, what type of trees and plants will be used, and daylighting the Islais creek.  While the representatives present did their best to address the issues, there was still some unhappiness with the plan. When asked if the streetscaping in phase two was a go, the reply was that there are "no foreseeable hurdles." As for daylighting the creek, that's not in this plan, but the 14' wide median will allow for the possibility in the future.

Unlike so many proposals on the table in the mission district street plan project, this project (which has been in the planning for 10 years) has funding and at least Phase 1 will be completed. Why does this need to be done? Well, the short story is that the city has a combined sewer system here, and when there are storms we often end up with waste water being discharged into the bay and ocean.  Oh, and we pay daily fees every time it happens... Here’s to nothing happening to stop the second phase of the project from being completed!