The Burlingame Voice

Does the whole County need remedial driving class?

This post has been on my radar for about two months since I spoke to a man-about-town who lives a half block off of the California Dr. speedway.  He told me about a guy in a new Corvette who blasted down California, but an officer just happened to be nearby for another reason.  One got caught, but he says most don't.  Then last week I was at the ECR-Howard Ave. Safeway intersection when two incidents happened within 10 seconds of each other.  First, someone seems to have forgotten that drivers coming straight at you from across the intersection have right-of-way over you turning left.  Horn blows.  And then someone driving west on Howard decides to do the medium speed "California stop" turning north on ECR.  Except there are three people well into the crosswalk.  The pedestrian closest was fortunately agile and quick and he needed to be to avoid spending a week in the hospital.  This is a regular occurrence there.  Lyon-Hoag has been complaining about this for years.

The stories go on.  A merchant on B'way told me a pedestrian did get clipped there a week ago even with the seizure-inducing crosswalk lights going off.  That's before jaywalking becomes legal statewide in the pursuit of "racial justice".  And of course, there is the absolutely tragic, heart-breaking story from Redwood CIty of a 23-year-old racing a 17-year-old in a BMW M-series at 80-90 mph on ECR at 8pm.  Two parents killed and twin 7-year-girls orphaned.  You can see drivers doing 50+ on ECR in B'game all the time even with the lousy road surface.  Maybe we really don't want it fixed?

Does the whole County need remedial driving class?  Maybe, but for sure we need more traffic enforcement--a lot more.  Recall during the 2020 Townhall on "use of force" when my second question was asked:  "If the city allocated 10% more funding to BPD today, how would it utilize the funds?"  This was during the nationwide idiocy called "defund the police".  Chief Matteucci took about 1.5 seconds to respond, "I would add more traffic enforcement".  Exactly!  But our city council doesn't quite get it yet.  During the non-debate prior to the last non-election, three candidates were asked about public safety.  As Russ wrote in the post

In short, (Ricardo Ortiz) stated that the council has not been asked to increase the number of patrol personnel, so by inference, there is no need to increase the number of individuals on the BPD. Wait? What?

I think it's time we asked for a couple more cops on the street.  I would say "let's get ahead of this curve" but we are already behind the curve so let's just catch-up.  None of the statistics show the near misses, but if you are regularly walking, riding or driving in town you see them.  In the meantime, keep your head on a swivel.

200 e-Bikes, 200 Grand

It was nearly five years ago that we did the Lime bike (aka "Litterbike") experiment in B'game.  Recall the concerns and complaints here.  This latest experiment is with Spin which appears to have a rule against kids under 18 using their bikes.  During Lime's short-lived experiment, kids seemed to me to be the main riders.  The DJ notes some of the details:

A new electric bike sharing program is set to roll out in Burlingame, with Millbrae also looking to get in on the action.  The program would have 200 electric bikes for transit commuters and in-city use and will be a joint collaboration with Millbrae, which will discuss the idea Oct. 11. Users will get discounts if they park the bikes in “preferred zones” that include existing bike racks, corrals and stencil-marked areas in locations around the cities.

The cities were each awarded a $200,000 San Mateo County Transportation Authority grant to implement a bicycle-sharing program. The total sum for the award equals $440,000, including a $20,000 match by each city. Burlingame and Millbrae will apply the funds toward the purchase of new bicycle racks and signs for preferred parking zones. The cities will also subsidize rides for new users and subsidize a portion of Spin’s cost to purchase e-bikes for the program, according to the report.

It feels a little expensive to me (68% more than the deal Penn State has), but there will be "subsidies" so this will be tagged to the new "Free Stuff (Not)" category as well

Spin is proposing $1 to unlock and 42 cents per minute to ride. Spin also offers discount rates for monthly passes, student pricing and low-income users, according to the staff report.  Spin spokesperson Phuong Bui said that the staff operates 24/7 and aims to respond to bikes parking improperly within two hours.

If that sounds to you like we may have more Spin vans driving around picking up bikes and placing them back where they belong and relocating them, you are not alone.  But there is a fine schedule, and you get banned after four parking infractions.  I've done a couple of two-hour rides on an e-bike and it's fun, but it's also a potentially dangerous activity for those around the rider since they are fast.  I hope BPD is ready for more traffic enforcement.  In fact, let's start now with the motorized scooters that are zipping all over town after school lets out.

Odd night in B'game

Maybe it's Jupiter and Mars running across the night sky together--or not -- but there was some odd stuff happening in B'game tonight.  First, I was picking up food on the Avenew at about 8:15 PM when a flash mob of kids on bikes rolled down the Avenew.  150 or 200 kids on bicycles popping wheelies and playing music headed towards El Camino in a pack.  Fun until it's not.  The restaurant owner I was patronizing had never seen that before.

Then we were sitting outside eating said take-out and for no apparent weather-related reason, SFO went into the rare "Reverse Operation" mode.  Commercial airliners, one after another, approached low, northbound right over El Camino, banged a hard-right at the Millbrae border and were landing on 1L and 1R.  I've seen it before when the winds get strange, but it was a pretty nice, calm evening in B'game.  Sept. 28th--make a note.

Not all graffiti is all bad

Most of the graffiti around town is ugly and indecipherable.  Here was an example from last month that was both before it was painted over.  While it's all illegal, every once in a while, a real artist drops a bit in a less objectionable location.  This example is on the side of the raised roadbed over by the entrance to Coyote Point as you turn towards the Humane Society.  You can only see it if you are headed out of the park and look down.  It gave me a laugh.

El Camino is "fixed"; who knew?

I enjoyed getting submissions from Voice readers--keep 'em coming please.  This one was particularly entertaining (at first) and then triggered the usual who-are-they-kidding response.

Who knew?  The "concern has been addressed" so no one will lose anymore teeth on ECR.  I guess that also means we do not need to cut down all the trees along the state highway and eventually replace them with 24" box trees.  Good to know.

The "Build our way to affordability" Fantasy

The City makes certain announcements on NextDoor and then responds to some of the comments people add.  I don't know who writes the responses or how they are vetted by other City staff or even if they are vetted.  It's probably time to find out though.  In response to the announcement about Stage 2 water restrictions that we noted here, the comments were very pointed.  People jabbed at overdevelopment leading to crazy traffic, water restrictions and a lack of respect for the people who "worked our nails to the bone" to afford to live here.  The official city response?

These are good points. Our city is in a state with cyclical droughts so once one drought cycle ends the next one is just around the corner. At the same time, California has a housing shortage and state laws require local governments to adequately plan to meet existing and projected housing needs. If housing development were to stop, not only would this be against state mandates, but it would make our city unaffordable in the long-term. We have heard from residents and businesses that they are concerned about their family members, co-workers, and neighbors who can no longer afford to live in the community. We also hear that local businesses, schools, and service providers are struggling to hire and retain people. Building more affordable housing is a solution to these challenges that may be affecting your neighbor down the street. Additionally, while our population has increased steadily our water consumption is lower now than it was ten years ago which shows that conservation and innovations in water efficiency works. For the data, see our 2020 Urban Water Management Plan available at www.burlingame.org/water.

That answer feels tone-deaf to me.  First, it's non-responsive to the water question and raised the additional issue of how much more water we can squeeze from the stone after what has already been done in the last ten years.  The Law of Diminishing Returns is in play and there are consequences to the flora and fauna in town.  Second, the state mandates that drive the building craze have not been vetted properly according to the state auditor or tested in court.  But most disturbing is this fantasy that we can outbuild the global demand for living in the Bay Area, on the mid-Peninsula and especially in Burlingame!  It's a dangerous fantasy and the disregard for the quality of life for those who are already here after "working their nails to the bone" is palpable.  Has the City heard from those residents and businesses as well?

Graffiti Rosetta Stone?

It's been a while since we had a notable (i.e. notably bad) graffiti sighting, but a burst has reappeared on the walkway next to the Walgreens on Burlingame Ave.  Is this a back-and-forth between opposing taggers?  Anyone got a Rosetta Stone on this?  Is it a tribute to Jackson Pollack?  I assume Walgreens itself has been keeping that wall clear and has been doing a great job of it recently.

 

Driver-less Taxis: What could go wrong?

We have to keep an eye on EssEff happenings since some can spill over into B'game.  It wouldn't surprise me if autonomous, robotic, driver-less taxis is one of them.  The Daily Post and Chronicle are reporting on the progress:

California regulators on Thursday issued a first-of-its-kind permit to robot-taxi company Cruise (a GM controlled company), which will make San Francisco the first major city in the country in which people can hail a paid ride from a driverless taxi, officials said.

The California Public Utilities Commission voted unanimously Thursday to grant Cruise its permit, more than six months after the San Francisco-based company first applied to be able to charge for rides in its autonomous vehicles, without a backup driver. The company has been offering free driverless rides since February and will begin rolling out paid rides in its 30 electric vehicles in the coming weeks, officials said.

That's the headline, but the caveats are far more interesting.  Since the taxis are apparently unable to move to the curb for pick-up and drop-off they are being restricted to less dense parts of the city.  They can only operate between 10pm and 6am and must stay under 30 mph and shut down for rain and fog.  A competitor, Waymo, has been offering service in the friendlier driving environs of Phoenix since October 2020, but driving in SF is a tougher task.

The Daily Post offered a reminder of two events last April when a Cruise taxi briefly blocked a fire truck responding to a call and when the SFPD stopped one of the taxis, it drove off before the officer finished ticketing it.  You can read the COO's statement about the new paid service here--and the link to hail one is at the bottom.  Be brave!  In the meantime, my old standby Luxor is still in business serving B'game and you get help with your bags.

More Signage: Pedestrians Beware....

Today's question of the day is multiple choice.  What is the greatest danger to pedestrians walking up California Dr.?

a)  Drivers speeding to beat the long light at Broadway?

b)  Drivers distracted by another new sign that they can't figure out?

c)  Walking head first into a traffic sign because their slalom skills are deficient?

d)  Pedestrians distracted by wondering how the City can afford so many signs?

City Revenue: Down but not out

We touched on the fiscal effects of reduced travel and thus reduced hotel tax ("TOT") four months ago with the expectation that things could be serious.  The Daily Journal is reporting on the figures presented to the council and notes

The city gathered more than $29 million from the tax in 2018-19, nearly 35% of the city’s revenue that year. But last year that figure plummeted to $5.7 million, and the city this year is on track to collect $10 million as some travel returns.

While TOT revenue is projected to rebound to between $22.7 million and $26 million by 2026-27, as the city grows, its other revenue streams are expected to similarly increase. Property tax and sales tax are projected to account for 39% and 24% of the city’s revenue this year, respectively, and the TOT less than 15%.

Despite the ongoing hit to the TOT, councilmembers emphasized the city’s ability to maintain service for most with “not a single blip” thanks to a conservative budget structure and nearly $45 million in the city’s general fund prior to the pandemic.

Those reserves are the key to keeping away "the blips".  How fast we dip into them for how long and for what purpose is perhaps the most important decision a city council can make.  Here is the tentative plan

A tentative budget proposal indicated the city could dip into its reserves by $2.5 million this year and again by $4.8 million, $5.3 million and $5.6 million (Ed:  that's $18.2M or 40% for those keeping track at home) over the following three years until a surplus is again achieved in 2025-26. But as (City manager Lisa) Goldman pointed out, the projections include considerable planned infrastructure spending that could be pulled back if needed.

Projects include the Broadway grade separation, El Camino Real repaving and other road upgrades and park improvements. Councilmember Donna Colson expressed her support for proceeding with the projects as planned and seeking other ways to reduce the deficit.

“I just don’t think you can save your way to success, I really believe that you have to invest in your community … and if you want the high-quality services, and you want the good roads and … everything to be state of the art, we have to figure out a way,” she said. “Whether it’s through the business licensing fees or really just working on economic development, I want to figure out a way to close that gap.”

The "business license fee" increases that are being bandied about are raising concerns among the Mom & Pop operations in town.   Numbers are flying around, some substantiated, some less so.  I think there is general agreement that a business like Meta/Facebook on the bayfront should be paying more than an ice cream shop.  The devil is in the details in between.  I recall a funny story relayed to me by a reliable source.  When Virgin America was looking to locate its headquarters in B'game, they met with the mayor (Mary Janney at the time) and the city manager.  Virgin asked for a reduced business license fee and the two B'gamers looked at each other with a look somewhere between amusement, confusion and embarrassment at being such a small town operation and replied "It's a $100 flat fee".  Virgin moved in......