On Tuesday, April 19th, 2016 (tomorrow!) the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency(SFMTA) Board will consider approving the proposed Twin Peaks Figure 8 Redesign Pilot Project, a cross-departmental project of San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department (SFRPD) and the SFMTA. The meeting (which is of course open to the public) is at 1:00 p.m. in City Hall, Room 400.
This plan goes with extensive trail closures on Twin Peaks by SFRPD. We wrote about that last June. We’re republishing that (with minor updates) because it’s immediately relevant. If you oppose the trail closures, please attend the meeting and say so. You can also email or phone them a comment (today, before 5 p.m) at:
Office of the SFMTA Board of Directors
Phone: 415.701.4505
Fax: 415.701.4502
Email: MTABoard@SFMTA.com
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Here we go again – the shrinking of our parks by the Natural Areas Program (NAP). Instead of allowing visitors to experience wide natural lands, these plans want to restrict access to a very limited trail system. From these trails, you can look at the natural areas – but not touch or explore them.
It’s happened in McLaren Park recently. Now, San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department (SFRPD) is planning major changes on Twin Peaks. Extensive trail closures are planned for Twin Peaks. In the map below, the trails that will be gone are marked in red.
The project was positioned as one that would close half the Figure 8-shaped roadway to cars to make it safer for pedestrians and bicyclists by making it a Figure 3-shape. What they didn’t publicize was plans to close most of the trails allowing access to the peaks from various points. They will make the entire south side of Twin Peaks inaccessible.
Instead, there will be only one trail going straight through, a sort of pedestrian roadway. (The solid yellow line.)
HIDING THE TRAIL CLOSURES
On June 25th 2015, SF Recreation and Park held an Open House on the Twin Peaks Figure 8 Redesign. Project Objectives were presented, stated as:
“We will share proposals that address the following project objectives:
• Reallocate a portion of the existing roadway from vehicle use to pedestrian and bicycle use;
• Locate pedestrian crossings to link with trail sections; and
• Recommend realignment of the Bay Area Ridge Trail to cross over Twin Peaks Blvd.”
Notice that there was no discussion on Trail closures as part of these Project Objectives now, in 2015.
However, at a September 24 2013 meeting RPD made a presentation that showed extensive trail closures, along the east guardrail and closure of the two southern lobes. See the third page of the presentation here:
This trail closure plan was also part of a handout used at a small May 7, 2015 stakeholder meeting. We strongly suspect these closures remain part of the RPD plan, but they do not want to alert the public. The trail closures, along with the new “Stay on Designated Trails” signage, would effectively close off public access to the south side of Twin Peaks.
SF Forest Alliance feels that NAP is going above and beyond the Significant Natural Resource Areas Management Plan (SNRAMP) before the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is even released and approved. They are using the Draft EIR as a decision-making document to decide which alternative to approve. They are putting out the road lane closure as the focus of this and then sneaking in the trail/land closures as part of the deal.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Write to SFMTA immediately at:
Office of the SFMTA Board of Directors
Phone: 415.701.4505
Fax: 415.701.4502
Email: MTABoard@SFMTA.com
Also, please call your supervisor and let them know as well.
San Francisco Forest Alliance 
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