FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 29, 2013 

Press Contact: Rachel Gordon, Department of Public Works, 415-554-6045

SAN FRANCISCO HITS 100-BLOCK MILESTONE IN STREETS BOND PROGRAM 

Smooth Ride for Voter-backed Road Repaving and Street Safety Bond

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Crews will be out Wednesday paving the 100th block of San Francisco roadway funded by the voter-approved $248 million Road Repaving and Street Safety Bond Program, the Department of Public Works announced today.

The milestone block will be paved on Jackson Street, between Baker and Lyon streets in Presidio Heights. The work will start at approximately 10 a.m. and is expected to be completed around noon.

Other blocks where repaving work is under way or set to start soon are located in the Richmond, North Beach and Bayview-Hunters Point.

Prior to passage of the three-year Streets Bond, San Francisco paved and resurfaced about 400 blocks a year; now, the annual number is closer to 800, thanks to voter support to improve the public right-of-way.

About 2,400, or 20 percent, of San Francisco’s roughly 12,000 blocks will be upgraded by the end of 2015. Approximately half of those will be funded with proceeds from the 2011 Streets Bond. Funding for the rest comes from a combination of other local and state funding sources.

“This is a massive amount of paving work – nearly 60 miles of improved streets in the first year of the Streets Bond,’’ said San Francisco Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru. “With dozens of paving projects in the pipeline, there is much to look forward to -- fewer potholes and better roads, making travel smoother and safer for pedestrians, bicyclists, Muni riders and drivers.”

Leah Shahum, executive director of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, a major supporter of the bond, is pleased with the progress. "As more people bicycle around our City, there are more of us feeling the benefits, literally, of smoother, safer streets connecting our neighborhoods. We encourage DPW to keep it up!" she said.

The Streets Bond is about a lot more than filling potholes. The bond also is funding sidewalk and bridge repairs, curb-ramp construction, streetscape improvements and traffic-signal upgrades to give priority to transit.

The first of 86 streetscape projects recently got under way along the Great Highway. The improvements are planned for neighborhoods throughout the City, including the Mission, the Western Addition and Polk Gulch.

More information on the Streets Bond, including a listing of streetscape projects and blocks in the paving and resurfacing program, can be found at sfdpw.org/streetsbond.

About DPW: DPW is responsible for the care and maintenance of San Francisco’s streets and much of its infrastructure. The department cleans and resurfaces streets; plants and maintains City street trees; designs, constructs and maintains City-owned facilities; inspects streets and sidewalks; constructs curb ramps; removes graffiti from public property; and partners with the diverse neighborhoods in San Francisco to provide stellar cleaning and greening services.

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