By Julie Johnson
The Department of Public Works secured $3 million in federal funding for a greening and street-scaping project along Divisadero Street between Haight Street and Geary Boulevard.
The department presented its proposal for how to use the funds at a community meeting held at Ida B. Wells High School on Thursday. Community input will drive the final plans for how to improve the corridor.
The proposed designs include sidewalk trees, expanded medians and sidewalks, special paving at crosswalks and new lighting options. They also include ways to help traffic flow, including a designated rush hour through-traffic lane.
“The proposals look great,” said Leela Gill, president of the North of Panhandle Neighborhood Association, in an email. “I am excited — wish they could start sooner than the Spring of ‘09.”
Previous proposals presented last spring focused on a few densely commercial blocks. Residents and neighborhood groups clamored for the plan to include the whole lower Divisadero strip.
Public Works Project Manager Kris Opbroek had said that the amount of funds received — which could be between $300,000 and $3 million — would determine how many blocks could be included in the improvement project.
The department received the maximum amount and an additional $400,000 from the city of San Francisco for the project.
Residents not able to attend the meeting can still view the latest proposals and fill out a survey on the department’s website.
Designers will design a final proposal considering the community’s input. This new plan will be presented at a community meeting in mid-December or early January, Opbroek said.
