KCBS Cover Story: SF Officials Making Traffic Congestion Plans For San Francisco Waterfront
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) – Transportation officials have been planning for waterfront development in San Francisco for years, well before the recent news of the Golden State Warriors purchasing land in the Mission Bay neighborhood, near AT&T Park.
So even with the arena a few years away, there is plenty of work being done to avoid potential traffic troubles on days when both the Warriors and Giants are playing home games.
KCBS Cover Story: SF Officials Making Traffic Congestion Plans For San Francisco Waterfront
Peter Albert, Manager of Urban Planning Initiatives with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, said a Waterfront Transportation Assessment is well underway, to take stock of conditions and deficiencies.
"As a matter of fact, we are looking at what we call the maximum case scenario, which is a basketball game and a Giants game," he said.
Due to the differing seasonal schedules of Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association, planners expect only a four game overlap at most.
City officials said they learned a lot from hosting the America's Cup, an event much larger than the Warriors and Giants occurring at the same time. Albert said a more likely scenario would be a baseball game and concert held at the arena.
"Remember, the parking garages empty out about the same time that these events are going on, so we have some opportunities there," said Albert.
P.J. Johnston with the Warriors project said an off-ramp extension is in the works for Highway 280 at Mariposa Street. "Most basketball games and virtually all concerts take place after peak hours of afternoon commute, so they won't overlap in that regard," he said.
Staci Slaughter with the Giants said she is thrilled with plans for the new Warriors arena. "It's going to be a great asset to this whole Mission Bay area," she said.
The Giants will work with the Warriors to make sure plans are in place for the busiest of days. "We want to make sure that if there are some overlapping events, that we would have enough parking control officers, transit operating, as well as parking available," said Slaughter.
Along with the two sports facilities, development along the waterfront will also include the Giants development at Mission Rock and a mixed-use development project at Pier 70.
The environmental review for the Warriors site is expected to go smoothly, as a large office proposal for the area has already received approval.
