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Planning Commission hears public comment on Bicycle Plan DEIR; staff recommends no extension to comment period
Summary
The commission heard public testimony on the San Francisco Bicycle Plan DEIR and staff recommended the existing public comment window was adequate; advocates urged no extension while at least one commissioner said holiday timing warrants more time. Written comments were accepted through Jan. 13, 2009.
The Planning Commission opened a public hearing on the draft environmental impact report (DEIR) for the San Francisco Bicycle Plan (Case 2007.0347E) on Jan. 8 and heard oral comment from coalition groups and residents about the adequacy of the DEIR and whether the public comment period should be extended.
Bill Weico, planning staff, explained the DEIR hearing format: comments would be transcribed, responded to in writing, and incorporated into the comments-and-responses document; the staff recommended the 45‑day (47‑day, per staff timeline) public comment period was adequate. He noted multiple agencies and the MTA had been involved in plan development and that further actions on specific bicycle projects would involve other bodies, including the MTA.
Leah Shahum, executive director of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, spoke for a coalition of bike and conservation organizations and urged the commission not to extend the comment period, saying advocates had already waited more than two years for improvements and wanted the plan to advance.
Commissioners debated the schedule: several commissioners (Miguel, Antonini, Lee and others) said stakeholders had been engaged for a long time and opposed extending the deadline; Commissioner Seguaya argued the holidays and late‑December publication meant many stakeholders had less opportunity to review the DEIR and supported an extension. Staff reiterated the document had been available online and through prior briefings and that extending was at the commission’s discretion.
The chair closed the DEIR public hearing and restated that written comments on the DEIR would be accepted by the Planning Department through close of business on Jan. 13, 2009 for the record. Comments received during the comment period will be addressed in a comments-and-responses document prepared by staff.
