HARVEY MILK PLAZA / CASTRO STREET “MINI CHARRETTE”

ATTENDING

David Alumbaugh Kirk Bell Joe Curtin Steve Hall Richard Magary Alan Martinez

Demian Quesnel Tom Radulovich Marc Rousseau Heidi Sokolowsky Gary Weiss

VISION

ELEMENTS

Castro Street:

• Wider sidewalks – possible to add up to three feet on each side
• Narrow Castro lanes north of Market (to slow traffic entering intersection)
• More bike parking on street – at multiple locations
• Use space at Castro Theater parking lot for community uses and affordable housing
• Change parallel street parking to angled parking (back-in angled to improve bike visibility) – increase parking possibly
• Curb bulb-out at selected locations for other uses –café tables, bike racks, groups of trees, bus shelter or just seating.
• Extend curb for Castro Theater to protect marquee and provide queuing space
• Coordinate street furniture-lighting, news racks, waste, seating etc.

Harvey Milk Plaza - Market/Castro/17^th Street Intersection

1. Harvey Milk Memorial:
   • Sokolowsky design including “memory box" east of Castro – linear element in Market Street median; and “activity box” a vertical structure marking the termination of Market Street axis, to include graphic media. (Technology, content and formats to be determined)
   • Consider locating activity box on side of street rather than center median
   • Educational and historical markers, exhibits.


2. Visual Identity/Image
   • Define Plaza Boundary (Market/Castro)
   • Visually arresting elements that close and define space
   • Create entry into Plaza for cars from west
   • Coherent design that accommodates growth and change.
   • New buildings (including at east edge of Chevron site), trees and vertical elements to define boundaries of plaza.
   • Re-grade Market Street west of Castro to Collingwood so that area is more level with other parts of plaza.
   • Introduce public art, esp. sculpture


3. Public Plaza/Open Space/Landscaping
   • Acquire Chevron station to reserve it for future use/development
   • Close 17^th Street east of Castro to autos, convert to pedestrian space and improved F-line stop
   • Extend sidewalk at ex-Arco station to Market Street, reroute 17^th Street west of Castro (alternative – close access to west 17^th Street entirely from Market, reroute all traffic to Diamond St.)
   • Close subway portals west of Collingwood, replace with wider sidewalks and planted areas that form entry sequence into center of Castro from Market Street, with “signature trees”.
     Alternate: reroute traffic lanes around a large center island, or combination of two strategies.


4. Pedestrian Improvements:
   • Add curb bulbs at crosswalks to reduce crossing length
   • Add distinct pavement at intersection to indicate to drivers that pedestrians are priority
   • Add pedestrian refuge (waiting islands at center of streets
   • Determine route of bike lanes through intersection
   • Add better directional and informational signage


5. Transit Improvements:
   • Focus transit services at existing south side station entry, including bus stops, bike facilities, information, and elevator. Add stairs from Collingwood
   • Integrate F-Line with Plaza (at ex-Chevron)
   • Construct a pocket track in the Metro tunnel to replace portal tracks i.e. a third track to allow trains to turn back toward downtown beyond station.
   • Coordinate trolley wires with design.