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Geographies of San Francisco re-imagined

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On the night that San Francisco Giants fans took to the streets delirious over a World Series championship, a tamer crew of folk including cartographers and poets gathered to mark the release of “Infinite City: A San Francisco Atlas.” » Read more

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New Rules on Phone Competition Could Affect Prices for Poor

A proposal by state utilities regulators to deregulate basic phone service could open competition to companies using newer technologies, but critics say it could sharply increase costs for more than 2 million low-income Californians who rely on discounted landline service.
All landline rates could rise under the proposed rules, which would increase the companies’ leeway in new charges for services, whose prices are now fixed. » Read more

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Treasure Island building plans draw fire

Proposed redevelopment on Treasure Island would increase traffic jams on the Bay Bridge, lengthening commute times and exacerbating Bay Area air pollution, critics say.
Residents, environmental organizations and local agencies voiced those concerns this fall in almost 700 written comments on proposed new residential and commercial development that planners have said would make the island a world-class green neighborhood. » Read more

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Masonic Avenue study favors boulevard design, bike paths

A boulevard design that would eliminate parking and add bike lanes along a 10-block section of Masonic Avenue between Geary Boulevard and Fell Street was favored in a survey of area residents. 
The survey was conducted by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency at a Sept. 30 community meeting, the last of three community meetings about the planned redevelopment of the street. Two options were presented at the second meeting in August: A gateway option, which would consist of four lanes of traffic, bike lanes and parking on the east side of the street, with landscaped medians periodically on the way; and a boulevard option, which eliminates parking in favor of landscaped medians, two-way bike lanes and four lanes of traffic. 
The Masonic traffic calming project, also known as the Masonic Avenue Street Design Study, aims to improve the street and accommodate the needs of motorists, bicyclists, pedestrians and Muni and improve the appearance of the street, according to the Bike NOPA website. Fix Masonic, a nonprofit group, has endorsed the boulevard option, albeit with some changes, such as repainting crosswalks, painting the 25 mph speed limit on all traffic lanes at several locations, the installation of a red-light camera at the intersection of Fell and Masonic and seeking a double-fine zone along Masonic, according to the Bike NOPA website. The boulevard option would cost approximately $20 million and would take 12-18 months to complete, according to Streetsblog San Francisco.

Supervisors OK path for mayoral nomination

San Francisco is a ways away from having a new mayor, but the Board of Supervisors has agreed how that person should be chosen.
After hammering out details in Tuesday’s board meeting, the supervisors approved a process for nominating and appointing a successor to Mayor Gavin Newsom. Nominations could be accepted as soon as Dec. 7. Newsom becomes California’s lieutenant governor on Jan 3. Supervisor Chris Daly, the author of the proposal, said the nomination process and public comment period empowers residents.

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Decades after Sonoma ‘Running Fence,’ Christo still making art — and waves

Bureaucracy has once again issued a daunting challenge to the art of Christo, this time “Over the River,” his proposed temporary installation of shimmering fabric across the Arkansas River in Colorado. The battle, waged this summer, mirrors one that arose just across the Golden Gate Bridge in the early 1970s, when Christo and his French wife/collaborator, Jeanne-Claude, fought government and naysayers to create “Running Fence.”  » Read more

UCSF scientists report breakthrough in AIDS protection

Scientists at UCSF have reported what could be a major discovery in the fight against AIDS. Truvada, a pill used to treat HIV infections, has turned out to be a key to protecting healthy gay men from contracting the disease, according to a global study reported by CBS San Francisco. Daily doses of Truvada helped cut the risk of infection by 44 percent when used in a regimen with condoms, counseling and other prevention services. Men who dilligently took their pills found they were protected better, up to 73 percent. The study was conducted by Gladstone Institutes, a private foundation associated with the University of California, San Francisco, and was published in today’s edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Outspoken but outvoted: low turnout at the polls plagues activist hotbed of San Francisco

San Francisco voters overall do not have too much in common with defeated GOP gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman. However, they share one trait: Politically active as they may be, much of the time they cannot be bothered to vote.
The daily street protests forming the backdrop of the city’s life for generations belie a lack of engagement at the ballot box. » Read more