Palmeras plantadas a lo largo de la calle CĂ©sar ChĂĄvez como parte del proyecto de mejora al paisaje urbano. Palm trees are being added along Cesar Chavez Street as part of the street improvement project. Photo Olympia Zampathas
Palm trees are being added along Cesar Chavez Street as part of the street improvement project. Photo Olympia Zampathas

Phase II of the Cesar Chavez Streetscape Improvement Project between Hampshire and Guerrero streets continues as it has for over a year and a half now.

The focus of the second phase is the surface, where construction teams have been adding in widened and planted center medians, palm trees included, bike lanes, extensions to sidewalks, new lane configurations and stormwater planters and are planning to plant over 300 trees.

“We’re concentrating on January 2014,” said Alex Murillo, the city’s department of public works’ public relations contact for the project, when asked about a completion date.

“Neighbors have called me and said, ‘Wow, we’re almost there,’” said Murillo. “And it’s true. We are almost there. It’s right around the corner.”

Phase I, which focused on renovating the sewer system and underground aspect of the project, was completed in Sept. 2012.
Adjusting to the challenges of having construction near local businesses on the street was not easy for some.

“At first, it was difficult because of all the noise and because there was no parking for my customers,” Heriberto Jimenez, owner of the Tacos El Paisano truck on corner of Cesar Chavez and Valencia streets.

Other merchants in the area were not so keen about the project either. “It sucks,” Jimmy Lim, who works at Autozone on Cesar Chavez Street,“It’s pretty bothersome – let’s just leave it at that.”

Though most of the construction takes place during the daytime, the crews will be repaving the road from Harrison to Mission streets overnight on Nov. 6, 8, 9 and 11.

“As far as I can see they’re doing a great job,” Osmind Galato, who works as a gas station attendant at Flyers on Cesar Chavez Street and S. Van Ness Avenue.

About $8.1 million has been spent on the project so far, according to Murillo.

The project has been funded by a variety of sources. Phase I was funded by wastewater service charges and federal funds. Phase II of the improvement project was funded by federal transportation dollars from the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act, US EPA, the California Department Housing and Community Development and the Proposition 84 Urban Greening Grant.

“The roads are going to get smoother and the traffic flow’s going to be better by the time they finish,” Galato said. “And at the same time they’re planting palm trees. It’s going to be beautiful.”

Kit Hodge, San Francisco Bicycle Coalition’s Deputy Director, expressed how community members worked for years to build and win support to make this project a reality.

“We are thrilled to see the community’s vision for a safer, more neighborhood-oriented Cesar Chavez finally going in to the ground,” he said. “For years it has been a biking route that few felt safe to use; the new bike lanes are a huge, much welcome improvement that will help open up biking to many more people.”