Hear the history about the Freeway coming down in Hayes Valley, San Francisco. An interview with Patricia Walkup, the Hayes Valley Activist that shepherded the Octavia Project.
Interview date: December 22, 2005
Interviewer: Jason Henderson
- Beginning History
- Hayes Merchants
- First Involvement 2nd Task Force
- Move from Noe Valley
- Crime
- Judy Edmond; Cecilia Shepherd; Laguna-Waller Safe Group
- Freeway down
- Thinking beyond Transportaion; Better Neighborhoods
- Alternatives; Sup. Hallinan; Carol Migdon; no Sup Sponsor
- Frank Jordan; Stuart Sunshine; Wilbur Smith consultant
- Jim Houillian’s plan
- Supervisors & Caltrans lost interest; Sue Bierman involved
- Bierman hearing at firehouse ’95-96; Eph. Hirsch
- Hearing continues; Houillian plan recommended; Mabel Tang; Stuart Sunshine
- Environmental Analysis; FEMA money
- Patricia’s role; meetings at First Baptist Church; Richard Johnson and fliers
- Press and TV
- Coalition
- Initiative went to first ballot; Task Force; Citizens Advisory Group; Tom from Zen Center; Lynne Creighton
- Peter Albert mediated; List of what we agreed on “took us over the top”
- Strategic Analysis Report ’97; Plumber’s Union; Eminent domain
- Houillian plan wouldn’t fly; Willie Brown; Peter Albert rendering of Blvd.
- Had no clue how to run City-wide campaign
- Not discouraged at all; Tom Ammiano’s aide; Jane Morrison; Jim at SPUR
- Alternatives; Caltrans; League of Conservation Voters; Sierra Club; Chamber of Commerce
- Allies; Campaign consultant David Binder; Jim Rivaldo artwork
- Other allies; Bike Coalition; Tom Radulovich
- Proposition on ballot; Brad Benson
- We lost; Called meeting of supporters; Robin Levitt
- Sue Bierman; Peter Albert
- I made decision to do it; Hired attorney with my own money
- Linton Stables; Tom Radulovich; Lynne Creighton persuaded Eph. Hirsch to “put his name on petition”
- More about sponsors; Had petition printed in Berkeley; Robin Levitt organized signature campaign
- Some people hostile; Danger of duplicate signatures
- Ballot committee; Writing of ballot ;Art Agnos signed on in ’97
- Back off from the Board for a while
- No money; House tours
- Money for fliers; Newspaper ads; Jim Rivaldo
- About coalition
- Early 90s house owners didn’t live in neighborhood; Most houses were rentals
- Realtors very interested in campaign, but didn’t give money
- Opponents: Real Estate people; Julie Lee and Rose Tsai; Rose Pak, Joe O’Donahue; Frank Jordan
- Motives of Julie Lee and Rose Tsai
- Julie Lee didn’t care about freeway; Critical Mass for Cars; Leland Yee
- Jim O’Donahue had falling out with Neighbor’s Association ’97; Willie Brown didn’t support 2nd Ballot
- Haight Street Merchants, Polk Street Merchants, Newspapers; Reporters slanted
- Traffic on Octavia; Robert Levin; Peter Cohen
- 2nd Ballot: Pushed for ramp touch-down on Market St.
- Fliers translated into Cantonese; Lynn Vallini
- Demolition “music to my ears”; Bottom deck down in 2003
- Patricia not satisfied; Problems will be resolved over time
- After Ballot passed; Needed regional transportation plan
- Regional transportation plan for whole Bay Area
- Visions; bus rapid transit
- José Luis Moscovich; Aaron Peskin running for Mayor?
- Transportation; Gavin Newsom; Leland
- We sued Leland, Rose Tsai, Julie Lee, Republican Party; Judges wouldn’t hear cases
- Tenderloin School; Asian population 50% of City
- Challenged Environmental Review; Went to court
- What isn’t put in the Media; SF Chronicle article
- The 280 Freeway needs to come down
- End of interview