EDITOR’S NOTE: The mapping project was postponed from an earlier date.
This weekend, San Francisco Public Works and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency will be performing a truck-mounted Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) survey of Market Street. This visual mapping survey is the first step to doing detailed design work for the Better Market Street project. We will gather accurate information on the exact locations of features and utilities on Market Street – curbs, BART portals, light poles, building facades, trees, fire hydrants, sidewalk and street elevations and more — that will enable us to move from conceptual to detailed designs and then on to construction.
The LiDAR survey will take place in the early morning hours of Saturday, January 2, 2016. To ensure an accurate and complete survey, please help us spread this important information about traffic restrictions and the Better Market Street LiDAR survey:
- The survey will take place between 2:00 a.m. – 6:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 2, 2016.
- Stopping or parking on Market Street and the adjacent side streets is prohibited between 1:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. to ensure the street is clear for the survey. Tow-Away signs have been posted.
- The survey truck will run along Market Street between Octavia Boulevard and Steuart Street four times in order to get an accurate representation of all the features.
- The truck also will measure the street features along all the side streets in the project area.
- There are Temporary Tow-Away signs posted along Market Street and in zones along all the cross streets in the vicinity so that vehicles don’t block the “view” of the curb. PLEASE OBEY THE TEMPORARY TOW-AWAY SIGNS.
- The LiDAR truck will be escorted by a police motorcade as it cannot stop along Market Street for any reason, since that will distort the data collection.
- The center lanes of Market Street will remain open to all vehicle traffic including commercial and private vehicles, transit and taxis. The curb lanes will be closed due to the survey motorcade.
- The LiDAR truck will run against the flow of traffic in two of its four runs, so PLEASE STAY ALERT AND DRIVE SLOWLY.
- The SFMTA signal shop will place all 26 traffic signals on Market Street onto flashing red for everyone’s safety and the safety of the LiDAR truck and police motorcade.
- Bicycle riders are encouraged to take alternate routes.
The LiDAR survey method is a quick, efficient, non-invasive surveying technique that is used around the world. The LiDAR method was chosen to get accurate information while minimizing travel impacts on one of the City’s busiest corridors.
Stay tuned for more information on the status of the Better Market Street project and next steps on our project page here.
