About Time

Aug 28, 2024

A new public toilet in San Francisco made news with its first flush. The story wasn’t about plumbing. It was about adventures in bureaucracy.

Thanks to a bird’s nest of bids, permits, reviews and inspections, the toilet required two years and a budget of $1.7 million.

Authorities later said the price was closer to $200,000. But the point was made. Cities fumble simple, basic projects.
Sacramento has a simple, basic project that makes San Francisco look speedy—a bike path 108 years in the making.

No Substitutions

Jul 28, 2024

They’re making it worse for themselves. I’m talking about a handful of residents near the Sacramento River who want to delay the levee parkway and bike trail.

For their latest misfire in community relations, the no-trail group has quietly begun to promote the city’s new Del Rio Trail as a suitable alternative to the levee bike path.