The Daily Catch: Bay Area headlines

• BART invites riders to pull up a seat
  By Victoria Schlesinger 

  04/25/2011

  As BART plots out a $3.4 billion plan to overhaul its trains, it is inviting riders to test drive an array of options at their seating lab. After years of criticism about the public transit’s unhygienic fabric and foam seats, officials are asking the public to vote on the best replacement, keeping in mind issues such as maximum seating capacity, room for bikes, and easy of boarding and exiting. [Read more - SF Examiner]

• New York Times’ critical SF bike plan story causing controversy
  By Victoria Schlesinger 

  04/25/2011

  Last week’s New York Times story by Scott James criticizing implementation of San Francisco’s bike plan has fomented a predictably angry response from the environmental community. A former SF Streets Blog reporter writes a rebuttal in defense of bike and pedestrian safety to the New York Times and then cancels his subscription to the online paper.  [Read more - SF Streets Blog]

• PG&E renewing Diable Canyon nuclear power plant license
  By Victoria Schlesinger 

  04/25/2011

  As if PG&E hadn’t tarnished its reputation enough, now the utility appears to be sneakily requesting to renew its operating license for the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant in southern California, while publicly stating they want to postpone the process so the plant can be reviewed for earthquake safety. [Read more - The Bay Citizen]

• Eating low on the local Bay Area seafood chain
  By Victoria Schlesinger 

  04/25/2011

  A great SF Weekly feature profiles a local fisherman, Kirk Lombard, while exploring how applying a locavor ethic to seafood could save a dying industry and the Bay. [Read more - SF Weekly]

• Solar panels increase home value report says
  By Victoria Schlesinger 

  04/22/2011

  California homes with a PV solar system sell for more than those without one, finds a new report by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Proponents of solar hope the new finding will encourage more homeowners to go solar. See the full report on Climate Watch. [Read more - KQED Climate Watch]

• New app will help San Francisco drivers find parking
  By Victoria Schlesinger 

  04/22/2011

  As part of SFpark – San Francisco’s ambitious attempt to reduce city traffic through real-time parking data – a new application is available for smartphones that will help drivers find available parking spots. To address the obvious conflict around drivers using cell phones, which is illegal in California, the app launches a warning if the vehicle is moving faster than 10 miles per hour. [Read more - The Bay Citizen]

• Annie Lennox, Janice Joplin, Grace Slick and Tina Turner to produce buffalo mozzarella
  By Victoria Schlesinger 

  04/22/2011

  A herd of water buffalo living on a Tomalas Bay ranch in West Marin will help bring locally produced buffalo mozzarella cheese to farmers markets next winter if Silicon Valley-based software consultant Craig Ramini has his way. Each of the large, shaggy-headed bovines is named after a class rock star. [Read more - Point Reyes Light]

• PG&E’s CEO “retires”
  By Victoria Schlesinger 

  04/22/2011

  The CEO of PG&E, Peter Darby, announced his retirement in the wake of a terrible year for the utility. Darby was at the helm during the San Bruno gas pipeline explosion, a disastrous public relations campaign while rolling out the company’s SmartMeter program, and spending tens of millions of dollars in an unsuccessful fight to preserve the company’s monopoly. Darby will depart with  $35 million retirement package.  [Read more - SF Examiner]

• SF Planning Commission to vote on Treasure Island redevelopment plans
  By Victoria Schlesinger 

  04/22/2011

  The San Francisco Planning Commission is on the cusp of determining the fate of the Treasure Island redevelopment plans, which propose turning the man-made island into a community of 20,000. For an astute criticism of the plan, check out Larry Bush’s blog post on the topic. An award-winning package of stories about the project were published by the San Francisco Public Press last summer. [Read more - CitiReport,  San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Public Press]

• Big Wave development in Moss Beach challenged
  By Victoria Schlesinger 

  04/20/2011

  The Big Wave housing and office development project in Moss Beach, one of the largest Coastside developments ever proposed, has been appealed by a coalition of environmental groups  to the California Coastal Commission. The groups argue the project is inappropriately placed. [Read more - San Jose Mercury News]

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