Noe Valley Voice July-August 1999
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Cesar Chavez Gets Organized

By Sally Smith

The block of Cesar Chavez Street between Guerrero and Dolores could be the most congested block in Noe Valley. You know the one-- where Cesar Chavez narrows from three lanes to one as it snakes up to the three-way stoplight at Dolores.

"You won't believe how busy it is. Our block has been ravaged by traffic to the point where you can't even yell across the street to your neighbor," says Ed White, who has lived there (and tended the exhaust-blown strip of grass and flowers on the corner) for 14 years.

Now White and about 20 of his neighbors have banded together to do something about it. The residents have formed the Cesar Chavez Neighborhood Association. The group meets the last Thursday of the month at First Church of God, located at 3728 Cesar Chavez (647-1330).

Pastor Mike Moberg and his wife, Ann, are also charter members.

"We started as a SAFE [Safety Awareness for Everyone] group about six months ago, but now we're working on parking and traffic issues, building community, and getting to know one another. We've got a real neighborhood going, so that's good," says Mike Moberg.

The group is also exploring whether to apply for residential parking permits. "We might do the two-hour parking sticker thing," says Moberg. He admits that parking zones are controversial, because some residents can't afford the fees. "But if we identified people with financial difficulties, we might create some sort of a fund for them," he points out.

Still, the biggest concern is traffic. "People really come speeding through here," says Moberg.

The next meeting will take place Thursday, July 29, at 7:30 p.m. Moberg and White say residents on Cesar Chavez from Dolores to Church (perhaps the second most congested block in the neighborhood), as well as on the surrounding blocks of Dolores, Guerrero, 26th, and 27th streets, are welcome to attend.

"We're just getting our feet wet," notes White. If you have questions about the group, give him a call at 774-3237.