Serious traffic backups at Coit Tower are causing concern among neighbors on Telegraph Hill. The construction project that's eaten up 14 parking spaces and led to many of the problems is close to packing up and heading out, which should alleviate some headaches, but some worry it might not take care of long-term woes.

Local resident Ken Maley said many hill dwellers are worried about a list of things:

• The 39-Coit bus got stuck last weekend in the parking lot circle because cars were blocking its route
• If the bus can't get through, neighbors wonder if an emergency vehicle could make it to the scene if needed
• Drivers waiting for parking spots can exhibit road rage
• Locals who live along Telegraph Hill Boulevard are getting caught in the jams and having trouble finding parking, because some use the Coit Tower lot

The bulk of the issues stem from the Telegraph Hill Rock Slope Improvement Project, which is shoring up the hill from impending rock slides (the latest was in 2012). Work started in late 2014 and was scheduled to end in May, but now the finish line is June 15th, said Greg Crump, spokesman for SF Public Works. “It’s a very important project," he said. "We certainly want to get it done right. We really thank the community for being patient and bearing with us.”

Workers observe a rock slide on Telegraph Hill in 2012. (Photo: SF Public Works)

But patience is wearing thin. Maley said he's heard that 30 complaints have been lodged in the past couple of weeks. "People tend to pull into the circle and wait for a parked car to pull out so they can get a spot," Maley said. "This causes a backup of traffic all the way down Telegraph Hill Boulevard." He'd like to see a traffic control officer placed at the stop sign before the Coit Tower parking lot to help direct the flow.

And, he added, neighbors question why the 14 parking spots are blocked off for construction crews when it appears they're no longer needed. Maley said people park next to the fencing, where it's not allowed, and they park for more than the designated 30 minutes.

Crump said the area is indeed still being used to store equipment and construction vehicles that are used every day. "I know the perception is we’re using it for parking," he said, "but it’s mostly filled up with equipment." He added, "There’s no employee parking up there. The contractor uses a van to shuttle the construction workers up and down the hill."

Photo: Geri Koeppel/Hoodline

Also, Crump said, "A week and a half ago, we worked with the contractor to cut the staging area in half and added another lane so the buses could get through and hopefully the traffic could get up and around that turnaround." But visitors started parking in the lanes, so as of Tuesday, they added more "no parking zone" signs warning drivers that vehicles will be towed to make sure the lane stays open. "What we really want to do is get this project done and get out of there before the summer season," Crump said.

And they're in the final stretch: Workers have to drill only 10 more holes and then "it’ll be a matter of putting up wire mesh, installing shotcrete to the wall, clean-up and demobilization," Crump said. The complexities of drilling over 350 30-foot holes in the side of the hill, he explained, caused the four-week delay because workers encountered some issues with the materials they were drilling into.

Though the project is wrapping up, Maley said even at full capacity, the parking lot at Coit Tower causes concerns and needs traffic control and parking enforcement.

"The lot has always been, particularly during the summer, a contentious site because of the conflict between visitors and residents who use Telegraph Hill Boulevard, which many people don’t realize is a public street," he said. “There should be a responsibility and recognition of (the Department of Parking and Traffic) that this is a public street and it deserves to have that kind of traffic control, especially when we have such a record there of congestion, especially during the summer months.”

Update, 1:45pm: After a request from SF Public Works and the Recreation and Park Department, SFMTA’s parking control officers will be patrolling and stepping up enforcement in the area and at Coit Tower this weekend. They'll issue citations, tow if needed, and direct traffic to help with the flow and congestion.