[ti:San Francisco Debates Reopening Streets Closed During Pandemic] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]San Francisco closed some major roads to cars [00:05.64]during the coronavirus pandemic to provide more space [00:11.16]for people to safely exercise and socialize. [00:17.00]Now, a debate has begun over whether [00:21.24]to permanently keep vehicles off some of those roads. [00:27.60]Some citizens are pushing to keep cars off [00:32.52]some of the city's much-used streets, [00:36.44]like the main road into Golden Gate Park. [00:41.64]Others support reopening the roads to traffic, [00:46.24]saying the step is a necessary part of returning to normal life. [00:53.84]San Francisco closed more than 72 kilometers of neighborhood streets. [01:02.12]The closures began in April 2020 [01:06.20]after mayor London Breed declared a state of emergency. [01:12.40]City officials are now trying to decide [01:16.40]which roads might remain closed permanently. [01:21.56]Debate over the issue has been marked by demonstrations [01:26.76]on both sides that have centered on safety and environmental concerns. [01:34.84]Shamann Walton is president of San Francisco's Board of Supervisors. [01:42.40]He has argued against the continued closure [01:46.68]of John F. Kennedy (JFK) Drive in Golden Gate Park, a major road. [01:53.96]He said closing the street and its free parking spaces [01:58.88]will affect low-income families who cannot easily bike [02:04.08]or take public transportation to the park. [02:08.92]San Francisco's Vanessa Gregson loves the fact that JFK Drive, [02:15.84]a four-lane road that runs along the beach, is automobile free. [02:22.72]She now rides her bicycle through the area and enjoys the quiet. [02:29.40]"You hear the beach. You hear the waves," [02:33.48]Gregson told The Associated Press. [02:37.60]"You feel like you're in nature, and you're in San Francisco." [02:43.84]But Tim Boyle, who lives near the road, [02:47.68]says life has been anything but peaceful [02:51.68]since the street was closed to cars. [02:56.08]This is because trucks, motorcycles and other vehicles [03:01.36]now move through his neighborhood because of the closures. [03:07.12]He said his street used to be very peaceful. [03:11.28]Now he finds traffic near his home is very heavy. [03:17.20]About 2.4 kilometers of JFK Drive remain closed to vehicles. [03:26.24]The road through Golden Gate Park is normally used [03:30.60]by more than 24 million visitors a year. [03:36.08]Another closed street, the city's Great Highway, [03:40.68]usually carries more than 18,000 vehicles a day. [03:46.84]San Francisco's streets are set to reopen 120 days [03:53.12]after the mayor lifts an emergency declaration, [03:57.60]which could come next month. [04:01.32]A city spokeswoman said the Board of Supervisors [04:05.76]will make the final decision about JFK Drive and the Great Highway. [04:13.04]They could decide to fully or partly reopen the roads [04:18.00]or keep them permanently closed to vehicles. [04:23.32]Seattle and New York are other U.S. cities [04:27.48]looking to permanently ban cars [04:30.64]from streets temporarily closed during the pandemic. [04:36.32]In Europe, Paris officials announced [04:39.76]plans to ban most traffic in the city's center, [04:44.72]with exceptions for public transportation, [04:48.60]delivery trucks and residents' vehicles. [04:53.88]Connie Chan is the supervisor for an area [04:58.08]affected by the closures along the beach and in Golden Gate Park. [05:05.24]She told the AP she thinks most people are [05:09.80]probably in the middle on the issue, [05:12.76]wanting both open space and clear transportation paths. [05:19.84]"They just want to be able to go where they need to go, [05:24.12]and not be stuck in traffic," Chan said. [05:29.40]I'm Bryan Lynn. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM