Broadway Tunnel

What’s there to say about a tunnel besides the fact that you’re trying to get to the other side?
However, what I do notice about THIS particular tunnel is that everyone seems to get all speed racer topping at 65mph while traveling through.
My goodness… as soon as cars hit the entrance of the tunnel, it’s as if the race is on. Minivans, cargo vans, moving trucks… you name it!
Straight wreckless.
Now, I’ve observed this several times.
My theory is either:
1. That there are no radars that can penetrate these walls by police officers.
2. That everyone is holding their breath for that «secret wish» that will come true if they can make it to the end of the tunnel, hence speeding for dear life.
OR
3. That on one side of the tunnel, there’s a whole bunch of delicious dimsum waiting to be devoured, and on the other end, there’s Nicks Cripsy Tacos. Um like, I’d speed either direction to get good grub too.
So there you have it.
Make do with it what you will.
In the meantime, drive safe!

I cannot believe that I’m writing another review for a tunnel, but here it is. This is a nasty and dirty tunnel and I can’t believe that I often see people walking it. Do they even make it through after inhaling all that exhaust?

What’s with all the tunnels connecting out of China Town? Base of Broadway and Columbus you head west and you’re in the base of Polk gulch. A decently long tunnel that allows you to avoid having to go up and down the hills. Maybe one of the under utilized pass throughs going east west.

Broadway Tunnel is efficient for leaving chitown for the golden gate bridge.
as for the rest of s.f. forgetaboutit, too much traffic on van ness.
entering chitown thru the b. tunnel is very fast too.
other routes has too much traffic stop signs.
these are the only reasons i like the broadway tunnel
before i used to find parking easily on the edges of the tunnel, no more.
of course i seldom use the tunnel during commute hours.
evenings are no fun either. need to watch for bikes…

The Broadway Tunnel (officially the Robert C. Levy Tunnel) opened in 1952, and serves as a high-​capacity conduit for traffic between Chinatown/​North Beach to the east and Russian Hill. There is a narrow sidewalk on each side of the Tunnel, but if I were you, I’d take the extra time and hoof it over the hill. I’ve biked through as well and wouldn’t recommend it. However, I have driven through for years and starting pre-​Earthquake when the Embarcadero Freeway was intact. It got me home for many years and that was A-​OK by me.

Walk your F – KING bike!!! Are you kidding me? How is that even legal? So damn rude. Altho the city coulda helped a bit? Maybe a sign, a bike lane???
My Rat/​Jack Russell Terrier is fearless. She lounges on the yellow safety strip on the Bart platform not even acknowledging arrival by glance and would be ever so calm if a it blew a car or three. And man she would give this tunnel, and any other an easy 5 star rating. Just so she can hear herself bark.
But I HATE it.
Bikes should not be allowed to ride!!!

luvsit. gotta attach gopro helmet-​cam next time i ride thru n explore town! portal from one completely different scene of sf to another.

Paul Curtis, (auch genannt Moose) ist der Großvater des Reverse Graffiti. Er hat die Straßen des Vereinigten Königreichs weit über zehn Jahre bearbeitet.
Mit Spülmittel und einer Drahtbürste, setzt er mit Werbekunden auf innovative saubere Nachrichten und Slogans, die sich unvermeidlich in Kunstwerke verwandeln. Im einfachsten Fall wird mit den Fingern in den Staub verdreckter Scheiben etc. gezeichnet.
Das Bild in der Regel mittels einer Schablone und einem Hochdruckreiniger erstellt.
Eine seiner neueren Arbeit, Reverse Graffiti-​Projekt, wurde am Broadway in San Francisco Tunnel in Verbindung mit Green Works, ein auf pflanzlicher Basis hergestelltes Reinigungsmittel erstellt.
Video link:
Der Effekt hält, je nach Verschmutzungsgrad und erneuter Anlagerung von Kohlenstoffpartikeln, zwischen sechs Wochen und sechs Monaten an.

Someone made a Youtube video about this tunnel:
Despite training for Bay to Breakers and despite walking tons of hills for a previous gig, I had no desire whatsoever in walking up this part of Broadway just to get to work on the other side. Plus, my achilles tendon was already tender from sudden and increased mileage on my runs. So, the Broadway Tunnel it was.
I don’t know San Francisco at all. But thanks to my temp gigs and my hatred of MUNI, I have been getting to know SF more than usual. Up until now, I only knew Broadway’s «hill» as I go up from the Embarcadero. I did not know what I was getting into when I accepted a recent gig to get to this section of Broadway. As soon as I saw that imposing hill and saw the tunnel next to it, I knew which option I was taking. I actually didn’t know if the tunnel was walkable until I saw the crosswalk that said «school» leading to it. I don’t know what parents would allow their kids into this tunnel, unless the crosswalk was just to lead kids to the other side of the street.
The tunnel felt longer than I expected it to be. I didn’t know what to expect. I’m not sure if friends had ever driven me through before. I was essentially walking 6 flat but windy blocks (instead of 6 very steep blocks). I admit I feared for my safety. There was no one around. And despite the morning, there weren’t very many cars. And none of the emergency boxes looked like they were in any working order.
On the other hand, there were plenty of lighting throughout the entire time I was walking. It looked clean — there were not much litter strewn about. But the confined area for the fumes of cars was enough to get me to walk fast to get out of there as soon as possible.
Perhaps if I have to work in this area again, I might just tackle Russian Hill, after all.

Highly *not* recommended — my first Friday Night Skate went through here — ON THE SIDEWALK! I went down and tore my ACL because of the broken pavement, litter and lighting. Driving through here is not fun either — people always behave stupidly in this tunnel. Boo!

Broadway Tunnel… gritty and a little apocalyptic.
More video of Bway Tunnel

i didnt know you could do a review about this!!! lol. i love the broadway tunnel… connecting broadway bars to the polk bars!!! yay tunnels!!!

One horrible New Year’s Eve/​Day (early morning) we tried for an hour to get a cab from a bar/​lounge on Broadway. Eventually, we gave up and decided to walk back to our hotel. We had no idea that you could walk over the top of the tunnel, so we walked on the pedestrian catwalk through the tunnel. There were NO lights, except for occasional headlights from the honking, cat-​calling jerks speeding past us. Cold. Dark. Unsafe. It was easily my scariest San Francisco experience ever. They need to install some lights down there or put up a sign directing pedestrian traffic over the top.

Moose made it amazing. The scale tips hard:

Something about this tunnel just makes me want to drive fast. im not sure what it is but maybe its the structural design that makes the sound of my car sound more like a racecar kakakaka
Either way, the only thing i dont like is the fact that there are pot holes on the chinatown side of the tunnel heading towards Van Ness…~~

Tunnel of Loving it, Reving my engine or down shifting on my Motorcycle I can make the whole thing sound like the world is coming to an end. 3 am Saturday night, Pulled my first whellie in the west bound tube for about 20 yards, 3 minutes later had to pull over and change my shorts.

This tunnel is so freaking nasty, you basically walk out of there with lung cancer.
It’s like HAHA! YOU TOO LAZY TO WALK THE HILLS, THEN TAKE THAT! OH AND HERE IS SOME ASTHMA TOO WHILE YOU’RE HERE !!
Hey but good news, the tunnel is being cleaned as you read this!
Starting tonight, Sunday April 27 2008, until Thursday May 9, the tunnel will be closed from 10pm to 6am for cleaning.
That’s right, it’ll take 12 nights X 8 hours = 96 hours to clean this dust-​filled mess.
96 FUCKING HOURS!
Holy crap, I think I need my inhaler just writing this!

I heart the broadway tunnel… honk honk

Who walks through here? The carbon poisoning must be tragic?
Who honks through here? The sound must be disparagingly annoying to the neighbours.
Who drags their fingers on the side wall to make the streaking of blackened pollution on the yellow tiles?
‘Cause that is frickin’ nasty.
I like to use this tunnel to my advantage to get from one part of the city… to the other.

Do you want to feel like you’re a character in a J.G. Ballard novel? Need a spiritual revelation? An out of body experience? Or just close contact with your imminent death?
For FREE, you can ride your bike in the less than bike lane width catwalk going thru the Broadway tunnel. Let apocalyptic visions wash over you as you peddle on thru, and have a come to Jesus prayer session upon your exit.

Why is it that cab drivers feel the need to accelerate while going through here? I recently had a Lady Di moment going through here and I am not popular enough, yet, to warrant a chase.
I have also used this route when walking home to avoid the steep hill and not only was my lung capacity diminished from all the soot and exhaust fumes, I was smashed into the filthy tunnel wall as a cyclist passed me.
I struggle, what to rate the place that saves me time but has threatened and or shortened my longevity. 4 stars for good urban planning, 2 stars for scary cab rides and black lungs. 3 it is.