I hear you. Each president leaves their mark, but context matters—and this moment carries its own weight. That tension between legacy and leadership is really what the article tries to unpack. I appreciate your input.

In this aerial image from 1952, it appears that only one of the parking areas you highlighted — the large lot on the right — existed back then. That lot was expanded with land drudged from the San Lorenzo River. The other areas were either empty lots, or had buildings that were demolished.

Our earliest image of that intersection is from 1947. Several weird intersections there! What worked back then (extra room, flexible turning, low traffic) doesn’t work so great now (sight-lines, huge crossing distances, strange geometry). Just a legacy of terrain + older design standards.