Will Slow Streets expand?

Photo: SFMTA

Across San Francisco, people are having all-out fun on Slow Streets. From sidewalk concerts to local art, Slow Streets bring joy to our lives and give us space to take things slow. So what’s next for this overwhelmingly successful program?

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While there are nearly 30 corridors throughout the city, many neighborhoods are still awaiting their first Slow Street. Over the past couple months, planners at the SF Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) have engaged communities through targeted outreach to expand the program. They’ve attended community meetings, held virtual office hours, posted flyers, and conducted surveys. Residents in neighborhoods like the Western Addition, the Bayview, and the Outer Mission were overwhelmingly supportive, with over 80% of respondents in support.

Since the start, we’ve pushed for Slow Streets in South of Market (SoMa), one of our our city’s densest neighborhoods. In October, we convened a group of SoMa-based community organizations to meet with SFMTA’s planners in order to advocate for more open space for families, seniors, and children. We know that Slow Streets can provide that space safely, especially in a neighborhood that has the least park space in the entire city. Given this advocacy, it was no surprise that 96% of survey takers support Slow Streets in SoMa.

We expect that the SFMTA Board will look to approve this next phase of Slow Streets in March, and local residents supporting Slow Streets in their own neighborhoods will make a difference in expanding this program. Beyond expansion, we also want to see Slow Streets become a permanent program, and we’re excited that the SFMTA has committed to exploring permanent options for Sanchez, Page, and Shotwell streets.

Ensuring that Slow Streets can both expand and become permanent takes people power. If you’ve enjoyed Slow Streets throughout the pandemic, join us in advocating for more. Sign up for campaign updates to get involved.