UPDATE: Better Market Street Project - Car-Free Market Street starts Today, January 29, 2020

UPDATE - January 29, 2020

Please note that car-free Market Street begins today. Here is an update from the SFMTA:

Beginning Wednesday, January 29th:

• Making Market Street car-free eastbound from 10th to Main, and westbound from Steuart to Van Ness. Vehicles will still be allowed to cross Market street at intersections.
• Similar car-free restrictions on Second Street (between Stevenson and Market) and Steuart Street (northbound between Mission and Market; southbound travel unchanged) to facilitate making Market Street car-free.
• Peak hour loading restrictions on Market Street to reduce conflicts between people on bicycles, transit and commercial vehicles 
• No southside loading in the eastbound direction (towards the Ferry Building) on weekdays between 6:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. 
• No northside loading in the westbound direction (towards Twin Peaks) on weekdays between 3:00 pm and 7:30 pm. 
• Prohibiting right runs onto Valencia from eastbound Market Street (Friday 1/31/2020) 

Completed:

• Over 100 new cross-street passenger and commercial loading zones to accommodate safe loading.

Ongoing through Spring 2020:

• Extending existing transit-only lane east from Third to Main Street, the segment of Market with the most transit service, and making it Muni-only (taxis and non-Muni buses will no longer be allowed).
• Converting the existing red bus/taxi-only lane to Muni-only between 9th and 3rd streets.
• Installing painted safety zones at eight intersections to make crossing the street safer and shorter.
• Adding bicycle intersection improvements at Eighth, Page, Battery, and Valencia streets.

Beginning Summer 2020 and later:

• Changes to sections of Ellis and Jones streets near Market Street to improve safety and vehicle movement.

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Original Post - January 16, 2020

You may have heard of the Better Market Street (BMS) project that the City and County of San Francisco has been planning for years. BOMA San Francisco has been at the table since 2012 with the project leaders thanks to our BOMA ambassadors, Kathy Mattes (2012-2017) and Jose Guevara (2017-present) ensuring that your interests are represented.

In October 2019, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) unanimously supported the banning of private vehicles from using the thoroughfare - an objective for the City since 2010 - starting on January 29, 2020.

Recently, the SFMTA and San Francisco Department of Public Works (SFDPW) representatives were invited to speak with members along and adjacent to the Market Street corridor to discuss the BMS project and to provide details of the finalized private car ban. Our previous briefings were in 2012, 2014 and 2017 and the feedback the planning team received from BOMA members in those meetings and our most recent gathering in 2020 were very helpful.

Resources:

Click here to view/download the most meeting presentation.

Click here to review that highlights the changes coming on January 29th.

Please reach out to johnb@boma.com with any questions you may have.