Golden Gate Avenue

UPDATE: Thank you for visiting the Golden Gate Quick-Build Virtual Open House! Public comment at the Open House is now closed. We are currently reviewing the feedback received and preparing for Public Hearing. This site will remain live so the public can explore the project and get more information. 

(please select your preferred language below)

 Welcome!  |  歡迎!  |    ¡Bienvenido! |  Chào mừng!  |  أهلا بك!  |    Добро пожаловать!  | Mabuhay! 

Thank you for joining the Golden Gate Quick-Build Project Open House! This is an opportunity for you to learn more and give us feedback on our proposed traffic safety improvements along Golden Gate Avenue between Market and Polk streets.

We want to hear from you!

This Open House website (also known as a storymap) will be available for feedback for a two-week period from December 15, 2020 to January 15, 2021. While the Open House website is live, staff will be responding to feedback provided through emails, phone calls, survey responses, and during scheduled office hours.

The Open House storymap is best viewed on a laptop or desktop web browser, but it is also accessible by tablet or mobile devices.

There is a navigation bar at the top of the web page that can help you move to specific sections that you're interested in, such as safety information, the proposed roadway design, the survey link, and more. For full project context, we recommend scrolling from the beginning to the end.

To leave a question or comment, please visit the "Feedback" section, which can be found in the navigation bar above or at the bottom of this web page. You can also directly access our feedback survey  here .

If you encounter any issues with this web page, please send an email to  TLStreets@sfmta.com .

Language assistance:

We have translated this Open House storymap to the six most common languages in the Tenderloin! To access the Open House in Arabic, Chinese, Filipino, Russian, Spanish, and/or Vietnamese, please scroll back up to the top and click on the word, "Welcome" in the corresponding language.

 Contact 311  - Free language assistance / 免費語言協助 / Ayuda gratis con el idioma / Бесплатная помощь переводчиков / Trợ giúp Thông dịch Miễn phí / Assistance linguistique gratuite / 無料の言語支援 / 무료 언어 지원 / Libreng tulong para sa wikang Filipino / การช่วยเหลือทางด้านภาษาโดยไม่เสียค่าใช้จ่าย /خط المساعدة المجاني على الرقم

The SFMTA has committed to completing two quick-build projects in the Tenderloin in order to improve traffic conditions for all road users along these corridors. This effort is stemmed from the Tenderloin community’s demand for increased investment in traffic safety solutions. The quick-builds will be implemented along Golden Gate Ave (from Market to Polk streets) and Leavenworth St (from McAllister to Post streets).

Due to their proximity, the Golden Gate and Leavenworth Quick-Build Projects are conducting a joint outreach campaign. This will allow for coordinated discussions around traffic safety issues and loading needs.

These projects will install quick and reversible traffic safety improvements that prioritize safety for the most vulnerable roadway users through lane reductions, safe pedestrian and bicycle facilities, and curb management.

 To view the Leavenworth Open House, click here. 

At the end of this storymap, you will be invited to provide feedback on either or both of the Tenderloin quick-build projects via our online survey. You can also click "Feedback" in the toolbar above to jump directly to that section.

The Tenderloin is a densely populated and diverse neighborhood located in the heart of San Francisco. It is home to several communities, many of whom travel around the City without the use of cars. However, the current street designs do not facilitate non-motorized travel. Pedestrians and bicyclists face heavy traffic and aggressive driving behavior as they navigate the streets.

The Tenderloin is home to many of San Francisco’s most vulnerable populations – people of color, seniors, children, people with very low incomes, immigrants, individuals struggling with mental illness and/or addiction, and people experiencing homelessness. These groups are disproportionally impacted by severe traffic injury and fatalities.

Over the past five years there have been several efforts to improve traffic safety in the neighborhood, including the  Safer Taylor  project, and a neighborhood wide daylighting and signal retiming effort. However, the Tenderloin continues to have the highest rate of severe and fatal pedestrian injuries in the City. This is why the SFMTA is committed to building safer streets in the Tenderloin using our Quick-Build toolkit.

 Quick-build  projects are reversible, adjustable, traffic safety improvements that can be installed relatively quickly with city crews using road paint, street bollards and traffic signs. Unlike major capital projects that may take years to plan, design, bid and construct, quick-build projects are buildable within months and are reviewed, evaluated, and adjusted for a 24-month period following initial construction.

Many of the traffic safety issues we see in the Tenderloin can be addressed through quick-build improvements. While quick-builds are typically low-cost and use low-impact materials, they can create highly effective results. Community outreach and engagement plays a key role in ensuring quick-build projects respond appropriately to the neighborhood's needs.

SFMTA installed improvements along Golden Gate, Ellis, Jones, and Turk streets to facilitate essential services and physical distancing. Due to the staffing needs to support with the COVID-19 related efforts to improve access to essential services and facilitate physical distancing, the SFMTA quick-build teams pivoted to support this work in the summer and fall of 2020.

For more information about the COVID-19 efforts happening in the Tenderloin, please visit  SFMTA.com/TLStreets .

Guided by Golden Gate Avenue's traffic safety issues and present conditions, the project team proposes to upgrade the existing bike lane and provide an active flex space on select streets, which can be used by businesses, for community services and recreation, or for physical distancing.

• Protected bicycle lane: Constrained by the three-dimensional space defined by street width, OCS lines, and surrounding building heights, the project proposes upgrading existing traffic calming infrastructure to include more painted safety zones and a protected bike lane.
• Passenger loading zones: We are working with other City partners to prioritize curb access to those who are most vulnerable to traffic collisions: youth, seniors, and differently-abled. As such, the project design would maintain all passenger loading zones. We also propose implementing a removable bollard treatment in front of DeMarillac and St. Boniface Church in order to guarantee emergency vehicle access outside of church service and school hours.
• Active flex space: The remaining space outside of the protected bike lane is not wide enough to accommodate a travel or parking lane. Inspired by the Shared Spaces along the 200 block of Golden Gate Ave and the Physical Distancing Space along Jones Street, the project proposes adding a buffer that allows for cafe seating, physical distancing, tabling community events, and more.
• General metered parking: In order to make room for the protected bicycle lane and active flex space, all general metered parking spots would be removed on the south side of the project area.
• Red zones: The project team understands that there are many members of the Tenderloin community that require vehicles to access essential services. As such, we also propose adding general metered spaces where there are extra long red zones immediately surrounding the project area (ie. Hyde, Jones, north side of 200 Golden Gate), while still leaving enough room for pedestrian visibility at intersections.

When you have viewed the alternatives, let us know your thoughts in the "Feedback" section below.

Thanks for visiting our open house!

After reviewing the street design options above, please provide your feedback by clicking the button below. You can view a PDF version of the images  here .

Responses to comments and questions received will be posted on this webpage by 5:00 pm the following Friday.

Project Teams will be able to answer questions directly during the Open House office hours at one of the times listed below:

Thursday, December 17 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Friday, December 18 from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM

Saturday, December 19 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Tuesday, December 22 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Wednesday, December 30 from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM

Tuesday, January 5 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM

Thursday, January 7 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Office hours will be available online via Skype and by phone.

Other questions, comments, or concerns not answered here?

Email us at  TLStreets@sfmta.com  with your feedback.