The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), which oversees all transportation in the city, including the Municipal Railway (Muni), in partnership with Livable City are excited to announce the return of the Sunday Streets Season. The annual Open Streets Program kicks-off March 8 along San Francisco’s picturesque Embarcadero and will alternate between eight neighborhoods concluding Oct. 18 in the historic Mission neighborhood.
What started 30 years ago in Bogota as Ciclovía (“see-klo-vee-a”), Spanish for ‘bike ways’, morphed into an international movement known as the Open Streets Projects. Here in San Francisco, the program launched as Sunday Streets in 2008, melding healthy physical activity and neighborhood cohesion as well as offering an economic boost to local merchants by capitalizing on the heightened foot traffic.
“As an enthusiastic supporter of Sunday Streets, I am delighted that this innovative program is poised to launch its eighth successful season,” said Mayor Ed Lee. “Last year alone, hundreds of thousands of attendees enjoyed over 20 miles of temporary car-free streets and thus has proved Sunday Streets has eclipsed expectations and evolved into one of the city’s healthy and fun recreation destinations.”
“San Francisco’s Sunday Streets has successfully created temporary open space for millions of participants to safely walk, bike and play in different communities across the city,” said Ed Reiskin, SFMTA Director of Transportation. “We are committed to our partnership with Livable City to continue these events for people who live, work and visit San Francisco.
Following the success of years past, the 2015 Sunday Streets Season will occur over eight Sundays, 11 am to 4 pm, showcasing the rich diversity of San Francisco:
- March 8: Season launch along The Embarcadero
- April 12: Bayview/Dogpatch
- May 10: Mission (on Valencia St.)
- June 14: Sunset (on the Great Highway)
- July 12: Tenderloin
- Aug. 16: Excelsior
- Sept. 13: Western Addition
- Oct. 18: Mission (on Valencia St.)
The SFMTA will host a booth highlighting the latest Muni Forward transit enhancements during the season launch of Sunday Streets. Visitors are encouraged to take a spin, for prizes, on SFMTA’s Wheel of Fortune. Attendees will also get a sneak peek at plans for a new Embarcadero bikeway proposed from 3rd Street (in South Beach) to Fisherman’s Wharf. Visitors can test their cycling skills courtesy of free passes being offered by Bay Area Bike Share. In addition, the SF Bicycle Coalition will be on site demonstrating the new mandatory Large Vehicle Urban Driving Safety Program: part of Mayor Lee’s Vision Zero strategy designed to better train operators of large vehicles on the dangers of driving San Francisco’s crowded streets.
Fisherman’s Wharf, PIER 39, The Exploratorium, and SF MOMA are just some of the other San Francisco merchants and institutions that will bring their indoor fare outdoors on The Embarcadero this Sunday: experience getting to these city treasures by Muni, on foot, or by bicycle. Bike valets will be available at the Wharf.
“We are so thrilled to return to The Embarcadero to begin our Sunday Streets season,” says Sunday Streets’ Program Director Beth Byrne. “We love partnering with restaurants and merchants up and down the route so that participants can shop and eat local. Don’t forget to set your clocks forward an hour—Sunday Streets’ first event signals that spring is officially here.”
There are now at least 100 documented Open Streets projects across the country and more than a half-dozen U.S. cities have taken San Francisco’s lead, temporarily closing streets to cars and opening those streets for biking and other people movement under the title Sunday Streets: a title coined right here in San Francisco.
Sunday Streets is a true collaboration of leadership and resources. This eighth season would not be possible without the support of the: San Francisco Department of Public Health, Shape Up SF Coalition, the Department of Public Works, Recreation & Parks Department, the San Francisco Police Department, Mayor Edwin Lee, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and SF Environment.
Sunday Streets Embarcadero is made possible by the generous support of: Bay Area Air Quality Management District, Cleary Bikes, the Golden State Warriors, SF MOMA, Spinlister and Sports Basement.
Information on how to get to Sunday Streets via Muni can be found at www.sfmta.com.
Additional information on each neighborhood’s activities and maps may be found at www.SundayStreetsSF.com. Sunday Streets is seeking volunteers. To learn how to help, visit www.SundayStreetsSF.com/volunteer.