These new decorative lights on storefront windows and trees along Geary Boulevard are part of our program to support small businesses.
Geary Boulevard is looking a bit brighter this holiday season. New decorative lights have been popping up on storefront windows and trees along Geary Boulevard in the Richmond this month. It’s all part of the Geary Boulevard Improvement Project’s efforts to support the corridor’s small business community.
The Geary project kicked off in fall 2023 with the Quick-Build phase. The goal: improve transit and safety along Geary Boulevard.
During this phase, we:
- Installed new transit lanes
- Relocated bus stops
- Improved visibility at intersections by removing parking near crosswalks (“daylighting”)
We’re already seeing the benefits, with faster and more reliable 38 Geary bus service.
The project team turned over every stone to reduce impacts. Still, these improvements resulted in some parking loss between 14th and 28th avenues.
The Geary Small Business Working Group discusses options to support small businesses.
Shining a light on Geary’s small businesses
To help merchants adapt, we set aside some project funds to support small businesses. We used them to fund a program providing decorative lighting for businesses along the corridor. Twenty-eight businesses participated!
But we can't claim credit for the idea. It sprang from the merchant community itself.
Last year, our agency put together a Geary Small Business Working Group made up of local businesses. Our goal was to brainstorm how to attract more visitors to the Geary corridor.
The Working Group members made a decision quickly and unanimously. The merchants told us they wanted:
- Decorative lighting along the corridor. This would help beautify the neighborhood and make Geary feel safer and inviting.
Figuring out the logistics of installing the lights was another story. Not every business has a tree in front of their building to string the lights from. Many shops also don’t have an external outlet to power lights. And Geary’s street light poles are in the center median, too far from storefronts.
The Greater Geary Boulevard Merchants Association came up with a solution: give merchants a choice between window or tree lighting. That way, even shops without trees could participate. The group also helped spread the word about the program to businesses along Geary Boulevard.
A picture is worth a thousand words. Check out the photo carousel below to see some examples of the first round of new lighting.
Or better yet, visit Geary and experience for yourself the amazing food, retail and services the street has to offer. You’ll find Russian pastries, Chinese delicacies and Irish pubs. You can also try the corridor’s beauty salons or check out dance and fitness classes. On Geary, there’s something for everyone!
We will continue to support Geary businesses as the project moves into the construction phase. SFPUC’s water and sewer upgrade work is just beginning. Our construction of transit and safety improvements is scheduled in 2027.
You can learn more about the upgrades and the timeline on our Geary Boulevard Improvement Project webpage.
Photo credit: Sean Kim
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