17th St and Market St Plaza Opens Next Wednesday

Site of the trial 17th Street closure and pedestrian plaza. Photo: Matthew Roth

The trial street closure for a pedestrian plaza at the corner of Market Street, 17th Street, and Castro Street will kick off next Wednesday, May 13th with a press conference with Mayor Gavin Newsom.  As we wrote about here, the trial closure will incorporate techniques used in New York City to transform a street into a public amenity without spending loads of money on capital construction.  If the plaza proves a success, the Department of Public Works will be looking for other locations to replicate the pilots. 

Though some community members, particularly residents on Hartford Street, have reacted negatively at community meetings to the idea of eliminating their vehicular access to Market Street, the Castro Street Community Betterment District (CBD) is fully supportive and expects the amenity to attract shoppers and neighborhood residents to enjoy the area. 

Tentative word is the press conference will start at 10:00 am, though we'll be sure to update you if there are any changes.