It seems, despite the fact that Market Street remains "car free," downtown San Francisco is finally recovering.
BART was standing room only. The sidewalks were full of people. There were lines at lunch places on Market Street and other parts of downtown San Francisco.
That's what I noticed yesterday while on my way back from a meeting in a crowded coffee shop downtown.
Apparently, it wasn't just my observations. From "Why S.F. residents say the city is finally undergoing a major vibe shift," a story in Wednesday's San Francisco Chronicle by J.D. Morris and Tom Li:
San Franciscans say they now feel optimistic about the city’s future despite years of negative news about empty downtown offices, widespread public drug use, rampant stolen-goods sales and other serious concerns.
and:
Across San Francisco, there’s a sense that the city’s recovery from the pandemic is finally gaining momentum. Crime is down, tourism is up and voters are feeling good about their decision to replace former Mayor London Breed with Lurie, a political novice.
The Examiner had a similar story, more focused on Union Square. The stories included extensive interviews and polling data.
For some time now, merchant groups have argued that banning private cars on Market was responsible for the slow recovery. But the revival is happening without letting cars back. Even Waymo confirmed they aren't running on Market Street yet, despite getting permission in April.
I've traveled to several of San Francisco's peer cities since the pandemic. And there's no denying San Francisco has lagged badly, at least in downtown. But I think it's safe to say that has to do with San Francisco's overdependence on the somewhat ailing tech industry (and the fact that tech is uniquely suited to remote work).
Car-free Market Street (or, more accurately, private-car-free Market Street) started in January 2020. The city locked down two months later. It was perhaps understandable that some merchants saw a correlation between the car ban and San Francisco's lagging recovery. But if anything, the car ban makes Market Street a more inviting place to spend time and money.
The smart thing to do now is to extend the car ban to all cars that don't absolutely have to access Market Street directly, such as para-transit and emergency vehicles. SFMTA can start by working on amended legislation to close the Waymo loophole and ban commercial vehicles (except for delivery trucks). While they're at it, it's long-past time to look at restoring the entire Better Market Street plan, not just the car ban.
Otherwise, there's a risk of returning to the pre-pandemic Market Street's traffic jams, noise, and pollution. Rather than helping the recovery, I submit that could snuff it out before it really takes hold.
