November 7 call-to-action: Urge SFMTA Board to Approve Friday/Saturday Schedule

TL;DR: On November 7, the SFMTA Board will vote on whether to approve a Friday/Saturday car-free Hayes Street schedule. Click here to email public comment to the SFMTA Board, urging them to approve this item (this should open your email program, if it doesn’t, use the email template at the bottom of this message).

Hello again,

Thank you to everyone that supported car-free Hayes at the October 17 SFMTA Board meeting. Your efforts made a difference, we successfully saved Friday nights. The 2-day Friday/Saturday schedule goes to final vote this Tuesday, November 7.

While it's unfortunate we're likely to lose Sundays, this meeting will move Hayes Street from the pandemic era temporary program to the permanent Shared Spaces program. I think this is still good progress towards our eventual goal of a 24/7 pedestrianized Hayes Street.

If you have the means, please attend the meeting in-person to give public comment:
Tuesday, 1pm
City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA
Room 400, Floor 4

Full details and agenda: https://www.sfmta.com/calendar/board-directors-meeting-november-7-2023

We’re asking for 2 things:

1) Approve item 10.5 (Hayes Street Shared Spaces) with a Friday/Saturday schedule.

2) Request the SFMTA Board to instruct SFMTA staff to design a process to pedestrianize a street, giving our community a path to a 24/7 pedestrianized Hayes Street.

If you can’t attend in-person, please send an email, template is below. Also note that only 10 minutes total will be permitted for phone comment, so best to email or show up in-person.

For more details: https://carfreehayes.org/blog/call-to-action-sfmta-board-nov-7

If you’d like to reach out to me directly, I’m at andrew@sig.gy.

Thanks again,
Andrew

Email template to SFMTA Board:

—

To: MTABoard@SFMTA.com
CC: comment@carfreehayes.org
Subject: Approve item 10.5 (Hayes Street Shared Spaces) with a Friday and Saturday schedule, and direct staff to design a process to pedestrianize a street

SFMTA Board:

Please approve item 10.5 (Hayes Street Shared Spaces) as-recommended, with a Friday and Saturday schedule, and also direct SFMTA staff to design a process to pedestrianize a street.

The community has heard SFMTA staff feedback regarding activation loud and clear. Since the last SFMTA Board meeting on Oct 17, the community has held 5 events on Hayes Street Shared Spaces, and have scheduled 8 more by the end of the year. 7 of these events are scheduled on Fridays. The community is committed to making this a viable program.

With our Transit First, Climate Action, and Vision Zero goals, San Francisco should be leading the world in pedestrianized spaces. Please approve the Friday and Saturday schedule, and direct SFMTA to design a process to pedestrianize a street, giving our community a path to a 24/7 pedestrianized Hayes Street.

Thank you for your time.