After Setting Abrupt Closure of Car-Free Hayes Street, SFMTA Reverses Decision, Gives Additional Month to Plan the Future of Hayes Valley Shared Spaces

Following neighborhood outcry and a letter from Supervisor Dean Preston, the SFMTA has agreed to postpone the previously announced July 31 termination, and allow at least one additional month of the Hayes Valley Shared Spaces program. The Hayes Valley program involves weekend closures of the 400 block of Hayes Street to private vehicle traffic, a key component of the neighborhood’s post-pandemic recovery efforts.

“Car-free streets have brought joy to families and residents throughout the city, and the Hayes Valley Shared Spaces program has for nearly three years been a transformative example of how we can transform our streets for the benefit of the entire community,” said District 5 Supervisor Dean Preston. “The discussion should be about how to make this program permanent, not when to shut it down. I appreciate the SFMTA giving us more time to figure out the long-term plan for this vital community resource.”

The Hayes Valley Shared Spaces program launched in August 2020, a point of neighborhood pride in an otherwise uncertain period. Seeing the initial positive feedback, in 2020 Supervisor Preston allocated add-back funds to help compensate a volunteer coordinator to get the program off the ground. In partnership with the Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association, and with buy-in from local businesses, the Hayes Valley Shared Spaces program has stood as a poster child for city efforts to cultivate car-free streets as a means to economic recovery.

At a city hearing in March 2023, permit holders sought to renew permits, but a decision on their request was postponed, with city departments citing emergency access issues. In the interim, permit holders were allowed to continue closing the street since they had an application in process. On July 19, they were informed that the program would terminate at the end of this month.

In response, neighbors contacted city departments, and Supervisor Preston on Monday issued a letter to the SFMTA Board, SFMTA Director Jeffrey Tumlin, and Mayor London Breed. Today, the SFMTA agreed to allow an additional month of car-free streets in Hayes Valley.

“We have seen nearly three years of the shared spaces program in Hayes Valley without incident,” Preston said. “Our hope is to work with city departments, community leaders and stakeholders to address any concerns and find a path to create permanent car-free spaces in the neighborhood.”