Hayes Street Closure Permit

last updated 11/22/24

The permit holder/HVNA has applied for another year term of the Hayes Street Closure; this matter was heard and approved by the SFMTA Board at this week’s hearing. Their new approved term includes an extension of Saturday hours thereby expanding the street closure programming.

There are a multitude of reasons why we do not support a street closure programming expansion. Below is an outline of some of the key principles that support why we disagree with the current course of this street closure.

Hayes St needs to to be restored to the vibrant business corridor that it was pre-pandemic!

• We have observed the dwindling use of the street closure post pandemic. This closure has waned.
• Expanding the programming schedule is a step backward – not forward. This was intended to be a temporary program due to the pandemic. Those conditions and reasons for a street closure no longer apply.
• The financial harm it continues to impose on Hayes Valley independent small business operators is negligent and unsustainable
• We’ve been in communications with SFMTA since the start of the current permit term to address our concerns and questions. Unfortunately there has been no progress or headway on that front. There has not been a defined process since the start of this closure (2020) which leaves the potential impacts of extending this street closure for another day and year problematic and reckless.
• The unilateral control that has been granted to the permit holder is problematic. It is dumbfounding that this sketchy-at-best permitting process has yielded a situation where a permit holder has the ability to produce events (of seemingly any type) on a regular and ongoing basis that compete directly with locally owned and operated businesses and create a large influx of traffic that has direct and significant fiscal impact.
• There has been zero outreach or dialogue about the current closure conditions while the permit holder continues a campaign for a permanent street closure. This sets a dangerous precedent. We’re concerned that their ongoing pr efforts to close Hayes will only further divide the neighborhood when merchants are struggling to recover from the pandemic. (We’re in a time when small business is in preservation mode and is simply unable to vocalize a position without the fear of backlash or retaliation! Hello? who is standing up for the needs of small business in San Francisco?!)
• Hayes Street Closure is a political and divisive initiative that has pitted neighbors, businesses and community groups. The worst part is the SFMTA has allowed the permit holder to run with a false narrative which includes touting a global petition as a means of support that has gone unchecked.
• Proponents are trying to sell you on an event programming schedule to justify this closure. Hayes Valley has several venues for events, in fact there’s a big vacant open space (Parcel K) right next to Hayes Street! We need to think critically about the insistence for a closed street which is situated right next to Parcel K which is often referenced as a ‘town square/plaza, living room, and critical open space’ – its illogical not to have it used for events.
• The permit holder is in violation of the permit conditions with the continued use of skateboarding, scooters and bikes. Repeated inquiries about our concerns have fallen on deaf ears. Moreover emergency access is being jeopardized which simply defies logic.
• The reason put forth that this closure is needed for more open space is unfounded. Hayes Valley is not short on open spaces. Within a mile of this stretch of Hayes Street there are a number of open spaces: Koshland Park, Laguna Mini Park, Civic Center Plaza, Hayes Valley Playground, Memorial Court, Margaret Hayward Playground, Jefferson Park, and Alamo Square. Additionally, the current landscape of Hayes Valley offers several underutilized open spaces/streets ‘as is’ such as Linden Alley, Proxy, Buchanan Mall, Page Street, and vacant parcels R & S.
• The Planning Department has identified every alley in the Market Octavia neighborhood as potential “living zones,” – that’s a couple of dozen blocks on which slow streets and pedestrianized/non-car-centric outdoor areas could be developed.  We should redirect our focus on these alleys. On any given day these Alleys particularly Linden Alley between Octavia and Gough (which is directly behind Hayes St) is underutilized and could stand a makeover for better optimal social use.
• The SFMTA is not acting in the best interest of our community and small business operators. The fact that there has been no discussion at the community level is evidence of this. The continuous inherent bias applied (towards the permit holder) is the worst case of obstruction of civics. Our request for a later date for the upcoming SFMTA ISCOTT hearing went unanswered proving favor once again to the permit holder.
• Our supervisor has been MIA on this matter but we know he’s a proponent of the street closure because he is anti-car. He’s turned his back on the longest standing locally funded merchants on our business corridor. He’s been working with the permit holder in plain sight to shut down Hayes (this explains the 100% lack of engagement at the community level!) This is an epic failure of neighborhood and small business representation. Even the Director of the SFMTA admits “Dean Preston is leading with a set of untrue messages”.
• Traffic congestion in Hayes Valley is an issue that SFMTA has not successfully dealt with. We question the justification of a closure that compounds the matter and which will only further jeopardize future funding for maintenance and public transportation.
• Last year we finally began to unravel the reasons why SFMTA was not going to renew the permit. After the HVNA and Dean Preston took the issue to the media the SFMTA caved in on their own recommendation to scale back the closure from 3 days to 1 day. What changed?
• There’s a reason we advocated to reopen the 500 and 300 block of Hayes. For the permit holder and SFMTA to not consider why the only support for this closure stems from businesses on the 400 block is mind boggling. SFMTA hasn’t considered the community as a whole and in the process has shut out our small independent operators that have put their sweat equity into their businesses only to have city hall and a country club walk all over them!

If you want to read more please check out our Summer Roundup.

Right now, please take a minute to send SFMTA a note in preparation of Tuesday’s hearing.

click here for the SFMTA Agenda

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