Apparently the previously announced four-in-a-row Sunday Streets in the Mission schedule is just the first part of a grander plan. Here’s the deal:
Sunday Streets Mission Community Meeting
Monday, March 19, 2012
6:30 pm
Brava Theater, 2781 24th Street (x York)
Come participate in a discussion about Sunday Streets 4-series pilot project in the Mission. The Mission Sunday Streets Pilot features four consecutive events the first Sundays in May, June, July and August (5/6, 6/3, 7/1, 8/5) on the popular Mission route – Valencia from 14th-24th and 24th Street from Valencia to Hampshire.
The purpose of this pilot is to explore the feasibility of holding more frequent Sunday Streets events on an established route. Our first step is to hold one Sunday Streets per month in the Mission on a regular schedule for consistency – the 1st Sunday of each month – to see what the challenges are and how it works for the community. We will be doing an Economic Analysis among businesses along the route, and gathering input from residents, business owners, local employees, religious institutions to gauge the impacts and support for the idea of having a regular Sunday Streets route in the Mission (or in another area of the City if it does not work out here).
Sunday Streets presenting City agency, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) is offering flat rate parking in two Mission area garages on Sunday Streets days: $10 for the Mission Bartlett garage, and $7 at SF General for all vehicles entering from 6:00 am to noon, the flat rate covers parking until 6:00 pm. Vehicles entering after 12 noon pay the hourly rate.
Senior staff from Sunday Streets presenting agencies, Livable City and SFMTA will be present to answer questions, address concerns and take input from the those in attendance. We look forward to the opportunity to discuss this program with the community on Monday, March 19th.
Sounds good to me. Let every Sunday be a Sunday Streets Sunday!
 Come participate in a discussion about Sunday Streets 4-series pilot project in the Mission. […]</p>
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I’m going to come out and say this as a business owner…
I’ve owned a retail store that’s been thriving on Valencia street for six years now, every single time there’s a Sunday Streets our sales for that day drop (literally) 50% than what they would normally be on a sunday in that particular month..
It’s possible there’s just not that much overlap between Sunday Streets and Fancy Pants. Needs more data points.
Yeah. Could be that the neighborhood families and people who enjoy Sunday Streets are not the same people who buy obscenely overpriced bluejeans.
You gotta rely on the suburban yuppies and marina types who like to drive everywhere to support that sort of niche luxury market.
Sunday Streets seems fine as an occasional event, but I think attendance would drop if it was done every Sunday.
It seems like there are significant costs associated with it, in terms of set-up and staffing. How else could those resource be used?
Honestly, I think kiya’s comment highlights the reason Sunday Streets are a good thing. It’s a reminder that the most important aspect of each neighborhood is the *people* that inhabit it and the sense of community they create and enjoy. If local businesses benefit those people, great. But business complaints like decreased sales should never take precedence over nuturing and celebrating that sense of community.
An aside to kiya — instead of complaining about Sunday Streets, why not try to get Self Edge more involved in it? Have a big sale that day, and have something interesting going on outside your store to draw pedestrians in. Show the community that you are a part of it, too, and use it as an opportunity to engender goodwill with your potential customers.
Word!
Great! Since you know, you can plan accordingly.
A good businessperson wouldn’t bitch and moan about the attention of the entire city being directed to the street his business is on for a day. A good businessperson would figure out how to capitalize on it.
Just sayin’.
Sunday Streets is a nightmare
Or a dream come true.
This is a great idea! Love me some Sunday Streets, the more the better!
Once a month is fine by me. Every Sunday. No thanks. I like children and whimsy but there are limits.
By the way, would love to see Sunday Streets on Mission. There’s a street that could really benefit from it. I love that our friends like Deth Veggie, Phd complain about yuppies and jeans – not that I’m a superfan of those things, but y’know they exist, accept it – when Sunday Street on Valencia contributes exactly to that very culture of homogeny. On Mission St. it would actually do something useful. People of different cultures and economic status would see each other and mingle. When I was a child walking around Manhattan with my mom it was that vibrancy I most enjoyed and remembered. Not everything I saw was pretty and clean and perfect, but it was beautiful and true and wasn’t – forgive the expression – whitewashed. And Mission is a more colorful street literally. On Valencia all the retail buildings look like the same weak attempt at being chic. Boring and provincial. I guess that says something about the residents. I’m not interested in a place that isn’t safe for people or their families, but a little grit between our fingers from having to play in the soil would be welcome.
If you’re arguing for having a Sunday Streets that was actually ON Mission Street, as opposed to a block over on Valencia, well, I think that would also be a good idea. Normally it would be complicated by the fact that buses use Mission St, but at least for the next couple months they’re using Van Ness instead.
South Van Ness
Are people that live on mission unable to walk one block away? I don’t really understand your idea. People travel from all over the city to attend Sunday streets. Valencia makes a lot of sense because buses do not travel on it, many shops exist on it, and the street is pretty wide. Why pit Sunday streets against transit on mission?
I like the idea of limiting car traffic through certain routes. Mission and Guerrero are great routes for cars. Why not close Valencia or other streets more often for walking, cycling, maybe even rollerblading. With planning and logistics, holding more Sunday street-like events can only be a positive thing.
It’s an opinion and I stated the reasoning for my preference clearly, Mike.
It’s not that people can’t walk a block it’s that there is nothing there for them. Next time you’re on The Stroll, (Valencha) look around.
The problem is that Mission street’s surface is shit. If the point is to have cyclists, skaters, rollerbladers as well as pedestrians in the streets, Mission is decidedly not an ideal locale.
Well that is about to change. That’s why the buses are re-routed to van ness right now.
S.
My only beef with Sunday Streets are the random assholes that think it cool to fly through the crowds on thier bikes.
True. Most people are good, riding at a reasonable speed, but occasionally you get some fucktard treating it like a velodrome.
Agreed. I had to leave one last time because I was afraid one of my dogs was going to get run over. I think making it pedestrians-only (even if only for a portion) would be a good idea.
I have volunteered on Sunday Streets as an intersection monitor for a year now, and I rarely see random assholes flying by.
@kiya – Sounds like you need a new marketing manager. If your biz drops when the streets fill up, you should fire someone…
Seriously. When I read @kiya’s comment, I thought at first it was an attempt at sarcasm. I mean, you are a business who gets an opportunity once every couple of months to have access to a street literally *packed full* of pedestrians out for leisure, and you don’t know how to get some of those folks in your store??? I suppose your complaint really is that Sunday Streets doesn’t attract crowds of 100% your narrow demogaphic ideal–but as @Thrive sez, that’s what marketing is for–to get NEW customers.
I’m sorry Self Edge, I just don’t get it.
It’s a specialty store, pedestrians out for leisure aren’t interested in $300 designer jeans. I imagine they get most of their business from moneyed folks and Bansky impersonators who drive in, not lollygagging tourists or members of the community out for a stroll. I’m sure businesses that service the community more (bookstores, restaurants, bars, etc.) probably do more business on Sunday streets. You can’t really have it both ways.
Sunday Streets seems to be more about Neo-Hippiedom — New-Age hustlers offering 3-minute massages, and po’bucker sponges looking for free thrills on a Sunday stroll. No jeans sales, there — expensive or otherwise.
Also, of note Self Edge just put out a 50% Scoutmob. Typical of businesses that are struggling.
Anyway, if it’s not 2-3 Sunday Streets a year that’s hurting their business it’s definitely the pesky parklets that take up a small percentage of on-street parking spaces, or those darn bike lines that remove a lane of traffic, or the investment in and construction of those nice wide sidewalks, or perhaps the new parking meters. BUT it’s definitely NOT their business model….AMIRITE?
It’s $50, not 50%. Try again.
The other points are still relevant
I think the west side of Dolores between 18th and 20th should be closed to traffic every Sunday and they should put food trucks at the median
Completely irrelevant, Mr. Chalk.
Kidding I presume
What I like about Sunday Streets is that you get to enjoy a public space in a way you normally don’t get to. If there were a “drive your car on the sidewalk” day, I’d enjoy that too.
I wouldn’t — because there’s no “hive mind” to register and instantly respond to every little change in the system. People would get confused, and delayed on their way to work, and run-over, and dead.
Oh, wait… you said “pubic space” — I guess that means they get raped, instead.
Cute how you fixed that. Guess you could fix my second paragraph, too. And this comment, if you wanted to.
That was some funny shit Allan, glad you are back.
Seems a bit harsh. Though I don’t understand premium denim in the least, and couldn’t fit into any if I tried, I’d be sorry to see Self Edge bite it.
So, like, good luck and stuff.
The whole Sunday Streets concept is cool but having it every Sunday in my neighborhood would be unbearable for me. I can hear the annoying loud music from my apartment, when all I want is just chill and recharge from a long exhausting week of work.