Market Octavia Living Alleys
Project Description
The Market and Octavia Living Alleys project aims to create a public realm that strengthens the community, creates a sense of identity and makes a more useful, safe and attractive neighborhood.
Living alley improvements will create shared, multipurpose public spaces that foster active and passive recreation, socializing, walking and bicycling. The City has approved funding through Market Octavia Impact Fees for the design and implementation of living alleys within the Market Octavia Plan area. The project will partner with the community to design and implement these improvements, creating green, shared, vibrant, clean and safe neighborhood amenities.
Phase 1 of this project focuses on Ivy Street, from Laguna Street to Octavia Street. This alley is adjacent to several streets on San Francisco’s Vision Zero High Injury Network - 13% of city streets where 75% of the severe and fatal collisions occur. Often times, this stretch of Ivy is used to circumvent the traffic on Octavia Street and Laguna Street, and is done so in an unsafe manner. This project seeks to address these issues by constructing traffic calming measures such as raised crosswalks, bulb-outs, and decorative asphalt.
What is a Living Alley?
A Living Alley may be defined as a narrow, low-volume traffic street that is designed to focus on livability, instead of parking and traffic. Typically, this means creating a street that prioritizes pedestrians and bicyclists as well as a space for social uses. Vehicles are typically still allowed access but with reduced speeds.
The Origins of Living Alleys
The Market Octavia Plan (2008) identified alley improvements as a means of creating shared multipurpose public spaces - traffic calmed environments contrast the heavy traffic on the surrounding arterial streets.
In 2015, the Living Alley's Toolkit was created as a resource for community members and designers to develop and implement living alleys. The toolkit includes design tools, example prototypes, relative costs and maintenance guidelines to give community members a range of options and inspiration for creating living alleys within the Market Octavia Plan area.
In 2019, the Market Octavia Plan Amendment, formerly known as The Hub, provided additional recommendations for living alley improvements within the plan area.
Map of Market Octavia Living Alleys
Design and Implementation
A series of community engagement events will result in the design for one or more living alleys within the Market Octavia Plan area which will be constructed as funding becomes available. This webpage will be updated after each phase of the project. Please sign up below for additional updates.
Meetings and Workshops
Workshop #3, January, 27 2021
Workshop #2, October 28, 2020
- Watch the presentation here.
- View the presentation slides.
Workshop #1, June 24, 2020
- Watch the presentation here.
- View the presentation slides.
Estimated Timeline
- Outreach and Planning: June to December 2020
- Design: 2021-2023
- Construction: 2024-2026
Final Criteria for Alley Selection
Related Links
Public Works and San Francisco Planning
Mission
San Francisco Public Works is one of the largest and most complex municipal operations in the City, with a 1,600-member workforce and a $384 million annual operating budget. The department's active capital project portfolio exceeds $3 billion. As one of San Francisco oldest City departments, it is also one of the most forward-thinking. Keeping San Francisco beautiful, safe and sustainable.
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