PRESS RELEASE 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, July 16, 2012 

PRESS CONTACT: (415) 554-6926

CITY TO HOST SECOND SERIES OF WORKSHOPS FOR A 

BETTER MARKET STREET

Sessions Will Provide Public With Initial Ideas On How to Improve the Corridor

San Francisco, CA - San Francisco will be hosting the second round of workshops for the Better Market Street Project to share initial concepts with the public that will inform the future design of the corridor. The workshops will take place on Tuesday, July 17th, 6-8:30 pm and Saturday, July 21st, 10 am-12:30 pm at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, One South Van Ness Avenue, 2nd floor Atrium. For those unable to attend, a webinar will be available on Thursday, July 19th, from 12-1 pm, for people to engage with the City’s project team through the convenience of their web browsers. Register at http://www.bettermarketstreetsf.org.

“With the efforts we are making to revitalize Market Street by creating jobs through new businesses, increasing public safety with our 6th Street police substation, and growing the artist community, we are on our way to transforming this world-class corridor,” said Mayor Ed Lee. “These workshops will allow the public the opportunity to envision the greatness of Market Street in order to create a space that will make it truly, San Francisco.”

The workshops will allow participants to discuss ideas to improve the way people move and spend time along the street and share feedback on initial ideas on how to make the street safer and more efficient to walk, bike and take public transportation; and how to develop the sidewalks and public spaces into more inviting places to shop and experience the arts and enjoy the vibrancy of San Francisco.

“At these workshops, we are asking people to visualize Market Street in a new and more modern way.” said Mohammed Nuru, Director of the Department of Public Works. “The Better Market Street Project is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform Market Street and we are excited to share concepts the public has helped shaped to date.”

The goal of the Better Market Street project is to revitalize Market Street from Octavia Boulevard to The Embarcadero and re-establish the street as a premier cultural, civic, transportation and economic center of San Francisco and the Bay Area.

The first series of workshops were held in May 2011 where the community’s ideas and concerns were shared with the Better Market Street project team. The team presented research on the current state of the corridor and identified alternate uses based on exemplary precedents around the world. The four priorities that citizens ranked most important from the earlier workshops were place-making, or improving the quality and character of public spaces; creating an interesting and attractive pedestrian experience; building an infrastructure that facilitates bicycling; and reinvigorating economic vitality by inviting businesses to replace vacant storefronts.

From the analyses, the project team distilled several key issues such as improving mobility, enhancing the public realm experience, reducing friction between modes of transportation, enhancing access, developing a unique identity, and focusing on the interweaving of urban form, street character and functionality.

Better Market Street Project is led by the Department of Public Works, Planning Department, SF Municipal Transportation Agency, and the SF County Transportation Authority in coordination with the Mayor’s Office and other city departments. To learn more about the Better Market Street Project, please visit http://www.bettermarketstreetsf.org

WHO: DPW Director Mohammed Nuru, SFMTA Director Ed Reiskin, community members, bicyclists, business people, transportation advocates, design consultants, and City staff

WHAT: Better Market Street workshops

WHEN: Tuesday, July 17th 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm 

Saturday, July 21st 10:00 am – 12:30 pm

WHERE: San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, 

One South Van Ness Avenue, 2nd floor atrium

PHOTO OPPORTUNITY: Public viewing of design boards with visuals of potential options to Market Street

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