SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Mayor Gavin Newsom, the Department of Public Works (DPW) and Caltrans announced today that busy on and off ramps into and out of San Francisco will receive intensive cleaning and greening services over the summer with Jobs Now participants and young people participating in DPW’s Summer Youth Landscaping Apprenticeship Program.

The agencies made the announcement at a “Green Ribbon Cutting” at Sixth and Brannan streets today where a formerly litter strewn lot that abuts the freeway there was transformed into a greened street park with new irrigation, walking paths, new trees, flowers, and other landscaping elements such as decorative boulders.
 
“Now more than ever, we need creative solutions and partnerships between City government and the community to not just maintain but to beautify our City,” said Mayor Newsom. “Turning dead spaces into flourishing green areas can create new parks for the public and jobs and opportunities for youth."
 
The Sixth and Brannan Street Park was made possible by a public and private partnership including DPW’s Street Parks Program, Caltrans’ Adopt A Highway Program, UMB Construction, and a group of neighbors who wanted to do something about the space between the I 280 Freeway and a new housing complex that was prone to graffiti and illegal dumping.

“Creating beautiful, livable, vibrant, and sustainable spaces is an important part of our work, however, we cannot do it alone. These types of partnerships are critical in an era when we are seeking the most efficient way to clean and beautify the city,” said Ed Reiskin, Director of Public Works. 

Other areas that will be kept clean and green include the landscaped Eighth & Harrison street offramp, the entrance to 280 at Cesar Chavez and Kansas streets, and the Mission and Duboce offramp. Many areas have been upgraded in partnership with Caltrans.

“Caltrans welcomes these local partnerships that result in improvements that benefit all involved.  Every effort taken to reduce our carbon footprint is a win-win. What better way than to take a littered lot and turn it into a mini park,” said Dan McElhinney, Caltrans District 4 Chief Deputy District Director.

In addition, youth participants will take care of other freeway areas around Bayshore, Geneva, San Bruno Avenue and along medians throughout the City, such as Sunset Boulevard, Brotherhood Way, Geary Boulevard, and Mansell Street.

Funded by the Department of Public Works and the Mayor’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development, the four-year-old Department of Children, Youth and Their Families youth apprenticeship program is part of Mayor Newsom’s efforts to increase youth employment opportunities for young San Franciscans and keep the city clean and green.  It provides young people between the ages of 18 and 25 with valuable skills while beautifying these greened areas. Participants will perform a variety of tasks ranging from trash pick-up and weeding to planting trees, landscaping, and attending presentations on safety issues. Workshops include topics such as Arborist and Cement Work and Community Greening Programs. 

“Our youth program helps us fulfill our commitment to keep the city clean and green while promoting landscaping and gardening careers for young people,” said Mohammed Nuru, Deputy Director for Operations at DPW.

DPW is partnering with Mission Neighborhood Centers, who will recruit and hire youth from the Mission, Bayview, Western Addition, Chinatown, South of Market, and Outer Mission/ Sunset/Richmond neighborhoods to provide them with learning opportunities, useful job skills and a chance to improve their neighborhoods. Participants will earn $11 per hour while receiving a combination of hands-on training and classroom instruction.

DPW is responsible for the care and maintenance of San Francisco’s streets and much of its infrastructure. The department cleans and resurfaces streets; plants and maintains City street trees; designs, constructs and maintains city-owned facilities; inspects and repairs streets and sidewalks; constructs curb ramps; removes graffiti from public property; and partners with the diverse neighborhoods in San Francisco to provide stellar cleaning and greening services.