FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JAN. 24, 2013 

Contact: Rachel Gordon, DPW communications director 

(415) 554-6045 or rachel.gordon@sfdpw.org

STOCKTON STREET PEDESTRIAN ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM KICKOFF 

Sidewalk Merchandise Displays Expanded Jan. 26-Feb. 9 for Chinese New Year

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – San Francisco’s vibrant and culturally rich Chinatown neighborhood will be teaming with activity leading up to the Chinese New Year, which this year lands on Sunday, Feb. 10, and Mayor Edwin M. Lee and Board of Supervisors President David Chiu are pleased to announce the kickoff of the second annual Stockton Street Pedestrian Enhancement Program.

Starting Saturday and running through February 9, 2013, merchants with shops on the Stockton Street commercial corridor, between Broadway and Sacramento streets, will be offered the opportunity to secure a special permit to set up merchandise displays in the parking spaces fronting their businesses.

“This is a great opportunity for the local businesses and their customers in the heart of Chinatown to enjoy the celebratory Chinese New Year season,” said Mayor Lee. “This community-driven program will temporarily expand the sidewalk for outdoor merchandise displays along five blocks of Stockton Street to safely accommodate the big increase of residents and visitors coming to the area for their holiday shopping in the days ahead.”

Added Chiu, the District 3 supervisor who represents Chinatown, “This will enhance the already terrific Chinatown experience during this busy time of the New Year by promoting our businesses and giving pedestrians more breathing room.”

During the duration of the program, curbside parking will be prohibited in the program area between the hours of 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. when the sidewalks will be expanded temporarily into the parking lane for merchandise displays. Muni service through the area will not be disrupted.

The Department of Public Works, the Police Department, the Department of Public Health and the Municipal Transportation Agency will have employees on the ground to ensure that the streets are kept safe for visitors to the area. The Stockton Street Pedestrian Enhancement Program builds on a successful pilot project leading up to last year’s Chinese New Year.

“Chinatown is already one of the most densely packed shopping districts in the nation, and the Chinese New Year brings in even more visitors,” said Mohammed Nuru, director of the San Francisco Department of Public Works. “This program assures that the experience not only will be fun, but also safe.” 

The program is a partnership between the City and the Chinatown Neighborhood Association, Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Chinese American Association of Commerce, Chinatown Merchants Association, Chinatown Community Development Center, Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, Community Youth Center and Recology.

To ensure, the program’s success, deliveries along the corridor must be scheduled before 9 a.m. or after 7 p.m. In addition to the temporary prohibition of curbside parking, no delivery trucks will be able to park or stop on Stockton Street in the program area between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m., and double-parking restrictions will be strictly enforced along Stockton Street and the streets that feed into Stockton Street to make sure that traffic is not obstructed. Health inspectors will assure that food items are properly displayed.

"The Department of Public Health is proud to be a partner in helping to facilitate a safe and prosperous Chinese New Year's event,” said Barbara Garcia, director of the San Francisco Department of Public Health. “We have had excellent response from the Chinatown merchants and look forward to continuing to work with the community in making the Year of the Snake celebration the safest and best ever."

Pius Lee, the chair of the Chinatown Neighborhood Association who helped develop last year’s Stockton Street pilot project, worked with City officials and merchants on this year’s event. “Sidewalk shopping is a long Chinese tradition to welcome the New Year,” he said. “This initiative is a win for the community.”

About DPW: 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 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. More information is available at www.sfdpw.org

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