Port outlines progress, funding and priorities for Blue Greenway

Port planning staff presented a detailed update on the Blue Greenway planning and design guidelines, describing the project as an effort to complete portions of the Bay Trail and Bay Water Trail along roughly 13 miles of San Francisco’s central and southern waterfront.

David Beaupre said the Blue Greenway planning effort includes an existing-conditions document, community workshops and interagency coordination with multiple city departments and regional agencies. He said funding for the Blue Greenway originated with Proposition A (2008) and that of the $22.5 million identified for the program, approximately $15 million remains available for Blue Greenway projects.

Staff described a draft list of approximately 32 candidate sites organized into three subareas (northern, central, southern), issues raised at community meetings — habitat, contamination, sea-level rise, water access, circulation and stewardship — and recommended next steps including site-level analysis, a design-identity/wayfinding program and prioritization toward projects that can be implemented with available funds.

Commissioners and public commenters praised the work. Speakers from the Blue Greenway steering committee and neighborhood advocates urged careful attention to environmental constraints and pedestrian safety, especially where skateboarding or nonmotorized uses are proposed. Staff said some near-term projects have community support and that the port will seek additional grants for the southern waterfront.

Staff also noted potential implementation steps including design-bid schedules for Mission Bay Bayfront Park shoreline improvements and Heron’s Head Park next-phase work.