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Planning staff lays out Better Market Street design and Draft EIR timetable
Summary
Planning Department and Public Works presented Better Market Street concepts, including sidewalk‑level bikeways, transit‑only center lanes, and a draft EIR scheduled for Feb. 27 with public comment through April 15; commissioners and public stressed safety, equity, and construction mitigation for businesses.
Planning Department staff and San Francisco Public Works presented an update on the Better Market Street project, describing design concepts, outreach and the schedule for the environmental review. Staff said the draft Environmental Impact Report will be published Feb. 27, with a public comment period running Feb. 28 through April 15 and hearings planned in March and April.
Public Works project manager Christine Olaya and Planning Department staff outlined key design elements: two 12‑foot Muni‑only center lanes, curbside boarding islands paired with sidewalk‑level protected bike lanes, expanded furnishing zones and a clear pedestrian throughway, and restrictions on private vehicles (including ride‑hail) on Market Street to prioritize transit, taxis and deliveries. Staff emphasized safety improvements, ADA upgrades, replacement of aging infrastructure (utilities and drainage) and phased construction beginning with Fifth to Eighth Streets.
Public commenters and commissioners urged strong enforcement of new lane rules, robust mitigation for small businesses during long construction periods, and attention to equity and accessibility (vulnerable pedestrians, seniors and people with disabilities). Commissioners suggested creative strategies to reduce the perceived burden of long construction, including public‑facing construction art/programming and close coordination with community benefit districts to support merchants during construction phases.
Staff said the pilot bikeway testing informed the sidewalk‑level bikeway preference and that coordination with developers and property owners in mid‑market is underway. The project team will return for subsequent review as the environmental process proceeds.
