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City accepts $15M BUILD grant for Better Market Street Phase 1; $38M funding gap remains
Summary
The committee recommended acceptance of a $15 million U.S. DOT BUILD grant for Better Market Street Phase 1 (Fifth to Eighth Streets). Staff said the project budget is approximately $176.7M and an estimated $38M funding gap remains; committee asked for construction mitigation planning and further budget detail.
The Budget and Finance Committee recommended that the City accept and expand a $15 million BUILD grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to support Better Market Street Phase 1 improvements between Fifth and Eighth Streets. Oscar Quintanilla of San Francisco Public Works told the committee the BUILD funds will support roadway work, track replacement and signal upgrades, and that near‑term car‑free changes to Market Street already implemented would be made permanent in the larger project.
The Budget and Legislative Analyst reported the program total is about $176.7 million and that a funding gap of roughly $38 million remains; the BLA recommended approval because the grant meets acceptance criteria including available matching funds. Quintanilla and project manager Christina Calderon Alea described five rounds of community outreach to date and said staff are developing a construction mitigation plan and will brief supervisors in March on mitigation and small‑business support. Ms. Alea estimated a two‑year construction duration for Phase 1 and said staff are pursuing additional grants and state funding to close the gap.
A public commenter raised concerns about past cost growth on other large projects (citing Central Subway) and about accessibility and surface conditions for older residents and people with mobility devices. Ms. Alea and Quintanilla said the project team will provide more detailed mitigation and budgeting information in future briefings to address such concerns.
Chair Feuer moved item 2 to the full Board with a positive recommendation and asked staff to continue coordination with SFCTA and SFMTA on construction mitigation.
