What the ‘Hayes Promenade’ petition doesn’t tell you

Since September 2023, the petition to keep Hayes Street closed has evolved. In its first phase it was all about “Car-Free Hayes.” Then, last year, the narrative shifted: suddenly it became the “Hayes Promenade.” But let’s be clear: there is no official Hayes Promenade. It’s a concept pushed by a narrow group to make a pandemic-era closure sound visionary. Now, that petition comes with simulated depictions and dreamy language about “strolling and congregating” in a “neighborhood transformed.”

Here’s the problem: none of it reflects reality.

“Time to imagine something great, better, and more permanent.”

Hayes Valley didn’t need reinvention. It was already working as a high density, walk-able corridor where locally owned shops, families, and renters coexisted with bars and restaurants. What this closure has delivered instead:

• An undermined Hayes and Octavia business corridor where retailers report losing over $100,000 per Saturday in potential sales.
• A block serving a handful of bars and restaurants most of whom already have parklets and extended sidewalk space – while small, family-run shops are left clambering to survive. (Many have already closed, and others are barely hanging on.)
• A City Hall that, up until COVID, largely yielded to a self-anointed “country club” pushing their vision behind closed doors. That dynamic is shifting and rightly so. The days of backroom policymaking must end.

“Hayes Street is not just a thoroughfare but a vibrant stretch of community space. A pedestrianized Hayes Street would provide a beautiful avenue for sitting, eating, and walking.”

The truth: Hayes Street is one of San Francisco’s most prominent business corridors yet the permit holder and their allies have seemingly lost sight of its core purpose as a commercial artery. Commerce is no longer the priority. The closure has dragged on unnecessarily, turning a vital corridor into a playground with small businesses paying the price.

The irony? Hayes Valley already offers ample space for sitting, eating, and walking. Generous sidewalks, elaborate parklets, and outdoor dining areas line the corridor, while nearby parks, living alleys, and even a slow street (Page St) provide plenty of places to gather.

It’s also worth noting how prominently children are featured in the petition’s imagery. While no one disputes the need for safe, welcoming spaces for kids, Hayes Valley already provides them from Patricia’s Green to multiple nearby playgrounds and schoolyards. What’s being overlooked here is that Hayes Street itself has always functioned as a commercial corridor, not a play street.

“Cities worldwide are turning roads into parks.”

Yes but they’re doing it with:
✔️ Robust planning and public outreach
✔️ Dedicated budgets for design, programming, and maintenance
✔️ Actual community consensus

Hayes Street has none of these. It was commandeered during a pandemic emergency and kept closed by a small group of insiders not through any legitimate public process.

“The 400 block of Hayes Street is 16,476 sq ft. Imagine what we could do.”

Here’s what’s actually happening:

• Emergency vehicles and Muni buses forced into inefficient detours
• Retail sales strangled while bars are prioritized in the Entertainment Zone agenda
• Underutilized parks and alleys nearby ignored in favor of monopolizing a business corridor

We don’t need to “imagine” a better use for this block. We need to return it to what it was: a functional business corridor that served everyone.

“A future where streets are for everyone.”

Reality check: This closure isn’t for everyone. It’s for a single permit holder, backed by a few bars/restaurants and a select group of handpicked allies.

• No outreach to residents.
• No voice for small business retailers the ones hardest hit by this closure.

This reeks of entitlement dressed up as forward progress. Thanks, but no thanks. You’ve set many of us back. It’s time to stop this experiment and revisit what already works in Hayes Valley.

We say: enough is enough.

The pandemic is over. The closure failed. Hayes Valley deserves its street back. We need balance. And our leaders need to listen to the entire neighborhood not just special interest groups. Because let’s be real: closing the middle block of a vital business corridor isn’t equity. It’s exclusion.

Ready to see Hayes thrive again?

➡️ Sign the petition to reopen Hayes Street
➡️ Share this post. Let’s make it clear: our neighborhood is not a political playground.