Restore Hayes Street to Public Use.
Sign the Petition

Bilal Mahmood

Representation, Not Ribbon Cuttings

Streets Are for People. Which People? Today, Senator Scott Wiener and Supervisor Bilal Mahmood joined HVNA for a ribbon cutting celebrating the new Hayes Street Farmers Market — held directly on the closed 400 block of Hayes. The symbolism was difficult to ignore.Just as the event was underway, Andrew Seigner and Supervisor Bilal Mahmood took to social media to celebrate the market, emphasizing that “Streets are for people.” This is the same group (HVNA/Seigner) that filed a civil harassment restraining …

continue reading

The Politics of Exclusion in Hayes Valley

For the past several years, many of us have spent an extraordinary amount of time trying to participate in the future of Hayes Valley in good faith. We attended hearings. We submitted records requests. We documented conditions. We spoke with neighbors, merchants, agencies, and elected officials. We tried to ask difficult but reasonable questions about a one-block street closure that has steadily evolved into something much larger: a long-term political project reshaping an active commercial corridor. Somewhere along the way, …

continue reading

Who Set the Direction on Hayes Street?

Over the past year, a small group centered around the Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association (HVNA) and Supervisor Bilal Mahmood quietly set the direction for the future of the 400 block of Hayes Street.A study was launched.Funding was secured.Agencies were coordinated. For the small businesses and neighbors who actually live and work here, one question stands out:How did this happen without us? What the records show Public records reveal a clear, predetermined sequence that bypassed the community: This follows the same …

continue reading

If the Goal Is Better Public Space in Hayes Valley, Let’s Talk About Real Options

For several years, the public conversation about Hayes Street has been framed as a simple choice:Support the street closure — or oppose public space. That framing is false. Many residents, merchants, and stakeholders have consistently supported the idea of improving Hayes Valley’s public spaces. What has been missing is a genuine willingness from City Hall and those shaping the current proposal to consider the full range of ideas that could strengthen the neighborhood without harming its business corridor. Instead, the …

continue reading

A Record of Non-Engagement

From Campaign Support to Early Alignment This post documents our efforts to establish a working cadence with the District 5 Supervisor’s office in early 2025. It reflects contemporaneous correspondence from two neighborhood groups — Hayes Valley Safe (HVS) and the Hayes Valley Small Business Association (HVSBA). No interpretation is required; the record speaks for itself.


 The full email correspondence referenced below is available here: [HVS email thread] and [HVSBA email thread]. Under former Supervisor Dean Preston, we maintained a regular …

continue reading

Bilal in January 2025: Abdicating the Role of Representative

The earliest evidence of undue influence and eroded process. In January 2025, just two weeks into Supervisor Bilal Mahmood’s term, a SFMTA/ISCOTT hearing was held to consider the Head West street closure permit. This for-profit marketplace had begun seeking a higher frequency (4x) of dates in Hayes Valley during the early pandemic — compounding the impacts of the already contentious Hayes Street weekend closure. HVS and local businesses had raised concerns for years, and Head West’s expanded footprint only intensified …

continue reading

SFMTA Reviewing 4 More Sunday Closures for 2026 Despite Years of Harm to Hayes Valley Retail

The for Profit Southern California based Head West Market seeks a fast track permit approval process for 2025 despite no consensus at the neighborhood level and an apparent collusion with efforts by the HVNA for a permanent street closure on Hayes Street. January 22, 2026Post SFMTA ISCOTT Hearing Update Political Pressure Overwhelms Permitting ProcessOn Thursday, January 22, 2026, SFMTA/ISCOTT approved a 4-date street closure permit for the for-profit Head West Market, despite four years of community opposition and strong testimony …

continue reading

Hayes Street Closure — Pulse

Behind the Process: What Our Engagement Reveals This section outlines our direct engagement with City agencies and offices over the past two years. It is based on public correspondence, meeting notes, and documented interactions –not speculation. The purpose is to help the public understand how a neighborhood issue became a political project and why that context is critical ahead of this renewal. 1. SFMTA: Delay, Deflection, and Denial of Tools 2. Supervisor’s Office: Political Shielding and Private Coordination Meeting with …

continue reading