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Petition to Revoke SFMTA Permit for Hayes Street Closure

Request for Revocation of Shared Spaces Permit No. 1316522 (400 Block of Hayes Street)

Statement of Request

We, the undersigned residents, small businesses, and stakeholders in Hayes Valley, joined by concerned San Franciscans, formally request that the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency revoke Shared Spaces Permit No. 1316522 governing the closure of the 400 block of Hayes Street.

This request is based on a sustained and well-documented record demonstrating that the permit is not being administered, enforced, or operated in accordance with its terms or with applicable public-right-of-way standards. Over time, the continued operation of this closure has produced escalating impacts beyond permit noncompliance, including economic harm to neighborhood retail, increased traffic congestion on surrounding streets, and exclusion of affected residents and businesses from meaningful input. These impacts were repeatedly raised and dismissed as outside the scope of permit consideration, even as conditions persisted and worsened.




Basis for Revocation

Since issuance of the renewed permit term, conditions required for lawful operation have consistently not been met. These include, but are not limited to:
– Absence of maintained emergency access
– Lack of required signage and public notice
– No on-site management during closure hours
– Continued unpermitted commercial activity, including unauthorized vending and structures
– Expansion of private advertising and branding within the public right-of-way
– No visible enforcement or corrective action by SFMTA

Recent documented violations including unpermitted commercial vending, vehicles operating in a designated car-free zone, and months of unanswered correspondence with City agencies, demonstrate that the current permit is not enforceable in practice and demonstrate that the current permit is not enforceable in practice and warrants revocation. (See Supporting Documentation: Redacted correspondence with City Agencies August 2025- January 2026)

These conditions have been documented weekly for more than one year, including 61 consecutive weeks of noncompliance, and have been repeatedly submitted to SFMTA without substantive response or remediation.

Administrative Failure

At this point, the issue is no longer isolated permit holder violations, but SFMTA’s continued authorization of a closure that is not being administered, enforced, or justified in practice. By allowing this permit to remain active without consistent oversight, enforcement, or accountability, the closure has effectively functioned as a private exception zone on a public street. This condition undermines public trust, exposes residents and small businesses to conflict and retaliation, and places the burden of monitoring and documentation on private individuals rather than the City. 

This ongoing inaction is especially concerning given SFMTA’s stated fiscal constraints and enforcement backlogs.

Requested Action

We respectfully but firmly request that SFMTA:
1. Revoke Shared Spaces Permit No. 1316522 immediately, and
2. Restore the 400 block of Hayes Street to its intended, lawful public use.

This request is made after prolonged attempts to seek enforcement, clarification, and engagement, none of which have produced corrective action.

Signatories
This request is submitted by affected residents, small businesses, and stakeholders in Hayes Valley and supported by concerned San Franciscans citywide.

Record Reference
Supporting documentation, including weekly reports, photographic records, and correspondence submitted to SFMTA, is publicly available at the following links:
– https://www.hvsafe.com/hayes-street-closure-activity/
– https://www.hvsafe.com/category/sfmta/hayes-street-closure-permit-violations/
– https://www.hvsafe.com/hayes-street-shared-spaces-permit-policy-and-governance-considerations-for-board-review/
– https://www.hvsafe.com/sfmta-iscott-public-hearing-for-hayes-street-temporary-closure-extention/
– https://www.hvsafe.com/immediate-action-and-inclusion-demanded-on-hayes-street-closure/


Sign the petition to Revoke the Permit

Community testimony

These are a selection of comments submitted by residents and small businesses who signed the petition.

“Please re-open Hayes Street! This is a charming street, easily accessible to Civic Center, Franklin, City Hall and Western Addition. I have seen it grow and prosper since the 80s when I worked on Franklin. Please return the street to full 7 days a week access! It will allow the street to prosper and businesses paying rent, maintenance and TAXES to enjoy and grow their investment! Thank you for your time and consideration.”

– SF Resident• 2.16.26

“Enough is enough! Why is this still happening after all these years of discontent from both businesses and residents in Hayes Valley?!”

– Hayes Valley Resident• 2.15.26

“The impact on traffic in the neighborhood has been awful during the pointless closure of a block. The drivers take out their frustrations on the residents of surrounding streets by honking constantly. Then we hear non-stop about MUNI’s budget problems while wasting money to re-route the outbound 6 bus to Grove St where there aren’t bus shelters at the temporary stops. I’ve stood in the rain waiting for the bus numerous times on Grove.”

– John Hurabiell • SF Resident 2.12.26

“The impact on traffic in the neighborhood has been awful during the pointless closure of a block. The drivers take out their frustrations on the residents of surrounding streets by honking constantly. Then we hear non-stop about MUNI’s budget problems while wasting money to re-route the outbound 6 bus to Grove St where there aren’t bus shelters at the temporary stops. I’ve stood in the rain waiting for the bus numerous times on Grove.”

– Hayes Valley Resident 2.11.26

“In addition to working in Hayes Valley, I go to the SF Opera & SF Symphony as well as shows at the Bill Graham Auditorium. When Hayes Street is closed public transportation is useless because it is trapped in traffic. The closed street means less parking for shoppers, less business for shops, more garbage, more noise.

Between the ride share vehicles and people coming from outside the city, the gridlock goes from Hyde to Webster. I catalogued the gridlock for two weeks in January. On days Hayes Street is closed, the gridlock runs almost a mile in every direction. It is faster for me to walk from where I live near Alamo Park than to drive, take a bus, or a taxi – that is 45 minutes for a 1.5 mile walk.

Ultimately the question is: what problem does closing Hayes Street solve?
Closing the streets creates problems, it does not solve anything, does not build community, entice shoppers, or make the city better.”

– Mary McFadden • Hayes Valley Small Business & District 5 Resident 2.10.26

“I frequent Hayes Valley & can attest that the closure impedes my desire to shop and visit hayes valley. I also have observed that the closure has rarely resulted in high utilization of the closed street by pedestrians.”

– District 5 Resident 2.10.26

“This ongoing disruptive closure is harming San Francisco’s recovery and creating hostility and instability in the area. The fact that the SFMTA board approves this each year is confusing – their job is to promote the efficient movement of goods and services and to prioritize transit – approving a program that re-routes MUNI erratically on various days every week is the exact opposite of their responsibility.”

– Marie Hurabiell • SF Resident 2.10.26

“Stop catering to a very small group of entitled people who shut down roads.”

– Mike Regan • SF Resident 2.10.26

“Please stop the closure. It just creates a traffic nightmare on the surrounding streets for a closed street that not many businesses or pedestrians utilize.”

– John Kim • Hayes Valley Resident & Small Business Owner 2.10.26

“This street closure makes no sense and creates a very dangerous situation at the corner of Hayes and Gough.”

– Chris Miller • Hayes Valley Resident 2.10.26

“This is an unnecessary closure which affects business as well as residents. I am both and agree that it is time to open the street to traffic.”

– Hayes Valley Resident & Small Business Owner 2.10.26

“The endless obstruction of streets for drivers has gone way too far. These street closures needs to be reduced dramatically, and it should start with this one.”

– Brian Hill • SF Resident 2.10.26

“Open Hayes street and stop all the events, fairs and festivals that detract from the lease-holding businesses that have made this neighborhood what it is. These types of events being forced on Hayes St should be redirected to one of the many SF areas that actually need revitalizing, not on our business corridor.”

– Hayes Valley Resident 2.10.26

“Enough is enough. Time to end the misguided experiment. Feel good is one thing, but what about equity. Is it fair to inconvenience 12 bus riders so 6 parents get to let their children doodle in the street. No enforcement, traffic backups & increased air pollution due to traffic congestion. What happened to Transit First? Joy is one thing, but what about equity for all. Do a cost benefit analysis to measure the benefits of the few versus the cost & inconvenience to everyone.”

– Richard Johnson • Hayes Valley Resident 2.9.26

“This is a life-and-death issue for me and it needs to be treated that way.

The San Francisco Fire Department has officially documented multiple instances where first responders could not get through. I did not make this up, they’ve repeatedly said this at the SFMTA hearings. I live and work on the 300 block of Hayes and my home faces Ivy Lane right behind it. This is my daily reality. When emergency access fails even once, that should be enough. Minutes determine whether someone lives or dies.

What’s happening on the street level is constant and visible. The 300 block of Hayes regularly turns into a parking lot of stalled traffic, cars idling bumper to bumper. Fumes drift into my shop. Horns are blaring. After symphony events, Ivy Lane behind the block becomes overwhelmed as well, feeding one bottleneck into another. Under these conditions, it is no surprise that first responders have been unable to pass through.

The impact spreads outward. The 400 block of Grove is frequently blocked because cars can’t turn right onto Hayes, so traffic backs up for multiple blocks. This ripple effect is ongoing and unnecessary. Yet this is being framed by some as a “green” measure. Concentrated congestion from trapped vehicles and idling exhaust in the middle of Hayes Valley is not an environmental solution. It’s what residents and workers are forced to breathe.

There are also direct economic consequences. I rely heavily on destination customers who drive in specifically to see me. When the area locks up in gridlock, they simply stay away. These are missed opportunities, especially on my two best selling days of the week.

Above all, the central issue is emergency access. If the Fire Department has already recorded situations where they couldn’t get through, that alone should have triggered a serious reevaluation years ago. One failure is too many when the stakes are human life.”

– K Runske • Hayes Valley Resident & Small Business Owner 2.10.26