The GrowSF Report: San Francisco streets are deadlier than ever
PLUS: Effort to recall Supervisor Joel Engardio launched
What You Need To Know
Here’s what happened around the city for the week of December 1, 2024:
- San Francisco streets are deadlier than ever
- Effort to recall Supervisor Joel Engardio launched
- Nikki Fortunato Bas to serve as interim Oakland mayor
- SFSU lecturers get the ax amid budget crunch
- How Washington could impact San Francisco
Recent & upcoming openings:
- Closed by ex-owners, Noe Valley Books reopens with $150K from its fans
San Francisco streets are deadlier than ever
21 pedestrians have been killed so far in 2024, making it the second-deadliest year since the city pledged to eliminate traffic deaths in 2014 with “Vision Zero.” SF has implemented measures like daylighting, slow streets, and elevated crosswalks, but it hasn’t yet curbed the problem.
According to the Standard, “San Francisco’s Vision Zero data suggest that in recent years, drivers were at fault for most pedestrian deaths caused by cars.”
According to our poll this past summer, San Franciscans are united on what they think we should do to improve safety: 77% want protective barriers at crosswalks, 76% want red light cameras, 71% want speed cameras, and 65% want more residential speed humps.
Add speed humps: Residential streets across the city, especially the ultra-wide streets in the outer neighborhoods, need these.
Enhance traffic law enforcement: Increase police presence in high-risk areas to stop reckless driving and strictly enforce existing traffic laws.
Implement speed & red light cameras: Install automated speed cameras everywhere to discourage and issue citations for speeding and running red lights.
Ban right-turn-on-red: Pedestrian fatality data indicates that the huge majority of car vs person fatalities happen during right turns.
Redesign high-injury corridors: Focus on reconstructing streets with a history of accidents, with a focus on traffic calming, protected bike lanes, and protected pedestrian infrastructure.
Effort to recall Supervisor Joel Engardio launched
Some residents in the Sunset have launched a recall effort against GrowSF-endorsed Supervisor Joel Engardio. They say they are upset at the passage of Proposition K, which shuts down the Great Highway to cars between Golden Gate Park and the zoo to convert it into a seaside park.
We understand their frustration with the impacts to their daily commutes, and are committed to bringing traffic improvements to Sunset Boulevard in order to mitigate those concerns. But a recall won’t undo Prop K, it won’t reopen the road, and it won’t fix traffic congestion.
We, of course, support their right to attempt a recall – that’s democracy after all! But we will focus on improving Sunset boulevard and making Great Highway Park amazing.
Supervisor Engardio has been a champion on public safety, education, parks, and basic quality of life improvements in the Sunset, and we look forward to what he’ll do next year!
Nikki Fortunato Bas to serve as interim Oakland mayor
Nikki Fortunato Bas is trading her Oakland City Council seat for the Oakland mayor’s office—at least temporarily. Her move follows the recall of Sheng Thao, whose tenure was marked by rising crime rates, budget deficits, and an FBI investigation that included a raid on her home in June 2024. Thao's alleged connection to California Waste Solutions, alongside other concerns, led about 65 percent of voters to support her removal in November.
Now Bas will hold the mayor post until December 17th, and then officially begin her new position as Alameda County Supervisor. Bas is resigning so quickly in order to save Oakland both the cost and hassle of having two special elections to fill her empty City Council seat and the Mayor’s seat. If we put out a Grow Oakland guide, we would endorse Loren Taylor for Mayor.
SFSU lecturers get the ax amid budget crunch
San Francisco State University is facing a financial tempest with its lecturers at the forefront. Enrollment has plummeted to about 22,400 students this fall from about 29,500 in 2018, and so the university has decided not to rehire an unspecified number of lecturers for the spring 2025 semester.
"I have to relaunch my career at the end of my working life,” Jennifer Beach, a lecturer in the English department whose job was cut, told the SF Standard.
SFSU leaders point to falling attendance as the root cause, but critics say these moves reflect a deeper erosion of support for public education. Regardless of who is to blame, it is clearly a major blow to our education system, and the loss of experienced lecturers casts a shadow over SF State’s future.
How Washington could impact San Francisco
New information from the mayor’s office paints a picture of the San Francisco budget: the city’s shortfall, once projected at $800 million, has ballooned to $876 million between 2025 and 2027. And it could break $1 billion under a Trump presidency.
At GrowSF, we never cover national politics. But our looming budget deficit means the White House may actually impact City Hall. According to the SF Standard and Chronicle, federal funding for the City could be at risk, including $244 million in FEMA disaster aid that San Francisco is counting on.
In another report, BART faces its own uphill battle. The regional transit system is staring down a funding gap of $300–$400 million per year starting in 2026, and needs significant help from the Federal government. Without significant intervention—either from state or federal programs—San Francisco’s downtown revival plans could derail entirely, according to the Chronicle.
It’s an important reminder that we need to get our own finances in order, and not rely on the State or Federal governments to save us.
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Recent & upcoming openings
A great city is constantly changing and growing, let’s celebrate what’s new!
Closed by ex-owners, Noe Valley Books reopens with $150K from its fans
After a seven-month hiatus following the closure of Folio Books, Noe Valley Books has reopened at the same 24th Street location. Spearheaded by former manager Katerina Argyres and her dedicated team, the revival was made possible through a successful crowdfunding campaign that raised $150,000 from over 700 donors. The bookstore aims to serve as a community hub, offering a diverse selection of titles, including literary fiction, nonfiction, queer romances, and cozy fantasies.
WHERE: Noe Valley Books is located at 3957 24th Street, San Francisco, CA 94118.
Your Action Plan
Now that you know what’s happening, help us shape what happens next:
GrowSF Election Victory Party
Join us for the GrowSF Election Victory Party at ANINA. We're having a celebration to honor all the hard work that went into this election season.
We're thrilled to announce that Supervisors-elect Bilal Mahmood and Danny Sauter will be joining us, and who knows, maybe a few other surprise guests will pop in too! See you there!
WHEN: Tuesday, December 17 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
WHERE: ANINA, 482 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA 94102
The Spirit of San Francisco
There’s a lot to love about our city and the Bay Area. Here’s what makes it great. Brought to you by The Bold Italic.
What we’re doing this week
The Golden Girls Live: The Christmas Episodes
Experience the classic TV show’s holiday episodes performed live on stage by an all-drag cast. This hilarious tribute combines nostalgia with outrageous performances, offering a fresh perspective on your favorite Golden Girls moments. The drag performances are both affectionate and over-the-top, turning this into a unique holiday tradition. Whether you’re a longtime fan or new to the show, this production will leave you laughing and humming along to its theme song.
When: December 5–22, 2024 (various times)
Where: The Curran Theatre, 445 Geary St, San Francisco, CA 94102
More details
Let’s Glow SF
San Francisco’s iconic architecture becomes a canvas for massive holiday-themed light projections. Stroll through downtown and watch as art and animation light up the night in spectacular fashion. This event is perfect for an evening walk with friends or family, soaking in the beauty of winter without the chill. Read our review of last year’s Let’s Glow SF.
When: December 6–15, 2024
Where: Various downtown San Francisco buildings
More details
Santa Skivvies Run
Strip down to your festive underwear and join hundreds in this cheeky charity run through the Castro. It’s a fun, body-positive event that supports the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, with participants often decked out in creative holiday-themed lingerie. Expect a lively crowd, music, and a lot of good-natured laughs as runners race to spread awareness and joy. It’s one of the most lighthearted and visually festive ways to give back during the holidays.
When: December 8, 2024, 9:00 AM
Where: Castro District, San Francisco
More details
What we’re writing about
The secret lives of San Francisco’s miniature parks
San Francisco is a city that thrives on secrets. Beneath its postcard-ready hills and Instagrammable views lies a labyrinth of hidden treasures, quietly offering refuge to the initiated. But this isn’t another love letter to Sutro Baths or the secret speakeasy tucked behind a laundromat. No, today we’re talking about the city’s tiniest, quirkiest parks — those blink-and-you’ll-miss-them green spaces that feel more like Easter eggs than actual parks.
‘A Man On The Inside’ doesn’t give SF enough screen time
As shameless civic boosters of all things San Francisco, we here at The Bold Italic relish any opportunity to see our fair city on screen, whether it be in movies or on television. So we were excited to see just how much screen time SF gets in the new Netflix series, A Man On The Inside, starring an affable Ted Danson as a lonely, 76-year-old widower who gets hired by a private investigator to be an undercover mole at a retirement community, in order to help solve a case of a missing necklace.
And as much as we want to say something like, “Sure, Ted Danson is wonderful in this, but the real star of the show is San Francisco,” it’s just… NOT.
From Gozu to The Wild: A Michelin-worthy evolution in San Francisco dining
Change is hard, especially when a beloved restaurant, Gozu, morphs into something entirely new: The Wild, starting September 2024.
Thankfully, what made Gozu great remains at the new Wild: a passionate team of servers and staff, including chef de cuisine Peggy Tan and pastry chef Mark Lieuw, who Zimmerman has been working with for years. Also, those charcoal walls, large binchotan grill and live fire cooking, giving the spare few diners front row views of the cooking from the counter-only “table.”
The legacy of SF Oasis will live on, following its successful gala
SF Oasis raised a hearty $200,000 to support a much grander club of today, one with a flashy runway, rooftop space, and sparks that fly while drag queens do death drops. Notably though, it’s the new nonprofit arm that attendees threw their dollars at — Oasis Arts — which wants queer film and theater to thrive in a city that’s often too expensive to encourage it.
Q Bar returns along with ‘Booty Call Wednesdays’ — and Castro becomes a little more whole
QBar has risen from the ashes — literally. The storied watering hole finally reopened a few weeks ago after an intense fire sent the bar on a 5-year hiatus. Now in its triumphant return, Q Bar’s dance floor is already packed with energy and nostalgia.
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