People are standing in the roadway wearing hard hats and safety vests. They are holding shovels in front a dirt pile. Trees and building are seen in the background.

This month, we joined Transportation Authority Board Member Matt Dorsey (District 6), SFMTA, SF Public Works, SF Bike Coalition, and community members to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Folsom Streetscape Project in the South of Market neighborhood.

This transformative project will improve traffic safety for people walking, biking, and taking transit along Folsom Street, between 2nd and 11th streets. The Transportation Authority provided over $11.4 million in funding from the half-cent sales tax for transportation and other sources to support the planning and construction of improvements.

For example, the Transportation Authority provided funds for community-based planning, through the Western SoMA Neighborhood Plan and Folsom Youth and Family Zone plans. These efforts helped groups like the Western SoMA Task Force and SomCAM to identify strategies and transportation concepts to improve safety for all travelers in the area.

At the event, Commissioner Matt Dorsey noted the significance of Folsom Street to the community, “Folsom is the beating heart of the South of Market neighborhood and it's important to so many of our communities, from the SOMA Pilipinas Cultural Heritage District to the leather and LGBTQ Cultural District to the Yerba Buena Gardens. Of course, it's also important to the residents and I'm excited about this not just as a supervisor and resident, but also as a bicyclist.”

The Folsom Streetscape project will implement critical safety improvements on this Vision Zero High Injury Corridor, including:

  • A protected two-way bikeway
  • Vehicle and bicycle signals 
  • Raised crosswalks at alleys 
  • Curb ramps and sidewalk extensions
  • A Muni-transit only lane and boarding islands
  • A road diet of one to two eastbound vehicle travel lanes 
  • Pedestrian-level lighting, street trees, and 
  • Upgraded sewer and utility infrastructure.

The improvements along Folsom Street are expected to be completed by 2026. These improvements will be the first set of enhancements as part of the larger Folsom-Howard Streetscape Project. Improvements along Howard Street are expected to break ground in 2025, pending funding efforts. 
 

Rendering of the benefits provided by the Folsom Streetscape Project
Board displaying the safety, community/public realm, and complete street benefits of the Folsom Streetscape Project

Resources

San Francisco Breaks Ground on Folsom Streetscape Project (Press Release)
Folsom-Howard Streetscape Project (SFMTA)