Sanchez Slow Street – Upper Noe Neighbors

UNN supports Slow Sanchez design formed through rigorous public process. We are interested in knowing more about what MTA is planning and what our neighbors want for the future of this street. We promote a common understanding of what a slow street is and how it should be used based upon the authority of MTA (How to Use Slow Streets Fact Sheet) and traffic laws.

Email SlowStreets@SFMTA.com with “Sanchez Street” in the subject line with any questions or feedback.

Update February, 2025
According to Transportation Planner Alejo Alvarado, the project had been on pause while they worked through some design concerns with SF Fire. In January, SF Fire chose to approve the proposed design without exceptions. There are no changes to this design from the one that was presented to us last April. It will be at a Public Hearing on March 7. If approved by the City Traffic Engineer, the project will likely be installed sometime this Summer.

Update April 24, 2024
In a public Zoom meeting, Mark Dreger and Alejo Alvarado of the Slow Streets team presented their final design that they will submit to the SFMTA board for an engineering hearing on June 14. Click here to VIEW the DESIGN. Changes from the previous design include:
* small islands in the center of 29th Street that appear to be designated for landscaping. Concerns were raise about whether the islands will be visible enough or otherwise present a hazard.
* street features designated for landscaping are now marked.
* some features at the corners with stop signs have been shortened slightly to accommodate the best use of curb space and preserve parking.

Update March 18, 2024
A small group of UNN board members and Sanchez Street UNN members met with Next Gen Sanchez Project Manager Alejo Alvarado and his team to review a preliminary proposal for design features at Sanchez Street intersections. This is the exact presentation, along with our meeting notes Next Gen Slow Sanchez Feb 2024.

Additionally, Alejo offered, “Regarding parking counts: we did an intersection-by-intersection analysis of the impacting of PSZ’s on parking. Here is what we found:

If the entire design is implemented as is, there will be 5 legal parking spaces, that will be allocated to alternate use (PSZ, Murals, Bicycle Parking.)
Two of these five spaces are metered spaces.
There are an additional 13.5 parking spaces that will be re-allocated, that are no longer legal parking spaces due to the new Senate Bill 413.
Of these additional 13.5, two of them are metered parking spots.

Email SlowStreets@SFMTA.com with “Sanchez Street” in the subject line with any questions or feedback.

Update 09/17/2023
SFMTA Slow Sanchez Project team came out to Upper Noe on Thursday, 9/14 to present Next Generation Slow Streets design elements. We walked from 30th Street to 24th, stopping at each intersection to discuss our experiences and potential design features including:
-Painted Safety and Community Zones
-Landscaped Islands
-Wayfinding and signage
-Landscaped Traffic Circles
-Roadway Narrowing
-On Street Bike Parking

For those who missed this opportunity, the Slow Sanchez team agreed to attend Upper Noe Neighbors on Sept 20 and presented the features. The features were also presented in this survey that was circulated online: Next Gen Sanchez Slow Street Survey

Update 07/28/23
At this point, we are still waiting for SFMTA to respond to our request that they define the scope of this project, what the funding can be used for or what they intend to do with it.

Update 05/16/2023
UNN Slow Sanchez Committee met May 8
SFMTA’s 2023 Slow Streets Evaluation Report was released May 2. View the link above to see the full report. A snapshot is below. Sanchez has the best record of all slow streets. It is well below the targets of the program and not in need of any further intervention. The report’s Planned Follow-up is “Continue to Monitor.” Sanchez has only 320 cars per day vs. a target of 1000 or less. It has speeds of 13 mph vs. a target of 15 mph. It has zero Egregious Speeders (speeds over 30 mph). Amazing!

Update 03/05/2023
Supervisor Mandelman has requested funding for additional, permanent buildout of Slow Sanchez. The proposal was presented and approved at the February 22 SF County Transportation Authority Citizens Advisory Council.

The proposal reads: “Funds will be used to design and construct ‘next generation’ Slow Street improvements along Sanchez Street from 23rd Street to 30th Street. Construction treatments will include the installation of traffic calming islands with potential landscaping and permanent signs, wayfinding & identification signs on poles to improve connections to the City’s bike network, and up to 4 traffic calming concrete islands on Sanchez Street to create community space and add green elements in the roadway. SFMTA anticipates that the project will be open for use by March 2024.”

Here is the documentation: SFMTA Next Gen Sanchez Slow Street ARF

Community Guidelines

Update: 02/22/2023
Now that SFMTA has extended the life of Slow Sanchez beyond the pandemic emergency order, they published a set of norms to provide an environment that feels safe, comfortable, and welcoming for everyone. Please view these here: How To Use Slow Streets Fact Sheet

The SFMTA fact sheet aligns with the previous work by the Slow Sanchez Committee of Upper Noe Neighbors, who proposed a set of community guidelines for using the street last year. These guidelines are meant to be voluntarily accepted by the community, as a way to reduce hazards and/or burdens on our neighbors, to make our Slow Street a safe and enjoyable shared space, and to elevate a sense of community/belonging in this neighborhood.

1. Please deposit your trash (including pet waste) in City trash receptacles.
2. Please keep noise to a minimum, particularly after 6:00 p.m. Talking in groups should be done away from neighbors’ windows.
3. Please be respectful of residents’ property and frontage. (For example, do not congregate on neighbors’ stoops, set up sales in front of homes, or post signs on trees, without the homeowner’s consent.)
4. Events on Sanchez Street (subject to required City permitting where appropriate) should occur on weekends between noon and 6pm.
5. Slow Streets are thoroughfares serving pedestrian and vehicle transportation. Please do not congregate or place furniture and other obstructions in the road.
6. For safety, please exercise caution and awareness of swiftly moving but silent bicycles, electric cars, e-bicycles and e-scooters.
7. Parents and caregivers are urged to provide supervision to ensure that children use Sanchez Street in a safe manner.
8. Please remember that vehicles retain the right of way on Slow Streets. Vehicles accessing the immediate block (e.g., residents leaving/returning home, delivery trucks or service vehicles conducting business at a building located on the block) must be allowed to use the road unimpeded.