Preston said the city's transit agency, which runs the street's "Shared Spaces" program, agreed to postpone the cutoff date after pressure from his office and the community in letters to the transit agency's leadership.
"Car-free streets have brought joy to families and residents throughout the city, and the Hayes Valley Shared Spaces program has for nearly three years been a transformative example of how we can transform our streets for the benefit of the entire community," Preston said in a Tuesday press release announcing the change.
For now, Hayes Street will continue to operate closed to traffic on weekends as it has since the pandemic while we determine our long-term plans.
To discuss the future of weekend closure on Hayes, we’re convening stakeholders, including the merchants SFMTA, & Fire Department. pic.twitter.com/BrmNYN7i0T
San Francisco Mayor London Breed also chimed in on Tuesday over Twitter that one block of Hayes Street between Octavia and Gough streets will remain car-free on the weekends while a long-term plan is hashed out.
Hayes Street's closure to cars runs from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The program began in August 2020 and stretched three blocks from Laguna to Franklin streets when it first launched.
Jennifer Laska, head of the Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association | Source: Garrett Leahy/The Standard
"I'm obviously very pleased with the decision and look forward to working on long-term solutions so we can keep this cherished program," said Jennifer Laska, head of the Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association.
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
