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They banished sex work with barriers. Now they’ve got new problems

A person in sunglasses stands beside a "Do Not Enter" sign on a sunny street. They wear a green jacket and dark pants, with a car and trees in the background.
Shotwell Street resident Bob Allen has witnessed multiple drivers mounting the sidewalk to evade the barriers. | Source: George Kelly/The Standard

Shotwell Street residents appear to be experiencing buyer’s remorse after the installation of barriers designed to impede the sex trade. 

Shotwell became a magnet for sex workers and their clients after Capp Street residents had barriers installed near their homes to deter rampant prostitution and cruising that peaked in the early morning, generating noise, traffic and crime. 

But with prostitution now banished from Shotwell, neighbors are encountering new difficulties: trapped delivery trucks and restricted access to their homes. Some motorists have even resorted to driving on the sidewalk to bypass the barriers.

Steven Gaynes, a five-year Shotwell resident, said he’s been trapped in his garage multiple times on afternoons when delivery trucks get stuck on the street.

“This has become a problem for everybody on the street,” he said.

The image shows a street with "FIRE LANE" painted on it, blocked by barriers and a "DO NOT ENTER" sign. Parked cars line both sides of the street.
The new barriers on Shotwell Street. | Source: Steven Gaynes

Bob Allen has lived on the street for over a decade. The urban planner has documented several issues since the barriers were installed on Oct. 22, including emergency vehicles struggling with the barriers and delivery vans getting stuck.

“We’ve seen multiple instances of people driving on the sidewalk to go around the barriers,” Allen said.

A sedan is seen driving onto the sidewalk past an Amazon delivery van to get around a Shotwell Street traffic barrier. | Source: Courtesy Shotwell resident

A spokesperson for the fire department said the barriers had been inspected and shouldn’t be a problem for emergency access but warned neighbors not to park in the roadway.

Mike Dowd, another Shotwell neighbor, said he’s seen less sex work but questioned whether the barriers solve the underlying issue.

“I haven’t seen prostitutes out in the past couple weeks or so,” he said. “But that just means they’re somewhere else.”

The sex work issues had become so severe that some residents recently filed a lawsuit against the city for allowing the nuisance to fester. Ayman Farahat, the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit, declined to comment on the neighbors’ new frustrations.

For some residents, the barriers have brought a measure of peace.

“It was extremely noisy most nights,” said Ira Woodhead, who lives on the corner of the affected block and believes delivery services will adapt. “There were bumper-to-bumper traffic jams in the wee hours, a lot of revving of engines, overpowered stereos, and sounds of fighting.”

Woodhead believes the delivery services will adapt quickly to the barriers. 

“They simply can’t use the street as a through street,” he said.

George Kelly can be reached at gkelly@sfstandard.com
Michael McLaughlin can be reached at mmclaughlin@sfstandard.com