Minnesota Street Permanently Slowed

BY KAI ZHENG

At the end of 2022 the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) voted to make 16 of the City’s 31 “slow streets” permanent. Introduced during the early days of the COVID pandemic, these roads are intended to create an unhurried transit experience, improve pedestrian safety, nurture community interactions, and prioritize active, carbon-neutral transport modes, like biking or skating. While cars aren’t prohibited from these streets, they’re slowed through a variety of techniques, including installation of barrel-shaped succulent planters and other speed obstacles.

Roads included in the updated traffic management program include 22nd Street, from Bryant Street to Chattanooga Avenue, and Minnesota Street, from Mariposa to 22nd streets. Donovan Lacy, Vice President of the Dogpatch Neighborhood Association and the Green Benefit District, advocated for decelerating Minnesota Street.

“The idea of a slow street is about