SAN FRANCISCO—The city of San Francisco’s Octavia Project is now a complete vehicle free zone.

On Monday, December 9, city officials cut the ribbon between Linden and Hayes Streets. Known as the “Open Street,” people can expect a safe and open space.  The street now has shorter pedestrian crossings, alongside improved intersection visibility. 

“We are very excited to see this pilot project made permanent,” said Tom Maguire, SFMTA Interim Director of Transportation in a statement. “Anytime we can add more public space for our city and improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists is a win for everyone. The successful short term closures of Octavia around Patricia’s Green showed us that this truly is an improvement to the area and the added space is a huge upgrade for the neighborhood.”

The project was initially designed by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA). With the project out of its pilot phase, the street is geared to be more pedestrian and bicycle friendly. 

“San Francisco is joining cities from around the world that are creating car-free people-first places,” said Jodie Medeiros, Executive Director of Walk San Francisco in a statement. “This supports climate goals, boost local economies and helps reduce severe and fatal traffic crashes. This small but significant stretch of Octavia Street is just the beginning of a long list of streets where we can establish more car-free streets that prioritize people.” 

Starting in 2020, the Better Market Street will begin its first phase by removing private vehicles from a majority of the street.