By Lawrence Sylou-Creutz Ojermark

I’d like to put forth an old idea that has been tried and tested the world over: Pedestrian only street closures.  It is not a brash or bold idea as far as San Francisco is concerned, being a world-class, transit first, services-based city.  It is not an expensive, highly engineered project that would take years to implement. And the benefits are numerous.  There are many narrow streets, plied heavily by foot traffic and not overly used or needed during the daytime hours that could be converted to pedestrian only use.  Three such examples could be Powell St. from Market St. to Union Square, Grant Ave. running through Chinatown and the last is Jefferson St. through Fisherman’s Wharf.  Imagine covering these streets with appropriate landscaping.  Red bricks continuing from the cable car turnaround for Powell St., with benches, trees and sidewalk cafes spilling out onto the flow of people walking freely and without fear of the traffic.

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