Let’s take a walk through the Sunnyside neighborhood in San Francisco. Head south on Edna Street where it meets Havelock. Straight ahead you’ll see the lush green bushes and the fence for the City College tennis courts. Now look left, and there it is—the Havelock Street Bridge—the main pathway over the freeway, connecting Sunnyside to the wide green lawns, playgrounds, off-leash dog park, swimming pool, and other facilities at Balboa Park in District 11.
What comes to mind is, how does one safely cross? There is no crosswalk to access the bridge and no sidewalk on the south side of Havelock Street. Peering even farther left, at the corner of Circular Avenue, cars and bicycles treat this intersection as a quick yield. With no other traffic entering from the east, cars typically roll through the intersection, even though there is a stop sign.
Intersection of Havelock and Circular, entrance to the Havelock Street Bridge.
Once across the street and on the bridge, something else becomes visibly apparent. This bridge is ugly. It is riddled in graffiti and discarded litter ranging from broken glass to dirty diapers. This concrete jungle pathway, connecting two oases, is an eye sore and doesn’t reflect the warmth and beauty of the Sunnyside and Mission Terrace neighborhoods, or the wonderful park on the other side.
Havelock Bridge. Photo: Estelle Smith
Havelock Bridge. Photo: Estelle Smith
Havelock Bridge. Photo: Estelle Smith
Havelock Bridge. Photo: Estelle Smith
Havelock Bridge. Photo: Estelle Smith
Havelock Bridge. Photo: Estelle Smith
Havelock Bridge. Photo: Estelle Smith
Why? Why is there no crosswalk? Why is the bridge repeatedly vandalized? This is the crux of this article. All bureaucratic roads lead back to here. So, let’s start with how we got here and how we can move forward.
You are invited to Sunnyside Neighborhood Association’s August Quarterly Meeting.
Monday August 2nd, 2021, 6:30 – 8:00 PM via Zoom.
On the agenda: District 7 Supervisor Myrna Melgar is our guest for the meeting; she’ll share the D7 news and then take your questions. The Detroit Steps Project team will give an update. There will also be updates about the Balboa Reservoir Project, and the newly installed Slow Streets program on Hearst Avenue.
You are invited to Sunnyside Neighborhood Association’s May Quarterly Meeting.
Monday May 3rd, 2021, 6:30 – 8:00 PM via Zoom. Meeting link below image.
On the agenda: District 7 Supervisor Myrna Melgar is our guest for the meeting; we’ll hear news from around the district and the supervisor will address your questions and concerns. This meeting will also have an open discussion period for your neighborhood concerns. The Detroit Steps Project will give an update, including news on their recent grant. There will also be updates from WTPCC and the Balboa Reservoir Project, as well as news about a local free food pantry. View slides for meeting here (PDF).
Participatory Budgeting (PB) is a democratic process in which community members propose projects and collectively decide how to spend part of a public budget. Former Supervisor Norman Yee launched the Participatory Budget initiative in 2013 and funded over 120 projects within District 7. Supervisor Melgar is committed to continuing to build strong communities and increasing civic participation through this initiative. We appreciate how engaged and invested District 7 residents have been in improving our neighborhoods and increasing quality of life for all who live and visit our District.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing efforts to recover and reopen our city, we are unable to engage in the traditional PB process during this budget cycle.
This year, in our commitment to honor the intent of PB and remain responsive to community needs and interest, we are launching a one-time Community Grants Initiative to support ongoing recovery and resiliency efforts under previous or existing PB projects that have successfully been through the community vetting process. We will not be able to accept new applicants for these grants due to the shortened selection process. We look forward to engaging in the full Participatory Budgeting process later this year as we plan for the next Budget cycle.
FUNDING
Grants awarded will range from $10,000 to a maximum of $25,000. A total of $250,000 will be awarded collectively under this Community Grants Initiative.
Sunnyside Neighborhood Association 