Taraval merchants seek relief as marathon street project drags into third year

Reporting from THE PARKSIDE

Business owners on Taraval Street in the Parkside neighborhood are fuming over a transit and underground utilities project that has caused merchants to worry about whether their businesses will survive before the project’s completion.

Merchants lined up last week at the Board of Supervisors Budget and Finance Committee demanding the city help businesses along the Taraval corridor who said foot traffic has diminished as parking in the neighborhood has become difficult due to the construction, especially between 19th and 22nd avenues. Some financial relief could soon arrive from proposed legislation by Supervisor Connie Chan, who chairs the committee.

Chan worked with supervisors Matt Dorsey and Joel Engardio to offer financial assistance to businesses affected by the street closures due to the Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation in Dorsey’s district and the SFMTA project along the Taraval Street corridor in Engardio’s district.

The proposed legislation would establish two relief funds — one for businesses affected by the APEC summit in the South of Market area and another for those affected by transit projects. The Office of Economic Workforce and Development would administer both relief funds in the form of grants.

The pot of money for SoMa businesses will be $2 million while the transit relief fund will have $1 million. Funds will come from excess money the city did not spend for APEC summit.

Dr. Dorothy Pang, a pediatric dentist located on Taraval Street, said the lack of parking has made it difficult for patients she serves, adding:

“I wish to speak on behalf of my patients who are special needs to come to see me by wheelchair. I see a significant number of them. They cannot get to me without cars. They need parking They are handicapped patients. They are being affected by this SFMTA project deeply.”

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency has led the L-Taraval Improvement Project over the last several years to replace the overhead wires and rail. The agency is also installing new transit boarding islands at all L transit stops to improve the safety of passengers getting on and off the trains. Additionally, the city’s Public Utilities Commission worked on replacing the sewer and water main line.

The SFMTA divided the project into two phases with the first phase between Sunset Boulevard and the San Francisco Zoo completed in July 2021. Construction began in 2022 on the second segment of the project on Taraval Street between Sunset Boulevard and 15th Avenue and Ulloa Street. Work is anticipated to last until fall of this year, the SFMTA said on its website.

Engardio said the project will improve and benefit the Taraval business corridor for years to come but added that the city cannot give up on supporting mom-and-pop shops during the construction of the project:

“We can look at this budget committee as if we were an emergency room where we triage the problems coming in and direct resources to the areas in code blue. I can say that Taraval is in code blue. it’s at risk of dying.”

Mark Sherman, who is part owner of Guerra Quality Meats, located at the corner of 15th Avenue and Taraval Street said the deli has experienced a 40 percent drop in revenue over the last two years. Sherman added that the funding should not be the last step in helping businesses but a first step in compensating businesses impacted by the construction over the last two years.

Kevin Chen, the owner of Sushi Zen, located on Taraval Street between 20th and 21st avenues, wrote in a letter to supervisors that the project has prevented patrons from accessing businesses on Taraval Street:

“The Taraval St. construction has deterred customers due to parking issues, road closures, constant jackhammering and demolition, and lack of business access. This leaves many customers to dine elsewhere as this is an inconvenience to them.”

OEWD Executive Director Sarah Dennis-Phillips said in structuring the relief funds, the department will look at making the process simple, equitable, and flexible in use and that the grants to get to businesses quickly.

Dennis-Phillips added that the department would need to do some more work with Engardio and Supervisor Myrna Melgar, who also represents a portion of Taraval Street, to understand the different impacts along the corridor.

According to the last construction update on the SFMTA website, parking spaces in the current work area from 19th to 22nd avenues will not be available until Friday, Feb. 23. Some of the parking spaces could be released after the date, the agency said.

The funding package still needs to be approved by the full Board of Supervisors. Additionally, the proposed legislation includes $500,000 to be spent on providing free parking for the first two hours at the Portsmouth Square Garage and providing free Muni service (exception of cable cars) on the day of the Chinese New Year Parade, Saturday, Feb. 24.