New metal fencing has been erected at the 16th St. BART Plaza with the aim of keeping vendors from blocking the plaza, a persistent problem in recent years.
San Francisco Public Works dropped off the barricades on Sept. 12, 15 and 21 at the request of the police department, according to the Public Works spokesperson, Rachel Gordon.
But on Wednesday, the barricades had simply pushed vendors a bit up the street and further narrowed the sidewalk, making access even more difficult.
Instead of availing themselves of the entire plaza, vendors now set up their wares in front of the barricades or on the pavement, reducing space for pedestrians.
Lovefyre Jahworld, who was giving out free cell phones from an American Assistance booth, part of a government program, said he worried about safety hazards in the case of an emergency. Five minutes earlier, he had seen an old man trip over the barricade and fall.
“I’d say it’s for catastrophe, to harm people,” said Jahworld.
“There will be too many people coming in and out, and it’s hard to flow out of here,” he said.
Still, some vendors said that the barricades, which have also been erected at the 24th Street station, coupled with enforcement, had made vending less desirable.
Pinky, a vendor with bright pink hair and a can of pepper spray hanging on her neck, said the fencing would not stop her from setting up — but would make it more difficult.
She began vending at Sixth and Market streets, she said, before coming to the 16th Street BART Plaza four years ago. She was selling clothes, jewelry and a small Christmas tree that had been stored in two suitcases.
“It’s not stopping anybody doing anything; it just makes our lives more difficult,” Pinky said.
The barricades were installed at the behest of the San Francisco Police Department. A police spokesperson said the fencing would address “concerns regarding vendors encroaching on the sidewalk and making it difficult for people to move through the area without obstructions.”
Police added that the move was meant to help access for wheelchair users and facilitate movement during an emergency.
The department said the barricades would stay indefinitely.
In June, similar metal grates were set up outside the 24th Street McDonald’s and at the 24th Street BART Plaza, pushing vendors away from the square but onto nearby sidewalks.
Illegal street vendors have become a semi-permanent fixture at the BART plazas since the pandemic began. Vendors, many hawking ill-gotten goods, set up shop at all hours of the day, selling bottles of shampoo, assorted clothing, laundry detergent, and all manner of toiletries, groceries, and items in between.
Particularly at the 24th Street BART Plaza, vendors choke the sidewalk, making pedestrian and wheelchair access difficult.
Supervisor Hillary Ronen, who passed a law last year with other supervisors to push illegally operating vendors away from the 24th Street Plaza, was unaware of the new barricades, her legislative aide Santiago Lerma said.
On Wednesday, the 16th and Mission intersection was still packed with vendors, people waiting for the bus and passers-by receiving flu shots at a vaccination booth.
An older woman in a green fleece jacket laid out her items on a blue tarp: Three onions, one head of lettuce, a bag of green peppers.
Manuel, a vendor with thick silver glasses frames, sold T-shirts and jeans on the other side of the barricades. He said he had a permit to sell, but had to move because of the barricades, regardless.
Hector, wearing a black beanie and pink sweatshirt, was selling next to Pinky.
“No fences are ever really good,” he said. “I like to feel free and have the ability to go out and make money if I want to, but fences are something that holds you back. You gotta go over. It’s an obstacle.”
Despite many calling the 16th Street spot a “shoplifters’ market,” Pinky said a lot of vendors here do not sell stolen goods. “I went out and got stuff from the free list, or donations, or things people have given me. I really try not to shoplift if at all possible.”
She was packing as we spoke, because it was a slow day for her. “I gotta go somewhere else to make some more money.”
It’s been difficult since the barricades here and at 24th Street were installed and police officers are patrolling more, she said.
“At night time, they run us around and move us from spot to spot to spot. It’s absolutely ridiculous, because we are just really trying to survive, you know?”
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I am so tired of criminals blatantly lecturing us about their right to continue committing crimes.
Illegal vending isn’t the world’s biggest crime. But these minor criminals in this story are so shameless.
Pinky said a lot of vendors here do not sell stolen goods… “I really try not to shoplift if at all possible.”
That is excellent – you had to have chuckled out loud when you got that quote!
I’m having a hard time feeling sympathy for the junkies and criminals who hang out on the BART plazas selling stolen goods, blocking the sidewalks and BART entrances, and creating a seedy, unsafe atmosphere that hurts local businesses. In contrast to the flower ladies and other legit street merchants who are trying to make an honest living.
Strong enforcement needs to be done!
The vendors don’t dictate to us!
More needs to be done!
I’m a victim of a home burglary 9/15 on Saturday I was able to recover some of my items on 16th and Mission. The person that had some not all of my items was placed in custody! Thank to Mission Station SFPD.
My blue recycle bins were also stolen!
you don’t need to put fences
the police need to do their job that’s it. Bring a truck take all their stuff
The vending happens at 15th and 24th more than 16th. The barriers make walking to and from BART lengthier. I’d rather have people vending when they do and simply walk past over of having a barrier 24/7. Tedious.
Is it barricading season again already? how quickly the time flies!
I live by the 24th and Mission BART station and there have been two cops there recently. That’s effective but seems pretty expensive. Can the cops just pop by the various street vendor locations and confiscate the apparently store-bought goods from sellers who don’t have the required vendor license?
These failures are once again due to SFPDs criminal negligence in enforcing the law (in this case, checking vendor permits).
You are aware that Supervisor Ronen made it clear the official policy was for the Department of Public Workers to issue and check permits?
The barricading is so stupid, it’s painful to watch. Vendors are doing this because they’re trying to survive. Invest in social services, invest in helping people, not in barricades. This just makes it harder to walk and makes people not want to take transit. We need our sidewalks and public spaces back and for these barricades to go.
Why is it so difficult for the police in SF to simply enforce the law? Is that somehow infringing on the “rights” of people to break the law when they feel like it? Or is there some deep-seated guilt in applying the law onto people who are deemed “underprivlidged” and so therefore don’t need to follow the laws being “unfairly imposed” on them? Is that some sort of progressive point of pride?
If a vendor can’t prove they’ve legally obtained the goods they are selling, then it’s fair to assume the goods are stolen. It’s up to the individual to proved otherwise.
The barriers at 16th BART have just whack-a-moled the vendors north on Mission towards 15th Street. The careful management of appearances is not the appearance of careful management.
I’m glad that we have street vendors up and down Mission Street both north and south of 16th Street that distract tourists from the dilapidation that they would otherwise observe. Fortunately, my tourist friend who rented a hotel room right off the BART plaza all of last week before he returned to Europe saw the vendors as a feature rather than as a flaw.
Ten years ago, Uber/Lyft didn’t have taxicab licensing and didn’t comply with the ADA. Airbnb profited off of unlicensed rentals and sublets. Fortune 100 companies were running shuttles that broke the law by stopping at Muni stops without any legal permit to do so.
All these business operations were technically illegal at some point, and in all these cases, the city recognized there was at least _some_ legitimate demand these actions were serving, and rather than cracking down, reached compromises. There were even valid arguments for them doing that, IMHO, but there’s no way around the fact that these companies broke laws and were accommodated anyways.
I guess these small-time entrepreneurs just have the misfortune of not having as many lawyers or lobbyists.
The right wing “solution” to all problems: Build fences.
For 40 years I have watched the City Supervisors and department officials allow policies that have caused further deterioration of the public streets and sidewalks. Your article on barricades needed to deter illegal sidewalk vending is just another example of the City officials lacking foresight. Why do we give permits for sidewalk vending when we cannot check if vendors have permits. Of course, people selling stolen goods will set up next to people with permits. That is a no brainer and if you asked a 4th grader what they thought about sidewalk vending they could name the pitfalls. Now we have fights, drug deals, people stealing from the vendors. Did the City allow this vending for the permit money?
Were they trying to be kind to poor people. Were they feeling sorry for illegals who are selling stolen goods to send money back to their mothers in Honduras?
I’m really embarrassed that my City officials look so dumb. We should STOP ALLOWING SIDEWALK VENDING! If we can’t do that then have a little market inside the barriers with only permitted vendors showing their permits. Anyone outside the barricades is subject to arrest.
So… the last barriers (at 24th St.) failed. The recent goofy police tower also failed. Now, there’s this.
Amazing to see how they’re willing to throw money at failing “remedies” rather than give that same money to proven resources (rehabs, housing, food, etc.) – especially when there’s even more money to be taken from, y’know, taxing the rich.
But, hey, why spend a little money on a good idea (community resources) when you can spend A LOT of money on a bad idea (more cops)?
It is worth remembering how a bunch of “activists” made the 24th St. barricades fail.