SFMTA extends closures on Capp and Shotwell

Two street signs: the top sign reads "Shotwell Street Slow Street" with icons for pedestrians, cyclists, wheelchair users, and children; the bottom sign reads "DEAD END" in black letters on yellow. — The SFMTA commissioners approved an extension of the street closures on both Capp and Shotwell streets. Photo by Oscar Palma.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency commission anonymously last week approved an 18-month extension of the bollard program on both Capp and Shotwell streets.

The city first approved closures on Capp Street between 18th and 22nd streets in February 2023, to curb traffic from sex workers.

In the summer of 2024, the city renewed the program on Capp and extended it to Shotwell Street between 19th and 21st streets after neighbors threatened to sue the city over what they described as worsening street conditions due to displacement from Capp streets.

The city also installed traffic diverters prohibiting left turns onto Shotwell Street from 21st and 19th streets, which also require right turns from Shotwell onto 19th and 21st streets.

Bryant Woo, the manager of signals/developments/street at the Municipal Transportation Agency, said the SFPD recommended the renewal and extension. SFMTA commissioners asked for metrics evaluating traffic and another one drafted from community input.

SFMTA had previously committed to submitting a six-month evaluation but failed to produce it.

Viktoriya Wise, the street division director at SFMTA, assured commissioners the agency would follow through with an evaluation this time around.

A dozen or so neighbors showed up to support the extension, and others spoke about the negative impact the closure has had on the streets nearby.

Minimalist graphic of a bicycle with the Progress Pride flag and text: "Bicycle Film Festival San Francisco June 27" on a black background. — The Bicycle Film Festival returns to San Francisco for the first time since before the pandemic. Image courtesy of the festival’s Instagram account.

For the first time since the pandemic, the Bicycle Film Festival returns to San Francisco to celebrate its 26th edition at the Mission District’s Gray Area theater.

Saturday’s program will have 27 short films divided in three categories: cinematic shorts, adventure shorts and urban bike shorts. Over 40 directors from 12 countries will participate in this year’s festival.

Among the films: “Her Khaltsha,”the story of the first all-girl cycling group in a South African township; “King of the Mountain,” the story of a Rwandan boy who dreamed of joining the country’s cycling team to help his family; and “The Gaza Sunbirds” the tale of a para-cycling team in Gaza founded by a man who lost his leg in 2018.

The founder, Brendt Barbur, said his initial goal in founding the festival 25 years ago, was to promote a sustainable way of living. That’s changed.

“One of the biggest motivating factors for me right now is to bring people together,” said Barbur.

Barbur started the Bicycle Film Festival with the help of Lithuanian filmmaker, Jonas Mekas, in New York in 2001 after Barbur was hit by a bus while riding his bike. The event led him to turn a negative experience into a positive one celebrating cycling culture.

The Bicycle Film Festival will have three programs starting at 3 p.m. with its last one starting at 8 p.m. You can find the schedule here.

A map showing a walking and transit route from Civic Center Plaza to The James R. Browning U.S. Courthouse in San Francisco, with landmarks and transit stops marked. — CARECEN new home is located across from the Civic Center BART station. Image courtesy of CARECEN’s Instagram account.

The Central American Resource Center of Northern California, better known as CARECEN, is leaving the Mission and moving downtown – the first time away from the Mission since 1986.

CARECEN moved from its home of nearly 20 years at 3101 Mission St., at Cesar Chavez Street, on May 15, to its new home at 1117 Market St., near the Civic Center BART station.

The organization resumed its services on June 8.

“We didn’t have enough office spaces for our team. The general physical landscape in the old office wasn’t meeting our programmatic needs,” said CARECEN’s executive director, Lariza Duran-Cuadra.

“This building is perfect because it’s very accessible for the community. We have the BART station in front of the building and access to all the public transportation lines.”

Duran-Cuadra said that the new offices are also near SoMa and the Tenderloin where a lot of the clients live, and still fairly close to the Mission District.

Despite the move, Duran-Cuadra said the organization will continue to staff the Niños Unidos Playground Clubhouse and will continue its family workshops at the site.

A gray two-story building on a street corner houses Stray Dog Coffee Bar, with signage visible above the entrance and a person standing inside the doorway. — Stray Dog is opening at 24th and Utah streets at the space formerly held by Junior. Photo by Oscar Palma.

More than two months after Mission Local reported Stray Dog’s arrival to the Mission District, the cocktail bar and coffee shop is having its soft opening this week.

Stray Dog’s new digs at 2545 24th St. at Utah Street, formerly housed Junior, a bar that closed in late 2024.

Owner Angela Cao also owns Blackwood, a restaurant in the Marina District, and Lost Cat Bar and Bites near Union Square.

Stray Dog’s official opening party is scheduled for July 3.

Street view of a restaurant with large windows, an open glass door, plants on tables and stands outside, and "Valencia Table" signage above the entrance. — Valencia Table opened sometime last week. The new restaurant serves American breakfast and brunch and Mediterranean inspired lunch. Photo by Oscar Palma.

Four months after Mission Local reported of the opening of a breakfast restaurant at 510 Valencia St. near 16th Street, Valencia Table opened sometime last week.

The restaurant’s menu includes classic American breakfast and brunch dishes and Mediterranean inspired lunch options.

Valencia Table is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., but the hours may change after its soft opening period.