The same political force that helped bring the Central Subway in San Francisco is now opposing a proposal that grew in the project's wake—turning Stockton Street into a permanent pedestrian space.
Matier & Ross report from San Francisco that a Chinatown political activist named Rose Pak is marshaling forces to obstruct a proposal to turn lower Stockton Street into a pedestrian walkway.
"The idea of turning lower Stockton Street into a permanent pedestrian space — possibly with a provision for buses — has been percolating since the city tore up the once heavily traveled link between Chinatown and Market Street five years ago to build the Central Subway," according to Matier & Ross. Business in the area suffered while subway work was underway, so the city compromised by suspending work during the holiday season and "turning the three-block stretch between Market and Post streets into an artificial-turf-covered walkway complete with benches, food trucks and nighttime light shows."
Union Square merchants support the proposal to permanently turn Stockton Street into a pedestrian-only space, but Pak disagrees. She's opposing a preliminary study on the proposal, arguing that Stockton Street is "a vital link in and out of Chinatown that needs to be restored to its old self as soon as possible."
Read the full story: Rose Pak flashes red light on Stockton Street pedestrian mall
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