New Initiatives for the Sunset

By Gordon Mar

November is Veterans Month, and to honor those who make incredible sacrifices in service to our country, I’m proud to introduce the Military Leave Pay Protection Act.

This legislation supports the employment and income security of service members who are keeping us safe from COVID-19, natural disasters, wildfires and protecting our democracy.

Due to the part-time nature of their service, military reservists and National Guard personnel also typically maintain a full-time job in the civilian sector. However, when military reservists take unpaid leave from their jobs for annual training, weekend training or emergencies, they are often burdened with loss of income and struggle to pay rent or support their families. The Military Leave Pay Protection Act will require large businesses to pay the difference between a service member’s civilian and military pay for up to 30 days per year, if there is a difference, protecting their income while they protect us.

We’re also expanding on our public safety programs right here in the Sunset District. In addition to my Crime Prevention Through Community Policing Act and Five Point Sunset Safety Plan, I’m excited to announce the Sunset Safer At Home Initiative, a two-part program to increase home security in the Sunset.

First, we’re launching a program I’ve funded to provide 200 free home security cameras to seniors and low-income Sunset residents. These cameras are an effective way for us to prevent and report crime and protect our most vulnerable seniors from being targeted.

Second, my office is partnering with volunteers at the Sunset Safety Squad and SF SAFE to improve neighborhood safety. We are working together to expand neighborhood watch groups and provide free home security assessments. These preventative efforts will build our community, develop relationships between neighbors and help prevent crime before it happens. For more info about these new programs, email marstaff@sfgov.org.

Last month we also took a big step forward on our San Francisco School Access Plan, a comprehensive, citywide initiative to improve transportation to and from school for K-5 students and their caregivers. As the parent of a public school student myself, I know the challenge of getting our kids to school safely and easily – especially our youngest children – and I commissioned this plan to address it. A lack of good options means most parents choose to drive, leading to congestion and unsafe conditions for pick up and drop off at school sites. The School Access Plan will recommend a broad range of solutions, from improving safety on transit to providing new student shuttles. We recently concluded the first phase of the project and want your input to inform the final report due next spring. I’m proud of the breadth of solutions this plan is exploring, and of the collaboration between my office, the state of California, public school families, the San Francisco County Transportation Authority, SFUSD, SFMTA and the Department of Children, Youth and their Families that are making this plan possible. Learn more and sign up for updates at sfcta.org/schoolaccess.

Schools aren’t the only places facing transportation challenges. I’m proud to also announce the launch of the Mid-Irving Parking and Curb Management Project. I asked SFMTA to initiate this project to improve parking access and traffic circulation on the Irving Street corridor, while balancing the needs of residents, local businesses, drivers, pedestrians and cyclists. We’ll conduct community outreach to propose design improvements to better meet our shared needs. Learn more and get involved at sfmta.com/projects/mid-irving-parking-and-curb-management.

Full-route bus service has also returned to the L-Taraval, with the launch of the L-Taraval Special Service in October. I pushed SFMTA to bring this service back, to provide a one-seat ride to downtown for L-Taraval riders who find a transfer at West Portal difficult or inconvenient, especially seniors and people with disabilities. With special service still limited to one bus per hour on weekdays, this is not the full-service restoration I wanted or asked for, but it’s a meaningful step forward for thousands of residents, and I’ll keep pushing SFMTA to better serve the Sunset.

We’re also taking new steps to preserve and expand the cultural vitality of our neighborhoods This month I introduced legislation to designate Parkside Library as an historic landmark. This is a community gem that has served our neighborhood for more than 70 years. With this landmark designation we intend to preserve it for generations to come. We are building on the landmarking of the Trocadero Clubhouse and Mother’s Building and continue our work uplifting the history and heritage of the Parkside and Sunset in close partnership with Parkside Heritage and SF Heritage.

Finally, I’m thrilled to announce the launch of Art@Work, a new program I funded and initiated in partnership with Sunset Mercantile, Self-Help for the Elderly and the Office of Economic and Workforce Development. This initiative pairs local artists with local small businesses to create new storefront art installations across the Sunset. This directly supports neighborhood artists who are paid for their work by the program and also beautifies neighborhood businesses and commercial corridors. If you know an artist or business interested in participating, reach out to us at marstaff@sfgov.org. I hope you get to see some of the incredible art to come.

In the meantime, we’ll keep working to expand and support the arts and culture of the Sunset and improve transportation, school access and public safety. This work is only possible through the partnership of neighborhood organizations, neighbors and merchants and we’re proud to do it together. Don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions, comments, or to get involved. We’re here to serve you.

Gordon Mar represents District 4 on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. He can be reached at 415-554-7460 or marstaff@sfgov.org.