SAN FRANCISCO –
New barriers installed on a residential street in San Francisco to prevent sex trafficking are pitting neighbors against neighbors.
Barricades are not a new idea.
They were installed just last year on Kapp Street in the Mission District.
Some neighbors wanted to put up barriers on nearby Shotwell Street and they were put up a week ago.
But opponents say they are creating new problems.
A Waymo vehicle backed up on Shotwell Street between 20th and 21st streets Tuesday evening after being stopped by a roadblock.
According to the administration, they were installed due to the complaints of sex workers and prostitutes who frequent this street.
After hitting an obstacle, Waymo can be heard saying, “Need more space. Back up.”
Opponents say the autonomous vehicle will disrupt traffic flow with two new barriers along the two-block stretch of road.
“It’s becoming a big problem on this little narrow street that you can’t walk down that street anymore,” said Stephen Gaines, a homeowner and barrier opponent.
Obstacles force vehicles to reverse.
“It’s really tight,” Kevin Dublin said as he walked down the street to film a friend.
He was surprised by the barriers and said it “makes him very uncomfortable”.
“I’ve seen a lot of dangerous encounters here. For example, I’ve seen someone turn around because he didn’t know the turn was there. Two bikers almost crashed because of that,” said Francisco Quetzalcoatl Sandoval. the family has lived in Shotwell for decades.
But supporters say the barriers create a safer environment for cyclists and pedestrians.
Emma Hayken Hare, who lives in Shotwell, said: “It’s a physical stimulus when you’re in a car, maybe you should go the other way.”
Opponents say the barriers have backed up traffic and made it difficult to get into their homes.
“I couldn’t get three cars in. There was a furniture van parked there. Behind it was an Amazon van and three more cars behind them,” said Kevin Dublin, who owns a home on the street.
The mayor’s office said several public meetings were held with neighbors before the barriers were installed.
“I like it. First, I can walk down the street with my kids,” said Nico, who declined to give his last name.
Opponents also raised concerns about the availability of ambulances.
The mayor’s office said the barriers were designed to allow access.
“The transition will be difficult, like most changes, but people will get used to it,” Haken Hare said.
Opponents complained that some people drove their cars onto the sidewalk to get around the barriers, creating another potential hazard.
According to the mayor’s press secretary, the city is assessing the impact of the disruptions.
Amber Lee is a reporter for KTVU. Email [email protected] or text 510-599-3922. Follow her on Facebook @AmberKTVU, Instagram @AmberKTVU or Twitter @AmberKTVU