Since the introduction of Slow Streets to San Francisco’s landscape, Jessica Jenkins and Molly Hayden have spent much of their time organizing neighbors around Page Slow Street. Read their interview below to learn more about the community efforts and story behind one of our city’s favorite Slow Streets!
“I was eager for San Francisco to start a Slow Streets program. I had seen a lot of other cities introduce one, so when Page Slow Street started, I was very excited. I knew that I wanted to do as much as possible.
Initially, there were only barriers every few blocks. So I put out some signs and plants at the intersections that didn’t have any. I was almost sure that the City would remove them pretty quickly, but they didn’t. Folks seemed to actually celebrate them. More people started to add stuff to their intersections and it took off as a community enhancement, which you don’t see often. You rarely have the opportunity to transform your urban streetscape.
We started meeting more people and trying to make things more official, more permanent. We got donations of things like lumber and plants, and that’s when our movement started to pick up speed. We became more organized in our efforts.
In July of 2021, we applied for fiscal sponsorship through SF Parks Alliance. Since then, they’ve been very helpful with a lot of things, like insurance and accepting donations.”
“The street has brought people together…Every time we’re out planting, people stop to thank
us. They really do appreciate it. “
“The street has brought people together, especially during the last few years when we’ve all been pretty isolated. Every time that Jess and I are out planting, people stop to thank us. They really do appreciate it.
I’ll also add that it’s not just adults – kids love these spaces, too. Every day, you see kids riding their bike or walking their dog or learning how to scooter. You never used to see skateboarding and roller skating down Page Street, and now you see it all the time!
There’s so much more we could do to make our streets more inclusive and safe. If we could just slow down traffic, I think it would just be a big win for everyone.
The main way to get involved in our efforts is to sign-up for our mailing list and follow us on socials! We’re always announcing events and trying to get more local leadership going. We really want this to really be a community effort. The need and the demand is there, it’s just a matter of making sure that folks are connected and have the tools to be successful. It takes a village.”