Geary Boulevard merchants demand delay of SFMTA's plan to eliminate parking spots
SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco business owners and merchants plan to carry a coffin down Geary Boulevard on Monday in memory of Thom's Natural Foods, one of the latest businesses in the area that has closed due to economic hardships.
The group is also demanding that local leaders delay the San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency's plans to significantly reduce the number of parking spaces on Geary Boulevard — a move that businesses say will only make it harder to garner customers as they battle with inflation, low revenue and a growing vacant storefront issue.
Local merchants are calling on Mayor London Breed to delay the conversion of parking spots from angled to parallel parking until at least 2025, when the economic aftermath of the pandemic is behind them a little further.
"Now is not the time to limit access to Geary corridor establishments and civic organizations," reads a press release from the organization Geary Merchants. "The loss of parking spaces for customers and a massive construction project will hurt merchants still struggling to survive after 3 years of pandemic disruptions."
The group will gather in front of Thom's Natural Food on Geary Boulevard and 23rd Avenue on Monday, Aug. 14 at 11 a.m.
San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan, former supervisor Sandra Fewer and Geary Merchants' President David Heller will also be in attendance of the event.
