San Francisco Likely To Keep Traffic Restrictions On Market Street
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - A pilot program to restrict the number of cars on Market Street between Sixth Street and Tenth Street seems destined to become permanent.
Over the objections of some business owners, a committee of the Municipal Transportation Agency approved a plan Friday to keep a series of required right turns in place.
"For sixteen months now I've been struggling to pay my rent. The economy is not helping, but they make it worse with no cars on Market Street," said clothing store owner Rami Keishk said.
KCBS' Barbara Taylor Reports:
Keishk said business in his shop is down 80 percent since the pilot began, and he's on the verge of closing.
Cycling advocates countered that they had noticed more pedestrians since the traffic restrictions went into effect.
Keishk said his business depends on automobile traffic.
An MTA engineering survey showed the transit time on the downtown section of Market had increased three percent, while the larger number of cars on Mission Street did not have an adverse impact on travel times there.
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