16th St. Mission

Temporary Street Vendor Ban in the Mission Will Not Impact Food Sellers | Eater SF

"Anyone who has walked the Mission District’s sidewalks has seen vendors selling clothes, DVDs, hats, and all kinds of random items set up on the sidewalks outside BART, including the 16th Street station. San Francisco Public Works will mandate vendors vacate Mission Street starting the first week of November in response to what Supervisor Hilary Ronen called “measurable hazards” and concerns about the sale of stolen goods near transit; the order targets retail vending (packaged merchandise) rather than food cooked on-site. Public Works oversees packaged foods while Public Health oversees items cooked on-site, so food vendors selling tacos or tamales made by the vendor are exempt, but sellers of packaged snacks like chips, soda, and cereal will be affected. The mandate begins as a 90-day measure subject to evaluation for extension, enforcement has been contentious (some Public Works staff reported threats and wearing bulletproof vests), and local merchants say the policy is necessary to restore safety even if it risks impacting longtime community sellers." - Paolo Bicchieri