The Ingleside Light’s Anne Marie Kristoff and Jerold Chinn hosted the community for a festive chat on Saturday to directly hear about neighborhood issues over boba tea and snacks.
Over a dozen people came to Purtea to talk about parking issues, community cleanup efforts, Stonestown’s newest attraction Round1 Bowling & Arcade, BART’s Falconry-Based Bird Control Program and the once-a-week street clean-up volunteers that meet in front of Ocean Ale House on Saturdays.
“The side streets need help,” said Cathy, who volunteers with the Ingleside Cleanup put on by the Civic Joy Fund, Refuse Refuse, Shine On and TogetherSF. She said Granada and Ocean avenue intersection needs help in particular.
Many attendees shared frustrations with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s implementation of the state Assembly Bill 413 daylighting law which prohibits vehicles from parking within 20 feet of any crosswalks in the direction of approaching traffic.
The transportation agency had planned to begin issuing citations starting Jan. 1, 2025, but announced they will continue issuing warning notices through March 1, 2025, to educate drivers.
“Maybe if they take away some parking in the middle of the street for jaywalkers,” Roger Underhill joked. “They need to be able to see better, too.”
Across the neighborhood on Louisburg Street, Terra Field is excited about SFMTA’s traffic-calming efforts in that area. Field said that, currently, cars fly over the hill and it's a collision-prone section. She also said speed bumps were needed.
Street safety wasn’t the only hot topic during the rainy day conversation. Pam Peirce and others touched on a prevalent issue throughout the neighborhood: rodents. Both admired BART’s use of hawks to prevent pigeons from seeking food or shelter at open-air stations like Balboa Park Station.
Peirce wants the city to send owls to Brooks Park and other open spaces to help tackle the problem but said the community would also need to drive any solution.
Following the event, Purtea owner Tracy Zhou said she enjoys The Ingleside Lights coverage and was pleased to host the event.
“I think we should do more of these, honestly,” Zhou said. “I think the power is within people connecting with each other.
Anne Marie Kristoff (she/her) is a recent graduate from San Francisco State University's journalism program. She enjoys writing about the arts, entertainment and nature.
Anne Marie Kristoff
