The cost of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency installing red lanes on parts of Ingleside's Ocean Avenue appears to be mounting, at least politically.
More than 50 merchants and residents gathered before public officials in Golden Coast's side dining room on Monday evening to express opposition to the K Ingleside Rapid project's transit-only lanes. The meeting was organized by a new chapter of Chinatown Merchants United of San Francisco dedicated to the Ocean View-Merced Heights-Ingleside neighborhoods, which was formed in response to the red lanes.
Chinatown Merchants United President Ed Siu called SFMTA delaying the installation of red lanes a tactic to ensure that the transportation agency's parcel tax, called Stronger Muni for All, can be approved by voters in November.
"Please don't consider any tryout of [red lanes] next year," Siu said. "I believe that it's only a tricky way to try to delay and get your [tax] passed in November. Our merchants won't allow it to happen."
The SFMTA announced last month that it would significantly reduce the 1.1 miles of red lanes to a handful of blocks and work through the Ocean Avenue Association, a nonprofit charged by City Hall with cleaning and maintaining the corridor, to tackle outreach about double parking and other merchant needs. Installation is now scheduled to begin in early 2027. That was on the heels of District 7 Supervisor Myrna Melgar and Chen holding two town hall-style meetings about the project, led by a professional facilitator in an attempt to find a compromise.
Public officials present at Monday's meeting included Crystal Liang and EJ Jones from the Office of Mayor Daniel Lurie; District 11 Supervisor Chyanne Chen and Charlie Sciammas, her legislative aide; and SFMTA Board of Directors member Mike Chen and Anna Harkman, the K-Ingleside Rapid project manager.
After a dozen Ocean Avenue merchants expressed concern, frustration and outright opposition to the red lanes, Liang took the mic to say the K Ingleside Rapid project was approved before Lurie was in office, and that the mayor's staff was still learning about it.
Miles Escobedo, co-owner of the bar and grill Ocean Ale House, said he supports the red lanes and asked questions meant to elicit useful information from the officials present. Chen, the SFMTA board member, attempted to outline the project's benefits.
The transit-only lanes, which need not be red in color, are meant to speed up trains while also slowing down the flow of traffic to make the street safer, according to the SFMTA. The avenue has long been on the list of the city's most dangerous streets. Two people were killed by drivers last year.
The $34 million K Ingleside Rapid project, a suite of improvements with the red lanes being the centerpiece, was approved in March 2024. While many aspects of the project, such as boarding island lengthening, have been completed without complaints, merchants and residents, organized by the Ocean Avenue Association, began opposing the red lanes one month before work was set to begin, and the SFMTA paused the project in December. At the same time, transit activists began a counter-campaign.
Mark Gin, 37-year owner of print shop Copy Edge and a vice president with Chinatown Merchants United, called for a meeting with SFMTA in 30 days about next steps.
"If OAA did the job and consultation with all the businesses over here, and we won't have this meeting," Gin said. "OAA does not represent the businesses over here. They only do street cleaning, that's it, that's as far as I know."
SFMTA officials did not respond by press time about the next meeting or if there have been any changes to the project.
Modifications to the K Ingleside Rapid project may not just come from the community.
Changes to California’s cap-and-invest program may soon slash about $202 million for the SFMTA, $55 million of which is allocated for the N-Judah and K-Ingleside projects.
SFMTA spokesperson Michael Roccaforte told The Ingleside Light that the agency is still evaluating the impacts of the changes and noted that there are other funding sources
We’ll be looking at our options to ensure we can deliver a project that supports a safe and vibrant Ocean Avenue, and will bring updates to the community should there be any changes," Roccaforte said.
