Dear Neighbors,

May is full of celebrations, special events, and reasons to gather in all corners of our beautiful City. As your District 7 Supervisor, I want to take a moment to thank you for your continued engagement, advocacy, and care for our shared neighborhoods. Whether it's speaking up for traffic safety, showing up for community events, or writing in to support policy changes—you help shape our city every day.

In this newsletter, I’m excited to share updates on the work we’ve been doing both at City Hall and across District 7. From holding hearings on traffic safety and supporting survivors of violence, to protecting student journalists’ rights and expanding conservation efforts—we are pushing forward with legislation and initiatives to build a more just, equitable, and vibrant San Francisco.

We’re also celebrating community wins: new stop signs installed to protect our kids near St. Brendan’s, affordable student housing completed at SF State, and the continued success of efforts to cut red tape for small businesses. These accomplishments reflect what’s possible when we work together with vision and heart.

As always, my office is here for you. I hope to see you at an upcoming event, a coffee hour, or just out and about in the neighborhood.

Sincerely,

Supervisor Myrna Melgar

Traffic Safety Hearing

On Monday, May 19, Supervisor Melgar held a hearing on Traffic Safety and Vision Zero at the Board of Supervisors Land Use and Transportation Committee. At the hearing, the Committee was given presentations by the Budget and Legislative Analyst’s Office, the Department of Public Health, the Municipal Transportation Agency, and the Police Department. Committee members also asked questions to the various departments involved in street safety and analyzing traffic data. The hearing illustrated how much work we have left to do to make our streets safer for all users and all modes of transportation. Supervisor Melgar also introduced a request to the City Attorney to start drafting a Vision Zero 2.0 policy that reflects the lessons we've learned over the last 10 years as well as our City's commitment to making our streets safe.

Rezoning Updates

Increasing Support for Special Victims

Earlier this month, Supervisor Melgar held a hearing on the Special Victims Unit at the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee to discuss the need for steady staffing, consistent coordination, and policy prioritization to ensure survivors are centered throughout the process. The Special Victims Unit involves some of the most vulnerable members of our community, including survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, elder abuse, and child abuse. SFPD shared short-term and long-term strategies to address the need for more support. We are grateful for the leadership at the Office of Victim Rights , service providers, and SFPD for their commitment to this difficult work and will continue following up to ensure there is continued progress.   

Supporting Student Journalists and the Right to Free Press

The Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a Resolution introduced by Supervisors Melgar and Engardio showing support for student journalism and the right to a free press. This was in response to reports of what transpired after Lowell High School’s student news publication, The Lowell , included an article about verbal harassment students reported they faced from their teachers. While school administrators may not have intended to leave students feeling intimidated, the request to approve future publications and the sudden reassignment of the teacher who advised them left an impact and had a reverberating effect. The Board Resolution supports student journalism and calls on the School District to develop and implement policies that respect the rights of student journalists. We are incredibly proud of the courageous student journalists and the Editorial Board of the Lowell student newspaper for taking a stand. 

Expanding "Priority Conservation Areas

Supervisor Melgar introduced legislation to expand eligible spaces as “Priority Conservation Areas” with the regional agencies that administer funds.  PCAs are geographic areas nominated by local governments to support conservation and sustainability efforts.  While the pot of funding for the entire region is minimal, we are still hopeful we can unlock some investments to help jumpstart ideas for improvements. The Resolution will be heard at the Land Use & Transportation Committee on June 5, 2025. 

Muni Service Changes Taking Effect Saturday, June 21

To address the SFMTA’s budget shortfall and preserve service where it’s needed most, Muni service changes are starting June 21: 

• 5 Fulton, 9 San Bruno and 31 Balboa will turn around at Market Street where riders can transfer to buses or trains to complete your trip on weekdays. The 5 Fulton and 9 San Bruno will still serve downtown during evenings and weekends. The 5R Fulton Rapid and 9R San Bruno Rapid will also continue operating. Muni buses and trains on Market Street and in the subway will continue to offer high-frequency service—every 2 to 4 minutes—on Market Street east of Van Ness on weekdays. 

• 6 Hayes-Parnassus replaces the 6 Haight-Parnassus and 21 Hayes with a new route including portions of each. The new 6 Hayes-Parnassus will serve all current 6 Haight-Parnassus stops west of Masonic Avenue. Riders who typically use 6 Haight-Parnassus stops east of Masonic Avenue can instead use 7 Haight-Noriega service. The new  route 6 Hayes-Parnassus will also serve all current 21 Hayes stops east of Masonic Avenue. Riders who typically use 21 Hayes stops west of Masonic Avenue can use 5 Fulton or 5R Fulton Rapid service two blocks away.   

• Stop changes and route adjustments citywide to improve safety and access and improve reliability. 

These changes will reduce costs while maintaining coverage, frequency and access to key destinations. For more information, please visit SFMTA.com/ServiceChanges.

SF State Completes Affordable Housing for 700 Students

San Francisco State University completed a new campus project featuring affordable housing for more than 700 first-year students located in District 7. It’s the first to be completed through a state grant program aimed at tackling the housing crunch for California college students. The project was completed just 25 months after the state provided the grant. Learn more here.

The Public Bench Project was started by Chris Duderstadt, an engineer, artist, public space advocate, and longtime District 7 resident. Since 2012, Chris has led the Public Bench Project. This incredible organization builds and provides public benches free of charge to any San Franciscan who requests one, expanding access to quality public spaces regardless of means. Last month, Supervisor Melgar honored Chris at the Board of Supervisors and since then the Public Bench Project has built at least 7 new benches across the City. So if you see a new colorful public bench when you’re out and about, that is probably because of them!

Supervisor Melgar had a wonderful time attending and speaking at the Community Living Campaign’s (CLC) third annual Never Better Elders event. The event was a wonderful way for seniors to build connections, find resources, and have some fun. Our office has long valued CLC’s crucial work in building community among our seniors and providing essential support. Supervisor Melgar was very glad to be able to present CLC with a Certificate of Honor from the entire Board of Supervisors for their amazing work.

Neighbors raised concerns about frequent stop sign violations, especially during school and church hours. In response, Emma Hare in Supervisor Melgar's office worked closely with SFMTA, who moved swiftly to approve and install new signage.

We’re especially grateful to Captain Hoo at Taraval Station, who has been dispatching available officers for traffic enforcement at this location. 

We hope these improvements make crossing safer for the St. Brendan Bears, their families, and neighbors. Let’s all stay alert and respectful on the road.

For our graduating high school students and their families: Congratulations on reaching this significant milestone! As you prepare for the next chapter, remember the Kindergarten to College (K2C) program is here to help make higher education more accessible. 

• Graduating Students & Families: Now is the time to claim the funds in your K2C accounts! Combined with a potential CalKIDS scholarship, this can provide a significant boost towards college expenses. 

• Don't leave money on the table! Visit the K2C website to learn how to access your funds and take the next step towards your educational goals: Graduating Students | Kindergarten to College

• Let's ensure every graduating student in SFUSD utilizes this incredible opportunity to invest in their future! 

• Outer Sunset Farmers Market & Mercantile, Sundays Year-Round, 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM

• Inner Snset Flea Market, 2nd Sundays, April - November, 2025, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

• Secondhand Saturday, 3rd Saturdays, April - November, 2025, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

• Union Street Festival, May 31 - June 1, 2025, 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM

• Cole Valley Nights: Neighborhood Street Fair, June 12, 2025, 4:00 PM - 9:00 PM

• North Beach Festival, June 14 - 15, 2025, 11:00 AM - 7:00PM

Find more information about these events here.

September 27, 2025 - January 25, 2026
de Young Museum

This Fall and Winter, the de Young Museum will be having an exhibit on the art of manga. This exhibit will consider the various ways in which this dynamic medium has impacted our culture and what it can become in the future. Member and presale tickets are now available, find more information here. You can also check out the many amazing exhibits going on at the de Young right now here.

Merced Extension Triangle Community Connectors
Tuesdays at 10:00 AM
Golden Gate Church of Christ
201 Head St

Miraloma Community Connectors
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 10:30-11:30 AM
Cornerstone Church
480 Teresita Blvd

Sunnyside Community Connectors
Mondays, 10:00 AM
St. Finn Barr's Community Room
Hearst off Monterey

Inner Sunset Community Connectors
Thursdays, 1:30 PM
St. John of God Church
1290 5th Avenue

Midtown Terrace Community Connectors
Wednesdays, 1:30-2:10 PM
Forest Hills Christian Church
250 Laguna Honda Boulevard

• "Mural near SF high school honors art educators,” (KTVU)

• "The best deli sandwiches in San Francisco, according to 10 restaurant pros,” Submarine Center in West Portal gets a shoutout! (SF Standard)

• "Finally: The Inner Sunset gets a French bistro to heat up the neighborhood,” (SF Standard)

• "4 most exciting new restaurants coming to SF in May,” Le Soleil’s second location coming to Stonestown! (SF Standard)

• "Photographer Shows Ingleside’s Past And Present By Capturing Small Businesses,” (Ingleside Light)

• "Modern Guide to the Inner Sunset: Eat global, shop local in this Golden Gate Park-adjacent neighborhood,” (7x7)

• "Mural Completed at Sunnyside Elementary School,” (Sunnyside Neighborhood Association)

• "Julie Kirschbaum, New SFMTA Boss And Inglesider, Talks Transit,” (Ingleside Light)