Barriers to deter sex work cause traffic troubles on Shotwell Street

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) – Barriers have been installed on another San Francisco street to deter sex work. The barriers are something many residents have been advocating for, but they are creating new problems on Shotwell Street.

Some people on Shotwell say they are relieved because they are seeing fewer sex workers, but others say the barriers have caused a whole new set of safety concerns. 

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency installed barriers a week ago to deter sex work and the traffic flow it causes in the middle of the night. Many residents say it’s working.

"It's no longer a racetrack at 3 a.m. We have two kids under 6 and their bedroom is right there,” said Joey Mucha, who lives on Shotwell Street. 

Residents say prostitution got worse on Shotwell after the city put up barriers on Capp Street last year. Now, the same system has been put in place on Shotwell Street between 19th and  21st Streets.

But some say they’ve got new problems. 

"Throughout the day cars are regularly coming and getting stuck. It's a very narrow street, significantly more narrow than Capp, which also has barriers,” said Greg Wong-Taylor, who lives on Shotwell. 

Neighbors say they are frustrated because people continue to turn around in their driveway. Some drivers get so frustrated with the barriers that they drive around them and onto the sidewalks.

People say this could be avoided with better signage. The hope is that drivers will eventually get used to the changes.

Whether people like the new barriers or not, most people agree on one thing – this is not a solution to illegal prostitution.

"It's not going to make prostitution go away, it's just going to move to another spot in San Francisco, so it's just kind of a Band-Aid,” said Tracey Geronimo, another Shotwell resident. 

SFMTA says these barriers are part of a pilot program. They are still assessing their effectiveness. Emergency vehicles like firetrucks are able to drive over the barriers.  

A man who lives further down Shotwell, where there are no barriers, said he wishes the city included his area in the pilot program because now there is more noise and sex workers in front of his home.