Construction On Long-Awaited Tenderloin Lighting Improvements To Start This Spring

Construction On Long-Awaited Tenderloin Lighting Improvements To Start This SpringTaylor and Turk Streets at dusk | Photo: Erik Wilson/Flickr
Carrie Sisto
Published on March 16, 2017

Tenderloin residents can expect to see construction on long-anticipated pedestrian lighting improvements completed by early next year.

When we last checked in on the Tenderloin Pedestrian Lighting project in January, the city had re-issued the request for bids after receiving only one that did not meet all of the contract requirements. Now, after meeting all the desired specifications, Bay Area Lightworks has been awarded the contract. 

San Francisco Public Utilities Commission spokesman Charles Sheehan said the work is expected to begin in late April or early May and take about 10 months to complete. The only real potential cause for more delays would be due to the contractor failing to submit all the required paperwork on time, he said.

We contacted Bay Area Lightworks to see if there is any reason to be concerned about this potential for further delays but haven’t heard back. The contractor has previously worked for the city to install new security lighting at Pier 80 and decorative light posts along Broadway, among other projects.

Bay Area Lightworks installed the decorative light posts along Broadway in San Francisco | Image: Bay Area Lightworks 

There has been strong public support for the project—which will install 80 new light fixtures on the north and south corners of Larkin, Hyde, Leavenworth and Jones streets between O’Farrell and McAllister, as well as where Eddy Street intersects Taylor and Mason streets—as it aims to improve pedestrian safety. The new light fixtures will have two arms, one that lights the street and the second directly illuminating the sidewalks.

Image: SFPUC

The $2.5 million project, which was initially expected to be complete in late 2016, is funded through a community benefit grant associated with the nearby construction of the California Pacific Medical Center at Van Ness and Geary. The city is spending $900,000 to procure the light fixtures and cover other soft costs associated with the project. The contract will pay Bay Area Lightworks for the removal of existing fixtures and the installation of new ones, while ensuring each corner has enough lighting during the construction process.

Example of the new fixtures seen on Turk and Jones Streets | Photo: Carrie Sisto/Hoodline

The new fixtures will be identical to some already installed on the 100 block of Golden Gate Avenue, the 100 through 500 blocks of Taylor Street, and the 100 block of 6th Street.

Keep an eye out for more improved lighting throughout the neighborhood over the next several months.