Overview
- Nearly 100 unpermitted wooden benches have been installed by volunteers at high-traffic Bay Area bus stops, each marked with a San Francisco Bay Area Bench Collective stencil
- San Francisco Public Works and the Municipal Transportation Agency have logged complaints, issued removal requests and raised concerns over maintenance, liability and ADA compliance
- Two guerrilla bench installations have already been removed in San Francisco, with officials warning volunteers they may face fines or repair costs for sidewalk damage
- The Transbay Coalition is collaborating with the Bench Collective and city departments to develop a legal pathway for volunteer-built transit seating
- In May, Richmond’s City Council approved a policy directing staff to draft a permitting program that would legitimize community-built benches at bus stops