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2mo ago

DIY Bus Stop Benches Multiply as San Francisco Agencies Cite Permit and Liability Concerns

Efforts by the Richmond City Council to create a formal permitting program for community-built bus stop benches are gaining traction

The San Francisco Bay Area Bench Collective has left benches at bus stops, without city approval.
A Muni bus drives past a San Francisco Bay Area Bench Collective bench that's been planted on Mission Street. The collective has been leaving benches throughout the Bay Area, with some recent activity in San Francisco.
People stand next to and sit on a San Francisco Bay Area Bench Collective bench as they wait for a bus on 18th Street. The collective adds benches at or near bus stops without adequate seating.
A San Francisco Bay Area Bench Collective bench marked by graffiti prompts questions of who maintains the structures left by the guerrilla group.

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