Unpermitted bus stop benches in San Francisco stirring debate

Unpermitted benches pop up at SF bus stops, stirring debate

Call them what you like, pop-up benches, DIY benches, guerrilla benches. The unpermitted wooden seats, first seen at East Bay bus stops, have now made their way into San Francisco’s Mission District, drawing mixed reactions from residents and city officials.

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - Call them what you like; pop-up benches, DIY benches, guerrilla benches. The unpermitted wooden seats, first seen at East Bay bus stops, have now made their way into San Francisco’s Mission District, drawing mixed reactions from residents and city officials.

"I think it’s cool. I think it’s pretty normal," said Shahzad Khan, who was checking out a bench at 18th and Mission with his friend Ryan. "I feel like, who wants to stand all the time?"

"It probably helps people who can’t walk as much," said Ryan Thomas. "I don’t know, it’s just like a bench."

The benches are the work of a group calling itself the San Francisco Bench Collective, which previously installed several similar benches at East Bay transit stops. Their motto: "When cities fail to provide benches, we build and install our own."

A map on the group’s website shows eight Mission District locations, with six benches still in place and two that have already been removed.

In a statement to KTVU, the San Francisco Department of Public Works said in part, "While the benches are intended as a public convenience, we have the legal responsibility to ensure access and public safety. We also have concerns about maintenance and liability. We already saw that at least one bench has been tagged by graffiti vandals."

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) expressed similar concerns in a statement Monday, adding, "We want our riders to be comfortable—on Muni and while they’re waiting for their line. Our goal is to install transit shelters at stops where we have boardings of 125+ per day."

One area business owner, who declined to be identified, added, "It’s a good idea, but it brings a lot of homeless people, and a lot of taggers. We just got our whole wall tagged."

Still, many voiced support for the effort.

"So the city’s going to get rid of these things? Well that’s not fair, is it?" said Gordon Matney, who was visiting from San Jose.

The SFMTA said they are open to working with the SF Bench Collective on a "path forward", but emphasized that installing infrastructure without permits is not a viable solution.

Mary Lanza, also from San Jose, agreed. "They should go ahead and help whoever is doing that, install them correctly, and help people that want to rest."

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