McLaren Park - Pedestrian, Bike and Streetscape Projects

BackgroundMcLaren park satellite image shown with yellow and green lines indicating possible improvement areas

The McLaren Park Pedestrian, Bike and Streetscape Projects is an effort to improve safety for people walking, biking, taking transit and driving on McLaren Park’s streets and wide pathways, including:

  • Visitación Avenue;
  • Sunnydale Avenue;
  • Crocker Amazon access; and
  • John Shelley Drive Promenade.

The initial effort will concentrate on Visitación Avenue, which will bring a variety of improvements to the corridor including new sidewalks, new bikeways, new paving, and traffic calming, as well as opportunities for a new crosswalk, new landscaping, and lighting.

Visitación Avenue is a critical road to access McLaren Park from the south, but also a connector to Visitación Valley Middle School, and between the Visitación Valley, Portola, and Excelsior neighborhoods. Although the roadway has low vehicle traffic volumes, it has higher speed traffic, and lacks a sidewalk on its lower portion – a critical link between the Sunnydale and Visitación Valley communities to the middle school.  

In 2018, the McLaren Park Vision Plan and the Visitación Valley Impact District called for redesigning the roadway to create pedestrian and bike access along the corridor. The crosswalk at Visitacion Valley Middle School has now been installed. The Recreation and Park Department was awarded a grant to fund the planning effort in this corridor, which will also coordinate with other projects in the area, as well as seek a capital funding source to implement the improvements that will come out of this effort.

Project Updates

If you would like to sign-up for Project Update blog posts like the ones below, click here, scroll down to the News Flash section, and then select "RPD Park Improvements | All Project Updates" to receive updates on all our active projects, or pick-and-choose your blog subscriptions by project name. You’ll receive an email that includes a link to confirm your new subscription for each blog for which you sign-up.

  1. Project Update Blog
  2. Documents and Materials
  1. Capital Project Update

    Shelley Promenade Project in McLaren Park | Board of Supervisors review, next Monday, Oct 2, 1:30pm

    In June 2023, SF Recreation and Park Commission voted to recommend that the Board of Supervisors approve the conversion of a section of John Shelley Drive in McLaren Park, from a vehicular roadway to a permanent pedestrian and bicycle promenade Read on...
  2. Capital Project Update

    Louis Sutter Playground | Construction update July 2023

    A quick construction update on Louis Sutter Playground. We passed our accessibility inspections and construction fencing is coming down soon Read on...
  3. Capital Project Update

    Complete the McLaren Park 2020 Bond Planning priorities survey

    We’ve created a new map-based survey to collect your thoughts on possible programming, infrastructure, and connectivity improvements in John McLaren Park. Please take 15-20 minutes Read on...
  4. Capital Project Update

    Shelley Promenade Project in McLaren Park | Reminder: Proposal at Rec & Parks Commission tomorrow

    The Recreation and Parks Commission will hear the proposed Shelley Promenade Project tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. Read on...
  5. Capital Project Update

    Shelley Promenade Project in McLaren Park | Proposal goes to Recreation and Parks Commission in June

    The Operations Committee of the Recreation and Parks Commission will hear the proposed Shelley Promenade Project Read on...
  6. Capital Project Update

    John Shelley Drive in McLaren Park – Virtual Community Meeting

    Please join us in discussing the future of John Shelley Drive, including a proposed car-free promenade segment . . . Read on...
  7. Capital Project Update

    Virtual Community Meeting, April 11 | McLaren 2020 Bond – Possible Projects and Priorities

    Join us for a Virtual Community Meeting on April 11. The project team will share possible project ideas for specific program areas, infrastructure improvements, and Read on...
  8. Capital Project Update

    SF Rec and Park Commission Meeting at Joe Lee Rec Center | March 16 at 10 a.m.

    Come meet your Rec and Park Commissioners at our offsite Commission meeting at Joe Lee Rec Center Read on...
  9. Capital Project Update

    People want a Promenade | McLaren Park - John Shelley Drive

    Thanks to the 40 people who attended the virtual community meeting on February 23rd! We discussed Read on...
  10. Capital Project Update

    John Shelley Drive in McLaren Park – Virtual Community Meeting

    Please join us in discussing the future of John Shelley Drive, including a proposed car-free promenade segment . . . Read on...
  11. Capital Project Update

    Visitacion Avenue Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Project, Site Walk 8/25 at 6pm

    Please join Rec and Park and SFMTA staff for a site walk to review design options proposed for slowing traffic and . . . Read on...
  12. Capital Project Update

    Please take a short survey regarding Visitacion Avenue Pedestrian and Streetscape Improvements

    Please take a moment to fill out a survey about improvements you would like to . . . Read on...
  13. Capital Project Update

    Visitacion Avenue Sidewalk & Streetscape Meeting Recap

    The virtual meeting, held on Thursday, February 10 reviewed previous planning efforts that included the roadway through McLaren Park. Read on...
  14. Capital Project Update

    McLaren Park Pedestrian, Bike and Streetscape Projects Community Meeting 2/10!

    Please join us for a Virtual Community Meeting to discuss improvements to Visitación Ave in McLaren Park including . . . Read on...
  1. Lauren Dietrich Chavez

    Project Manager

  2. Brian Stokle

    Planner
    Phone: (415) 370-5982 (primary)