San Francisco Politics and Urbanism Daily
SF’s Reform Test: Cameras Work, Waymos Stall, Retail Stirs
Thursday, April 30, 2026 · 10 min
San Francisco’s reform story today is unusually concrete: speed cameras are changing behavior, first responders want tougher AV oversight, SFUSD locks in a disputed curriculum, and a possible Barnes & Noble return hints downtown can still compete.
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Show notes
San Francisco’s reform story today is unusually concrete: speed cameras are changing behavior, first responders want tougher AV oversight, SFUSD locks in a disputed curriculum, and a possible Barnes & Noble return hints downtown can still compete.
In this episode
- Speed cameras in San Francisco have changed driver behavior, mayor says [KRON 4] — r/sanfrancisco (216 pts, 103 comments)
FTA: >Drivers who were speeding at 10 mph or more over the limit dropped by almost 80% at camera locations compared to the time before the traffic safety program began, according to data shared by the mayor’s office and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA). >“Of drivers who receive a citation, 65% did not receive a second one, suggesting significant behavior change…
“At those intersections, yes. I support expanding the program, but the only way to scale safe streets across the city is to redesign our most dangerous thoroughfares to force drivers to slow down and pay attention. Asking nicely hasn't worked, obviously. What does that look like?…” — r/sanfrancisco (64 upvotes)
Our take: We agree: cameras are proof of concept, not a complete street-safety strategy. If the goal is fewer deaths and injuries citywide, the street itself has to make speeding feel impossible, not merely expensive.
“After my 6 warning ticket in fulton. It finally clicked. I don't speed anymore on fulton. And by speed not go 36 mph, because that's what I keep getting tickets for. I realized, they changed it to 25 mph.” — r/sanfrancisco (51 upvotes)
Our take: This is both funny and basically the policy working as designed: repeated warnings turned into changed behavior. The one caveat is that if lots of people are missing a new 25 mph limit, the city should make the street and signage impossible to misunderstand.
“Crime goes down when the chances of being caught go up. These cameras are relatively inexpensive and they work. If we have other problem traffic areas then install more cameras.” — r/sanfrancisco (57 upvotes)
Our take: The certainty of enforcement clearly matters, and speed cameras are a rare case where the numbers are immediate and legible. We’d still pair expansion with street redesign, because the best ticket is the one nobody earns.
- SFUSD New Ethnic Studies Curriculum Adopted Over Controversy and Some Parents’ Complaints — KQED
# SFUSD New Ethnic Studies Curriculum Adopted Over Controversy and Some Parents’ Complaints | KQED Published: 2026-04-29T14:48:57-07:00 ## Summary San Francisco's public school district has approved a permanent ethnic studies curriculum, following years of controversy over course content. The decision was made after Parents Defending Education obtained excerpts from a trove of SFUSD ethnic…
- Emergency First Responders Say Waymos Are Getting Worse — r/sanfrancisco (334 pts, 103 comments)
Emergency first responder leaders told federal regulators in a private meeting last month that they were frustrated with the performance of [autonomous vehicles](https://www.wired.com/tag/autonomous-vehicles/) on their streets—that city firefighters, police officers, EMTs, and paramedics are forced to spend time during emergencies resolving issues with frozen or stuck cars. One fire official…
“I am a fan of Waymos and use them often, but I fully support more rigorous government oversight for issues like interfering with first responders. Our regulatory agencies should be holding Waymo's feet to the fire, and Waymo should be throwing far more resources at solving…” — r/sanfrancisco (241 upvotes)
Our take: This is the right standard: you can like Waymo and still demand a very low tolerance for blocking emergency response. Innovation does not get a mulligan when a firehouse driveway is involved.
“I love Waymos, but, anecdotally, this is true. Just last night I saw a minivan turning left onto a street with only one lane, followed by the Waymo making the same left. The minivan slowed up as there were two people approaching the crosswalk. The waymo then decided to change…” — r/sanfrancisco (191 upvotes)
Our take: That kind of weird, improvisational maneuver is exactly what scares people, because it happens in the messy part of the street where pedestrians and human judgment matter most. One anecdote is not a dataset, but enough anecdotes become a regulatory problem.
“as someone who drove the wee woo busses- Waymo’s did some dumb shit, but wayyyyy less dumb shit compared to the actual humans in the bay. And they yield consistently. The issue is when they DO freeze I don’t have anyone to yell at to move the damn car.” — r/sanfrancisco (37 upvotes)
Our take: This is the most useful nuance: human drivers are often worse, but a frozen robot creates a different failure mode. Emergency crews need an instant, reliable way to get the vehicle moved — not a customer-service loop with hazard lights.
- Barnes and Noble CEO and Mayor Lurie Today On Market St Touring Locations For Retailer's New Large Format Store in Downtown SF — r/sanfrancisco (470 pts, 122 comments)
**From the Article**: The Business Times [reported earlier this month](https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2026/04/10/barnes-noble-nordstrom-union-square-retail.html) that Barnes & Noble was scouting locations for a return to San Francisco, and we spotted a potential confirmation of that news in Union Square this week. While on a break, a Business Times staff member saw Mayor…
“Great I have 1.50 left on a gift card, cant wait till they're back” — r/sanfrancisco (121 upvotes)
Our take: A downtown comeback powered by forgotten gift-card balances is still a comeback. If Barnes & Noble can turn that $1.50 into one more person walking Market Street, we’ll allow it.
“As a kid I used to love going to Borders Books & Music across from Saks. Back when my memories of Starbucks were also decent, there was a Starbucks inside the store and it was a bonus to browse at books and get a hot chocolate. Anyway, a large bookstore like Barnes &…” — r/sanfrancisco (117 upvotes)
Our take: There’s a real urban-planning point hiding in the nostalgia: downtown needs big, comfortable third places where people browse, linger, and then spend money nearby. A large bookstore is not a cure-all, but it is exactly the kind of anchor Union Square has been missing.
“Barnes and Noble is actually buying up, supporting, and keeping local neighborhood indie bookshops alive so they don't have to shut down due to competition. Barnes and Noble becomes the majority owner but doesn't change anything about the local bookstore so they retain their…” — r/sanfrancisco (30 upvotes)
Our take: That’s a more complicated story than chain-versus-indie, and if local stores keep their staff, taste, and identity, there can be real upside. Still, ownership consolidation is not the same thing as independent retail, so the details matter.