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Day 10 of the 16th Street Plaza cleanup – 3 new trash cans arrive

Mission Local · last updated

So the biggest news at the plaza – three new trash cans. Two on the northeast plaza and an additional trash can on the southeast plaza. The cans arrived on Thursday.

Although a few of the cans did have trash around them, lots of garbage landed inside and pickups will likely come quickly as all eyes are on the plazas. Mayor Daniel Lurie has promised to change the dynamic at the busy transit hub and he’s checking in on them.

In fact, a Reddit poster tells us the mayor was there this morning.

If so, he likely saw the side streets suffering as today’s photos illustrate and he may have witnessed the vending going on at the north end of the northeast plaza.

There is no quick fix to the drug dealing, vending and chaos at the plazas and the nearby sidestreets, Oscar Palma reports today. It is a difficult, but not impossible challenge.

I’ve included one photo from last night as it illustrates how the vending on the northwest plaza picks up at night. If you have photos, date them and send them to info@missionlocal.com. Please let us know if you want a byline.

A quiet urban street with parked cars along the side. A lone pedestrian walks away in the distance next to a row of buildings.
3/21/25 Julian Avenue, west side, 8:08 a.m. Photo by Lydia Chávez
Urban street scene with people gathered near a storefront, surrounded by litter. A blue recycling bin and parked cars are visible. Buildings and power lines line the street.
3/21/25, 8:08 a.m. Julian Avenue, west side. Photo by Lydia Chávez
Urban street scene with litter and cardboard on the sidewalk, next to a green trash bin. People stand near storefronts and a liquor store sign. Vehicles and a bus are visible on the road.
3/21/25, 8:09 a.m. 16th Street north side near Wiese Street. Photo by Lydia Chávez
An alley with graffiti on the wall, metal barricades, scattered trash, and two people walking away.
3/21//25 Wiese Street 8:08 a.m. Photo by Lydia Chávez
An urban alley with graffiti-covered walls and metal barriers. Litter, including papers and plastic items, is scattered on the ground. A fire escape and utility wires are visible above.
3/21//25,8:09 a.m. Wiese Street. Photo by Lydia Chávez
A person walks along a sunny urban street lined with palm trees. There are graffiti-covered buildings and parked cars.
3/21/25, 8:11 a.m. NE 16th Street Plaza. 3/21/25, 8:14 a.m. SW 16th Street Plaza
A police car with flashing lights is parked on a city street near a bus stop. Two officers are interacting with a person near the vehicle. Pedestrians and an electric scooter are nearby.
3/21/25, 8:14 a.m. SW 16th Street Plaza. Photo by Lydia Chávez
Street scene with food stall under a tent, colorful mural wall in background, pedestrian crossing signs, and palm trees. Cloudy sky with string lights above. People walking and standing nearby.
3/21/25 8:11 a.m. NE 16th Street Plaza. Photo by Lydia Chávez
Street scene with pedestrians crossing and browsing market stalls. Palm trees, graffiti, and buildings are in the background. A car is driving in the foreground.
3/21/25, 8:10 a.m. NE 16th Street Plaza. Photo by Lydia Chávez
A person stands in a plaza with colorful murals, palm trees, and nearby people. The sky is partly cloudy, and the area is paved with concrete tiles.
3/21/25, 8:11 a.m. NE 16th Street Plaza. Photo by Lydia Chávez
Three people stand talking on a city street beside a man in a motorized wheelchair. Various items, including cans and cardboard, are spread on the ground.
3/21/25, 8:12 a.m. NE 16th Street Plaza. Photo by Lydia Chávez
Street scene with a vendor under a colorful umbrella, selling items on a table. Trees without leaves and surrounding buildings are visible under a partly cloudy sky. People walk nearby.
3/21/25, 8:14 a.m. SW 16th Street Plaza. Photo by Lydia Chávez
A nighttime street scene shows people in a long line outside buildings with colorful graffiti. String lights are overhead, and palm trees are visible in the background.
3/20/25, 9:45 p.m. Street vending goes on at night on the northeast plaza. Photo by Mark Nguyen

Founder/Executive Editor. I’ve been a Mission resident since 1998 and a professor emeritus at Berkeley’s J-school since 2019 when I retired. I got my start in newspapers at the Albuquerque Tribune in the city where I was born and raised. Like many local news outlets, The Tribune no longer exists. I left daily newspapers after working at The New York Times for the business, foreign and city desks. Lucky for all of us, it is still there.

As an old friend once pointed out, local has long been in my bones. My Master’s Project at Columbia, later published in New York Magazine, was on New York City’s experiment in community boards.

Right now I’m trying to figure out how you make that long-held interest in local news sustainable. The answer continues to elude me.

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