SAN FRANCISCO
Lee Heidhues 9.24.2026
San Francisco is only 50 square miles in total. It is being sunk in the sea of vehicle pandemonium.
The real question that needs to be asked here is two fold.
- Why do so many people feel a need to drive a private automobile in San Francisco?
- Why are there so many large scale public events which overwhelm San Francisco?
The answer to the first question is that Americans have been indoctrinated to love their cars and as a result have come to regard the car as an everyday necessity.
The solution to the second question is to call a halt to these seemingly nonstop weekly large scale events in San Francisco. This fixation with entertainment speaks volumes to the lack of introspection and time for quiet reflection pervasive in American society.
Excerpted from The San Francisco Chronicle 9.24.2026
What caused the epic Golden Gate Park traffic jam —
Should S.F. drivers brace for a repeat?
A woman who gave birth in the midst of a Golden Gate Park traffic jam became an instant symbol of human resilience, though her ordeal also showed what happens when a city is paralyzed by congestion.
Typical motorist Road Rage game face
Days afterward, San Francisco officials and transportation planners are still trying to untangle the root causes of the chaos as motorists brace for a repeat. That weekend of Sept. 19 and 20 included closures along the “Hospital Curve” section of Highway 101 that led to about 20 minutes of backup — mostly for people trying to get on the Bay Bridge in SoMa, said Lori Shepherd, a spokesperson for Caltrans. But snarls on downtown streets and roads were compounded by additional traffic stemming from the King of the Streets Low Rider Parade and Festival in the Mission District on Saturday.
San Francisco’s October calendar is packed, starting with Fleet Week on the northern waterfront and continuing with the bluegrass extravaganza in Golden Gate Park, as well as the rehabilitation projects on major freeways and a “No Kings” march on Oct. 17. Drivers heading out during these times should be aware that anything could happen.
Top photo: San Francisco Chronicle. Vehicle jam at Lincoln Way and 19th Avenue entry to Golden Gate Park
