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Bay Bridge lights to return with almost double the number of lights, better visibility

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Bay Bridge lights to return with almost double the number of lights, better visibility


SAN FRANCISCO — For ten years, the Bay Bridge lights brought a sparkle to San Francisco’s skyline.

The feeling that came along with looking up at them was one of awe, said Ben Davis, the founder and Chief Visionary Officer of Illuminate, the art nonprofit behind the installation

“It just makes you want to reach out and grab the hand of the person next to you – it doesn’t make a difference who they are,” he said. “There is something that really brings us into a sense of humility through awe that unleashes the better nature of our character.”

But the lights had to go dark in 2023.

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“I feel like there is a hole in the night sky, and there has been for the past year,” Davis said.

The lights first lit up in 2013. What was originally meant to be a two-year art display ended up turning into 10 years. But, over time, many of the lights lost their luster.

“The Bay Bridge is a really harsh environment for electronics. So, they were suffering,” Davis said. “Really, rather than letting them decay into oblivion, which is a bad look for San Francisco, we did the responsible thing: We took them down and set about bringing them back in a new configuration – really designed to do well over time on this side of the Bay Bridge.”

Now dubbed “Bay Lights 360,” the new public art installation with have around 50,000 LED lights – about double the original number – and better visibility.

“We’re going to wrap both sides of the cable so people can see it not just from San Francisco and the North Bay – but as a matter of aesthetic equity, to communities all around the Bay,” Davis said.

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The revamp was made possible after the art nonprofit’s successful fundraising campaign.

“We’ve received $10 million in major gifts to bring the artwork back, which is exciting. We’re actually at $10.5 million raised so far. The $11th million we are raising through not major gifts, but actually just through crowdfunding,” Davis said.

Davis said the contributions came from people, not government organizations or corporations. 

“We didn’t seek any city funds because we really didn’t want to rob the public art community in San Francisco and other organizations that could use it more,” he said. “I have deep faith and love for the place in which we live, and I find it an honor to have gestures like the Bay Lights manifest in the world with the help of thousands of people bringing together this culture of generosity to make it happen.”

He said they’re working on building the materials now and will begin installing the lights in the fall. The plan is to have them shining again sometime around March of 2025.

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Exclusive: San Francisco Police Department investigating Zoox collision with a parked car | TechCrunch

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Exclusive: San Francisco Police Department investigating Zoox collision with a parked car | TechCrunch


The San Francisco Police Department is investigating an accident involving a Zoox autonomous vehicle that crashed into the driver’s side door of a parked car, TechCrunch has learned.

Officers responded to the crash, which occurred at around 2 p.m. local time on January 17 near the intersection of 15th and Mission Streets, according to the department. The Zoox robotaxi was traveling along 15th street when a street ambassador named Jamel Durden opened the driver’s-side door of his 1977 Cadillac Coupe DeVille, according to MissionLocal, which first reported the crash.

Durden’s hand was reportedly smashed during the crash, and the Zoox vehicle suffered damage to its glass doors. The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) told TechCrunch the Zoox vehicle was carrying a passenger at the time, which has not been previously reported. That passenger was an employee of Zoox, according to the company, and was not injured, which the SFPD confirmed.

The police department declined to provide TechCrunch with an incident report “[d]ue to the fact it is still an open investigation.” Zoox filed its own police report about the incident, the company told TechCrunch, but said no additional details have been requested. In a statement on January 20, Zoox said it was “cooperating with local authorities to provide an accurate account of the incident.”

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The California Department of Motor Vehicles, which regulates autonomous vehicles in the state, has also met with Zoox about the January 17 crash. The DMV told TechCrunch that Zoox filed a crash report “in compliance with California regulations.” That report is not yet publicly available.

Zoox is in the early stages of building out its robotaxi service in San Francisco. In November, the company started offering free rides to members of the public who are part of the “Zoox Explorer” early-rider program. The company is operating a similar program in Las Vegas, Nevada.

This rollout has come with challenges. The Amazon-owned company issued a recall in December to fix an issue where some of its vehicles were crossing center lanes and blocking crosswalks. (Zoox also issued two different software updates during recalls earlier in 2025 before it started offering public rides.)

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The January crash in San Francisco happened when Durden “suddenly opened” the door of his car into the path of the robotaxi, according to Zoox. The company said the robotaxi “identified the opening door and tried to avoid it but contact was unavoidable.” (Durden’s employer could not be reached for comment.)

Zoox also said it offered medical attention to Durden, who allegedly declined. According to MissionLocal, Durden refused medical treatment until his car was towed.

“Safety and transparency are foundational to Zoox, and we are cooperating with local authorities to provide an accurate account of the incident,” the company said in a statement.

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Video: Mountain Lion Spotted in San Francisco

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Video: Mountain Lion Spotted in San Francisco


new video loaded: Mountain Lion Spotted in San Francisco

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Mountain Lion Spotted in San Francisco

Residents were shocked to see a young mountain lion roaming the streets of San Francisco this week. Local animal control agencies were able to capture and tranquilize it on Tuesday.

Swear to God, am I tripping? There’s a mountain lion. What is that? I can see it. Oh my God. What the. Dude!

Residents were shocked to see a young mountain lion roaming the streets of San Francisco this week. Local animal control agencies were able to capture and tranquilize it on Tuesday.

By Cynthia Silva

January 27, 2026



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Animal control locates mountain lion in San Francisco

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Animal control locates mountain lion in San Francisco


A young mountain lion that was spotted Monday night in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights neighborhood has been located, city officials said.

Around 6:20 a.m. Tuesday, city officials said San Francisco Animal Care and Control found the mountain lion and that they are working with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to manage the situation. No injuries were reported.

A biologist is on their way to the scene, with the plan to tranquilize the animal and move it to a suitable location, officials said.

The mountain lion was first reported Monday night after being seen near Octavia Street and Pacific Avenue, according to an alert from the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management.

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Animal Care and Control officials said experts believe the animal is about a year old. It had also been seen earlier Monday morning near Lafayette Park, just a few blocks from the later sighting.

City officials said the mountain lion was likely lost and may have been trying to move south out of the city.



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