In San Francisco’s Mission District on Capp Street, sex work was such a problem that traffic barriers were installed to break up the flow of drivers in the area looking to pay for sex. Now, it’s become a problem Juan Gallardo is dealing with because the sex work has moved right outside his restaurant on Shotwell and 18th Streets.

“A lot of mess here in my parklet,” he said. “

This week, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency voted to treat Shotwell St. similarly to that done at Capp.

The SFMTA said new temporary midblock barriers will be placed for 18 months between 19th and 21st streets.

However, residents aren’t convinced the dividers will fix the problem.

“I would assume it’s just moving people around. It’s not changing any enforcement, making it more inconvenient in certain places,” said Garrett Kiel, who lives in the Mission.

Supervisor Hillary Ronen expressed similar concerns. Though, Ronen pushed for the Capp St. bollards.

“It was out of control, and we had to intervene immediately,” she said in a late August news release with the Mayor’s Office.

Ronen said the aged-old issue in the Mission is far more complicated and deserves more nuanced solutions like finding safe alternative work for women or decriminalized sex work.

“None of these are quick fixes, which is I know what the neighbors want, and I understand that,” Ronen said. “I do not think the solution is to barricade off every street in the Mission.”

Many residents, who did not wish to be identified, agreed with Ronan.

Earlier this year, a group of residents and business owners filed a lawsuit against the city for allegedly allowing prostitution, public intoxication, and other ills to run rampant in their neighborhood.

The suit, filed in August, describes unrelenting public and private nuisances along Shotwell Street between 19th and 21st.

For Gallardo, it’s about the safety of his family.

“I have my wife, and I have my daughter, and I’m not comfortable with that,” he said.

The San Francisco Giants enter the offseason with just four arbitration-eligible players: Mike Yastrzemski, LaMonte Wade Jr., Tyler Rogers, and Camilo Doval. New President of Baseball Operations Buster Posey may opt to retain all four as he looks to build a competitive team under his leadership.

Yastrzemski, a key outfielder for the Giants, provides a strong left-handed bat and valuable defense, while Wade’s versatility at first base and in the outfield has been critical to the team’s success. Both have had strong contributions at the plate and are important for maintaining offensive depth. MLB Trade Rumors projects the duo to receive a combined $14.2M, with $9.5M to Yastrzemski and $4.7M to Wade.

On the pitching side, Rogers, a side-arming reliever, has been a workhorse in the bullpen, offering consistency in both high-leverage and middle-inning roles. His $5.5M award would not be an overpay for his veteran stability.

Doval, the team’s former closer that was briefly demoted to the minors down the stretch, is the biggest question mark of this class. His projection is just $4.6M, a significant increase from his $770k pre-arb salary, but significantly less than a closer with 92 career saves would be expected to receive. The Giants optioned him down to Triple-A in mid-August after a 4.70 ERA, only to see the flamethrower put up a 5.40 after he returned.

In a fortunate bit of “disaster-averted news”, Doval reportedly turned down a $50M multi-year extension offer over the summer, setting his sights on the Edwin Díaz $102M deal that the closer signed with the New York Mets.

Posey will have to navigate the arbitration process carefully, but keeping these core contributors would allow the Giants to maintain a strong foundation for 2025. With all four players being critical to the Giants’ lineup and bullpen stability, retaining them through arbitration makes sense as Posey builds the next phase of the team’s competitive window.