What is a public right-of way?
Public rights-of-way are streets, unaccepted streets, sidewalks, medians, stairways, circles, and triangles that are public space. According to San Francisco’s Public Works Code, “Public right-of-way” shall mean the area across, along, beneath, in, on, over, under, upon, and within the dedicated public alleys, boulevards, courts, lanes, roads, sidewalks, spaces, streets, and ways within the City, as they now exist or hereafter will exist and which are or will be under the permitting jurisdiction of the Department of Public Works. Sometimes public rights-of-way look like triangles in between two streets, as shown below. Or, a public right-of-way may be formed when one Street goes up the hill and another intersecting Street goes down the hill, creating a space on the hillside between the two streets. View a map of available sites. Back to top.
