Land Use Committee Advances Driveway Parking Rules, Central Subway Expansion Plans

San Francisco's Land Use and Transportation Committee moved a slate of housekeeping items and code updates Monday while devoting nearly two hours to the future of the Central Subway—a project that took decades to build and may take another generation to extend to North Beach and Fisherman's Wharf.

• Driveway parking legalized: Up to two cars may now park in residential driveways between the curb cut and garage, ending decades of inconsistent enforcement.

• Central Subway ridership hits 20,000 daily: The T Line is now Muni's second-busiest rail line, but extension planning remains in early stages with no construction funding secured.

• Maiden Lane closure hours trimmed: Union Square's pedestrian alley will close to cars at 8 p.m. instead of 10 p.m. under an updated activation permit.

• Movie theater alcohol rules delayed: Legislation allowing theaters to sell beer and wine as "bona fide eating places" continues to Feb. 9 for further refinement.

• Tenderloin leader honored: A commemorative street name - Stephen Tennis Way- will mark the 200 block of Eddy Street.

State of play: For years, San Francisco homeowners who parked cars in their own driveways faced citations if the vehicles sat within the required front setback—the landscaped strip between the sidewalk and the house. The new ordinance, sponsored by Vice Chair Chyanne Chen (District 11), legalizes up to two operable vehicles parked on the driveway path between the curb cut and an authorized parking area, provided nothing encroaches on the public right-of-way.