Funds short for S.F.'s No. 1 and No. 2 issue: filthy streets

Steve Mahoney wears protective gear to clean Jack Kerouac Alley for the Department of Public Works in San Francisco, Calif. on Wednesday, May 14, 2014. Supervisor Scott Weiner is seeking to boost the department's budget and add additional cleaning crews to battle a growing problem of urine and feces covering streets and sidewalks throughout the city. less Steve Mahoney wears protective gear to clean Jack Kerouac Alley for the Department of Public Works in San Francisco, Calif. on Wednesday, May 14, 2014. Supervisor Scott Weiner is seeking to boost the ... more Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 15 Caption Close Funds short for S.F.'s No. 1 and No. 2 issue: filthy streets 1 / 15 Back to Gallery

The filthiest alley in San Francisco isn't where you think it is.

It isn't in the gritty Tenderloin. And it isn't in the Mission, although the Department of Public Works says that district had more than 4,600 requests for steam cleaning - almost all for human waste - over nine months.

Nope, the filthiest alley in the city is St. George Alley, a narrow, one-block stretch of stained asphalt on the edge of the Financial District. It's no more than half a block from historic Sam's Grill.

Don't believe it? Ask someone who knows - DPW's Steve Mahoney. He's been power-washing the city's smelly streets for 14 years.

"We probably go to St. George Alley once a week and there are 30 piles of (human) waste," he says. "There's other alleys - Minna and Stevenson (South of Market) - but St. George is the worst."

Whenever there are complaints that San Francisco smells like a Porta Potti, someone is bound to reply that the reason is there is no place for the down-and-out to go. But that's not really true. They have plenty of places.

"Bus stops, alleys, doorways," says Mahoney. "They go anywhere."

Crews can't keep up

There's probably a thoughtful discussion to be had about the psychology of public pooping and why some indigents don't make the effort to walk the extra blocks to find a public restroom. There may be studies, pilot programs and - who knows? - maybe some doctoral theses.

This isn't the place for that discussion.

This is where we simply say the streets are a mess and they need to be cleaned up. It isn't as if DPW isn't making the effort. Mahoney's is one of two alley crews that are constantly engaged in steam-cleaning the streets. They work eight-hour shifts, five days a week, refilling their 250-gallon spray tank two or three times a day.

And they can't keep up.

"Last fiscal year we had 8,502 steamer requests," says Rachel Gordon, department spokeswoman. "This year, through May 5, we've had 5,585, the majority of which pertain to urine and human defecation."

We know. Every week we get letters from tourists who say they loved our city but were appalled at the stench in the streets and alleys. And in theory street cleanup is at the top of the list at City Hall.

But this is "budget season," where every city department and service agency makes its pitch for funding. The mayor's office has to weigh the options, balance funds and make some difficult choices. Supervisor Scott Wiener says every year DPW requests the funds to add cleanup workers.

"And every year they strike out," Wiener says. "There are huge competing demands, which are important. But every year basic demands for cleaning and safety tend to go to the bottom of the barrel."

So on Thursday, Wiener is announcing a coordinated lobbying effort to persuade the mayor's office to increase funding to make our streets and parks - the places we go every day - cleaner. It's not just DPW. In all, Wiener wants to add $7 million in funding, including additions to the Recreation and Park budget for gardeners and park rangers. He's also pushing for approval for funding for DPW gardeners to promote more green median strips along the streets.

No. 1, No. 2 priorities

All of which are noble and important needs. But for the average San Franciscan, cleaning those streets would be at the top of the list. And DPW simply needs more manpower.

"After the 2008 recession, cleaning crews and landscaper staffs were decimated," Wiener said. "They have been gutted and never got restored."

Wiener wants the mayor's office to approve $1.6 million in funding for DPW that will add 11 positions to restore those cuts, as well as two additional steamer crews like Mahoney's. His team's territory extends from the Embarcadero to Fifth Avenue in the Richmond District and from Market Street north to Bay Street. A crew could probably work just the Mission and stay busy.

Of course, the same could be said of Rec and Park's rangers. As Executive Director Phil Ginsburg says, at any given time he has two patrol officers for 220 city parks. Wiener's proposal would include $2.7 million to add 24/7 patrols, rangers who look for graffiti, vandalism - and filth. Of course, activists could complain that there's no need for rangers when the police could do the job, but Matt O'Grady of the Parks Alliance disagrees.

"The simple answer: It is cheaper," he says. "The patrols don't carry a sidearm. They are trained specifically to be in the parks and don't get pulled away for special events. You don't have to do much math. It is kind of a slam dunk."

Call for commitment

But nothing is a slam dunk in budget season. Wiener also says the landscape funding is so low that park arborists can only afford to perform routine maintenance on the 130,000 park trees every 75 years. He's proposing $2 million to fund tree maintenance.

"It's not enough to complain about this," Wiener says. "We have to commit."

But if there is no increase in funding and DPW crews continue to fight a losing battle in the streets, Mahoney has some simple advice: "Always carry hand sanitizer."

Commit to that.