The homeless problem in San Francisco has made its way into the hallways of commuter areas. Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is seeking approval from the Office of the State Fire Marshal to close a hallway that is often filled with homeless people and drug users shooting up on the floor. The problem is affecting BART users who are now scared to use the Civic Center Station hallway.
BART Board of Directors member Bevan Dufty, told the San Francisco Examiner, about the efforts to get the hallway sealed, even though it may be temporary.
"There are a lot of people very mentally ill. “And that’s a reason many people aren’t riding transit at night. Everybody is asking we help people.”
The closure would not affect any entrances or exits and is just one solution BART is looking at to fix the sticky situation happening in the station.
Jennifer Friedenbach, executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness, suggested the hallway be used for "something positive", mentioning that it could be used as a daytime homeless shelter or a hub to connect drug users with addiction services.
"It's not like the people will disappear. They’ll just end up somewhere else. Maybe other parts of the BART station.”
The homeless could be placed in the surrounding shelters in the city but that would also require no drug use.