Mission BART Plazas Get $12.25 Million for Lighting, Ambassadors and Safety Upgrades

The plazas outside the 16th Street and 24th Street Mission BART stations are getting $12.25 million in new philanthropic and state money for lighting, civilian ambassadors and public safety technology. Mayor Daniel Lurie and District 9 Supervisor Jackie Fielder outlined the plan on November 5, 2026, according to the Mayor’s Office announcement.

The total combines a $9.25 million gift from Crankstart, the foundation led by CEO Missy Narula, with $3 million in state budget funding secured by Assembly Budget Chair Jesse Gabriel. Mission Local also reported the Crankstart gift on November 6, describing it as paying for lighting improvements, street patrols and public safety technology at the plazas.

Where the Money Goes

Crankstart’s $9.25 million covers, per the city:

• Added lighting at both BART plazas and along priority blocks and school routes nearby
• Expanded civilian ambassador coverage, starting earlier in the morning and covering a wider area. Ambassadors assist residents and businesses, de-escalate conflicts and connect people to services.
• A dedicated Spanish-speaking ambassador at Marshall Elementary School during arrival and dismissal
• Physical improvements around Marshall Elementary, including fencing, murals and landscaping
• Upgrades to the San Francisco Police Department’s public safety technology in the Mission

The $3 million in state funds is meant to activate the plazas and improve the public space. The city says that includes infrastructure to support vendors, commerce and regular community activity, plus lighting, cleaning equipment and other public safety tools.

The announcement does not give an installation schedule for the lighting or the plaza improvements.

What Riders Will See Now

Alongside the new funding, the city listed changes already under way around the two stations and the Mission Street corridor between 16th and 24th streets:

• BART plazas and stations are being cleaned every night.
• SFPD is deploying additional officers for evening operations, with regular narcotics operations and more nighttime vending enforcement.
• The Sheriff’s Office has a six-month nighttime deployment along Mission Street from 16th to 24th Street.
• Sixteen California Highway Patrol officers began a 60-day deployment in San Francisco to support city law enforcement.
• Additional street outreach workers are working in the Mission at night.
• Nonprofit partners sweep for syringes around Marshall Elementary three times a day, with on-call response when syringes are reported.

What People Said

“Moving the problem from one block to the next isn’t good enough. This community deserves concrete steps that will make a real difference,” Mayor Lurie said in the announcement.

Supervisor Fielder said her office had spent “over a year” advocating with constituents and community groups “for more community ambassadors and upgrades to the BART plazas.”

“The challenges at Marshall Elementary and the Mission’s BART plazas are serious, and we’re clear-eyed that there are no quick fixes,” said Crankstart CEO Missy Narula.

Getting There

16th Street Mission and 24th Street Mission are consecutive BART stations on the line under Mission Street, and each has street-level plazas at its entrances. For things to see and eat between the two stations, see our Mission District guide.

Photo: The plaza at 16th Street Mission station during a 2018 cleaning. Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.