MAYOR LONDON BREED AND CITY LEADERS PREPARE FOR START OF APEC IN SAN FRANCISCO
Thursday, November 9, 2023
Contact: Mayor’s Press Office, mayorspressoffice@sfgov.org
MAYOR LONDON BREED AND CITY LEADERS PREPARE FOR START OF APEC IN SAN FRANCISCO
City leaders detailed preparations for next week’s international economic conference so residents, workers, and attendees are aware and prepared for security plans
San Francisco, CA – Mayor London Breed joined City elected and public safety leaders to provide an update on preparations for next week’s APEC in San Francisco today at a press conference at the City’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC). The Mayor reaffirmed the City’s readiness to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Meeting and CEO Summit next week.
San Francisco City department heads and leaders have been working with the federal government, including representatives from the U.S. Secret Service, State Department and White House, to ensure security and operational plans are robust while minimizing impacts to the public wherever and whenever possible.
“San Francisco is ready to host APEC and welcome the international community to our City,” said Mayor London Breed. “We know with an event of this magnitude that there will be impacts for our residents. We have been working hard to make sure everyone has the information they need to understand what’s planned for next week, and we will continue to communicate about street closures and any other impacts that arise. But this is a major moment for San Francisco to shine on the world stage and we are excited and ready.”
Due to the national security measures required for the event, the Economic Leaders’ Meeting holds a National Special Security Event (NSSE) designation between November 15 and 18, which allows the federal government to fully implement event security and incident management plans to ensure the safety of all event participants and residents. As part of the NSSE structure, the U.S. Secret Service leads the design and implementation of security plans through an executive network of representatives from agencies holding various primary jurisdictions. This is the first time an NSSE event has ever occurred in San Francisco.
Street, Transit, and Public Safety Impacts
Though the NSSE designation only applies to one portion of APEC Week from November 15-18, residents and businesses will begin to experience street and access impacts throughout the entire week of APEC in the areas designated by the NSSE. The United States Secret Service has identified the following days and times people should expect impacts:
Monday, November 13
- Areas will be impacted around the Fairmont Hotel beginning at 10 p.m.
Tuesday, November 14
- Areas around the Fairmont Hotel will be impacted all day.
- Additional street impacts around the Moscone Center will begin at 10 p.m.
Wednesday, November 15
- Areas around the Fairmont Hotel and Moscone Center will be impacted all day.
- Areas around the Exploratorium and along the Embarcadero will be impacted beginning at 12 p.m. through the evening.
Thursday, November 16
- Areas around the Fairmont Hotel and Moscone Center will be impacted all day.
- Street impacts around the Legion of Honor will begin at 12 p.m.
Friday, November 17
- Areas around Moscone and Nob Hill will continue to have impacts throughout the day.
- People should expect residual impacts as safety barriers are removed.
Prior to these security restrictions being in place, the public may notice security barriers and fencing being installed in the area. Sidewalks and limited lane impacts may occur during this time to facilitate those installations.
Additional information about Local Traffic Only/Vehicle Exclusion Zones (green on map) and Controlled Pedestrian Access Zones (red on map) may be found on this page.
“The San Francisco Police Department is excited to be part of this extraordinary event that will put the global spotlight on our city,” said Police Chief Bill Scott. “We’re coordinating closely with our local, state and federal partners to ensure everyone is safe around the APEC events. We’re also fully staffed at our district stations and don’t anticipate any disruptions to normal policing services.”
Commuters should plan for transit reroutes and traffic congestion. Everyone in and around the secure areas should expect heightened security throughout the week. All regional transportation is fully operating, including Caltrain, BART, and our ferry system. Muni’s Market Street Subway will be running downtown, which will provide an efficient way to get around.
“We are excited to be hosting APEC next week. While there will be anticipated impacts, Muni service will remain accessible and we are committed to getting information to the public as soon as possible,” said Jeffrey Tumlin, SFMTA Director of Transportation. “We thank our riders for their patience and cooperation during the various reroutes and supplementation and look forward to this exciting event.”
City’s Coordinated Readiness
As part of the City’s response to ensure a safe APEC week, the San Francisco Emergency Operations Center (EOC) will be activated at its highest level to closely coordinate with federal response entities, as well as to allow for real time dissemination of timely and accurate information. The San Francisco EOC APEC activation begins today, November 9, and will continue through the conclusion of APEC, or as needed for any subsequent APEC-related events scheduled to conclude.
“APEC is a globally significant and historic event for our city and an event of this magnitude comes with special security and logistical considerations. This is why the city’s Emergency Operations Center has activated in order to coordinate all necessary operational and response components,” said Department of Emergency Management Executive Director Mary Ellen Carroll. “The EOC will ensure that San Francisco agencies continue their levels of service to the public while keeping residents and guests informed about APEC and its impacts on San Francisco.”
Community Outreach
Since October, a multi-agency outreach effort has been underway led by the Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD), the Office of Small Business (OSB), Office of the Assessor Recorder, Office of Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs (OCEIA), the Port, and the Mayor’s Office. The inter-agency team conducted direct, door-to-door outreach engaging with residents, business owners, and employers in the areas designated by the NSSE including around the Moscone Center, the Fairmont hotel, and the Waterfront. Team members are distributing flyers available in multiple languages to help in planning for the week, including information on how to coordinate deliveries and the process to enter the secure perimeter.
“The Office of Economic and Workforce Development is committed to ensuring that San Francisco residents, workers, small businesses, and employers can share in the incredible opportunity that APEC brings to our city, while preparing them for its impacts,” said Sarah Dennis Phillips, Executive Director of the Office of Economic and Workforce Development. “We firmly believe that APEC will not only generate lasting global economic impacts, but also provide a significant boost to our local economy. San Francisco welcomes this opportunity, and we are fully prepared to showcase the unique experiences our city has to offer. Together, we can achieve our goals while prioritizing safety and unity.”
“As the City has been preparing for this historic event and finding innovative ways to ensure that APEC attendees experience the best of San Francisco, we’ve also been walking the streets and sharing information with people who live or work in the neighborhoods that will be most impacted by the heightened security measures,” said Assessor-Recorder Joaquín Torres. “Through community meetings, door-to-door outreach and collaboration with local community stakeholders—we’ve provided our families, seniors, essential service providers and local businesses with actionable and up-to-date information that they need to go about their daily lives. This around-the-clock effort to keep San Franciscans informed will continue throughout the duration of APEC.”
How to Find APEC-related Information
SF.gov, San Francisco’s centralized website for all City services, will serve as a landing page directing residents and guests to information on City services continuity during APEC, including public transit temporary reroutes, adjustments to hours of public-facing services at City buildings, and information for small businesses. Visit SF.gov/apecfor more information.
3-1-1
Residents and guests can call 3-1-1 for updates on key APEC-related activities, including traffic disruptions and transit reroutes, from the 311 Customer Service Center. 3-1-1 offers customer service support with translation services in over 200 languages.
AlertSF
San Francisco’s emergency notification system, AlertSF, provides emergency updates to subscribers via email, text message or phone call. AlertSF would be used to inform all who live in, work in, or visiting San Francisco significant APEC related impacts to city services such as transit disruptions and emergency public information and alerts. AlertSF by texting their zip code to 888-777, or by texting APEC2023 to 888-777 for APEC-related emergency information.
APEC in San Francisco
APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) is the premier platform for the United States to advance economic policies in the Asia-Pacific region to promote free, fair, and open trade and investment and advance inclusive and sustainable growth. As part of our enduring commitment to the region and broad-based economic growth, San Francisco is excited to serve as host of the APEC Leaders’ Meeting taking place in San Francisco, November 11-17, 2023.
APEC will be the largest convening of world leaders in San Francisco since the UN Charter was signed in 1945 during the UN Conference on International Organization, also called the San Francisco Conference.
Next week, the United States will chair the 2023 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders’ Meeting in iconic San Francisco, California. The 21 APEC Member Economies account for nearly 40% of the global population and nearly 50% of global trade.
APEC’s themes this year are sustainability, inclusivity, innovation and resilience.
San Francisco residents and businesses looking for official City updates and information are encouraged to visit this page. Media, visitors and attendees should visit this page for more information, please visit: https://www.apec2023sf.org.