Today is the last day of the official meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Council to be held at the Moscone Center in downtown San Francisco. Safety zones remain in place and road closures and traffic impacts continue across the region. Officials said some closures and impacts will continue until Nov. 19 due to APEC-related events and cleaning.
Bay Bridge lane closures remain in effect. Traffic was slow but moving during Friday morning’s commute. It was a major deal until Thursday, when pro-Gaza protests shut down all lanes of the westbound Bay Bridge for hours.
Latest updates:
No protesters were seen on Market Street near the secure area.
A heavy police presence and road closures remained along Market Street Friday morning, but the hundreds of demonstrators who had lined the streets in recent days had all disappeared. There was not a single banner or placard in sight.
Biden’s plans for his last day in SF
According to White House officials, President Biden will host a retreat for APEC leaders at the Moscone Center after meeting with Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador on the final day of APEC, where he will formally appoint APEC Chairman Peru. announced that he plans to hand over the reins to President Bolarte. The country is scheduled to host the summit next year.
He plans to leave SFO around 1:20 p.m. and head to Philadelphia and eventually Delaware.
Breeds proudly showing off their SF during APEC
San Francisco Mayor London Breed reflected on a busy day at the APEC Summit on Friday morning, highlighting the 2023 APEC Summit, Vice President Kamala Harris’ launch of the Women in a Sustainable Economy Initiative, and artificial intelligence. Emphasized discussion on technology.
“Proud that #APEC gave us the opportunity to show the visiting international leadership community what’s happening here in SF,” Breed tweeted. “While we have our challenges, city workers have made our city safer and cleaner and will continue to do so.”
Bay Area traffic increases rapidly as APEC shrinks
As a busy week in APEC and San Francisco came to a close, traffic into the city and around the security zone south of Market remained at a standstill.
Traffic across the Bay Bridge, which was blocked for several hours by protesters Thursday, was slow but flowing except at the westbound entrances to the Oakland and Emeryville toll plazas.
Traffic across the Bay Bridge still has to be squeezed to just four lanes, making the entire bridge slower than usual Friday. Lanes that had been closed to ensure APEC safety were scheduled to reopen to traffic at 9 p.m.
As traffic flows into downtown San Francisco, backups are increasing around SoMa’s secure no-vehicle zone between Market and Harrison, and between 2nd and 5th avenues.
Sixth Street is congested heading into downtown, and Folsom and Howard Streets are congested in the area between the Embarcadero and Second Street. The Interstate 80 His Fifth Avenue and His Fourth Avenue exit ramps will remain closed until 9 p.m., when the daily traffic closure is scheduled to end.
Last day of APEC Bay Bridge lane closures
Friday was the last day California transportation officials will close the far left lane of eastbound I-80 in the Bay Bridge and the far right lane of westbound I-80 in the Bay Bridge during the APEC meeting. . The lanes reopened around 9 p.m. Friday, and normal lane operations on this span were scheduled to resume Saturday.
Lanes were closed to allow California Highway Patrol troopers to monitor traffic entering and exiting San Francisco during the meeting.
APEC convenes tech heavyweights to talk about AI
A discussion on artificial intelligence moderated by Laurene Powell Jobs featured OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Meta Chief Product Officer Chris Cox, and Google’s Senior Vice President of Research, Technology, and Society James Mr. Manika spoke about the huge possibilities and possibilities. Pitfalls — No new technology can be introduced.
“Something has changed qualitatively,” Altman said. “Now I can talk to this. It’s like the ‘Star Trek’ computer that was always promised… So this year, a lot of people around the world are trying to collectively catch up. I think he went through some hardships.”
Please see here for the detail.
You can see how bad the situation is for restaurants in APEC security zones.
The APEC conference, which draws tens of thousands of people to San Francisco, has devastated the operations of many restaurants, especially those in secure zones.
The Chronicle visited three Super Duper Burger locations downtown to gauge the impact on business on both sides of the high fence.
The store near Metreon Shopping Center was deserted during lunchtime Wednesday, and managers eventually turned off DoorDash, sent employees home and closed early. Sales decreased by 50% compared to the previous week.
“It’s hurting business,” Ed Oñas, Super Duper Burgers’ vice president of operations, said while sitting in his restaurant hidden behind a giant metal barrier erected along Mission Street for APEC. It’s clear that it’s having an impact.” “It’s already 12 o’clock and there’s no one here.”
Other businesses in the area are also reporting decreased sales, and some SF restaurants have decided to close during the meeting.
Today’s APEC weather forecast
The first day of active weather in San Francisco this week will be Friday. Thunderstorms, heavy rain, and strong winds are possible in downtown San Francisco this afternoon and evening. Frequent lightning could cause flight delays for world leaders leaving San Francisco International Airport in the evening.
Go here to read today’s article All Bay Area weather forecasts.
– Chronological Meteorologist Anthony Edwards
Friday road closures and traffic impacts
San Francisco International Airport is likely to be affected today as large numbers of APEC attendees depart for their home countries.
In San Francisco, traffic remains affected around Nob Hill and downtown’s Moscone Center, and impacts in downtown could continue into Saturday, according to the U.S. Secret Service.
The Dana Bowers Vista Point exit ramp from northbound Highway 101 at the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge will be closed until Nov. 18. Vehicles, pedestrians, and bicycles are prohibited from passing through this Vista Point.
Pro-China and anti-China demonstrators clash
Fighting broke out between supporters of Chinese leader Xi Jingping and anti-China Communist Party demonstrators on Thursday in front of San Francisco’s Moscone Center, where Xi was attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference, leaving several people bloodied. suffered injuries.
The skirmish is the latest to unfold during the chaotic past few days of APEC, the annual international trade summit that brought representatives from 21 countries to San Francisco and put a geopolitical spotlight on the host city. It highlighted the cracks in the human community.
In addition to the expected political intrigue, high-profile appearances and snubs, APEC has become the stage for two existential debates. It is about Israel’s aggressive military action in Gaza in response to Hamas’s brutal attack on October 7th, and the pros and cons of a conference touted as beneficial. Contributing to the Asian economy is actually good for Asian people.
Read more about how APEC has brought harsh judgment to the AAPI community.