SAN FRANCISCO, CA –For the first time since before the pandemic, City residents will be able to dive into public swimming seven days a week, thanks to a pilot program to be launched by the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department Sept. 26.
The initiative, which staggers schedules at two of its nine public pools, will ensure everyone has more access to public pools, including the much-anticipated opportunity to swim on Sundays.
"Our community has spoken, and we listened," said Rec and Park General Manager Phil Ginsburg. "San Franciscans want more opportunities to swim, especially on weekends. We're proud to deliver on that promise with more access for everyone.”
This pilot program marks a significant milestone in Rec and Park’s efforts to maximize resources and expand public access without raising prices. To achieve seven day a week swimming in the public pool system, Rec and Park will shift Garfield and Rossi pool schedules to Sunday-Thursday. All other pools will remain on a Tuesday-Saturday schedule, ensuring San Franciscans can choose from a variety of swimming options every day of the week.
The two pools were selected for the Sunday pilot due to their strategic locations on opposite sides of the city and their large shallow areas, which cater to both kids and adults. Both pools are also well-served by public transportation and are located within 2-3 miles of additional neighborhood pools.
The program's introduction follows a robust community engagement process, including a survey distributed to over 120,000 people over five weeks, and posted on social media and at pools. Rec and Park received 1,700 responses. The feedback was overwhelmingly in favor of increasing weekend swim time, particularly for families.
Parents welcomed news of the pilot program.
“Being able to swim in the city on Saturday and Sunday is fantastic,” said Kellie Menendez, artist, children’s book author, and 17-year resident of the Mission neighborhood. “I can’t wait to take my son. Being able to walk to the pool just a few blocks away makes a big difference for families. I hope that the city keeps expanding hours and lessons so that we all have more time in San Francisco’s beautiful pools.”
“This pilot of Sunday swim at our public pools is important for maximizing availability, not just for families, but everyone in San Francisco,” said Robert Peters, co-founder of the SF Kids Swim, a parent collective. “It’s an exciting first step to have swimming now available in our city every day!”
Parent and child swim lessons have been shifted from Saturday to Sunday at Garfield and Rossi pools, while Friday swim lessons at Garfield have been moved to Monday. Any Saturday lessons temporarily suspended during the change will be restored next season.
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