Park rangers, SFPD and SFMTA remove RVs near Lake Merced

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

On the morning of October 28, park rangers, SFMTA staff, and San Francisco police began removing RVs parked near Lake Merced, clearing streets where dozens of families had lived for years. The removal caps a two-year push to enforce parking limits and build a bike lane along Lake Merced Boulevard.

The city twice imposed weekday parking caps on the area and promised a safe parking site for vehicle residents that never opened. San Francisco counts roughly 1,000 people living in vehicles, a number that rose 37% since 2022 even as tent camping declined.

Why it matters

Dozens of RV families are pushed off Lake Merced streets with no safe parking alternative, ahead of a bike lane that removes 101 spaces.

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Key Indicators

50+

RV families on Winston Drive

At least 50 families lived in RVs on Winston Drive near Lake Merced as of mid-2026.

101

Parking spaces removed

Bike lane project removes parking on east side of Lake Merced Blvd from Higuera to Winston.

37%

Rise in vehicle living since 2022

Point-in-time count shows people in vehicles rose to nearly 1,500 citywide.

~1,000

People living in vehicles in SF

Confirmed by the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing as of 2026.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

People Involved

Myrna Melgar

Supervisor, San Francisco District 7

Incumbent; defends the removals

Nelly Sorto

Former RV resident on Winston Drive

Now homeless, sleeping in her car

Jennifer Friedenbach

Executive Director, Coalition on Homelessness

Active opponent of the removals

Manny Yekutiel

SFMTA Board Member

Voted for limits, pushed for delay

Organizations Involved

San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency

Municipal transit agency

Enforcing parking limits; building Lake Merced bike lane

The agency that runs San Francisco's streets, parking, and transit.

Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing

City department

Responsible for housing alternatives for displaced vehicle residents

San Francisco's homelessness and supportive housing department.

Coalition on Homelessness

Advocacy group

Opposes the removals

San Francisco's main homeless advocacy organization.

Timeline

2021 October 2026

6 events Latest: Yesterday

Tap a bar to jump to that date

October 2026
Park rangers, SFMTA and SFPD remove RVs near Lake Merced
Latest Enforcement

Agencies begin removing all RVs in the Lake Merced area; residents report the action early morning.
Yesterday
2026
SFMTA proposes Lake Merced Blvd parking restrictions
Regulation

Quick-build bike project removes 101 spaces; 50+ RV families on Winston Drive face displacement.
2026
November 2025
Citywide two-hour large vehicle limit takes effect
Regulation

SF enforces 2-hour parking cap on large vehicles; residents need a Large Vehicle Refuge Permit or face towing.
November 1st, 2025
July 2024
Winston Drive crackdown begins
Enforcement

City pushes out over 100 RVs used as shelter on Winston Drive, scattering families across the city.
July 2024
April 2024
SFMTA board approves Winston Drive parking limit
Regulation

Board votes for 4-hour weekday limit, delays enforcement three months to push HSH for alternatives.
April 2024
2021
City pledges safe parking site near SF State
Policy Pledge

HSH and Supervisor Melgar promise vehicle residents a safe site; none ever materializes.
2021

Scenarios

Lake Merced cleared, bike lane completed

Likely Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: SFMTA project documents; local media

The removal proceeds through fall 2026. All RVs leave the Lake Merced corridor, and SFMTA completes the quick-build bike lane connecting Higuera to Winston Drive by mid-2027. Displaced families either take housing vouchers — 20 received them in the 2024 round — or scatter to other streets.

Court injunction halts further removals

Possible Resolves by Q3 2027

Discussed by: Coalition on Homelessness; ACLU of Northern California

Advocates sue, arguing the city promised not to displace residents without safe alternatives and never delivered. A judge issues an injunction forcing SFMTA to pause removals until housing or safe parking is offered. The suit echoes the backlash that led to the repeal of an earlier citywide RV ban.

Displaced RVs cluster on nearby streets, enforcement cycle repeats

Likely Resolves by Q1 2027

Discussed by: El Tecolote; KQED; The Frisc

Mirroring the 2024 Winston Drive pattern, displaced RVs reappear on John Muir Drive, Vidal Drive, or the Bayview. The city pursues them with the same parking rules, creating a whack-a-mole cycle. News reports document new clusters and the enforcement loop continues.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

June-July 2021

Los Angeles clears Venice Beach boardwalk encampments (2021)

LA enforced overnight closures and anti-camping rules on the Venice Beach boardwalk, dispersing a large, visible encampment that had drawn national media attention.

Then

Displaced residents moved to nearby streets and parks, where new encampments quickly formed.

Now

LA later launched the Inside Safe housing program and continued enforcement; homelessness grew citywide.

Why this matters now

Shows the pattern of enforcement moving visible encampments rather than eliminating them, a dynamic now repeating at Lake Merced.

2021

Oakland safe parking site study (2021)

The Benioff Homelessness Health Initiative interviewed 48 people living in RVs at an Oakland safe parking site and found most preferred staying in their vehicles over shelters or expiring subsidies.

Then

The study informed Bay Area debates on whether safe parking sites or housing placements work best.

Now

Oakland and Mountain View expanded safe parking while San Francisco's promised site near SF State never opened.

Why this matters now

Explains why RV residents resist displacement: many see their vehicles as more stable than temporary housing, a central tension in the Lake Merced removal.