Sunday Streets Volunteer Roles

Volunteer Check-in/ Information Booth

Check in at 10:00am for Morning Shift

Check in at 11:30am for Mid Shift

Check in at 1:30pm for Afternoon Shift

Volunteers at the check-in/information booth check volunteers in and out for each shift, keep records and organize paperwork, provide a first aid kit to participants, handle lost and found, lost parents & children, and answer questions for volunteers and participants. The morning shift will also help set up the check-in booth. The afternoon shift will break down the booth after all volunteers have checked out and assist with strike by helping move barricades nearest the booth.  

Volunteer check-in: Check in each volunteer on sign-in sheet, verify they’ve signed a waiver, attended orientation, and hand them their packet. Remind them to check out after their shift.

Each volunteer should receive:

1. Volunteer packet with assignment and job description, incident form, route map, and lunch ticket
2. Barricade maps (for set-up volunteers)
3. T-shirt (first time volunteers only)
4. Safety vest (Intersection Monitors and Route Rabbits)
5. Stop sign (Intersection Monitors ONLY)

Volunteer check-out: Check out each volunteer, ensure all safety vests and stops signs are returned, collect any completed incident forms.

*Please wait at your station until the Event Magic team has come and loaded the tent, tables and chairs, and the Volunteer Team has loaded the supplies.

Mystery Shift

Check in at 10:30am for Morning Shift

Check in at 1:15pm for Afternoon Shift

Mystery Shift Volunteers are assigned as needed on the day of Sunday Streets. They can be assigned to any traditional Sunday Streets volunteer role. This position is great for anyone who likes surprises, wants to be a part of Sunday Streets wherever needed, and likes variety. You might work at the Info Booth for half your shift, and work as a route rabbit the next. Anything is possible and we thank you for making it so! Be prepared by bringing your bike (for a Route Rabbit shift), a book or music (for an Intersection Monitor with low traffic), and a great attitude!

Set-up Volunteers

Check in at 10:30am

Set-up volunteers keep Sunday Streets participants safe by placing barricades to create a buffer zone and street closures around the Sunday Streets route. The set-up team also helps set up the volunteer booths as needed, and removes “No Parking” signs from the route once the event has started.

1. Help set-up tables, tents, and signage.
2. Study barricade maps and clarify any questions with Volunteer Captain or Volunteer Program Intern before leaving to set up barricades and cones along the route.
3. You will go out in teams with a map indicating barricade placement.  When your team reaches the intersections indicated on the map, you should find a number of barricades on the corner. With your team, place the barricades as indicated on the map, as accurately as possible.
4. Barricades should be in place right at 11:00am.
5. When all of the barricades are in place and Sunday Streets has started, take down all the “No Stopping” signs along the route and return them to the check-in booth.
6. Untie the signs (instead of cutting) so that we can use the signs and string again. (This saves us at least 12-15 hours of volunteer time for the next Sunday Streets!)
7. Return No Stopping signs to your Check-in station and find out if anything else is needed before checking out of your shift.

Intersection Monitor

Check in at 10:30am for Morning Shift

Check in at 1:15pm for Afternoon Shift

There are two types of Intersection Monitors and you will be assigned one of the roles on the day of Sunday Streets. Both are essential.

Local Access Intersection Monitor

Local Access Intersection Monitors keep Sunday Streets participants safe by maintaining the buffer zone around Sunday Streets and preventing unauthorized vehicles from entering the route.  

• Monitor barricades and buffer zones to ensure they stay in place
• Provide detour information
• Move barricades to allow local access for delivery vehicles and residents with off-street parking only
• Work with Route Rabbits to keep participants safe by waiving down a Route Rabbit when on-route local access must be provided. *Occasionally if a Route Rabbit is not available, you may need to lead an authorized vehicle onto the route to their on-route destination by walking with the automobile to their destination
• Explain to people in vehicles that Sunday Streets opens the streets for walking and bicycling and that they only may enter the route when escorted by a volunteer at 5 MPH or less.
• Ask the driver to wait until the Route Rabbit can safely escort the vehicle onto the route.
• Thank drivers for being cooperative and safe
• Volunteer Route Rabbits should come to check on you to offer a biology break if you need to find a restroom
• Tip: Sometimes it is good to bring a book if your post is on the buffer zone.

When your shift is over (and you’ve been replaced if you’re a morning volunteer), head back to your Check in Station to return your reflective vest and stop sign and check out.

Cross Traffic Intersection Monitor (ie: “Life Savers”)

Help keep Sunday Streets participants safe by stopping participants at cross traffic intersections while traffic is crossing. A SF Police Department or Parking Control Officer will direct traffic at the intersection.

• Introduce yourself to the officer at your assigned intersection and ask them how you can best assist stopping participants when they allow traffic to cross the route
• Use your stop sign paddle and cord to stop participants and keep them safe when the officer allows traffic to cross the route
• It is illegal for Intersection Monitors to direct auto traffic that is crossing the route, be sure to only assist the officer at the intersection
• Sometimes you may need to assist the officer by providing detour information to drivers and participants so that the officer can continue to control traffic at that intersection
• Volunteer Route Rabbits should come to check on you to offer a biology break if you need to find a restroom
• Please do not leave your post until a volunteer has come to relieve your or the police officer or a volunteer program staff tell you it is time to do so.
• Return to your Check-in Station to return your reflective vest and stop sign and check out.

Route Rabbit (bicycle required)

Check in at 10:30am for Morning Shift

Check in at 1:15pm for Afternoon Shift

There are two types of Route Rabbits and you will be assigned one of the roles on the day of Sunday Streets. Both are essential.

Route Support Route Rabbit

These Route Rabbits keep Sunday Streets participant safe by maintaining the buffer zone around Sunday Streets and providing support to Intersection Monitor volunteers. Each Route Rabbit will receive special instructions for their route segment. Keep Volunteer Team informed of anything that may need our attention.  

• Check to make sure each cross traffic intersection is staffed and report to your Volunteer Lead or Captain if it is not
• Verify barricade placement is maintained by checking that barricades remain in place ON THE BUFFER and on the route. Replace barricades that may have been moved
• Assist unauthorized vehicles off the route or out of the buffer zone
• Explain to people in vehicles that Sunday Streets opens the streets for walking and bicycling and that you are here to escort them on or off of the route safely at 5 MPH or less or out of the buffer zone.
• Thank drivers for being cooperative and safe
• Assist Intersection Monitors by providing bio breaks and checking to ensure barricades on the buffer zone on your assigned leg of the route are in place
• Help resolve problems by relaying information
• PM Volunteers: At 3:55pm, get ready to move the barricades that are along your assigned stretch of the route. At 4:00pm when Sunday Streets is over, move the barricades out of the street to the corner.
• Return to Check-in station at the end of your shift to return safety vest and check out.

Local Access Support Route Rabbit

Local access Route Rabbits keep Sunday Streets participants safe by maintaining the buffer zone around Sunday Streets and providing local access to authorized vehicles. These Route Rabbits are assigned a leg of the route to help escort residents and commercial vehicles off the route and escort commercial vehicles to their place of business from the nearest intersection.  

• Work with Intersection Monitors along an assigned leg of the route
• Safely escort authorized vehicles on the route, and unauthorized vehicles off the route.
• Assist vehicles in maintaining safe speed of 5MPH or lower
• Route Rabbits should verify whether the vehicle will also need to leave during the Sunday Streets event and ensure that no vehicle is within the Sunday Streets route without being accompanied by a Route Rabbit.  If a resident is escorted off the Sunday Streets route during the event, they may not reenter the route until Sunday Streets is closed at 4pm.
• Explain to people in vehicles that Sunday Streets opens the streets for walking and bicycling and that you are here to escort them on or off of the route safely at 5 MPH or less.
• Thank drivers for being cooperative and safe
• Assist Intersection Monitors by providing bio breaks and checking to ensure barricades on the buffer zone on your assigned leg of the route are in place.

• PM Volunteers: At 3:55pm, get ready to move the barricades that are along your assigned stretch of the route. At 4:00pm when Sunday Streets is over, move the barricades out of the street to the corner.
• Return to Check-in station at the end of your shift to return safety vest and check out.

Important: Have fun!

Sunday Streets would not be possible without the help of the hundreds of amazing volunteers like you!

Thank you so much for working with us to bring Sunday Streets to San Francisco.