Art in Transit: How San Francisco is integrating public art into its transportation infrastructure

San Francisco’s Arts Commission (SFAC) champions a city where art is interwoven with civic life, especially in the public realm. SFAC uses the 2% for Art Program – a policy that mandates that 2% of eligible construction costs from public capital projects be allocated to public art – to integrate public art into the city’s transit infrastructure. From permanent subway installations to temporary murals, these projects reflect neighbourhood identity and promote cultural inclusion.

The Central Subway Public Art Program

Enabled by the Art Enrichment Ordinance of 1969, the 2% for Art policy applies to above-ground civic infrastructure—such as buildings, parks, and transit facilities—ensuring that art is not an afterthought, but a core component of public space design.

Nowhere is this commitment more visible than in the Central Subway Public Art Program, a collaboration between SFAC and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA). This initiative commissioned ten permanent, site-specific artworks across four new transit stations: Chinatown–Rose Pak, Union Square/Market Street, Yerba Buena/Moscone, and SoMa.

Each installation was designed to reflect the character of its surrounding neighbourhood. At Chinatown–Rose Pak Station, artist Yumei Hou’s vivid laser-cut metal works celebrate traditional Chinese dance and community memory. In Union Square, Erwin Redl’s Lucy in the Sky installation transforms the station’s architecture with over 500 illuminated panels, creating a constantly shifting lightscape that captivates commuters.

Celebrating local culture beyond the subway

Art in transit extends beyond subway stations. SFAC also emphasizes community connection during construction phases. In Chinatown, the artist Jason Jägel’s Procession mural adorned fencing on Stockton Street during Central Subway construction. Its whimsical, parade-like imagery kept the spirit of the neighbourhood alive and maintained public interest in the evolving project.

Another example is the long-running Art on Market Street Poster Series which commissions local artists to design rotating artworks displayed along Market Street’s transit corridor. Now in its 30th year, the initiative demonstrates SFAC’s broader commitment to accessible, high-quality art in public space.

Art, infrastructure, and equity in motion

Recognizing that both transit and art are fundamental to urban vitality, the SFAC has made it a priority to enhance the city’s transit infrastructure through bold, thoughtful, and culturally resonant public artworks. This vision is rooted in the belief that art can play a transformative role in infrastructure—building community, fostering inclusion, and making everyday experiences more meaningful.

By embedding art directly into San Francisco’s transportation systems, SFAC brings cultural expression into the rhythm of daily urban life. These projects illustrate how thoughtful public art policy can humanize infrastructure, elevate community voices, and reflect a city’s diversity. Through partnerships like the one with SFMTA, SFAC ensures that public investment in infrastructure also becomes an investment in creativity, identity, and connection.