The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency narrowly voted late Tuesday to name the new Chinatown subway station after Rose Pak, a controversial figure in local politics who fought to bring the subway to the neighborhood.
Scores of people spoke in passionate support — and opposition — to naming the station after Pak, who died in 2016 at age 68. Many spoke in Chinese, using a translator, while others brought videos to show the agency’s seven-member board of directors during the hearing. Public comment lasted for about six hours.
Pak was a heavy smoker with a penchant for the dramatic, and was considered instrumental in installing certain people in city hall — like former Mayor Ed Lee, the city’s first Asian American mayor — while pushing others out, like former Mayor Art Agnos. She was known for her brusque, unapologetic style, one that rubbed many people the wrong way, while others say she did what she had to for her community.
“She could be your best friend and she could be your worst friend,” said Allan Low, who spoke at Tuesday’s SFMTA meeting in support of adding Pak’s name. “As imperfect as a person Rose was, she did have a vision for a more perfect community and a more perfect city. And one of her visions was the central subway. … If there was a tiger mom for the central subway, it was Rose Pak. She would kick. She would claw. She would make this project happen.”
As many supporters spoke Tuesday, some opponents in the audience made a thumbs down sign, and at one point, an agency board member admonished those making a “snake” sound. Some urged the agency to stick to its habit of naming stations based on geography.
