The days are getting longer, the weather is getting warmer and San Francisco is easing back into one of its favorite seasonal rituals: neighborhood night markets.

Why it matters: What started as a pandemic-era workaround has evolved into a beloved community staple, with live music, kid-friendly activities, rows of local food vendors, pop-ups, and bespoke goods.

Catch up quick: The after-dark street fair, inspired by traditional night markets in Asia, first launched in the Sunset in 2023 to help small businesses recover from the pandemic and boost the city's economic recovery.

• Similar events have since expanded across the city.

State of play: The return of Cole Valley's night market yesterday could not have come on a better night, with warm weather drawing hundreds of attendees.

• Families and residents packed Cole Street, where vendors sold everything from tamales and Nepali momos to one-of-a-kind artworks and handmade ceramics against the backdrop of two live music stages.

Sarah Winter, an artist and fellow Cole Valley resident, told Axios she's been a vendor at the event four times.

• "It's been amazing — I rely on the market quite a lot... it's imperative to my business building," she said.

Between the lines: The momentum continues in the Castro today on 18th Street from 5-10pm, with the monthly event running through September.

Flashback: In February, the Sunset Night Market drew large crowds for its return celebrating Lunar New Year. Three more events — all tied to Chinese holidays — will be held on June 12th, September 25th and December 11th.

What's next: Two more Cole Valley markets are scheduled for April 16 and May 21 from 4-9pm.

Tell a neighbor

A proposed ballot initiative backed by Uber could reshape how much money victims recover in California car crash cases.

The big picture: Uber says the measure ensures injured Californians — not lawyers — "receive the majority of any auto accident recovery," but critics argue it could limit liability as the company advances its self-driving ambitions.

What's inside: The initiative focuses on two major changes that would affect drivers involved in motor vehicle accidents statewide if adopted:

• It would cap lawyers' fees in winning cases, so accident victims keep at least 75% of any settlement. (Lawyers typically take about a third in personal injury cases, per legal scholars.)
• It'd also limit medical cost reimbursement for accident victims.

What they're saying: While the initiative might sound good on paper, Jamie Court of the nonprofit Consumer Watchdog called it a "Trojan horse."

• Lower fees would discourage lawyers from taking complex or costly cases and leave many victims without representation, especially when most families already can't afford to pay hourly rates, he told Axios.
• Court also argued that the reimbursement cap is far lower than hospitals' actual charges, potentially leaving patients covering the gap out of pocket or struggling to access care.

The latest: A report released this week by the group alleged that Uber is weakening legal accountability to make it tougher for people to sue as the company prepares to roll out 20,000 self-driving cars over the next six years, starting in the Bay Area.

The other side: Uber strongly disputes the report, arguing that the initiative would ultimately put more money in victims' pockets.

• "Claims that this ballot measure shields robotaxis from accountability are simply wrong," spokesperson Zahid Arab said in an email to Axios.
• Arab added that the measure doesn't change the right to sue or the types of claims people can bring, but rather how settlement money is divided.

What's next

🇮🇪 The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved legislation to establish an Irish Cultural District. (ABC 7)

🚙 Uber is partnering with Rivian to deploy 10,000 self-driving SUV-style cars as soon as 2028. (Axios)

🏙️ San Francisco is slowly sinking — largely due to unstable, filled land — amid sea level rise. (ABC 7)

The family of a San Francisco police recruit who died after an endurance training exercise is suing the city. (SF Chronicle)

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👋 Claire here. It's my last day at Axios and time to say farewell to the readers (and video watchers) who have made my job as Axios SF's video reporter so awesome.

Covering a city like SF is a once-in-a-lifetime gig. I got to climb to the top of the Transamerica Pyramid, meet Anh Phoong (life goals) and watch Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl (sorry Nadia!).

• But the best part has been meeting all of you. Every time I was out filming in the city, someone would stop to tell me how much they loved reading our newsletter or watching my videos.
• I refuse to believe that we live in a doomloop city — you're all bright, wonderful weirdos and I've been so glad to get to know you.

I won't be shooting videos for Axios anymore, but I'll still be documenting this great city as a civilian — feel free to say hello to me on Instagram!

• And for my final weekend guide: Head to a drag show, play the piano in Golden Gate Park, talk to a stranger and soak in the best city in the world.