Latest news with #WalkSanFrancisco
San Francisco Chronicle
11-08-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
Driver fatally hits pedestrian in S.F., advocacy group says
A driver fatally struck a 78-year-old pedestrian in San Francisco's SoMa district on Sunday, a street safety advocacy group said. The senior was hit while crossing the intersection of Sixth and Howard streets, information the organization got from the San Francisco Police Department, which did not immediately respond to the Chronicle's request for comment. The two streets are on the city's high injury network, which identifies the 12% of streets where 68% of crashes occur, according to the nonprofit Walk San Francisco. 'The section of Sixth Street where the crash occurred is quite wide, with four vehicle travel lanes — a street design that drivers often feel comfortable speeding on and is a long distance for pedestrians to cross,' Walk San Francisco said in a statement. 'The (San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency) is in the process of bringing safety improvements to Sixth Street as part of the Sixth Street Pedestrian Safety Project.' Seniors have accounted for nine of the 12 pedestrian deaths in the city this year, with three elderly walkers hit in the SoMa neighborhood, the nonprofit said. Annabella 'Bella' Gabriel Baquera, 74, died after a driver hit her at the intersection of Seventh and Howard streets on May 1. Peter Rudolph, 77, was fatally struck at the intersection of Market and 6th streets by an electric scooter driver on July 18.
Axios
21-05-2025
- Axios
Advocates push to revive "Vision Zero" amid rising pedestrian fatalities
Transportation safety advocates are pushing for San Francisco's leaders to re-adopt a street safety plan to reduce pedestrian-related crashes and traffic fatalities. Why it matters: 12% of San Francisco's streets account for 68% of the city's most severe and fatal traffic collisions, according to SFMTA. Excessive speed is the leading cause of injury and death, followed by drivers running red lights and failing to yield at intersections. Driving the news: Street safety groups rallied at City Hall this week to protest the number of pedestrian deaths since the city's Vision Zero initiative expired in 2024. They're now calling on Mayor Daniel Lurie to implement a new policy by July 30 with seven actions, including lowering speed limits, increasing enforcement and installing " turn calming" infrastructure at intersections. What they're saying: "If the mayor really does believe that street safety is part of public safety, how does street safety, when it comes to traffic violence, fit into that? Right now it's not clear," said Jodie Medeiros, executive director of Walk San Francisco. Increased delivery truck and rideshare traffic, more powerful vehicles and aggressive driving have contributed to the problem, she added. By the numbers: 24 pedestrians died from vehicle collisions last year and six have been killed in 2025, five of whom were seniors, Medeiros noted, citing city data. Follow the money: Between 2018 to 2022, traffic fatalities totaled $2.5 billion – costs attributed to property damage, insurance payouts and emergency response, among other factors, per a recent city report. "It's not only a moral imperative, but it's a fiduciary imperative to address this issue," Emma Hare, a legislative aide for District 7 Supervisor Myrna Melgar, who held a committee hearing on the issue earlier this week, told Axios. Catch up quick: Vision Zero, a global traffic safety initiative first adopted by San Francisco in 2014, was designed to eliminate traffic fatalities and reduce critical injuries through projects focused on street redesigns, education and speed management. Despite making safety improvements, the city was unable to accomplish its zero-deaths goal. State of play: Lurie's office did not answer questions on whether he planned on readopting a new policy by the advocates' deadline. Instead, Axios was referred to comments he made at a May 15 rally, in which he said San Francisco leads the state in "deploying advanced technology to enforce safe streets" with new automated speed cameras. "We are going to keep doing whatever it takes to keep our residents and visitors safe and that means using every tool in our toolbox," Lurie added. What's next: Melgar on Tuesday, during the Board of Supervisors meeting, requested the city attorney to draft legislation for a Vision Zero 2.0 policy. The hope is to create a more comprehensive plan that addresses safety on a wider scale rather than focusing on piecemeal strategies, Hare said, which can be "challenging to manage" when many city agencies are involved.
San Francisco Chronicle
23-04-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
More dangerous S.F. streets? Report suggests city saw 50% more car accidents than reported
An estimated 100,000 vehicular crashes occurred in San Francisco streets between 2018 and 2022, causing 193 deaths and costing $2.5 billion, according to a new report from the Board of Supervisors Budget & Legislative Analyst. The numbers, while stunning, are based on extrapolations. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 53.2 % of vehicle crashes go unreported in the U.S. Applying that logic to San Francisco, the report estimated 18,560 per year during the five-year period in question. That would amount to nearly 100,000 wrecks, leading to 193 deaths. Costs from medical bills, property damage and litigation all add up. From 2020 to 2024, the city paid out $61.4 million in settlements to victims of collisions involving city vehicles, for an average of $12.3 million per year. Over this period, the city settled 1,628 claims or paid judgments in 129 lawsuits, stemming from 1,757 incidents. High profile crashes have galvanized efforts to improve pedestrian safety and invest more money into projects intended to slow traffic. In addition to adding speed humps and redesigning crosswalks, the city has leaned into enforcement with the recent installation of speed cameras with fines for speeding ranging from $50 to $500. Supervisor Myrna Melgar requested the crash report following last year's West Portal bus stop crash that killed a family of four: a Portuguese mother, a Brazilian father and their two young children. 'Every preventable crash on our streets is a blow to our recovery,' Melgar said in a statement. 'If we want thriving small businesses, bustling corridors, and a city people want to live and work in — we have to make our streets safer.' Jodie Medeiros of the advocacy group Walk San Francisco underscored those points, noting that in addition to the human toll of these crashes, they have caused a huge economic burden.
CBS News
20-03-2025
- Automotive
- CBS News
First round of San Francisco's speed safety cameras activated
The launch of San Francisco's new speed safety cameras on Thursday marks the first time such a pilot program has been used in California to get drivers to slow down. Once the system is fully operational, the new speed cameras will send a ticket to the registered owner of any vehicle captured going more than 11 miles an hour over the speed limit. Officials with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency last October said the goal is to change people's driving habits, and hopeful prevent accidents and save lives. San Francisco is only one of the cities where speed cameras are being installed after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 645 into law in October of 2023 . The cameras are also going to be implemented in San Jose, Oakland, Los Angeles, Glendale and Long Beach. A total of 33 cameras have been set up across the city, but only 12 were set to be activated on Thursday, officials confirmed. The agency provided a list of those camera locations that started issuing warnings to drivers. There will be a 60-day grace period before the cameras begin issuing citations, according to the SFMTA. The full list of camera locations is available on the SFMTA speed safety camera project page . Earlier this year, the SFMTA started an awareness campaign that included billboards and digital ads to let people know the cameras were coming. San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie welcomed the launch Thursday morning, saying traffic safety is public safety. "Automated enforcement tools are a critical part of our public safety tool kit," Lurie said. "These cameras will help our city's resources go further and SFMTA will collaborate with our police department on a holistic approach to punish and prevent egregious speeding." Advocates with Walk San Francisco were celebrating the activation of the first round of cameras Thursday. "Nothing is more important than speed when it comes to making our streets safe," said Walk SF Communications Director Marta Lindsey. "If drivers slow down, everyone is safer. We will prevent some of these heartbreaking tragedies." The citation fee will vary based on speed. Tickets for driving 11 to 15 miles over the speed limit will be $50, with the fine going up incrementally to the maximum: $500 for drivers going 100 miles over the posted limit.
