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Mayor and city leaders unveil WalkFirst pedestrian‑safety initiative and immediate $17 million package
Summary
Mayor Ed Lee, board leadership and city agency heads announced WalkFirst, a data‑driven program under Vision Zero to target the city's highest‑injury corridors; officials described a $17 million near‑term investment and plans to seek a larger transportation bond in November.
City leaders gathered to announce WalkFirst, a data‑driven pedestrian‑safety initiative designed to deliver quick treatments on the city’s most dangerous streets as part of the Vision Zero effort. Ed Reisk (Transportation) introduced Mayor Ed Lee, who said the city will pair an awareness campaign and stepped‑up enforcement with physical street redesigns targeted to corridors that account for a disproportionate share of fatalities and serious injuries.
Mayor Lee said the city identified an immediate $17 million to begin WalkFirst interventions and is preparing a $50 million transportation infrastructure bond for the November ballot to fund a longer‑term program of improvements. "We're tired of saying we're sorry," the mayor said, urging more enforcement and physical changes to slow traffic and protect pedestrians. He described specific near‑term work including bulb‑outs, signal timing changes and new signals at high‑injury intersections.
Board President David Chiu, Transportation Authority and other elected leaders praised the collaborative approach and emphasized the need to fund and speed delivery of infrastructure in neighborhoods with disproportionate pedestrian harm. John Avalos of the Transportation Authority said the authority will commit up to $10 million and described a new Vision Zero committee to expedite prioritized projects.
Nicole Schneider of Walk SF described WalkFirst as a practical, low‑cost, data‑driven path toward Vision Zero goals, focusing on the roughly 6% of streets that account for 60% of serious injuries and fatalities. Officials said the program couples education, enforcement and capital work to reduce collisions and urged a cultural shift among drivers to slow down in the compact city.
Speakers pledged interagency coordination (SFMTA, Police, DPW, PUC, DBI, Planning) and promised visible interventions that would begin in the coming year. The announcement emphasized near‑term delivery, data tracking and community engagement as the program moves toward the ballot funding question.
