Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Pedestrian Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City advisory panel warns pedestrian deaths rising; SFMTA and SFPD outline steps
Summary
The Government Audit and Oversight Committee heard the Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee's annual report, including stark pedestrian fatality data and a 2014 work plan. SFMTA described its WalkFirst plan and a 70-mile high-injury corridor list; SFPD cited a 43% rise in traffic enforcement citations and new near-real-time collision mapping.
Zach Marks, chairman of the Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee, told the Government Audit and Oversight Committee that "San Francisco is the most deadly city in California for pedestrians," saying cars hit about three pedestrians per day and citing 21 pedestrian deaths last year and projections that the city could exceed 35 this year. Marks urged stronger funding and earlier involvement of PSAC in project planning.
The committee heard that PSAC expanded its membership and outreach in 2013, issued formal letters to the Board and Mayor's Pedestrian Task Force, and helped prompt SFPD to post traffic-citation statistics monthly. Marks recommended bylaw revisions, an eventual budget for PSAC's outreach and promotional materials, and that the Board require SFPD to include pedestrian collision information in daily police summaries.
Neil Patel, project liaison for the SFMTA Livable Streets Group, described WalkFirst's effort to identify 70 miles of San Francisco streets that account for more than half of serious and fatal pedestrian injuries. Patel said SFMTA is compiling a list of intersections and corridors and will share project lists with supervisors; he told the committee the MTA board recently approved a resolution expressing support for Vision Zero and that SFMTA secured $300 for PSAC outreach (a check reportedly cut Feb. 7).
Commander Ali of the San Francisco Police Department described enforcement increases and data improvements. "We saw an increase of 43% in enforcement citations," he said, and outlined an ongoing data-sharing database with the MTA and Department of Public Health that enables faster mapping of collisions and lets district captains and traffic engineers direct resources more quickly. Ali said a 2012 statewide report covered 2006'111 and that a fuller report covering 2011''13 was forthcoming.
Public commenters from Walk San Francisco, PSAC members and residents pressed for clear timelines, budget numbers and measurable accountability. Nicole Schneider of Walk San Francisco asked how the city would turn commitments into a plan with timelines, funding and transparent evaluation. John Alex Lowell urged adding disability-status fields to collision reports so the city can track whether people with disabilities are disproportionately affected.
The committee did not close the item; members voted to continue the pedestrian safety hearing to the call of the chair for follow-up and additional data from SFMTA and SFPD, including requested budget and project-delivery numbers.
The committee's next steps included a request that SFMTA provide budget estimates to achieve Vision Zero goals and that SFPD and MTA deliver clearer, more timely collision data to inform immediate countermeasures.
