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City agencies outline Vision Zero steps to reduce senior pedestrian deaths; supervisors press for faster, proactive interventions
Summary
A multi‑agency Vision Zero hearing reviewed data showing seniors are disproportionately represented in pedestrian fatalities, described a rapid‑response and proactive prioritization tool for seniors and people with disabilities, and discussed signal timing, pedestrian beacons and community outreach. Supervisors and community groups urged faster implementation in high‑injury corridors.
San Francisco agencies told the Board committee on July 25 that a multi‑agency Vision Zero effort is expanding targeted, proactive work to reduce pedestrian fatalities and severe injuries among seniors and people with disabilities.
Supervisor Norman Yee, who requested the hearing, opened by noting that seniors accounted for about half of pedestrian deaths in the city last year and that recent fatalities in his district prompted the briefing. Presenters from SFPD, SFMTA, the Department of Public Health and the District Attorney’s Office described a series of coordinated steps:
- SFPD Traffic Company described a new 72‑hour rapid‑response coordination protocol after a collision to gather video and witness information and to inform enforcement and follow‑up investigations (Commander Teresa Ewens).
- SFMTA traffic engineers outlined immediate and short‑term fixes at recent fatality locations: pedestrian beacons (including pedestrian hybrid “HAWK” signals), upgraded crosswalk markings and stop bars, leading pedestrian intervals, increased crossing times citywide (moving to an assumed walking speed of 3 feet per second) and signal‑timing adjustments targeted for Ocean Avenue and other corridors (Ricardo, SFMTA city traffic engineer).
- DPH described a new prioritization analysis linking hospital and police data to map where seniors and people with disabilities are being seriously injured; staff said the priority areas capture three‑quarters of severe injuries and will inform proactive projects and funding decisions (Megan Weir, DPH).
- SFMTA’s traffic‑calming team described a forthcoming neighborhood‑focused infrastructure program that pairs the DPH analysis with community outreach to develop comprehensive, localized solutions (Mark Dreger). Proposed measures include mid‑block hump/cushions, curb extensions, refuge islands, turn restrictions and intersection‑level redesigns depending on local collision patterns and land uses.
- The District Attorney’s Victim Services Division described a public‑information campaign placing multilingual yellow flags in high‑injury corridors and running transit advertising to raise driver awareness about senior pedestrians (Jackie Ortiz, SFDA).
Supervisors pressed agencies on specifics: whether no‑turn‑on‑red restrictions would be used at problem intersections, how the 3‑ft/s crossing speed will be implemented and prioritized, whether crossing devices that automatically detect pedestrians could be used, and how soon neighborhoods identified by the DPH map will receive projects. SFMTA said it is accelerating retiming in downtown and Ocean Avenue and will prioritize senior centers and corridors; the agency acknowledged technical limits and liability concerns with experimental automatic detection systems.
Community speakers including the Youth Commission, Walk San Francisco, Disability Action and neighborhood residents urged faster implementation of traffic‑calming, better lighting, repainted crosswalks, expanded Safe Streets for Seniors outreach, and deployment of automated enforcement where state law allows.
Supervisor Yee asked that departments move the prioritization analysis into actionable project lists; after discussion the committee filed the hearing materials for the record. No new binding mandates or ordinance changes were adopted at the meeting; agencies described an implementation pipeline of outreach, project proposals, legislation and construction that in staff estimates can take roughly 9 months to a year for a single focus neighborhood.
