Supervisors back ordinance to double Pedestrian Safety Advisory Board, add school seats and require six-month report

Supervisor Joo introduced an ordinance on May 5 to reconstitute the Pedestrian Safety Advisory Board, expanding membership from 11 to 23 seats so each supervisor could appoint a district representative and adding two school-designated seats (one student and one parent).

"Pedestrian safety is a very important issue in my district, and I believe citywide as well," Supervisor Joo told the committee, citing recent fatalities and a desire for a local point of contact in each district. Supporters argued the change would give supervisors an on-the-ground contact for neighborhood safety complaints, and the Department of the Environment signaled support while noting overlap with climate and mode-shift goals.

Several supervisors raised concerns that enlarging advisory bodies can reduce attendance and quorum reliability; Supervisor Peskin and others noted past instances when committees were later reduced because larger memberships failed to meet. To address that risk, the committee adopted a friendly amendment requiring the pedestrian board to report back to the Board of Supervisors six months after appointments on numbers of full meetings and quorum performance; the committee then moved the ordinance to the full board for recommendation.

Public commenters urged broader representation (seniors, disabled, non-English speakers) and requested that the reconstituted board include department representation from transportation, health and police. Chair and committee members said a report back would allow the board to be adjusted if quorum or effectiveness problems materialize.

The ordinance will appear on the full Board of Supervisors agenda with the committee’s amendment requiring a six-month implementation report.