Images courtesy of WalkFirst
Did you know pedestrians make up fifty percent of all traffic fatalities in San Francisco? That’s nearly four times the national average of sixteen percent!
Every day, three people are hit while walking and every year, on average, nearly 20 people are killed in traffic crashes as they walk San Francisco’s streets. These tragic deaths and serious injuries can be prevented, however.
To cut the number of serious injuries and deaths to pedestrians in half by 2021, multiple agencies, including the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, the Planning Department, the Public Health Department, and the City Controller’s Office, are collaborating through the WalkFirst program.
See where the city’s most dangerous streets and intersections are and then share your priorities for pedestrian safety at the WalkFirst website. To help you rank the street improvement solutions most important to you, the website lets you evaluate traffic-calming elements based on how effective they are at reducing injuries, how much they cost, and how long they will take to be implemented.
Speak today up to direct resources to fund and implement the Pedestrian Strategy, which was released by Mayor Lee on Walk to Work Day, April 12 2013.
You can find out more details about WalkFirst and also participate in the interactive online tool for the program here: http://walkfirst.sfplanning.
In addition, small focus group meetings, where members of the public can share their perspective, are being hosted through mid-January. All focus group participants will receive a pre-loaded $15 Clipper Card. Space is limited, so please email walkfirstsf@gmail.com if you’re interested.
District 6 — Monday, December 16 at 5:30PM
Districts 9, 10, 11 —Tuesday, December 17 at 11:30AM
Districts 1, 4, 7 — Wednesday, December 18 at 5:30PM
Citywide — Monday, January 6 at 5:30PM
Citywide — Saturday, January 11 at 11:00AM
Spanish — Monday, January 13 at 5:30PM
Chinese — Wednesday, January 15 at 5:30PM
*The focus group for Districts 2, 3, 5, 8 has already taken place, but interested individuals from those Districts can be accommodated in the other focus groups listed above.
To learn more and provide input on the city’s capital improvements for pedestrian safety, visit walkfirst.sfplanning.org.
Deadline for feedback is January, 2014.
