Masonic Avenue is tragically unsafe. You can help.

UPDATE: The redesign was approved by SFMTA staff and goes next to the board! Thanks everyone for speaking up in support!

Last Friday morning, 61-year-old James Hudson was killed while walking in the crosswalk at Masonic and Turk.  The driver was drunk and going over twice the speed limit. The crash was very similar to the one that killed Nils Yannick Linke while he was riding his bike on Masonic last August.

• TONIGHT: Neighbors have organized a vigil as a memorial for James Hudson
  6:15pm, meet on the sidewalk in front of San Francisco Day School, 350 Masonic
  Safety and strategy conversation to follow
  7:15pm, Blood Center of the Pacific, Masonic and Turk

Masonic Avenue’s design encourages speeding and results in deadly crashes like these. Last month, a woman was hit while jogging on Masonic; she sustained head and internal injuries and a badly broken leg.

In our city, 100 people are seriously injured or killed by cars every year. One of the most powerful things we can do to change this is to reduce traffic speeds on “arterials” like Masonic. These wide fast streets are where the worst crashes occur, and where we have the most potential to save lives.

This Friday, SFMTA will hold a hearing about Masonic. It’s time to speak up!

Walk SF is supporting the “boulevard” option (read our letter), which includes:
– A road diet, removing lanes to narrow the street and reduce speeding
– A tree-planted median; the trees will visually narrow the street
– Expanded sidewalks (bulb-outs) at corners and bus stops to shorten crossings and increase visibility
– More visible crosswalks to improve pedestrian visibility and encourage yielding
– Separate cycle tracks to provide a buffer between cars and pedestrians

Please help change this deadly street:

• THIS FRIDAY: SFMTA Hearing on Masonic – Support the boulevard option!
  Friday May 13, 10am, Room 416, City Hall
  If you can’t come, please write to SFMTA (sustainable.streets AT sfmta.com) today or tomorrow.

It’s time to fix Masonic, and this is our opportunity.