ABC news video

On Tuesday, District Attorney George Gascón held a press conference with Walk SF and the SF Bicycle Coalition to urge motorists to take responsibility, drive safely, and avoid crashes like the ones that caused several recent pedestrian fatalities.

From today’s Read More]]>

ABC news video

On Tuesday, District Attorney George Gascón held a press conference with Walk SF and the SF Bicycle Coalition to urge motorists to take responsibility, drive safely, and avoid crashes like the ones that caused several recent pedestrian fatalities.

From today’s San Francisco Chronicle:

Gascon promised that his office will “prosecute these cases aggressively, if appropriate, ” but urged drivers, cyclists and pedestrians alike to be more careful.

Elizabeth Stampe, executive director of Walk SF agreed: “The holiday season is a time of sharing — and we should be sharing our streets,” she said.

Leah Shahum, executive director of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition added “It really takes vigilance on everyone’s part.”

But while the speakers urged everyone to be more cautious, it was clear that the message was mainly directed at motorists. Stampe called on the San Francisco Police Department to step up enforcement, particularly of speeding and failure to yield the right of way to pedestrians, a campaign Gascon said he also supports.

“A  lot of responsibility lies with folks piloting what can be 4,000-pound vehicles,” Stampe said. “So while were asking everyone to watch out, we’re reminding drivers that we have a lot of responsibility when we drive. It can be up to you to determine whether people survive a walk through the city.”

Walk SF will continue to work with the District Attorney to make sure people who endanger others with dangerous driving face a penalty.

You can find more stories from the event on Walk SF’s “In the News” page.

Save the date for Walk SF’s Member Meeting and Greeting, Thursday Dec. 8 at 6pm at SPUR. RSVP here

Not a member yet? Don’t miss out! Join Walk SF now.

In this edition:

More below, including the designs, and a Streetsblog story here.

A huge group of walkers streams down 16th Street in the early-morning sunshine. Photo: Marianne Szeto

San Francisco’s central Walk to School Day event on Oct. 5 was at Marshall Elementary in the Mission.

One of over 40 events around the city, this was big and joyful — ... Read More]]>

A huge group of walkers streams down 16th Street in the early-morning sunshine. Photo: Marianne Szeto

San Francisco’s central Walk to School Day event on Oct. 5 was at Marshall Elementary in the Mission.

One of over 40 events around the city, this was big and joyful — we’d expected rain but walked in sun. At one point, the 16th and Mission intersection was entirely filled with pint-size pedestrians.

Drivers just waited and smiled.

Read more on Mission Local and check out the SF Chronicle slideshow

Kids get ready to walk at Kidpower Park. Photo: Kate Elston

Walk SF's Elizabeth Stampe talks to Marshall students, with city leaders including Supervisor Jane Kim and Mayor Ed Lee. Photo: Marianne Szeto

Note the "1" pasted over the "2" to take the speed limit down 10mph!

Huge step forward today for safer streets!

This morning, Walk San Francisco, Mayor Ed Lee, and city department heads announced an initiative to help kids walk to school: New 15-mile-per-hour speed zones going up ... Read More]]>

Note the "1" pasted over the "2" to take the speed limit down 10mph!

Huge step forward today for safer streets!

This morning, Walk San Francisco, Mayor Ed Lee, and city department heads announced an initiative to help kids walk to school: New 15-mile-per-hour speed zones going up around all city schools this fall.

For Walk San Francisco and all its members, this is a victory in a long campaign. Throughout the year, Walk SF has kept up a drumbeat of attention on pedestrian safety and calmer streets, starting with new speed zones around schools.

Putting up the first new 15-mph sign on 7th Ave near George Peabody School! Photo courtesy Bryan Goebel, Streetsblog

Why? Because speed matters. Just a small reduction in vehicle speed makes the difference between life and death.

These school zones are an important step toward calming traffic throughout the city and helping to reclaim our streets as safe, pleasant public space that we can all enjoy.

San Francisco is the first big city in the state to adopt these 15-mph zones, and Walk SF is looking forward to safer streets and calmer traffic around over 200 schools.

Walk SF is also working with the Police Department and MTA on a clear plan to enforce every single one of these new speed limits, to really make sure they’re effective.

These new speed zones will help create a more safe and sustainable city, helping kids get to school safely and calming traffic in neighborhoods throughout the city.

This is a big step forward for everyone who walks in San Francisco.

From Streets to Parks: Safer, Greener Public Space A forum with San Francisco Mayoral Candidates Moderated by John King, urban design writer for the San Francisco Chronicle Monday, September 12, 2011 6:00 – 8:00pm

Did you see the front-page story in the New York Times on Monday, June ... Read More]]> UPDATE: Protect pedestrian funding in the transportation bill – call or email Senator Barbara Boxer and urge her not to cut funds for safe walking! You can call Senator Boxer at (415) 403-0100 or (202) 224-3553.

Did you see the front-page story in the New York Times on Monday, June 27, titled “Across Europe, Irking Drivers Is Urban Policy“? Last Friday, the Times printed Walk SF’s letter correcting the article’s claim that Market Street is “pedestrianized” (not yet!) and calling for pedestrian funding in the new federal transportation bill.

To the Editor:
San Francisco is a delight to walk in, but even here, cars rule the roads. Market Street has not yet been “pedestrianized,” and many people are hit every year on the wide, dangerous streets that cross our city’s main boulevard. We’ve ceded our public space to the private vehicle, and we’re all paying the price.

An American is struck by a car every seven minutes. What a waste. Redesigning streets would be a lot cheaper and kinder than what we’re doing now: paying emergency-room costs for tragedies that could have been prevented.

As the Zurich official in your article said about other cities’ policies, “I can’t get used to the idea that I am worth less than a car.”

Here in America, the new federal transportation bill should finance “complete streets” where everyone can walk safely and with dignity. Aren’t we worth that much?

ELIZABETH STAMPE
Exec. Dir., Walk San Francisco
San Francisco, June 27, 2011

“Dangerous By Design,” authored by the national coalition Transportation For America, found that most people killed while walking are on ... Read More]]> A new report released today by Transportation for America revealed that pedestrians represent a disproportionate number of traffic fatalities in San Francisco, and among those who walk, seniors and minorities face the greatest danger.

“Dangerous By Design,” authored by the national coalition Transportation For America, found that most people killed while walking are on wide, high-speed, high-volume streets. Nationally, over half of the 47,067 pedestrians killed from 2000 to 2009 were on these “arterial” streets.

The county of San Francisco has one of the highest pedestrian fatality rates in the nation—#4 of all counties nationally, #3 of large counties, and #1 in California. More than half of San Francisco’s traffic fatalities are pedestrians. With 220 pedestrian fatalities between 2000 and 2009, San Francisco’s pedestrian fatality rate of 51.9% is far higher than Alameda County’s of 23% or the national 12%.

“Speed kills,” said Elizabeth Stampe, executive director of Walk San Francisco, the city’s pedestrian advocacy group. “Wide, fast streets are deadly. We need to redesign our streets to make them safer and more walkable, and we need dedicated funding to get the designs built.”

“We have no time to lose.”

Read the full press release (PDF) and download the California report (PDF)

See the report online — with interactive maps of pedestrian fatalities:

• California report
• National “Dangerous by Design” report

The San Francisco Planning Department wants to exempt these from the California Environmental Quality Act.

We want our Supervisors to ask for an Environmental Impact Report ... Read More]]> At&T wants to put 726 refrigerator-sized utility boxes, for free, on our public sidewalks.

An ugly private use of public space

The San Francisco Planning Department wants to exempt these from the California Environmental Quality Act.

We want our Supervisors to ask for an Environmental Impact Report (EIR).

On Monday, May 23 at noon, we will join SF Beautiful on the steps of City Hall to call for an EIR. A full EIR would reveal the impacts of AT&T’s proposed project and offer alternatives.

Please contact your Supervisor to ask him or her to vote to require an EIR for AT&T’s placement of 726 cabinets in our public right-of-way.

Read the Chronicle story on yesterday’s rally.

Now, to Find a Parking Spot, Drivers Look on Their Phones

…Drivers cruising for parking spots generate 30 percent of all downtown congestion, city officials estimate.

Now San Francisco professes to have found a solution — a phone app for spot-seekers that displays information about areas with available spaces. …

Eventually officials hope to ... Read More]]> http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/08/technology/08parking.html

Now, to Find a Parking Spot, Drivers Look on Their Phones

…Drivers cruising for parking spots generate 30 percent of all downtown congestion, city officials estimate.

Now San Francisco professes to have found a solution — a phone app for spot-seekers that displays information about areas with available spaces. …

Eventually officials hope to be able to make regular adjustments to pricing on parking meters — which can be programmed remotely — and at garages so they can spread out demand, raising prices in areas where competition is fiercest and lowering it elsewhere. …

Elizabeth Stampe, executive director of Walk San Francisco, a pedestrian advocacy group, said she hoped the new parking app would lead to fewer accidents.

“It’s an innovative idea,” she said. “The safe way for people to use the device is for them to pull over, which they know they should do. The question is whether they will.”