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In this edition:

Prop B, which Walk SF supported, passed yesterday with more than the the two-thirds of the vote that it needed.

Prop B authorizes over $70 million for pedestrian safety improvements including wider sidewalks, “road diets” to calm traffic, new curb ramps for wheelchairs and strollers, ... Read More]]> Thanks to everyone who fulfilled their civic duty yesterday!

Prop B, which Walk SF supported, passed yesterday with more than the the two-thirds of the vote that it needed.

Prop B authorizes over $70 million for pedestrian safety improvements including wider sidewalks, “road diets” to calm traffic, new curb ramps for wheelchairs and strollers, and more.

Why a bond? These improvements are exactly the kind of permanent infrastructure investments that are an appropriate use of bond funding. Prop B will make ... Read More]]> Yes on B! Prop B includes over $70 million for pedestrian safety improvements: wider sidewalks, “road diets” to calm traffic, new curb ramps for wheelchairs and strollers, and more.

Why a bond? These improvements are exactly the kind of permanent infrastructure investments that are an appropriate use of bond funding. Prop B will make our streets better for the long term. Walk SF also supports dedicated, ongoing additional funding, of course, but this up-front investment is needed now to make our streets safer and more walkable. Safety shouldn’t wait.

Read the San Francisco Chronicle story on Prop B, with a quote from Walk SF executive director Elizabeth Stampe.

Walk SF’s ballot argument for Prop B:
The City’s dangerous streets put children, people with disabilities, parents with strollers, and seniors at risk. Every year, 800 people are hit by cars in San Francisco. Seniors are four times as likely as others to be killed this way.

Prop B will make the investment we need in safer streets for everyone.

The poor condition of San Francisco’s streets, sidewalks, and crosswalks is a serious problem. Prop B will help fix the most dangerous streets to make them walkable, improve sidewalks and crosswalks, and repair and strengthen stairways and bridges.

Safe, walkable streets help you travel easily and arrive on time. They help neighbors know each other and keep neighborhoods safe from crime. They reduce carbon emissions from driving and support local businesses with foot traffic.

Prop B is a smart investment in the safe, sustainable transportation San Francisco needs. Vote Yes on B.

- Walk San Francisco

More info at the Department of Public Works website. To join the campaign: Like Prop B on Facebook

Be sure to vote on Tuesday November 8!

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

We are excited to announce the first step toward 15-mph zones around all San Francisco schools!

The first 100 new school zones have been mapped by the Municipal Transportation Authority (SFMTA), which has requested funding from ... Read More]]> Help Walk SF make San Francisco the first big city in the state to create safer school zones!

We are excited to announce the first step toward 15-mph zones around all San Francisco schools!

The first 100 new school zones have been mapped by the Municipal Transportation Authority (SFMTA), which has requested funding from the County Transportation Authority (TA). On June 28, the Authority’s board – also known as the Board of Supervisors – will vote on that request.

Come on out to support safe speeds around SF schools! Or if you can’t make the meeting, email your Supervisor.

TA Board / Board of Supervisors meeting
Tuesday June 28, 11am
City Hall Room 250

And mark your calendar for SFMTA’s public hearing on the locations of the first new school zones:

SFMTA public hearing
Friday July 1, 10am
City Hall Room 416

SFMTA is proposing to fix the one-way block of Haight Street between Octavia and Gough, where Haight meets Market. The proposed project will make conditions safer for pedestrians by improving the three-way Haight-Gough-Market intersection ... Read More]]> Update: see the Streetsblog story

SFMTA is proposing to fix the one-way block of Haight Street between Octavia and Gough, where Haight meets Market. The proposed project will make conditions safer for pedestrians by improving the three-way Haight-Gough-Market intersection and will speed up public transit by allowing buses to travel more directly along Haight, both ways. This is a good example of how our city can live up to its transit-first pedestrian-priority charter!

Support a two-way Haight at the meeting tonight or by emailing britt.tanner[at]sfmta.com.

Monday, June 20
6:15pm Open House
6:30 – 7:30pm Meeting
One South Van Ness (at Market St.), 2nd floor Atrium

Questions? Call SFMTA at 415-701-4685

Continue Support for a Safer Masonic

Thanks to everyone ... Read More]]> There are some great events surrounding pedestrian advocacy coming up in May! Check out how you can get involved:

• Continue Support for a Safe Masonic
• Better Market Street Workshops
• Learn to Audit the Street
• Please Take the National Walking Survey

Continue Support for a Safer Masonic

Thanks to everyone who wrote in and came to Friday’s hearing to speak up for the “boulevard” option on Masonic Avenue — it was approved! This redesign will narrow the street to calm traffic, widen sidewalks at bus stops, install tree-planted medians, and improve crossings. It goes next to the MTA Board.

This plan could dramatically improve the safety of the notoriously dangerous street, where just last week 61-year-old James Hudson was killed. In addition to supporting the redesign, Walk SF is advocating for more law enforcement to protect pedestrians in the near term to continue the important work around Masonic we kickstarted in 2008.

Better Market Street Workshops, May 17 and 24

Walk SF held a workshop on Market Street in January — now the city is holding two more to get ideas about how to revitalize Market Street from Octavia to the Embarcadero. The goal of the project is ambitious: to reestablish the street as the premier cultural, civic and economic center of San Francisco and the Bay Area.

Share and discuss your ideas with urban designers and transit, bike, and pedestrian mobility experts. How can we make the backbone of our city into a place that is green, welcoming, lively, and easy to get around?

Workshops:
Tuesday May 17, 6:00 – 8:30 p.m.
The Warfield, 982 Market Street at 6th

Tuesday May 24, 6:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Hotel Whitcomb, 1231 Market Street at 8th

Can’t attend the workshops? Sign up for a webinar at www.bettermarketstreetsf.org

Webinars:
Thursday, May 19, 12 – 1 p.m.
Wednesday May 25, 12 – 1p.m.

Learn to Audit the Street, May 21 and 25

See the street in a whole new way! The San Francisco Department of Public Health has created a new and improved Pedestrian Environmental Quality Index (PEQI). At this workshop, participants will learn about the PEQI tool, then spend the afternoon collecting data about SF streets. The data will be used to refine the tool and participants will learn to become sharp-eyed advocates for better pedestrian conditions.

Saturday May 21, 9:00am – 2:30pm
1390 Market Street, San Francisco, CA

Wednesday May 25, 9:00am – 2:30pm
1390 Market Street, San Francisco, CA

RSVP at http://gopeds.eventbrite.com/

Please Take the National Walking Survey

America Walks has created a short survey to learn more about our walking habits. It’s anonymous and will just take 5 minutes.

Take the survey!

The results will help walking advocates understand what motivates avid walkers, and what keeps others from walking more. Thanks for participating!

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 ... Read More]]> 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.