City Marks Walk to Work Day with Release of Pedestrian Strategy

Thank you for making the nation’s first Walk to Work Day such a huge success!

On Friday, April 12 pedestrian foot traffic increased by 20% in San Francisco! Neighborhoods like the Civic Center, SoMa, and South Beach showed significant gains as over 2,000 participants spoke up for better walking.  People, including nine of eleven Supervisors, shared their experiences and photos online, or stopped at one of the five official hubs including Ritual, Réveille Coffee Co., Peet’s Coffee & Tea, Philz Coffee, and the Paramount Group and Starbucks.

Walk to Work Day contest winners included Donna Ashizawa, who walked 8.11 miles to claim the “Longest Distance Walked” prize. The Department of the Environment’s staff garnered the “Golden Millipede” for the “Most Employees Participating” challenge.  Other winners for the “Most Interesting Sight” and the “Best Shoe Bling” were also recognized during the happy hour at Show Dogs.

But more than simply encouraging the most healthy and sustainable form of transportation, Walk to Work Day was organized to raise awareness about street safety.

With seven pedestrians who have already been killed by cars this year, it is critical to focus public attention on the more than 800 preventable collisions and dozens of deaths annually that plague the city.

As a result of the Walk to Work Day coverage, Walk SF members set the stage for Mayor Ed Lee to announce San Francisco’s long-awaited Pedestrian Strategy.  The Mayor – together with Police Chief Suhr, SFMTA, DPW, and the Department of Public Health – unveiled a clear, concise and measurable plan to reduce the number of serious and fatal pedestrian injuries by half in the next ten years.

Now it’s time to hold the city leaders; feet to the fire by demanding action to fix the most dangerous 44 miles of roadway in San Francisco.

Please join or renew as a member today to hold the city accountable to funding and implementing the Pedestrian Strategy they released on Walk to Work Day.

Your membership will ensure the city’s goals to reduce pedestrian injuries 25% by 2016, and 50% by 2021 are met!

Speak up for safer streets now.

Special thanks to our Presenting Sponsor The Paramount Group, Inc., the Supporting Sponsor New Balance and sponsors TMASF Connects, GJEL, Lennar and FunCheapSF.