San Francisco Examiner | May 10, 2013
S.F. Streets Can Be Dangerous San Francisco likes to think of itself as the most walkable city in the country. However, in this tiny walkers’ paradise, nine pedestrians have been run down fatally in the first four months of the year. None too soon, Mayor Ed Lee has ordered physical improvements and strategic moves designed to make the walking environment safer. Read more…
Examiner.com | May 6, 2013
Polk Street Improvement Project A Polk Street Open House was hosted on Tuesday, April 30th with the goal to present safer options for multi-modal commuters navigating Polk Street. Read more…
KQED Forum | May 1, 2013
Drivers Not Punished for Pedestrian Deaths The majority of drivers responsible for the deaths of pedestrians faced no criminal charges during a five-year period from 2007-2011 in the largest Bay Area counties. Read more…
San Francisco Chronicle | April 30, 2013
Few Consequences Exist for Drivers Who Kill Pedestrians A Center for Investigative Reporting review of the 434 pedestrians killed from 2007 through 2011 in the five largest Bay Area counties found that one-third of the victims were walking in a crosswalk when they were struck – three times the national average. Read more
Center for Investigative Reporting | April 30, 2013
Car is King in Street Design, to Detriment of Pedestrians The Center for Investigative Reporting found that in each of the Bay Area’s five largest counties, the roads with the most pedestrian deaths are multilane thoroughfares where traffic reaches 35 mph or more. Read more…
Center for Investigative Reporting | April 29, 2013
Bay Area Drivers Who Kill Pedestrians Rarely Face Punishment, Analysis Finds Pedestrian deaths made up more than a quarter of traffic fatalities over the past decade in the two major metropolitan areas in the Bay Area. Yet, more often than not, the drivers responsible faced no serious consequences. Read more…
San Francisco Chronicle | April 25, 2013
Polk Street – Great Place to Walk, If Risky San Francisco’s Polk Street has some of the highest rates of speeding and failure to yield to pedestrians, though its interesting, varied blocks offer a lot to walkers. Read more…
Examiner.com | April 24, 2013
City Walk or Country Hikes for May Walk San Francisco invites hikers to explore the Pews, Mews and Views of Pacific Heights on Sunday, May 5th at 10am with Walk SF board member, Lynne Newhouse-Segal leading the hike. Read more…
The Epoch Times | April 17, 2013
Safer Walking in San Francisco San Francisco, currently a dangerous place for pedestrians, is eager to become the most walkable city in North America by improving pedestrian safety on its streets. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | April 16, 2013
Is SFPD Serious About Cracking Down on Distracted Driving? SF District Attorney George Gascón and SFPD Traffic Company Commander Mikail Ali held a press conference last Thursday to bring attention to distracted driving, since April is officially National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Read more…
San Francisco Examiner | April 14, 2013
SF’s Pedestrian Strategy is a Step in the Right Direction San Francisco has the chance to become a model U.S. city for pedestrians by fully embracing the proposed new Pedestrian Strategy, which Mayor Ed Lee unveiled Friday. Read more…
California Newswire | April 13, 2013
SF Mayor Lee Launches Initiative to Improve Pedestrian Safety and Reduce Pedestrian Injuries in San Francisco On Thursday, S.F. Mayor Edwin M. Lee announced the launch of San Francisco’s Pedestrian Strategy to increase walkability around the City and make all neighborhoods safe for pedestrians as outlined in the Mayor’s Pedestrian Safety Executive Directive. Read more…
CBS San Francisco | April 12, 2013
SF Plans Overhaul of Dangerous Intersections in Wake of Pedestrian Deaths San Francisco will re-design some of its most dangerous intersections, adjusting the timing traffic signals and fixing crosswalks’ curb ramps all over the city, with the goal of cutting pedestrian deaths in half by the end of the decade. Read more…
Ecology Center | April 12, 2013
Walk to Work Day San Francisco is the nation’s first city to officially launch Walk to Work Day! Stop by one of Walk SF’s official Walk to Work Day hubs to get your sticker, enter to win prizes, and fuel up with coffee, treats and a Free Clipper card pre-loaded with a ride home. Read more…
SF Weekly | April 12, 2013
Walk to Work Day: A Pedestrian Idea? Today’s inaugural Walk to Work Day saw 9 of San Francisco’s 11 supervisors join the mayor in walking to work, with many originating their journeys from cafes or watering holes in their neighborhoods. Read more…
San Francisco Examiner | April 12, 2013
San Francisco Rolling Out Plan to Improve Pedestrian Safety As San Francisco celebrates the nation’s first Walk to Work Day today, Mayor Ed Lee will unveil a strategy that aims to cut serious pedestrian injuries and fatalities in half by 2021. Read more…
SF Weekly | April 12, 2013
Get Off Your Lazy Round Rump and Walk to Work Today Today, San Francisco will be the first city in the nation to officially celebrate Walk to Work Day where our city leaders, including Mayor Ed Lee, and hopefully you, will abandon your car, bike, and bus ride and make your way to work with the greenest mode of transportation out there – your two legs. Read more…
SF Appeal | April 12, 2013
Mayor Lee, SF Supervisors Walking to Work Today Several city leaders will be lacing up their walking shoes this morning to join participants in the city’s first official Walk to Work Day. Nonprofit group Walk San Francisco is organizing the effort to get commuters to hit the pavement instead of the gas pedal to get to work this morning. Read more…
UBM Future Cities | April 12, 2013
Lace Up, San Francisco: It’s Walk to Work Day! Today is San Francisco’s official Walk to Work Day, and it’s a great idea for all cities. The event is organized by Walk San Francisco, a non-profit pedestrian advocacy group in conjunction with the city and sponsors. Read more…
FunCheapSF | April 12, 2013
Walk to Work Day 2013: Free Coffee & Free Clipper Cards San Francisco is the nation’s first city to officially launch Walk to Work Day on April 12, 2013 – walking just 15 minutes of your commute counts, and you can get some free goodies and join a happy hour party after work at 5:30pm. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | April 11, 2013
Tomorrow: Join SF’s First Official Walk to Work Day Tomorrow, San Francisco launches the first official Walk to Work Day in the nation. Mayor Ed Lee and nine supervisors plan to take a stroll and join a press conference on the steps of City Hall. Read more…
San Francisco Chronicle | April 11, 2013
Walk to Work Day: S.F. Makes It Official Caffeinate, walk, tweet, repeat. That’s the recipe for Friday, when San Francisco becomes the nation’s first city to celebrate Walk to Work Day. Read more…
San Francisco Examiner | April 10, 2013
Bike and Pedestrian Enhancements Don’t Necessarily Hurt Business A small but vocal group of San Francisco residents and merchants is vehemently opposed to removing parking on Polk Street to make way for a bike lane. Members have organized well enough to persuade The City’s transit agency to rethink its approach to the proposal. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | April 10, 2013
Bike/Ped Advocates Back Wiener’s Move to Curb Superfluous CEQA Appeals Pedestrian and bicycle advocates hope that legislation currently making its way through the Board of Supervisors will curb late and costly California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) appeals. The legislation would establish local deadlines to appeal development and street projects that are declared exempt from CEQA’s onerous EIR requirements. Read more…
Huffington Post | April 10, 2013
Walk to Work Day Makes Its San Francisco Debut This Friday, San Francisco will host the country’s first Walk to Work Day. Organized by pedestrian advocacy group Walk San Francisco, the event aims to bring awareness to the importance of street safety. Read more…
About.com San Francisco | April 10, 2013
Walking Campaign Underfoot in San Francisco Friday, April 12, 2013 is dubbed Walk to Work Day in San Francisco, and we are said to be the first city in the country to officially host such an event. Walk San Francisco is the organizer of the day. Read more…
San Francisco Examiner | April 8, 2013
Mayor Ed Lee, Others Plan to Participate in First Walk to Work Day Mayor Ed Lee, pedestrian safety advocates and nearly every member of the Board of Supervisors are expected to participate in Walk to Work Day on Friday, an event billed by its organizers as the first of its kind in the nation. Read more…
SFist | April 8, 2013
Friday: S.F. Will Host Nation’s First ‘Walk to Work Day’ This Friday, San Francisco becomes the first city in the nation to officially launch a Walk to Work Day. Nine city supervisors and Mayor Ed Lee will be walking to work from their respective neighborhoods. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | April 8, 2013
This Week: Plan the Bay Area, Walk to Work, and Sunday Streets On Friday, San Francisco will become the nation’s first city to officially celebrate Walk to Work Day, and there are plenty of ways to participate and get some goodies on your way to work. Read more…
San Francisco Chronicle | April 8, 2013
Hey Commuters: Take a Hike On Friday, San Francisco will become the first city in the nation to host Walk to Work Day. Event organizer, Walk San Francisco, will host a number of hubs with free giveaways for participants walking to work. Read more…
KQED Forum | April 5, 2013
Improving Bike and Pedestrian Safety on Polk Street San Francisco city officials are considering ways to make Polk Street safer and more pedestrian and bicyclist-friendly. Read more…
The Epoch Times | April 3, 2013
San Francisco Reconsiders Sixth Street Design During a walking tour of Sixth Street in San Francisco, a group of citizens, pedestrian advocates, and SFMTA engineers discussed strategies to redesign the street. Sixth Street from Market to Howard is considered highly unsafe, with significant numbers of fatal injuries caused by motor vehicle collisions. Read more…
World News Network | April 2, 2013
Department of Transportation Hosts a Public Consultation to Improve Safety on Sixth Street The SFMTA invited pedestrian rights’ groups to visit major intersections along Sixth Street and provide recommendations for improving its safety. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | April 2, 2013
After 6 Ped Deaths in 3 Months, SF Needs City Hall Action on Street Safety In the first three months of 2013, six pedestrians have been killed on San Francisco streets. At that rate, the city is on course for pedestrian deaths to rise for the third year in a row. Read more…
KTVU | April 1, 2013
City Officials Move to Make 6th Street More Pedestrian Safe Pedestrian fatalities in San Francisco have jumped over the last two years, and some say the City is not moving fast enough to help save lives. Said Elizabeth Stampe of Walk SF, “If we fix about 5 miles of streets a year over the next decade, we can actually cut injuries and fatalities in half.” Read more…
San Francisco Chronicle | March 31, 2013
S.F. Pedestrian Safety Projects Stalled Pedestrians are killed on San Francisco’s streets every few days, while bureaucratic gridlock between San Francisco’s various public agencies prevents the implementation of crucial safety projects. Read more…
San Francisco Examiner | March 31, 2013
Spate of Fatalities Again Raises Concerns about Pedestrian Safety in San Francisco So far this year, five pedestrians have been killed by motorists on San Francisco streets, and pedestrian advocates such as Elizabeth Stampe of Walk SF are wondering why more isn’t being done to improve protections. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | March 15, 2013
Driver Kills Hector Arana, 69; SFPD: “It was Just an Unfortunate Accident” A driver hit and killed 69-year-old Hector Arana on Wednesday morning on six-lane San Jose Avenue in the Outer Mission neighborhood. “San Jose…could really use gateway treatments to communicate to drivers that they have left the freeway and are now in a community where people live and walk, and they need to watch out,”said Elizabeth Stampe, executive director of Walk SF. Read more…
San Francisco Chronicle | March 12, 2013
SF Pedestrian Safety Rules May Get Help At Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, Supervisor Scott Wiener proposed a series of ordinances that would make it easier for developers to build pedestrian safety projects. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | March 12, 2013
Wiener Proposes Bill to Hack Through Red Tape for Ped Safety Upgrades The bureaucratic red tape encumbering San Francisco’s progress on pedestrian safety measures is the target of a new legislative package set to be introduced by Supervisor Scott Wiener at today’s Board of Supervisors meeting. Read more…
San Francisco Chronicle | March 12, 2013
Wiener Wants to Make It Easier to Improve Pedestrian Safety At Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, Supervisor Scott Wiener proposed a series of ordinances that would make it easier for developers to build pedestrian safety projects. Read more…
Yahoo! News | March 8, 2013
San Francisco Bicyclist to Stand Trial for Manslaughter In March 2012, cyclist Chris Bucchere struck Sutchi Hui, 71, of San Bruno who was crossing Mission and Castro streets. In court yesterday, Superior Court Judge Andrew Cheng ordered Bucchere to stand trial on one count of felony vehicular manslaughter, which could carry with it a maximum of six years in prison. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | March 7, 2013
After Death of Hanren Chang, Meager Safety Fixes May Not Come for 2 Years Family and friends mourning the death of Hanren Chang, who was killed on Sloat Boulevard last Saturday night, are calling for safety fixes to prevent future deaths on the excessively-wide speedway. While safety improvements are in the works for three intersections on Sloat Boulevard, they are not scheduled to be implemented for at least 18 months. Read more…
San Francisco Chronicle | March 7, 2013
Safety Measures Too Slow for Speedy Sloat San Francisco city agencies were granted about $170,000 in federal funds last month to implement pedestrian safety improvements at three intersections along Sloat Boulevard, the street where pedestrian Hanren Chang was hit and killed last Saturday. Anything that makes the street feel less like a highway will help slow drivers down, said Elizabeth Stampe, executive director of Walk San Francisco. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | March 4, 2013
Drunk Driver Kills Hanren Chang, 17, on Sloat Boulevard An allegedly drunk driver was arrested for hitting and killing 17-year-old Hanren Chang on Sloat Boulevard near Vale Avenue on Saturday night. Walk SF Executive Director Elizabeth Stampe said, “It’s time for Mayor [Ed] Lee to mobilize city agencies to make our streets safer for everyone, and prevent more needless tragedies.” Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | March 1, 2013
Senator Yee’s Move to Ensure Double-Fine Zones Could Get Supes’ Support State Senator Leland Yee hopes to indefinitely extend the trial period for double traffic fine zones on 19th Avenue, Van Ness Avenue, and Lombard Street, crediting the measures for drops in pedestrian injuries. Elizabeth Stampe, executive director of Walk SF, said the organization supports Yee’s proposal. Read more…
San Francisco Chronicle | February 27, 2013
These Feet Are Made for Walking – to Work This is the time of year you might like to stretch your legs and visit your favorite park. A new project should make your walk easier: Green Connections is a plan to help more people in San Francisco walk to parks and open space. The project will redesign streets with traffic calming to make streets more quiet, safe and attractive. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | February 22, 2013
Will Deadly Sixth Street Finally Get the Pedestrian Fixes It Needs? The deadly stretch of Sixth Street between Market and Howard Streets in the South of Market District may get some long-overdue pedestrian safety fixes. “Right now, the design of Sixth Street prioritizes fast car travel to the freeway instead of the safety and comfort of the people who live and work here,” said Walk SF Executive Director Elizabeth Stampe. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | February 19, 2013
Eileen Barrett, 72, Killed in Crosswalk by Muni Driver on Lake Merced Blvd A Muni bus driver ran over and killed Eileen Barrett, a 72-year-old woman from Daly City, in a crosswalk on Lake Merced Boulevard at John Muir Drive this Saturday. “We await more news from SFMTA on how they are dealing with this tragedy and acting to prevent more,” said Elizabeth Stampe, executive director of Walk SF. Read more…
San Francisco Examiner | February 14, 2013
Pedestrian Safety Projects, Funds in SF to Shift to Major Streets San Francisco plans to shift its traffic-calming strategies this year from its traditional focus on smaller, residential streets to larger thoroughfares. Elizabeth Stampe, executive director of Walk SF, a pedestrian advocacy organization, said the new funding focus is a welcome development. Read more…
KQED Forum | January 31, 2013
Should SF Tear Down Part of I-280? Host Michael Krasny interviews guests Jayme Ackemann, communications manager for Caltrain and John Rahaim, director of planning for the City and County of San Francisco about Mayor Lee’s plan to tear down the northern end of I-280. Listener Elizabeth Stampe of Walk San Francisco writes in support of the plan, saying, “this will take down a major barrier to walking in our city and help reconnect our neighborhoods.” Read more…
San Francisco Chronicle | January 30, 2013
Walk this Way – On Safe S.F. Streets Though San Francisco is more walkable than many cities, many streets are unwelcoming and unsafe for pedestrians. More than 800 people were hit by cars in the city each of the past two years, according to police reports. Read more…
KTVU | January 25, 2013
Ed Lee Proposes to Tear Down Portion of Highway 280 San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee has proposed to tear down part of interstate 280, from 16th Street to its 4th Street ramp near AT&T Park. Walk SF Executive Director Elizabeth Stampe supports the idea, explaining that, “Taking down a freeway and creating surface streets with a mix of homes and shops and jobs can completely transform an area.” Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | January 24, 2013
To Boost Shopping in Chinatown, SF Brings Back Ban on Car Parking A week-long trial removal of parking on five blocks of Stockton Street in San Francisco’s Chinatown neighborhood was great for business last year. Mayor Ed Lee announced today that the program will return for another week-long run this year, making room for vendors and the influx of shoppers during the Lunar New Year shopping season. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | January 22, 2013
Melissa Kitson, 44, Killed in Two-Car Crash in SoMa Last Friday, two drivers ran over and killed 44-year-old Melissa Kitson of San Lorenzo at 7th and Howard Streets, the second pedestrian fatality in San Francisco this year. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | January 16, 2013
D7 Supervisor Norman Yee’s First Order of Business: Pedestrian Safety District 7′s new supervisor, Norman Yee, took the earliest opportunity to call for a hearing on pedestrian safety in the neighborhoods he represents. Walk SF Executive Director Elizabeth Stampe said she “applauds Yee’s leadership on this.” Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | January 11, 2013
Mayor’s Transpo Chief: “Let’s Be San Francisco and Take Down the Freeway” The idea of removing the northern section of Highway 280 near Mission Bay is gaining more traction as planners look for ways to usher in high-speed rail and transit-oriented development in downtown San Francisco. Read more…
San Francisco Chronicle | January 2, 2013
Walk San Francisco: Ways to Move More San Francisco is a great place to walk; no ice, no snow and the hills offer beautiful views. Walk San Francisco is working to make walking in the city better every day with wider sidewalks, more greening, safer crossings and calmer traffic. Read more…
San Francisco Bay Guardian | December 26, 2012
Putting Transit First Good, reliable, safe transportation is a basic service that everyone should have access to, and something our city has declared a priority with its transit-first policy. San Franciscans support the city’s official transit-first policy, but lacking political will, the city hasn’t delivered on it. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | December 20, 2012
City Moves Forward on a More Pedestrian-Friendly Castro Street San Francisco’s world-famous commercial strip on Castro Street, which gained a popular pedestrian plaz in 2009, is poised to become a more inviting destination as the SF Planning Department develops plans to widen the sidewalks and install other improvements from 17th Street to 19th Street. Read more…
Mayor’s Press Conference | December 19, 2012
San Francisco Moves Forward With Pedestrian Strategy Mayor Ed Lee, Police Chief Greg Suhr, SFMTA chief Ed Reiskin, Walk San Francisco Director Elizabeth Stampe and a variety of community groups discuss walking on San Francisco’s streets and implementing the long-awaited action plan from San Francisco’s Pedestrian Safety Task Force. Read more…
San Francisco Chronicle | December 19, 2012
Mayor Hits Busy Powell Street to Talk About Pedestrian Safety Mayor Ed Lee, Police Chief Greg Suhr, Muni boss Ed Reiskin and a variety of community groups hit the streets this week to discuss the long-awaited action plan from San Francisco’s Pedestrian Safety Task Force. Read more…
SF Appeal | December 19, 2012
Pedestrian Safety Initiative to Target Motorists, Distracted Walkers In the wake of San Francisco’s 18th pedestrian fatality of the year, Mayor Ed Lee today announced details of a plan being drafted to increase pedestrian safety in the city. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | December 19, 2012
Lacking Details, Officials Tout Upcoming SF Ped Action Strategy While there’s no concrete Pedestrian Action Strategy for San Franciscans to read over yet, city officials went ahead and held a press conference today to tell the public the document is coming next month.. Read more…
CBS San Francisco | December 19, 2012
Mayor Lee Announces Plans to Reduce SF Pedestrian Accidents Last year in San Francisco, 18 pedestrians were struck and killed and 876 were injured by vehicles on city streets. On Wednesday, Mayor Ed Lee talked about a plan to dramatically reduce those numbers. Read more…
San Francisco Examiner | December 19, 2012
San Francisco Pedestrian Plan Could Include Safety Outreach, Lower Speeds Two weeks after safety advocates questioned the slow pace of San Francisco’s pedestrian action plan, the mayor on Wednesday announced details of a proposal that’s being drafted to target particularly dangerous streets and intersections. Read more…
San Francisco Chronicle | December 19, 2012
A Safety Message It’s not often that Mayor Ed Lee, Police Chief Greg Suhr, Muni boss Ed Reiskin and a variety of community groups get together to announce that a long-awaited city action plan is not quite done.The report from the city’s Pedestrian Safety Task Force is due out early next year and will call for a variety of changes in the way the city manages traffic. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | December 14, 2012
San Francisco Gets a Long, Ugly Look at SFPD Windshield Perspective A video of an off-duty SF police officer allegedly speeding through the Broadway Tunnel at 100 mph, possibly drunk, has sparked an outcry from street safety advocates. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | December 12, 2012
Supes Reject Legal Appeal Against Fell/Oak Bikeways and Ped Upgrades A legal appeal filed against protected bike lanes and pedestrian safety upgrades on three blocks of Fell and Oak Streets was rejected unanimously by the Board of Supervisors yesterday. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | December 11, 2012
As Advocates Await Pedestrian Action Plan, SF’s 18th Victim Killed This Year While advocates continue to wait for a pedestrian action plan, a man in his 40s was killed by a pickup truck driver in a crosswalk at Market and Beale Streets.“It’s frustrating,” said Stampe, “because the city works very systematically to fix all the streets to a certain paving score, but we don’t see the same sort of systematic, committed approach to saving lives and preventing tragedies. That has to change.” Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | December 10, 2012
A Reality Check for the DA’s New Traffic Safety Campaign The traffic safety ad campaign announced today by DA George Gascón fails to target the most common causes of injuries and deaths on San Francisco’s streets. Read more…
San Francisco Examiner | December 7, 2012
Advocates Question Slow Pace of San Francisco Pedestrian Plan Nearly two years after the formation of a Pedestrian Safety Task Force, San Francisco’s pedestrian action plan has yet to secure a funding source or approval from any public agency. Elizabeth Stampe, a task force member and the director of Walk San Francisco, explains that the preliminary action plan has strong goals but no cohesive plan of action. “We really need to see a commitment to funding and leadership from The City to fix the needs that have been identified,” Stampe said. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | December 3, 2012
SFMTA Presents Design Options for a More Livable Polk Street Planners at the SFMTA have unveiled plans for redesigning Polk Street as a better place for walking, biking, socializing and transit. “Polk has been identified by the city as a high-injury corridor for pedestrians,” said Walk SF Executive Director Elizabeth Stampe…Traffic calming, greening, and more sidewalk space were the priorities our members identified on our walk along Polk.” Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | November 29, 2012
Planners Refine Ped Upgrades, Protected Bike Lane Designs for Second Street The SFMTA, the Department of Public Works, and the Planning Department presented the public with more refined design options for the 2nd Street overhaul plan. Included in the plan are bike and pedestrian safety upgrades such as corner bulb-outs, raised crosswalks at alleys, and the closure of a dangerous dual right turn lane. Read more…
Golden Gate Xpress | November 28, 2012
Streetscape Project Aims to Improve Pedestrian Safety on 19th Avenue The 19th Avenue Streetscape project will green one of San Francisco’s busiest roads, replacing concrete medians with 5′ wide planted plots. The project goal is to increase pedestrian safety through improvements to the landscape of the road. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | November 7, 2012
SFPD Won’t Hold Driver Responsible for Running Over, Killing Sleeping Man On October 23, a 55-year old man was sleeping on a sidewalk on Third Street near Bryant when he was run over and killed by a 28-year-old woman pulling her car out of a garage. According to the SFPD, the man’s death was ruled an “accident,” and the woman will face no charges nor receive a citation. Read more…
Mission Local | October 19, 2012
Campos Pushes for Parks Bond During a town hall meeting at the Mission Rec Center Wednesday, District 9 Supervisor David Campos was asked questions about three separate, but often overlapping, areas of public concern: pedestrian safety and walkable streets, parks and open space and the urban forest. Read more…
San Francisco Chronicle | October 19, 2012
SFMTA Approves Separated Bikeways Along Fell & Oak Streets Earlier this week, the SFMTA unanimously approved the Fell and Oak Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety project, a plan that will bring separated bikeways and traffic-calming measures to the three block corridor of Oak & Fell Streets between the Wiggle and the Panhandle. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | October 18, 2012
SFMTA Reveals Strategy to Streamline Traffic Calming Projects By next spring, the SFMTA plans to implement its revamped traffic calming program. Planners expect the program to be more efficient at prioritizing the neighborhoods with the most severe speeding problems and delivering low-cost improvements like speed humps and traffic islands. Read more…
San Francisco Examiner | October 16, 2012
Revamp to Fell and Oak Streets’ Bike Lanes Unanimously Approved by SFMTA New bike lanes, extended crossing zones and other traffic-calming measures on a three-block stretch of both Fell and Oak streets were approved Tuesday by the SFMTA. “This will help people of all ages walking to and from some of the most beloved parks in San Francisco,” said Elizabeth Stampe, executive director of Walk SF. Read more…
SF Appeal | October 16, 2012
SFMTA Approves Plan to Slow Traffic Along Fell and Oak Streets The SFMTA board of directors decided to go ahead with a bicycle and pedestrian safety project along three blocks of Oak and Fell streets this afternoon. Walk SF executive director Elizabeth Stampe is particularly eager to see the “bulbouts” extend the sidewalk and shorten the crosswalks. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | October 16, 2012
SFPDH Interactive Map Highlights SF’s Most Dangerous Streets for Walking How dangerous is it to cross the street outside your door? A new interactive map created by the SF Department of Public Health shows the location of all pedestrian injuries and deaths from 2005 to 2010, highlighting the corridors that see the bulk of the city’s crashes. “This map shows the city exactly where to focus to save lives,” said Walk SF Executive Director Elizabeth Stampe. Read more…
SF Appeal | October 3, 2012
SF City Officials, Kids, Celebrate Walk to School Day Schoolchildren and local elected officials alike laced up their sneakers Wednesday morning and walked through San Francisco’s Mission District to celebrate Walk to School Day. The walking advocacy group Walk SF helped organize the Mission District event. Read more…
San Francisco Examiner | October 3, 2012
Community Takes Stroll to Mark Walk to School Day in San Francisco To celebrate Walk to School day on Wednesday morning, a group of about 40 students, parents and teachers from Buena Vista Horace Mann K-8 walked from Parque Ninos Unidos at 3090 23rd St. to their school at 3351 23rd St. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | October 3, 2012
Walk to School Day: A Reminder That SF Needs to Make Streets Safer for Kids A continuous “walking bus” of school children spanned several sunny blocks of the Mission this morning as the kids made their way to Buena Vista Horace Mann School.“Drivers just waited and smiled, and everybody had a great morning,” said Elizabeth Stampe, executive director of Walk San Francisco. Read more…
KRON 4 | October 3, 2012
San Francisco Schools Celebrate Walk to School Day Buena Vista Horace Mann was one of 55 San Francisco public schools participating in walk-to-school events today. District officials said nearly 8,500 students would be taking part in the events, which highlighted pedestrian safety and the city’s “Safe Routes to School” program. Read more…
ABC 7 News | October 3, 2012
SF Schoolchildren Celebrate “Walk to School Day” Schoolchildren and local elected officials alike laced up their sneakers Wednesday morning and walked through San Francisco’s Mission District to celebrate Walk to School Day. The walking advocacy group Walk SF helped organize the Mission District event. Read more…
Safe Routes California | October 3, 2012
Walk to School Day in San Francisco Assemblymember Tom Ammiano, MTC Commissioner & SF Supervisor David Campos, and school board president Norman Yee joined students at Buena Vista Horace Mann Elementary School this Walk to School Day. Read more…
The Bay Citizen | October 1, 2012
Wednesday is Walk to School Day Children (and their parents) will be lacing up their sneakers for International Walk to School Day this Wednesday. Organized by Partnership for a Walkable America, the event encourages kids and parents to walk to school instead of driving. Read more…
Marina Times | October 1, 2012
Safer Streets Around Our Schools Since its inception in California, the SFMTA has been a sponsor of San Francisco’s annual Walk to School Day. Held the first week in October, this event promotes good health, safety, physical activity, and concern for the environment by encouraging travel to and from school by foot or bicycle and on public transportation. Read more…
KGO 810 San Francisco | October 1, 2012
Bay Area Kids Celebrate International Walk to School Day It’s International Walk to School day! Hundreds of children around the Bay Area are putting sneakers to pavement and doing their part to help save the environment two feet at a time. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | September 27, 2012
Wayfinding Signs: A Nice Touch for the Developing “Green Connections” Plan One tool that could be used in the SF Planning Department’s Green Connections project was recently implemented downtown and along the Embarcadero: wayfinding signs listing estimated walking times to major destinations. Walk SF Executive Director Elizabeth Stampe said they’re an important way to help encourage walking, since many visitors (and residents) may be surprised to learn how quickly they can hoof it from one neighborhood to another. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | September 24, 2012
DUI Driver Arrested for Killing Man on Potrero Avenue near Highway 101 A man was killed by an allegedly drunk pickup truck driver early Friday morning at the notoriously dangerous junction of Cesar Chavez and Highway 101. “This whole area is incredibly unfriendly and unsafe for walking right now, and local workers and residents have been asking for new crosswalks and other improvements,” said Elizabeth Stampe, executive director of Walk SF. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | September 19, 2012
Plan for a Safer Masonic Gets Final Approval from SFMTA Board A plan for sweeping safety improvements on deadly Masonic Avenue was unanimously approved by the SF Municipal Transportation Agency Board of Directors yesterday. It’s the final decision needed to move the project forward, though the SFMTA says planners still need to finalize the design and secure funding before it’s implemented. Read more…
Curbed SF | September 19, 2012
$18 Million Redesign Makes Masonic Avenue Safer, Prettier After five years of community meetings involving Walk San Francisco, among other groups, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency board unanimously approved plans to modify a stretch of Masonic Avenue between Fell Street and Geary Boulevard into a more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly boulevard. Read more…
CBS San Francisco | September 19, 2012
SFMTA Approves Plans to Improve Masonic Ave. For Cyclists, Pedestrians Traffic modifications with the “Masonic Avenue Streetscape Improvement Project” between Fell Street and Geary Boulevard were approved after about five years of meeting with residents, neighborhood groups, local representatives, and bike and pedestrian groups, including Walk SF and the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. Read more…
KALW | September 18, 2012
Look Both Ways, Twice, When Crossing San Francisco’s Streets There are a minimum of 800 people per year who are hit by cars in San Francisco. Pedestrian advocates like Elizabeth Stampe of Walk SF say there are easy things the city can do to fix the problem, like eliminating one-way streets, painting crosswalks more brightly, and extending sidewalk corners so crossings are shorter. Read more…
SF Appeal | September 18, 2012
SFMTA Approves $18 Million Masonic Avenue Redesign The SFMTA board approved plans to create a boulevard on the stretch of Masonic Avenue that connects the North of the Panhandle neighborhood to Lower Pacific Heights. The 167 street parking spots on both sides of the street will be removed, a landscaped median and other greening and lighting improvements will be added, and sections of sidewalks will be widened for pedestrians and bus riders. Read more…
KTVU | September 18, 2012
SFMTA Board Approves Traffic-Calming Plans for Masonic Avenue Traffic modifications with the “Masonic Avenue Streetscape Improvement Project” between Fell Street and Geary Boulevard were approved on Tuesday. The estimated $18 million required for the project has not been entirely secured, but SFMTA, with Walk SF and other groups are working to obtain transit, regional and other grants. Read more…
CBS San Francisco | September 17, 2012
SFMTA Looks At $18M Bike-Friendly Makeover of Masonic Avenue Officials plan to discuss this week a major redesign that would eliminate a traffic lane during commute hours along with almost 170 parking spaces along Masonic Avenue. Instead, there would be a 1.2 mile elevated bike lane and a green median strip. Elizabeth Stampe of Walk SF welcomes the proposal. “There have been many people who have been hit by cars there,” she said. Read more…
KALW | September 11, 2012
Market Street Gets a Facelift In 2016, Market Street, between Octavia and the Embarcadero, will be torn up and repaved. Interviews with various city planners, public officials and nonprofit director Elizabeth Stampe of Walk SF reveal different thoughts on how use this opportunity to best redesign the street. Read more…
San Francisco Examiner | September 8, 2012
Walk Peak2Peak with Walk San Francisco Walk San Francisco’s announces its eighth annual Peak2Peak walk,which will be on Saturday, September 15, 2012. Read more…
Marina Times | September 7, 2012
Peak2Peak Walk on Sept. 15: 10 Peaks in 14 Miles On Walk San Francisco’s eighth annual Peak2Peak walk, participants will see the city in a whole new way, trekking 14 miles along the spine of San Francisco and enjoying views from 10 different peaks. Read more…
San Francisco Examiner | September 6, 2012
Safety Improvements Coming to Ortega Street in Outer Sunset A plan approved by the SFMTA Board of Directors this week will calm traffic and improve safety in 2 separate stretches of Ortega Street in the Outer Sunset. Said Elizabeth Stampe of Walk SF, “We need two types of traffic calming…One to tame the high-speed, dangerous arterials, and one to help communities reclaim their streets as safe space to share and enjoy.” Read more…
San Francisco Examiner | August 30, 2012
Dangerous Intersections Continue to Plague San Francisco A new report on The City’s most dangerous intersections reveals that many continue to be troublesome, leaving safety advocates to wonder why more is not being done to improve conditions. Read more…
San Francisco Examiner | August 23, 2012
Road Diets Used as Tool for Reclaiming Neighborhoods in San Francisco City transportation officials say San Francisco has put more roads on a diet than anywhere else in North America. “If you design a street so that cars travel at safe speeds, its amazing what it can do for a neighborhood,” said Elizabeth Stampe, executive director of Walk San Francisco. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | August 20, 2012
DA Investigating Charges Against Taxi Driver Who Killed Man in Tenderloin The SFPD reports that criminal charges may be brought against the taxi driver who killed a pedestrian on August 11 at Eddy and Larkin Streets.“Walk SF and its members are very pleased to see the fast response from the police and certainly look forward to equally swift action from the District Attorney,” said Walk SF Executive Director Elizabeth Stampe. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | August 14, 2012
Taxi Driver Who Killed Man in Tenderloin Yet to Be Cited or Charged Police are still looking into whether charges could be filed against the taxi driver who allegedly ran a red light at Eddy and Larkin Streets Saturday. Said Elizabeth Stampe, “we expect solid information from the police about how this occurred. Walk SF and its members want to see swift action on this case from the police and, if appropriate, from the District Attorney’s office.” Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | August 13, 2012
Man Killed By Alleged Red Light-Running Taxi Driver at Eddy and Larkin A man was killed on Saturday evening by a taxi driver who allegedly ran a red light at Eddy and Larkin Streets in the Tenderloin neighborhood. Elizabeth Stampe of Walk SF noted that this neighborhood is “a real hot spot” for pedestrian injuries, and merits “a renewed conviction from the city to making improvements that save lives.” Read more…
NerdWallet | July 30, 2012
NerdWallet’s Top 4 Sustainable Living Non-Profits in the Bay Area Walk San Francisco was named as one of NerdWallet’s top four sustainable living nonprofits in the Bay Area, acknowledging its diligent efforts to make the streets of San Francisco safer for pedestrians, and to promote the only truly emission-free mode of transportation. Read more…
KQED | July 25, 2012
Pedestrian Fatalities Up in San Francisco As San Francisco implements new measures to improve pedestrian safety, the number of pedestrians killed this year is on pace to surpass the death toll from each of the two previous years. Read more…
The Bay Citizen | July 25, 2012
Pedestrian Fatalities in San Francisco on Pace to Surpass Last Year’s Despite new measures taken to improve pedestrian safety, San Francisco’s pedestrian fatality rate for 2012 is expected to surpass last year’s total of 17 deaths. Elizabeth Stampe, executive director of WalkSF said that while progress has been made, more needs to be done to keep the flow of traffic at lower speeds. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | July 13, 2012
8th Street Buffered Bike Lane A Step Up, But When Will SoMa Really Feel Safe? A new buffered bike lane was striped on 8th Street last week, re-purposing a traffic lane on one of SoMa’s fast, one-way motorways. The new configuration is an improvement, but as Walk SF director Elizabeth Stampe said, “they could certainly do more to narrow the street visually and calm it, make the crossing shorter, and provide some protection for pedestrians.” Read more…
Bay Nature | July 13, 2012
Swallowtail Butterflies Thrive Along SF’s Gritty Streets Amazingly, San Francisco boasts the highest population of swallowtail butterflies in the country, according to a national count. However, swallowtails need different types of food throughout the life cycle, something that San Francisco’s urban planting does not currently provide for. “Planning green spaces is more than just leaving buildings out,” said Elizabeth Stampe of Walk SF. “We could do a lot to help both people and wildlife thrive by choosing which things to plant.” Read more…
San Francisco Examiner | July 12, 2012
Moving Market Street in Right Direction Although Market Street is San Francisco’s central thoroughfare, the artery and its surrounding streets are plagued by vehicle congestion, slow transit service, confusing traffic patterns and patches with rundown and vacant buildings. Its scheduled repaving in 2015 presents an opportunity to reinvent the boulevard through the ‘Better Market Street’ plan. Elizabeth Stampe, director of Walk San Francisco, recommends calming traffic conditions on its intersecting streets as part of this plan. Read more…
The Atlantic Cities | July 11, 2012
When the Bad Guys Ride Bikes Recent cyclist-pedestrian collisions have been generating more attention lately, igniting arguments between cyclist critics and defenders. Elizabeth Stampe, executive director of Walk SF, discusses street safety without expressing an anti-bike sentiment, suggesting that “ …when you’re on a bike, you’re so accustomed to watching out for cars and yourself, you forget there are people on the street that are more vulnerable.” Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | July 5, 2012
DPW Repaves First 25 Blocks Using Prop B Bond Twenty-five blocks of San Francisco’s pothole-ridden streets have been repaved using the $248 million street improvements bond. Walk SF Executive Director Elizabeth Stampe said she looks forward to wider sidewalks and calmer traffic from the bond improvements. Read more…
San Francisco Examiner | June 27, 2012
Remedies Proposed to Decongest Hayes Valley To improve safety conditions in Hayes Valley, congestion pricing for motorists, new bike lanes on Polk Street, more crosswalks and the implementation of two-way transit routes on local roads are among the remedies being recommended. Elizabeth Stampe, executive director of Walk SF, said this plan could go a long way toward improving safety in the neighborhood. Read more…
Streesblog San Francisco | June 13, 2012
How Can SF Make Streets Safer If We Don’t Know How Dangerous They Are? A discrepancy in the number of 2011 pedestrian fatalities reported by the SFPD indicates the poor state of public data on street safety in San Francisco. Said Elizabeth Stampe, executive director of Walk SF, ”It’s been frustrating…they simply have no system in place for collecting this fundamental information.” Read more…
SF Appeal | June 7, 2012
Speed Limits On Some SOMA Streets Lowered to 25 MPH The speed limits on parts of Howard, Folsom, Harrison and Bryant streets had previously been 30 mph but are being reduced to 25 mph in an effort to improve safety in the SOMA neighborhood. This project is in line with Walk San Francisco’s objectives, as the director Elizabeth Stampe said, “Calming traffic on the city’s wide, fast, freeway-like streets is a priority for Walk SF.” Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | June 1, 2012
Transbay Transit Center to Fill Downtown with People, Not Cars The new Transbay Transit Center, scheduled to open in 2017, is expected to transform San Francisco’s downtown core by focusing new development around a massive regional transit hub in eastern SoMa. Included in the plan are improvements for pedestrians and bicyclists, such as wider sidewalks, road diets, transit lanes, bike lanes and boarding islands. Walk SF Executive Director Elizabeth Stampe said the plan seems like “a great way to create streets where pedestrians truly have priority…” Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | May 24, 2012
SFMTA Promotes Walking and Biking as Solution to Muni Shutdown As the SFTMA braces for the 9-day shutdown of Muni’s N-Judah line, the agency has been encouraging the tens of thousands of riders whose commutes will be disrupted to bike and walk to work as a way to avoid the anticipated Muni havoc. The SFMTA has teamed up with biking and walking advocates, and their home page currently sports an alert directing visitors to the websites of Walk San Francisco and the San Francisco Bike Coalition for info on biking and walking. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | May 21, 2012
Sena Putra, 47, Killed by Truck Driver at 13th and Folsom Forty-seven year-old Sena Putra was struck and killed by the driver of a gasoline tanker last Thursday while crossing an intersection with the green light. “The biggest tragedy is that this could have been prevented if this city prioritized safe streets for walking,” said Walk SF Executive Director Elizabeth Stampe. “This intersection and the whole area are built around freeways, not around people. But people still need to cross, just like Sena Putra did.” Read more…
KTVU | May 17, 2012
New Speed Zones Implemented Around 181 SF Schools In an effort to improve pedestrian safety citywide, Mayor Ed Lee teamed up with the San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency and the nonprofit Walk SF to install 803 new speed limit signs within 500 feet of 181 public and private San Francisco schools. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | May 17, 2012
Tomorrow: Why Is the SFMTA Raising a Speed Limit and Closing Crosswalks? An SFMTA hearing will consider increasing the speed limit on Winston Drive and closing two crosswalks on Fulton Street at Funston and 14th Avenues, in direct contrast to the city’s stated goals in its Better Streets Plan. “It’s frustrating to see the city move backward, not only from improving streets for walking, but from its own stated goal of opening all crosswalks,” said Elizabeth Stampe, executive director of Walk SF. Read more…
CBS San Francisco | May 16, 2012
Bus System Gets Green Light for SF’s Van Ness Avenue The Van Ness Avenue Bus Rapid Transit Project has received the green light from the SFMTA and is expected to improve mass transit on one of San Francisco’s most congested streets. Walk SF Director Elizabeth Stampe said the improvements are greatly needed after a decade of planning. Read more…
SF Appeal | May 16, 2012
Speed Limits Near 181 SF Schools Drop to 15 MPH San Francisco city officials have implemented new 15-mph speed zones around 181 public and private schools in San Francisco. Elizabeth Stampe, Executive Director of Walk SF, said the program was modeled after the town of Goleta in Santa Barbara County, and that San Francisco is the largest city to implement the initiative in California. Read more…
NBC Bay Area | May 15, 2012
New, Slower Driving Rules Near SF Schools The speed limit near 181 schools in San Francisco is now 15 mph following the completion of a sweeping overhaul of driving rules that began a few years ago. Said Elizabeth Stampe of Walk SF, ”This is a big step forward for everyone who walks in San Francisco.” Read more…
San Francisco Examiner | May 14, 2012
15 Mph Zones to Aid Kids at 181 Schools Pedestrian safety and transit advocates touted the implementation of 15 mph speed limits in 181 school zones in San Francisco, the completion of a project that began last year. Among the advocates was Elizabeth Stampe of Walk San Francisco, who said the lowered speed zones will not only help kids walk to school safely, “They’ll also calm traffic in neighborhoods throughout the City, making streets more inviting for walking.” Read more…
San Francisco Chronicle | May 14, 2012
Go Slow Around SF Schools As of today, San Francisco is the first large city in California with a 15-mph speed limit around most schools. “Not very many cities have done it,” said Elizabeth Stampe, executive director of Walk San Francisco. “None on the scale of the city of San Francisco.” Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | May 14, 2012
SFMTA Completes Implementation of 15-MPH Zones at 181 Schools San Francisco recently became the first major city in California to implement all of its planned 15-MPH school zones. Elizabeth Stampe of Walk San Francisco, a major proponent of the campaign, expressed hope that this will be the first of many cities. Read more…
San Francisco Examiner | May 6, 2012
Three Pedestrian Deaths Elicit Varied Reactions in San Francisco Last year, 17 pedestrians were killed on city streets, and 14 of them died after being hit by private autos. However, the public response to fatal car-pedestrian collisions has been weak compared with responses to the less common cyclist-pedestrian or Muni vehicle-pedestrian fatality. Said Elizabeth Stampe, Executive Director of Walk SF, “I think for a long time, people have assumed that car crashes are inevitable…But these accidents are both preventable and tragic, and its time we started paying attention to them.” Read more…
San Francisco Examiner | April 14, 2012
Double Impact: SF’s Busiest Streets as Dangerous as Ever Despite efforts to improve safety through instituting doubled fine zones on certain major San Francisco roads, traffic-related injuries have actually increased in the last year. Elizabeth Stampe, Executive Director of Walk San Francisco, said that to make a real impact, police enforcement needs to increase along with the double-fine zones. Read more…
The Atlantic Cities | April 13, 2012
Seeking Pedestrian Advocates in L.A., Where People Actually Do Walk As Los Angeles begins to focus more effort on the pedestrian side of transportation, the need for an active and vocal advocacy group such as San Francisco’s Walk SF becomes increasingly apparent. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | April 11, 2012
Pedestrian Action Plan Ready Soon. Will SF Commit to Building Ped Infrastructure? Over a year after the Mayor’s Pedestrian Task Force began meeting to develop SF’s Pedestrian Action Plan, the SFMTA said the agency expects to finalize the document by late summer. Walk SF director Elizabeth Stampe said she hopes the action plan will push various agencies to better coordinate on street projects to make streets better for walking. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | April 9, 2012
Advocates: Despite Bike-Ped Death, Cars Still Greatest Danger to Peds In the midst of a wave of media attention surrounding the recent fatal bicycle-pedestrian accident in the Castro, walking and bicycling advocates cite the stats and re-affirm that the greatest dangers facing pedestrians are high-speed roads and dangerous driving behavior. “This is a real tragedy,” said Elizabeth Stampe of Walk SF, “But the fact remains that three people a day are hit by cars…and that’s an underestimate.” Read more…
KQED | April 9, 2012
Pedestrian Deaths Bring Safety Issues to the Fore KQED’s Forum program hosted a discussion about safety on San Francisco’s streets. Forum host Michael Krasny spoke with Elizabeth Stampe, executive director of Walk San Francisco, Leah Shahum, executive director of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, Captain Al Casciato of the San Francisco Police Department, and Bert Hill, chair of San Francisco’s Bicycle Advisory Committee. Read more…
SF Appeal | April 6, 2012
Report Says Young Americans Driving Less, SF Official Concurs A transportation report released today by the CalPIRG Education Fund cites an overall trend of decreased driving among Americans aged 16 to 34. Elizabeth Stampe of Walk SF agrees with this finding, providing insight on the many possible reasons behind it. Read more…
San Francisco Chronicle | April 6, 2012
Online Post Recounts How Bicyclist Hit Pedestrian In a ‘troubling’ online post, the cyclist who could face vehicular manslaughter charges for plowing into a pedestrian in San Francisco’s Castro district admitted that he sped into a crowded crosswalk. Said Elizabeth Stampe of Walk SF, ”We expect cars to present a danger, and almost excuse them of that, but don’t expect that of bicycles…Everyone needs to watch out for everyone who’s on the street who’s more vulnerable than they are. There’s a hierarchy of responsibility.” Read more…
The Bay Citizen | April 6, 2012
Pedestrian Group Holds Contest for National Walk to Work Day National Walk to Work Day has been held on the first Friday in April since 2004. This year Walk San Francisco is celebrating the occasion with a contest for people walking in the city. Read more…
San Francisco Examiner | April 5, 2012
S.F. Bicyclist Involved in Fatal Collision Discusses Incident Online A San Francisco bicyclist could face criminal charges after a fatal collision on March 29 with a 71-year-old man in a Castro crosswalk. Elizabeth Stampe, Executive Director of Walk SF noted that as bicycling becomes mores widespread and transit trends shift, safety standards need to follow suit. Read more…
SF Weekly | April 5, 2012
Walk to Work Tomorrow and Win Prizes As part of National Walk to Work Day, Walk SF is asking all San Franciscans to walk to their place of employment tomorrow and then tweet or post about it. “San Francisco is one of the best cities in the country for commuting on foot. Plus, it’s a good time to see how the city could improve conditions to make your walk even better,” said Elizabeth Stampe, Walk SF executive director. Read more…
San Francisco Examiner | April 5, 2012
Friday is National Walk to Work Day Local pedestrian advocacy organization, Walk San Francisco, is asking commuters to leave their cars and every other mode of transportation to get back to basics and walk to work on Friday. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | April 5, 2012
Tomorrow: Walk SF Wants to Hear About Your Walk to Work Day As part of National Walk to Work Day, Walk SF is asking all San Franciscans to walk to their place of employment tomorrow and then tweet about it or post about their trek on Facebook. For every post, GJEL Attorneys will donate $25 to Walk SF. Read more…
SF Appeal | April 5, 2012
Appealing Events: Walk to Work Friday (And Win!) On this first Friday of April, Walk SF is recognizing Walk to Work Day with prizes for participants who tweet or post about their walk. Says Executive Director Elizabeth Stampe, “Every commute includes walking, so really, you walk to work every day, but Walk to Work Day offers the opportunity to take the time to look around and really enjoy it.” Read more…
Examiner.com | April 5, 2012
Week’s End Walks in San Francisco and Beyond Participants in tomorrow’s Walk to Work Day will have the opportunity to win prizes, support Walk SF and help make San Francisco’s streets better for walking. Read more…
MSNBC | April 1, 2012
What Are the 25 Best Cities for Walking? San Francisco scores an 84.9 walk score, making it the fourth best city in the country for walking. Walk San Francisco and WalkFirst both receive recognition for their work to improve pedestrian safety. Read more…
Prevention | April 1, 2012
The 25 Best Cities for Walking A recent review of the best US cities for walking rated San Francisco as #4 and noted Walk San Francisco for their promotion of pedestrian activity and safety. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | March 29, 2012
SFPD Issues Targeted Enforcement Plan to Reduce Pedestrian Injuries In a joint statement with Walk SF, the San Francisco Police Department announced yesterday a commitment to reduce pedestrian injuries by targeting dangerous driving, especially in areas with the highest pedestrian injury rates. Read more…
San Francisco Chronicle | March 29, 2012
Adopting a Corner a Simple Way to Keep Street Safer The Duboce Triange Neighborhood Association’s Traffic Safety Committee has proposed a grassroots solution for decreasing San Francisco’s pedestrian injuries. As discussed with Elizabeth Stampe of Walk SF, adopting a corner and increasing community awareness may decrease the nearly 3 pedestrian injuries a day in the city. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | March 28, 2012
New Plan Would Transform Three Alleyways in West SoMa Three alleyways in the SoMa neighborhood could soon be transformed into pedestrian-friendly havens with a new approved plan from the SF County Transportation Authority Board. Said Elizabeth Stampe of Walk San Francisco, “The plan and the designs create safe, inviting space in one of the most pedestrian-unfriendly parts of the city.” Read more…
San Francisco Examiner | March 22, 2012
Traffic Plan Aims to Curb Speeding in Busy S.F. Neighborhood New traffic calming measures and increased law enforcement are hoped to increase pedestrian safety in the Buena Vista and Cole Valley neighborhoods, where motorists often ignore stop signs, don’t yield to pedestrians and generally drive too fast. Read more…
The Bay Citizen | March 12, 2012
Bicyclist Won’t Go to Jail for Pedestrian’s Death A San Francisco bicyclist will serve 500 hours of community service but no jail time for a misdemeanor charge after hitting and killing a pedestrian last July. Elizabeth Stampe of Walk SF noted the need to protect pedestrians from drivers as well, saying, “I only wish we had serious prosecution of drivers who hit pedestrians with cars, which happens roughly three times day in San Francisco.” Read more…
San Francisco Examiner | March 6, 2012
5-Year-Old Struck by Car While Walking to School A kindergartner struck and injured by a car while on her way to school serves as a sad reminder that drivers need to be more careful, especially near schools. Read more…
San Francisco Examiner | February 27, 2012
Shuttle Bus Driver Unlikely to be Prosecuted Criminal charges are not likely to be brought against the shuttle driver who ran over a pedestrian, pinning him beneath the vehicle for 20 minutes. If a person dies as the result of a collision, the driver could face vehicular manslaughter charges. Otherwise, as in this case, the driver may not receive more than a citation for failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. Read more…
SF Weekly | February 27, 2012
Why Our DA Probably Won’t Press Charges Against Driver Who Plowed Over Pedestrian Despite Walk SF’s appeals, the DA’s Office is not preparing to file criminal charges against the shuttle driver who ran over a pedestrian. Prosecutors explain that unintentionally causing a traffic accident that leads to injury is not a crime unless the driver acted recklessly. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | February 24, 2012
After Outcry, SFPD to Cite Driver Who Ran Over Man in Tenderloin After a show of public outrage from Walk SF members, the SFPD is reversing course and citing the paratransit van driver who ran over a man with the right of way in a Tenderloin crosswalk last week. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | February 16, 2012
SFPD Declares Open Season on Pedestrians with the Right of Way Even with clear video footage of a shuttle bus driver running over a man in a crosswalk, SFPD see no reason to issue a citation. Says Elizabeth Stampe, Walk San Francisco Executive Director, “Dangerous driving has got to be penalized, or it’s not going to stop.” Read more…
San Francisco Examiner | February 15, 2012
Local Transportation Officials Fearful of Proposed House Transportation Bill The American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act, a proposed House bill and five-year spending plan, threatens to cut dedicated funding for public transit, pedestrian and cycling projects. One such program that could be drastically affected is the Safe Routes to Schools program, championed by Walk San Francisco and federally-funded to increase safety for students walking and biking to school. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | February 6, 2012
City to Expedite Two Blocks of Fisherman’s Wharf Redesign for Summer 2013 The latest designs for the Fisherman’s Wharf Public Realm Plan will help to make pedestrians a priority by introducing a wider sidewalk, removing sidewalk obstacles and slowing traffic by limiting it to two 11-foot-wide lanes. This comes in advance of the 2013 America’s Cup yacht races, which are anticipated to bring in hundreds of thousands of additional visitors to the city. Read more…
CBS San Francisco | February 4, 2012
Prop B $248M Street Repair Plan Launches in San Francisco’s Mission District A three year, $248 million plan to repair city streets and make travel easier for drivers, bikers and pedestrians alike was launched this week in the Mission District. “Walk SF is eager to see new investment in Prop B in wider sidewalks and smarter street design throughout the city,” said Executive Director Elizabeth Stampe. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | January 23, 2012
Caltrans Slims the Sloat Boulevard Speedway With Buffered Bike Lanes Put on a “road diet,” Sloat Boulevard’s freeway-like design is now a bit safer and more comfortable for pedestrians and bikers alike. The addition of ladder-style crosswalks and bike lanes with buffers is “a good start,” says Elizabeth Stampe, but “to reduce speeds further, it would help to see pedestrian islands, wider sidewalks and some vertical additions like trees or soft-hit posts to visually narrow the street and signal to drivers that they are not, in fact on a freeway.” Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | January 17, 2012
How Mayor Lee Can Make Smart Investments in Safer Streets in 2012 Through a detailed list of suggested initiatives, Elizabeth Stampe, Executive Director of Walk San Francisco, offers a plan that could help Mayor Ed Lee achieve his vision of zero pedestrian deaths. Among her suggestions for the city are creating a pedestrian action plan that would fix 10 miles of streets per year, piloting low-cost projects to fix the most dangerous streets, enforcing traffic laws, establishing Sunday Streets as a permanent program, and using the America’s Cup “People’s Plan” to introduce viable alternatives to snarled traffic. Read more…
GJEL Blog | December 14, 2011
An Interview with Walk SF Executive Director Elizabeth Stampe An interview with ED Elizabeth Stampe provides some insight into Walk San Francisco’s growth and impact in 2011 and their big plans for a pedestrian safety action plan in 2012. Stampe explains how relatively minor improvements to our streets and policies can save lives. Read more…
San Francisco Examiner | December 6, 2011
Mayor Ed Lee at Walk SF’s Thursday Meeting Mayor Lee and Supervisors John Avalos and Scott Weiner will be speaking at Walk San Francisco’s Annual Member Meeting & Greeting this Thursday, December 8th. The event will take place from 6-8pm at the SPUR penthouse on 654 Mission Street. Read more…
San Francisco Examiner | December 6, 2011
Commute Speeds Have Slowed Down for San Francisco Drivers Average traffic speeds on the City’s streets and highways have fallen in the past two years. Elizabeth Stampe of Walk SF said the drop in speed limits on arterial roads is a welcome development for walkers. Read more…
SFist | November 30, 2011
DA’s Office Filing Criminal Charges Against Pedestrian-Killing Drivers, Cyclists District Attorney George Gascon announced yesterday that in addition to filing manslaughter charges against the cyclist who struck and killed a pedestrian at Mission and Embarcadero on July 15 (she died in the hospital several weeks later), his office is also considering charges in three other recent deaths involving vehicles. Read more…
SFGov | November 29, 2011
District Attorney George Gascon, Walk SF and SF Bicycle Coalition Call for Safer Streets this Holiday Season As the holiday season approaches and San Francisco’s high traffic areas and shopping districts become more impacted, DA George Gascon and representatives from Walk SF and SF Bicycle Coalition ask the public to be aware of safety rules and to help prevent avoidable tragedies. Read more…
KTSF 26 | November 29, 2011
SF DA Calls for Safer Streets this Holiday Season San Francisco has seen four traffic fatalities in the past six months, and with the increased foot traffic during this holiday season, DA George Gascon calls for users of the road to contribute to better road safety. Read more…
SF Appeal | November 29, 2011
DA’s Office Considering Charges Against Shuttle Bus and Muni Drivers Responsible for Pedestrian Deaths While prosecutors decide whether to file charges in connection with three deaths caused by inattentive driving, DA George Gascon urges all drivers, cyclists and pedestrians to be more attentive on the city’s streets. Read more…
CBS San Francisco | November 29, 2011
San Francisco Drivers Urged to Slow Down for Pedestrians More pedestrians on the streets and less daylight during the holiday season means that drivers need to slow down to save lives. Said Elizabeth Stampe of Walk San Francisco, collisions are six times more likely to be deadly if drivers are traveling at 30 mph rather than 20 mph. Read more…
ABC 7 News | November 29, 2011
Gascon Issues Holiday Plea for Safer Streets DA George Gascon is cracking down on traffic law violators this holiday season, noting a higher rate of pedestrian and cyclist injuries and fatalities in San Francisco as compared to other cities. His goal: to reduce serious and fatal injuries by a quarter in five years and by half in ten years. Read more…
San Francisco Chronicle | November 29, 2011
Season of Sharing the Streets District Attorney George Gascon and bike and pedestrian advocates urge motorists to be more attentive and share the streets, and warned that they can be prosecuted if they don’t. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | November 23, 2011
Beyond Pavement: What the Streets Bond Will Buy When San Franciscans voted to fix crumbling streets by approving Proposition B earlier this month, they also approved nearly $90 million for pedestrian, bike and transit projects. The long-term improvements to come will improve safety and walkability of the city’s streets through pedestrian curb cuts, sidewalk repairs and seismic retrofits, among other changes. Read more…
Bay Citizen | November 14, 2011
Cyclist to Be Charged in Women’s Death A cyclist who crashed into an elderly pedestrian near San Francisco’s Waterfront on July 15 will be charged with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter. The incident draws attention to the importance of improving pedestrian safety in San Francisco, where 18 people were hit by bikes and 811 more were hit by cars in the past year. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | October 19, 2011
SFMTA Board Approves Two-Way Haight Street Project The SFMTA unanimously approved a project yesterday which will convert the easternmost block of Haight Street to two-way bus operation, eliminating a car parking lane on the south side of the street. The project also introduces some safety improvements to the intersection of Market, Haight and Gough Streets. Read more…
Mission Local | October 7, 2011
Bikers Pedal into Pedestrians As San Francisco’s bike culture continues to grow — the number of cyclists increased 58 percent between 2006 and 2010, according to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency — so have the complaints about bikers riding on sidewalks. Riding on sidewalks is illegal and punishable by a $156 ticket after a rider turns 13-years old. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | October 6, 2011
New 15 MPH School Zones Welcome Students on Walk to School Day Over 7,000 students from 44 schools around San Francisco participated in the International Walk to School Day events on October 5th. This marked the first Walk to School Day since Walk San Francisco’s 15mph campaign resulted in speed reductions in dozens of school zones around the city. Read more…
Bicycling Sonoma | October 5, 2011
Sonoma County Participants Cycle the State in Climate Ride California A group of 125 bicycle riders left Fortuna bound for San Francisco on Sunday as part of Climate Ride California, a 320-mile ride that is a benefit for environmental organizations. Read more…
Mission Local | October 5, 2011
Thousands Walk to School by Choice On a brisk, sunny day with small rain puddles underfoot from the early-morning drizzle, Marshall Elementary School students gathered at Kidpower Park on Capp Street to make the three-block journey to school. Read more…
San Francisco Chronicle | October 5, 2011
International Walk to School Day San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee joins Mission District schoolchildren on their walk from KidPower Park to Marshall Elementary School on October 5th, International Walk to School Day. Read more…
San Francisco Chronicle | October 3, 2011
Mayor Ed Lee and kids will walk it out Other walkers will include Supervisor Jane Kim, Municipal Transportation Agency Executive Director Ed Reiskin and Recreation and Park Department Director Phil Ginsburg. Representatives from Walk SF and the Safe Routes to School Program, which is run by the Department of Public Health, will be there too. Read more…
SF Appeal | October 3, 2011
Mayor Lee, Supe Kim Hoof It for International Walk to School Day For the cost of “just a little bit of exercise,” Mayor Lee, Supervisor Kim, Municipal Transportation Agency Executive Director Ed Reiskin and Recreation and Park Department Director Phil Ginsburg will be joining walking school buses for 44 schools around San Francisco in support of International Walk to School Day. Read more…
San Francisco Examiner | September 30, 2011
Mayor Ed Lee, Muni chief Ed Reiskin among notables participating in Walk to School day Overall, 44 city schools will take part in Walk to School Day, an international event aimed at drawing awareness to pedestrian needs and goals. Lee, Kim and Reiskin will all walk to the event’s featured school, Marshall Elementary, in the Mission district. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | September 26, 2011
Masonic Avenue Redesign Plan Seems to Be Fading as a City Priority Now, nearly four months after the Masonic redesign was approved at an SFMTA engineering hearing, the plan is plodding its way through the vast city bureaucracy, its funding is uncertain and it is in danger of winding up on the shelf like so many other good projects unless City Hall puts some political muscle behind it. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | September 20, 2011
Sign Up for Walk SF’s Annual Peak2Peak Walk This Sunday Walk San Francisco’s seventh annual Peak2Peak Walk this Sunday promises to be an exciting adventure through the spine of the city. Read More…
Mission Local | September 15, 2011
City to Mission Drivers: Slow Down SFMTA and sales tax revenue from Proposition K are set to pay $361,700 over the next sixteen months to install 1,000 new speed limit signs around schools like this one. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | September 13, 2011
Candidates Talk Streets and Parks at Mayoral Forum Eight mayoral candidates turned out for last night’s forum on streets and parks sponsored by Walk San Francisco, the Neighborhood Parks Council and Friends of the Urban Forest. The candidates fielded a number of questions on pedestrian safety, walkability issues, parks, open space and urban forestry. Read more…
Bay Nature | September 12, 2011
Can You Bag 15 SF Peaks on Sept 25? Beware of pedestrians, San Francisco drivers, for they are taking back the streets on September 25. That’s when more than a hundred folks will be trekking a near half-marathon over 15 “peaks” through the urban fabric of San Francisco. Read More…
San Francisco Chronicle | September 11, 2011
Prop. B Seeks Millions for S.F. Road Repairs San Francisco’s bumpy roads and crumbling pavement could get a $248 million makeover under a bond measure up for a vote in November. If passed, the bond would also pour money into installing and renovating curb ramps, fixing traffic infrastructure and redesigning streetscapes to make them safer for pedestrians and cyclists. Read more…
SF.Streetsblog.org | September 9, 2011
Mayoral Debate Monday Night Will Focus on Streets and Parks Sponsored by Walk SF, the Neighborhood Parks Council and the Friends of the Urban Forest, the forum will tackle a variety of important questions on pedestrian safety, sustainable transportation, parks and the state of our streets. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | September 8, 2011
Anger Follows William Cox’s Violent Death on the Streets of Duboce Triangle Cox was in the crosswalk on 14th Street at Noe around 9:30 a.m. when he was run over by an unidentified driver behind the wheel of a Ford SUV who had been southbound on Noe, and was making a left turn onto 14th. Read more…
San Francisco Examiner | September 7, 2011
Peak Hike of San Francisco On Sunday, September 25, 2011, you can join the 7th annual event. Peak2Peak will follow a 12-mile path, up and down 15 peaks, along the spine of the city from Mt. Davidson to Coit Tower. Read more…
San Francisco Chronicle | September 7, 2011
Sewer Ride: Educational Mission District Tour On Sept. 17, a group of local artists, sewer historians and organizations will lead attendees on a three-hour tour of the sewers in the Mission District. Read more…
ABC 7 News | August 19, 2011
Woman Struck and Killed by Muni Bus A young woman became the ninth pedestrian fatality in San Francisco in what has become a deadly year. It happened Friday afternoon at 18th and Hartford streets. News video.
Streetsblog San Francisco | August 19, 2011
SFPD Numbers Confirm Cops Targeting Bicyclists on Market Street Despite the department’s insistence that officers are not targeting bicyclists on Market Street, new numbers from the San Francisco Police Department confirm that cops are going after people on bikes following two high-profile crashes. Read more…
San Francisco Examiner | August 18, 2011
Speed Limits Lowered Near Schools in San Francisco A new set of slower speed limits near San Francisco schools were celebrated Thursday by Mayor Ed Lee and pedestrian safety advocates. The initiative will take effect in over 200 different San Francisco schools, both public and private, and will include 1,000 new traffic signs. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco & The Bay Citizen | August 18, 2011
Mayor, SFMTA, Advocates Announce First 15 MPH School Zone San Francisco became the first large California city to implement a 15 mph speed zone around a school this morning. The 15 mph campaign was a victory for the pedestrian advocacy group Walk San Francisco. Read the full article on Streetsblog or Bay Citizen.
Streetsblog San Francisco | August 17, 2011
New Designs to Be Presented for Eastern Cesar Chavez Street New designs have been drawn up for eastern Cesar Chavez Street and will be presented to the community next week. Read More…
Streetsblog San Francisco | August 11, 2011
Pedestrian Hit By Bicyclist Last Month on the Embarcadero Dies A 67-year-old Washington D.C. woman who was hit by a bicyclist on the Embarcadero at Mission Street last month has succumbed to her injuries. ”People on bikes should yield to people on foot,” said Elizabeth Stampe, the executive director of Walk San Francisco. Read More…
The Bay Citizen | August 8, 2011
SFPD Reports a Dramatic Rise in Drivers Without Licenses San Francisco police officers issued twice as many tickets to drivers operating without a license between January and May this year than they did for all of 2010, according to data from the SF Police Department (SFPD). The spike contrasts with an overall drop in traffic violations. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco & The Bay Citizen | August 8, 2011
Surgeon’s Exhaustive Research Helps Shape SF Pedestrian Safety Policies The study found that pedestrian injuries resulted in $74 million in medical costs over a five-year period, of which about $56 million was paid by public funding through Medicare or MediCal. Read the full article on Streetsblog or Bay Citizen.
Streetsblog San Francisco | July 29, 2011
Streets Bond Measure Headed to November Ballot A $248 million streets bond measure being pushed by San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee and other electeds is on its way to the November ballot after being approved this week in a 9-2 vote by the Board of Supervisors. Read More…
Streetsblog San Francisco | July 22, 2011
25 MPH Speed Limits on Harrison and Bryant Approved at SFMTA Hearing SFMTA staff approved a measure today to lower speed limits on Harrison and Bryant Streets form 30 MPH to 25 MPH in the South of Market (SoMa) District. Read More
KALW 91.7 FM: Crosscurrents | July 14, 2011
Why You Should Look Both Ways Before Crossing San Francisco Streets Casey Miner, KALW’s transportation reporter, interviews local pedestrian safety advocates, including our own Elizabeth Stampe, about the dangerous conditions pedestrians face in San Francisco. Listen Here…
Streetsblog San Francisco | July 1, 2011
One Hundred 15 MPH School Zones Approved at SFMTA Hearing SFMTA Associate Engineer Maurice Growney said up to one hundred 15 mph school zones could be in place by the end of the year. Read More…
Streetsblog San Francisco | June 28, 2011
City Drops Years-Long Plan for Road Diet on Eastern Cesar Chavez St. Just days before bike lanes were scheduled to be striped on eastern Cesar Chavez Street, an SFMTA staffer told a group of neighbors, advocates and others at a community meeting last night that the plan to replace one of the street’s [car] travel lanes was being scrapped. Read More…
New York Times | June 27, 2011
Heading Into a Long (Driving) Weekend In a letter responding to the Times’ front-page story, “Across Europe, Irking Drivers Is Urban Policy,” Walk SF executive director Elizabeth Stampe corrected the article’s claim that Market Street is “pedestrianized” (not yet!) and called for pedestrian funding in the new federal transportation bill. Read More…
Streetsblog San Francisco | June 27, 2011
Continental Crosswalks and Sharrows Striped at Market and Sixth Streets The SF Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) highlighted crosswalks and added sharrows at the intersection of Market and Sixth streets last week. The improvements should improve pedestrian visibility and help drivers comply with the mandatory right turn put in place last year. Read More…
Streetsblog San Francisco | June 22, 2011
Man Killed by Hit-and-Run Driver in the Mission is the 7th Pedestrian Death this Year San Francisco police are trying to find a hit-and run driver who killed 39-year-old Carlos Martinez Saturday morning in the Mission District. Martinez was the seventh pedestrian to be killed by a motor vehicle this year on San Francisco’s streets and the third hit-and-run fatality. Read More…
Transportation Nation | June 16, 2011
With Nat Ford’s Departure, What’s Next for SFMTA? With the official announcement today that San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency chief Nat Ford is departing after five and a half years on the job, the big question on people’s minds is what’s next for the city’s transit agency. Read More…
Streetsblog San Francisco | June 13, 2011
Dangerous Rincon Hill Intersection Finally Getting the City’s Attention An article illustrating the dangers faced by pedestrians in just one of SoMa’s busy intersections, and of the difficulties advocates face in encouraging the city to install safety measures. Read More…
San Francisco Examiner | June 6, 2011
Take Your Walking a Step Farther It’s no secret walking is an inexpensive way to get fit and stay healthy. Walk SF is trying to make it easier and safer for San Francisco residents to do so. Read More…
San Francisco Chronicle | May 31, 2011
Bottom Line: State’s High Speed Rail Draws Spaniards’ Attention Walk San Francisco gives an update on the percentage of people in San Francisco who walk to work. Read More…
San Francisco Examiner | May 24, 2011
Walking in San Francisco can be a Fatal Experience In most metropolitan areas, pedestrians account for just a small portion — 12 percent — of total traffic deaths. But walkers in San Francisco make up 51.9 percent of traffic fatalities, according to a study by Transportation For America, a national coalition of transit and planning groups. Read More…
Digital Divide: Utility Box Controversy up for Supervisors’ Vote AT&T will be back before the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday asking for permission to place up to 726 utility boxes on city sidewalks without putting the project through a lengthy and costly environmental review process. Read More…
Streetsblog San Francisco | May 24, 2001
The Dangerous Design of San Francisco’s High Speed “Arterial” Streets …a new national report on pedestrian safety issued today highlights a glaring pattern where the bulk of preventable pedestrian crashes with motor vehicles occur: on poorly designed, high-speed “arterial” roads. Read More…
KALW 91.7 FM: City Visions | May 23, 2011
Walk Steady: Securing Safe and Walkable San Francisco Streets Host Joseph Pace leads a panel, including our own Executive Director Elizabeth Stampe, through a discussion about the state of San Francisco’s pedestrian environment. Listen Here…
Streetsblog San Francisco | May 20, 2011
Speed Limit Reductions on Howard, Folsom a Small Victory for Ped Safety Folsom and Howard Streets in the South of Market (SoMa) district will see speed limits lowered from 30 miles an hour to 25 after SFMTA staff approved the change at a hearing today, marking a small step towards safer streets in the city. Read More…
Streetsblog San Francisco | May 16, 2011
SFMTA “Daylights” Crosswalks to Improve Pedestrian Visibility Daylighting is one of the lowest-hanging fruits in the toolkit for safer streets, it requires only the funds and local outreach needed to paint parking-prohibited red curbs. Read More…
CBS San Francisco | May 11, 2011
Video on Demand: Putting on the Brakes CBS reports on the dangers posed to pedestrians in San Francisco and discusses the preliminary findings of the SF Dept. of Public Health. If cars speeds were lowered throughout the city, pedestrians deaths and severity of injuries would be significantly reduced. Watch here…
San Francisco Examiner | May 10, 2011
Neighbors pushing to slow traffic on Masonic Avenue in San Francisco Neighborhood residents and pedestrian activists reeling from the latest Masonic Avenue traffic fatality are asking city officials to take immediate action to slow traffic on the busy corridor. Read More…
San Francisco Examiner | May 9, 2011
SF takes 35 months to go from red to green when adding signals Due to interagency bureaucracy, funding shortfalls and mandatory planning studies, installing one traffic light in San Francisco takes nearly three years. Read More…
New York Times | May 8, 2011
Now, to Find a Parking Spot, Drivers Look on Their Phones The San Francisco parking project, called SFPark, is a phone app for parking spot-seekers that displays information about areas with available spaces. But what will it mean for pedestrians? Read More…
San Francisco Chronicle | May 7, 2011
Hit-Run rampage Kills 61 year- old man in SF A suspected drunken driver was arrested early Friday after he struck and killed a pedestrian, crashed into parked cars and then smashed into planter boxes outside a San Francisco hospital. Read More…
SF Weekly | May 6, 2011
Jose Jimenez Accused of Killing Pedestrian on Masonic Avenue; Will the Street Ever be Safe? An alleged drunk driver killed a pedestrian on Masonic Avenue early Friday morning — a week before the city held its scheduled hearing to discuss how to make the highly traveled street safer for cyclists and pedestrians. Read More…
Streetsblog San Francisco | May 6, 2011
How Many Deaths Will it Take to Fix Masonic Avenue? The second death in less than year on Masonic Avenue has advocates and residents calling for traffic calming measures to increase safety. Read More…
Streetsblog San Francisco | May 5, 2011
Joel Ramos’ SFMTA Board nomination Moves Swiftly to Board of Supes The nomination of Joel Ramos to the SFMTA Board of Directors is widely approved by sustainable transportation advocates. Read More…
CBS San Francisco | May 2, 2011
Mike Sugarman’s About the Bay: Statistics Suggest it Takes Us Longer to Get from Here to There Believe it or not, the pace of urban living is slowing. KCBS’ Mike Sugerman found out as much, during his travels About the Bay. Listen Here…
Streetsblog San Francisco | April 25, 2011
Neighborhood Groups Push to Keep Sidewalks Clear of AT&T Boxes Pedestrians in San Francisco are no strangers to crowded conditions, but a plan to install 726 private utility boxes on sidewalks could impose even more obstacles for them. Read More…
SF Weekly | April 20, 2011
Avoiding Auto Versus Pedestrian Crashes Could Save Taxpayers Cash Lower speed limits and utilizing other traffic calming techniques have the potential to save the lives of pedestrians and save the city money. Read More…
San Francisco Examiner | April 19, 2011
10 mph speed limit for bicyclists might be set on the Golden Gate Bridge Bicyclists traveling on the Golden Gate Bridge may soon have to watch their speed — or face a $100 fine. Read more…
KPFA 94.1 | April 12, 2011
The Morning Mix at 8:00am Hear Walk SFs Executive Director, Elizabeth Stampe, talk about the dangers pedestrians face in San Francisco and why District 6 sees a disproportionate number of pedestrian collisions. Listen here…
Bay Citizen and Streetsblog San Francisco| April 12, 2011
City’s Pedestrian Crash Toll Dwarfs Preventative Safety Costs Two to three people are hit by cars every day on San Francisco’s dangerously motorized streets, and researchers are beginning to paint a clearer picture of the economic toll. Read More…
San Francisco Chronicle | April 11, 2011
S.F. Pedestrian Safety is Goal of Committee More than 800 people are hit by cars in San Francisco each year, making it statistically one of the most dangerous cities both in the state and nationwide to walk in. Read More…
Streetsblog San Francisco | April 1, 2011
Advocates, Supervisors Prepare for Two City hall Hearings on Ped Safety Supervisor Kim, of District 6 will hold a hearing on pedestrian safety at a Public Safety Committee meeting next Thursday, April 7 at 10:30 am in City Hall, Room 250. The following Monday, April 11 at 10 am, D1 Supervisor Eric Mar will hold another hearing to address citywide pedestrian issues. Read More…
San Francisco Examiner | March 23, 2011
Momentum builds for pedestrian safety in San Francisco A lack of coordination and funding has prevented much-needed traffic-calming measures from being implemented in areas across The City. Read More…
San Francisco Safety Efforts Mired in City Bureaucracy Despite a growing political focus on pedestrian safety, a thick layer of city bureaucracy and lack of funding are stalling real change to prevent pedestrian injuries and fatalities on San Francisco streets, including three deaths in just the last week. Read More…
Streetsblog San Francisco | March 18, 2011
Woman Dies After Being Struck by Crane Driver in SoMa Crosswalk A 72-year-old woman walking in a crosswalk was struck by a driver steering a crane truck on 2nd Street and Townsend this morning, and later died at a hospital in San Francisco’s third pedestrian fatality of 2011. Read More…
Streetsblog San Francisco | March 10, 2011
Task Force Begins Meeting to Develop Pedestrian Action Plan A Pedestrian Safety Task Force charged with coordinating and implementing actions to reduce pedestrian injuries and fatalities in San Francisco met for the first time Tuesday, bringing together a large group of representatives from different city departments who rarely sit down at the same table to talk about pedestrian safety. Read More…
Streetsblog San Francisco | March 2, 2011
Inner Sunset Neighbors Voice Overwhelming Support for Proposed Parklet The Inner Sunset could see its first parklet on Ninth Avenue in front of Arizmendi Bakery, introducing a new public space to its vibrant restaurant district, after dozens of neighbors and merchants showed up in support of the project at an SF Department of Public Works hearing today. Read More…
Streetsblog San Francisco | February 24, 2011
Woman Hit by Driver on Park Presidio Remains in Critical Condition The potentially fatal crash is indicative of the dangerous walking conditions caused by the high-speed, high-volume motor traffic traveling on Park Presidio. Read More…
Streetsblog San Francisco | February 8, 2011
Folsom Street Road Diet Includes Bike lanes, Bus Bulbs in the Mission A redesign of Folsom Street in the Mission District aimed at calming motor traffic and improving conditions for walking and bicycling is one step closer to becoming a reality. Read more…
San Francisco Examiner | January 20, 2011
Groups seek solutions as pedestrian incidents increase on Van Ness Despite the recent introduction of double fines for traffic citations — a deterrent that has proven effective elsewhere — pedestrian accidents on Van Ness Avenue have skyrocketed in the past two years. Read More…
David Chiu: Bike Network Expansion is Transportation Priority Number One Board of Supervisors President David Chiu said expanding the city’s bike network will be his number one transportation priority in the coming year, along with pedestrian safety and improving Muni’s reliability and performance. Read More…
San Francisco Chronicle | December 21, 2010
San Francisco Pedestrians Get Blamed for Getting Hit Some readers of the Chronicle point out that many times pedestrians are at fault in car/ped collisions. Read More…
San Francisco Chronicle | December 20, 2010
S.F. Streets Particularly Mean for Pedestrians Some consider San Francisco the best walking city in the country. How can that be when, on average, just over two people are struck by a car each day? Read More…
Streetsblog San Francisco | December 15, 2010
Proposed Parklets on Valencia and Post Streets Draw Praise at SFDPW Hearing Supporters of the parklets testified that converting a few parking spots into vibrant spaces for people will enliven their streets and benefit their neighborhoods. Read More…
Streetsblog San Francisco | December 10, 2010
Walk SF, Supervisor Chiu Call for Action on Pedestrian Safety Pedestrian and livable streets advocates gathered Thursday for WalkSF’s Annual Member Meeting to celebrate the organization’s success and discuss how to improve walking conditions in San Francisco. Read More…
Streetsblog San Francisco | November 30, 2010
Eyes on the Street: Raised Crosswalk Installed at Stonestown Galleria Where implemented, raised crosswalks have been found to be a successful treatment for slowing vehicle speeds and increased yielding to pedestrians. Read More…
Streetsblog San Francisco | November 19, 2010
Commentary: Despite Mandate to Improve Pedestrian Safety, SF Doesn’t Act A Streetsblog reporter critisizes the SFMTA for its failure to improve pedestrian safety. Read More…
Streetsblog San Francisco | November 17, 2010
Driver of UCSF Shuttle Bus Hits and Kills Pedestrian in Tenderloin Crosswalk Surveillance video from a Tenderloin market shows that a 65-year-old woman was in the crosswalk on Geary Boulevard and Leavenworth Street Wednesday afternoon and clearly had the right-of-way when the driver of a UCSF shuttle bus loaded with passengers struck and killed her. Read more…
Streetsblog San Francisco | October 28, 2010
SFPD Seeks Help Identifying Suspect in Pedestrian Hit and Run The victim, a 23 year old San Francisco man, was struck on Wednesday, August 4th, at 10:45 pm by a motorist traveling southbound on Van Ness Avenue at Broadway Street. Read More…
Mother Earth News| October 18, 2010
People Powered Transportation: Q&A with Pedestrian Advocate, Elizabeth Stampe Mother Earth News interviews new member of the Alliance for Biking and Walking and new Walk SF Executive Director, Elizabeth Stampe. Read More…
Streetsblog San Francisco| October 7, 2010
Promoting Health and Physical Activity Among Children on Walk to School Day San Francisco agencies explore ways to make walking to school a safer and more viable transportation option for kids. Read More…
