Five weeks after the tragedy in West Portal
It has been a little more than a month since the tragedy in West Portal on March 16, 2024.
I know that many of us were profoundly affected by that crash.
The suffering this has brought to loved ones of the family knows no end. We continue to hold everyone who knew Diego Cardoso de Oliveira, Matilde Moncado Ramos Pinto, Joaquin, and Cauê in our thoughts, always.
I wanted to share a few things with you related to West Portal.
First, a redesign of the streets directly around the West Portal crash site is happening. By creating some one-ways and turn-only streets on West Portal Avenue, Ulloa Street, and Lenox Way, drivers will no longer be able to go straight through the intersection of West Portal Avenue and Ulloa Street. You can read more in the Chronicle. The SFMTA has a public survey about design options open until April 28.
Every day, thousands of people walk and cross through this intersection and immediate area, which includes the West Portal Muni station, three Muni bus stations, West Portal Elementary School, the West Portal Branch Library, the West Portal Playground, and the major commercial corridor for the neighborhood. Having any driver be able to blaze through this area must be prevented in every way possible. Full stop.
Many, many more streets in San Francisco also must be designed to truly prioritize safety over driver convenience and speed. We all see, feel, and know this.
Eight people have been killed walking in 2024 already. So if you haven’t sent an email to city leaders yet, please do so right now. It’s crucial to show that a lot of us demand real change on our streets.
This is at the heart of why Walk SF exists – and why we continue to push for every possible solution.
Earlier this week, this meant heading to City Hall to ask the SFMTA Board of Directors to take key actions in tandem with speed cameras to #SlowOurStreets. Next week Walk SF will be at a hearing about police enforcement of dangerous driving behaviors.
I’m going to Sacramento on Tuesday to speak on behalf of Walk SF at a hearing for SB 961, Senator Scott Wiener’s bill to require speed assistance technology in all new vehicles. And Walk SF is leading the campaign to push San Francisco to act more boldly and accelerate progress in the next decade of Vision Zero.
That’s because so many solutions are needed to make our streets safe. And we need you with us every step of the way. If you care about safe streets and you aren’t a Walk SF member, please join today. Be sure you get our newsletter so you can sign up to join us at City Hall, or the State Capitol, or simply send an email or make a phone call at a crucial moment.
Banner image by Emily Huston
