Let’s get a safer Fulton Street across the finish line on July 17

Fulton Street, which runs along the northern edge of Golden Gate Park, has long been far too dangerous for people walking. According to data from SFMTA, someone is injured in a traffic crash almost weekly on average on the stretch of Fulton from Stanyan to La Playa. 

Thankfully, safety improvements are a big step closer to becoming a reality. The planning process for the Fulton Street Safety and Transit Project started last year thanks to Supervisor Fewer and builds on the Golden Gate Park Edges Study that showed difficult conditions for people of all ages and abilities walking to and from the park. Since then, Walk SF and members have been pushing hard for big changes at every step. 

After seeing the initial design, Walk SF and community members, including many seniors who frequently walk on Fulton, asked for more. A lot more in terms of pedestrian visibility and crossings. 

We’re excited to share that the final proposal includes much of what we asked for and is up for approval on Friday, July 17 at 10:00AM (details on how to voice your support are below). 

Better visibility at every intersection along Fulton. We asked for a consistent, corridor-wide approach to daylighting instead of adding it at only some intersections, and we’re thrilled to see this in the final proposal. Daylighting is a simple but powerful way to reduce crashes. Daylighting improves visibility for everyone – people walking, bicycling, and driving – by moving parking back to a minimum of 10 feet from a crosswalk. Without daylighting, a child often cannot see or be seen by approaching drivers because of the parked vehicles. 

Safer crossings for pedestrians. We asked for more painted safety zones, and the SFMTA doubled the number of painted safety zones along the corridor in the final proposal! This is fantastic. By extending the curb with paint and posts, painted safety zones will shorten the distance to cross across Fulton Street, plus slow turning vehicles.

Faster Muni 5 and 5R service. The final proposal includes transit bulbouts at key bus stops, which makes boarding easier, plus the bus doesn’t have to pull over and get stuck waiting to merge back into traffic.

Accessible, safer signals at crosswalks. These improvements were identified in other SFMTA plans for Accessible Pedestrian Signals and Pedestrian Countdown Signals. Accessible Pedestrian Signals mean safe crossings for those who are blind or low-vision, and are especially important and three-way intersections. And new Pedestrian Countdown Signals mean anyone crossing does so knowing how much time they have left to safely cross. 

But the SFMTA needs to hear from people who prioritize safety along Fulton when the project is considered for approval on Friday, July 17. We must be sure this project is passed with every possible improvement!

Here’s how you can speak up for safety on Fulton:

1.  Attend the SFMTA Engineering Public Hearing on Friday, July 17 at 10:00 AM and share public comment. Let us know if you are planning on attending! Sign up here, and we’ll guide you through the call-in process and share some talking points. 
2. Can’t make it? Send an email before Friday sharing your support for the project with the subject ‘Public Hearing’ to Sustainable.Streets@SFMTA.com and cc: Brian@walksf.org. Tell them who you are (e.g. a Richmond resident), why Fulton safety matters to you, and ask that the SFMTA City Traffic Engineer (Ricardo Olea) approves the proposed Fulton Street Safety and Transit Project improvements. 

We know there’s more work to do to make Fulton safe, especially when it comes to reducing speeds. But we also know that thanks to many advocates and neighbors who have spoken up, we’re that much closer to a safer Fulton Street. Your voice for safe streets makes all the difference.