PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 21, 2020
CONTACT: Jodie Medeiros, Executive Director, Walk SF, jodie@walksf.org, 415-596-1580 (cell); Marta Lindsey, Communications Director, Walk SF, marta@walksf.org, 617-833.7654 (cell)
Man hit when crossing at Bayshore Boulevard and Jerrold Avenue; fifth pedestrian death this year
San Francisco, Calif. – Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of the man who was hit and killed by the driver of a vehicle when crossing the street at Bayshore Boulevard and Jerrold Avenue on Sunday, July 19, 2020.
“Our hearts break for this life lost so senselessly to traffic violence,” said Jodie Medeiros, executive director of Walk San Francisco.
Walk San Francisco and members of the San Francisco Bay Area Families for Safe Streets stand ready to support the victim’s family and friends however possible.
Almost all of Jerrold Avenue and Bayshore Boulevard are designated “high-injury.” High-injury streets are the 13% of streets where 75% of traffic crashes happen in San Francisco. The City has pedestrian safety improvements planned for the exact intersection where the man was hit and killed, as part of the Cesar Chavez/Potrero Ave/Bayshore Blvd Intersection Improvements (The Hairball).
“We don’t need anyone else to die to show how urgently the most dangerous streets must be fixed,” said Medeiros. “This crash makes that all too clear.”
“People who live, work, and walk near highways face serious safety and health risks,” said Medeiros. “The City must do everything possible to protect them. And a lot can be done quickly to prevent crashes using simple paint and posts.”
On June 18, 2020, Sergio Montes was hit and killed crossing the street at Dwight Street and San Bruno Avenue, also near Highway 101. In 2017, another pedestrian died on Jerrold Avenue after being the victim of a hit-and-run: Gus Vardakastanis, 56, of Gus’ Markets.
Walk San Francisco has been calling on SFMTA to take a series of actions to make streets safer, especially with traffic in the city rising. This includes increasing the number of red light cameras, daylighting the entire high-injury network, and dramatically expanding the left turn calming pilot project. You can read Walk SF’s letter to SFMTA Director Jeffrey Tumlin.
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Walk San Francisco (‘Walk SF’) advocates for safe streets for everyone who walks, which is everyone. Since our founding in 1998, Walk SF has been leading the way to make San Francisco a pedestrian-first city where people of every age and ability can walk safely. Learn more at walksf.org.
San Francisco Bay Area Families for Safe Streets is made up of survivors and families whose loved ones have been killed or injured in traffic crashes. Learn more at walksf.org/familiesforsafestreets.