Speak out for lower speed limits on Friday, August 2 at 10AM at online hearing

Speed limits are one of the most visible cues on how fast a driver should go. While we know drivers don’t always heed these, appropriate speed limits are a crucial starting point. Research shows they are particularly effective in bringing down the most dangerous, outlier speeds.

The SFMTA is proposing lowering speed limits on Fulton and several other streets – and we need to share our support for making this happen at an SFMTA engineering hearing this Friday, August 2 at 10:00AM.

Let us know if you can join us in showing the support for the City doing everything possible to #SlowOurStreets. We’ll share talking points via email.

Here’s the agenda with login and public comment info; note that engineering hearings are listening sessions so there will not be a vote at this hearing, but it’s an important opportunity to show SFMTA that people support slower speeds ASAP!

Where lower speed limits are being proposed

At Friday’s hearing, the following streets are being proposed for lowered speed limits:

• From 35 MPH to 30 MPH
  • Alemany Boulevard, between Junipero Serra Boulevard and Mission Street Overpass
  • Bayshore Boulevard, between Hester Avenue and City and County of San Francisco County Line
  • Geneva Avenue, between Moscow Street and City and County of San Francisco County Line
  • Sloat Boulevard, between 39th Avenue and Great Highway
• From 30 MPH to 25 MPH
  • Fulton Street, between Park Presidio Boulevard and Great Highway
  • Fulton Street, between Arguello Boulevard and Park Presidio Boulevard
  • San Jose Avenue, between Guerrero Street and Randall Street
• From 25 MPH to 20 MPH
  • Mission Street, between 3rd Street and 12th Street

We also want to share and thank SFMTA for the work they’ve already been doing to lower speed limits. The passage of Assembly Bill 43 in 2021 means that San Francisco has greater authority to do this on certain kinds of streets. SFMTA has since lowered speed limits on 46 miles of commercial streets, and as of July 1 can move forward in reducing speeds by 5 MPHon high-injury streets, too. See where the SFMTA has already lowered speed limits.

Walk SF is eager for San Francisco to use this authority to the max on all eligible streets so that 20 and 25 MPH limits are the norm everywhere, with drivers consistently seeing this and slowing their roll.

Our #SlowOurStreets campaign

With speeding the #1 cause of severe and fatal traffic crashes in San Francisco, Walk SF is pushing for every possible solution to #SlowOurStreets.

That’s why we launched the #SlowOurStreets campaign in 2020 with the support of our members.

As part of the campaign, we fought to pass AB 43 in 2021, which allows lowering speed limits on certain types of streets (commercial and high-injury) – and is how the streets listed above are able to be changed!

Our work to get speed cameras is part of our Slow Our Streets campaign, as is our current campaign to pass SB 961, which would require all California vehicles to give an audio and visual warning to drivers when they go more than 10 MPH over the speed limit.

Questions about Friday’s hearing? Contact Fiona at fiona@walksf.org