We cannot let 2019 be a year of pedestrian tragedies
A Tragic Start to 2019
We are deeply saddened to share that Lucy Morales, who was hit while walking on Haight Street on New Year’s Day, succumbed to her injuries.
This is a tragic and troubling start to 2019.
As 2018 came to a close, the discouraging numbers came in: traffic fatalities in San Francisco rose in 2018 from 2017, with 23 people killed on our streets. Of the 23 people killed, 15 were pedestrians, with nearly half of these seniors.
Since the City adopted Vision Zero in 2014 and started making a more concerted, cross-agency effort with traffic safety, the rate of traffic fatalities had consistently gone down, from 31 in 2014 to 20 in 2017.
That’s why the recent uptick of traffic fatalities in 2018 should put everyone – elected officials, agency leaders, and everyone – on high alert. We cannot slide backwards in reaching Vision Zero.
The reality is that there are more cars on our streets every day, we know that unsafe speeds are an issue in every single neighborhood, and enforcement of the top five most dangerous driving behaviors is down.
We must stop these horrible trends in their tracks immediately. Fixing the deadliest streets, speed safety cameras, and comprehensive traffic calming is urgent. We will champion these solutions tirelessly this year.
When we lose people like Lucy Morales, it hurts our communities and it hurts our city. No one should be at risk of death just crossing the street. We are all pedestrians, and we all deserve to be safe.
