PRESS RELEASE
FOR RELEASE: January 8, 2019
CONTACT: Cathy DeLuca, Policy & Program Director, Walk San Francisco, cathy@walksf.org, 415-610-8025 (cell), 415-431-9255 x3 (office)
Pedestrian Advocate Named President of San Francisco’s Board
For Norman Yee, Vision Zero is Personal
San Francisco, Calif. – Pedestrian safety advocates celebrated the news that Supervisor Norman Yee will be the next president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.
“For Supervisor Norman Yee, creating safe streets is deeply personal,” said Cathy DeLuca, Policy and Program Director at Walk San Francisco. Supervisor Yee nearly lost his life 12 years ago when he was hit by a car while crossing the street at 4th and Bryant. He also lost his grandfather to traffic violence.
“Supervisor Yee has consistently worked to make streets safer for all, especially children, seniors, and people with disabilities,” said DeLuca. “His work to get telematics devices installed in the City vehicle fleet to ensure safe driving has been a vital part of San Francisco’s Vision Zero work. Through his legislation limiting sidewalk delivery robots, Yee has also proven himself to be a strong defender of pedestrian space. He has been an incredible partner with Walk SF, and we are thrilled he can champion pedestrian safety and accessibility as the Board president.”
“We need to get to Vision Zero quickly,” Yee said after an emotional speech at World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims on November 18, 2018, surrounded by members of San Francisco Bay Area Families for Safe Streets. Yee has been a longtime supporter of Families for Safe Streets, a group of crash survivors and families whose loved ones have been severely injured or killed in crashes.
Vision Zero is the City’s goal to end all severe and fatal traffic crashes by 2024, and Walk SF believes City agencies must act more aggressively to fix the known deadliest streets, as well as reduce speeds citywide in order to save lives.
“Traffic fatalities went up in 2018 from 2017, and an estimated 500 people are severely injured in traffic crashes every year in our city,” said DeLuca. “Traffic safety on our streets is a public health crisis. Supervisor Yee already treats it as one.”
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Walk San Francisco (Walk SF) is the city’s pedestrian safety advocacy organization. Since our founding in 1998, Walk SF has been leading the way to make San Francisco a pedestrian-first city with safe and welcoming streets for all. Learn more at www.walksf.org.