In June of this year, Moises Chavez was hit and killed while riding at the intersection of Alemany and Silver streets, a location with a long history of severe and fatal collisions.
Following this tragic death, we called for rapid implementation of safety improvements at this particular intersection and along the entire Alemany corridor. Thanks to a resounding call from our membership and quick action by Livable Streets team at the SF Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), we are now seeing near-term safety improvements installed at Alemany and Silver.
While these changes don’t make Alemany the welcoming, safe corridor we want to see, they are a step in the right direction. Painted safety zones for pedestrians and soft hit posts dedicate more space on the road to people walking and biking, increasing their visibility. We want to make sure that this the first of many safety improvements for this important bike route through the Excelsior. The neighborhood and surrounding area are currently underserved by the bicycle network. Alemany is one of the few north-south routes for bikes and, as such, is an important backbone to the bicycle network in southern San Francisco.
With an upcoming repaving project, there is an opportunity to replicate these improvements at all T-intersections along Alemany from Lawrence Avenue to Rousseau Street. A buffer, soft hit posts, greening and striping through the intersections added to the bike lane in the near term would also go a long way towards making Alemany more inviting for people riding.
Our members’ voices will be essential to getting these improvements into the ground. As funding becomes available to re-stripe the road, your voices will be needed to support this safety project. Add your name to our member petition to demand change and keep updated as this campaign progresses in the new year.