SFPD Park Station Seeks Collaboration Towards Safer Streets

SFPD Park Station hears you and the crackdown focusing resources on some of the least dangerous travelers on our streets has been put “on hold.” Join our campaign to keep smart enforcement as a top priority at Park Station, and to hold police leaders accountable.

Concerns over safety, and calls for smart enforcement, headlined a community meeting with Capt. John Sanford last night. Well over 100 people joined us at Park Station to hear directly from Capt. Sanford and to request his re-commitment to the data-driven enforcement decisions that protect everyone who walks, bikes and drives.

Tens of thousands of people, including many of our members, made your voices heard before the meeting, signing petitions, writing letters to news editors, and emailing and calling Park Station. Everyone who uses San Francisco’s streets around Park Station is safer today, and you made that possible.

Capt. Sanford accommodated the crowd overflowing from the meeting hall by speaking from the doorway so that those inside and outside could hear him. Sanford also stayed late into the evening to listen and speak to attendees’ concerns. In addressing safety concerns about the recent crackdown, he offered attendees several commitments towards safer streets:

  1. Capt. Sanford promised to treat enforcement as a last resort, only after ramping up education and outreach, and working with community groups like neighborhood associations, Walk SF and the SF Bicycle Coalition. He also announced plans for a Community Advisory Bike Board where community members can address issues related to biking.
  2. Capt. Sanford requested that people act as his eyes and ears on the streets. If you see dangerous traffic violations around the Haight, Cole Valley, the Panhandle or the Inner Sunset, please email SFPDParkStation@sfgov.org and copy our community organizer janice@sfbike.org.
  3. Capt. Sanford told the community he will begin biking this week. If you see Capt. Sanford biking around Duboce Park and along Haight, please thank him for joining us on two wheels and share your support for smart enforcement.

Here’s over three hours of audio from the meeting, thanks to SF Bicycle Coalition member extraordinaire Volker.

Your SF Bicycle Coalition’s resolve for safer streets and everyone obeying the rules of the road is not diminished. We will continue educating people who bike and drive how to do so safely, building on the 5,000-plus people who attended our safety classes in 2014 alone. Through September, we already have two classes for learning to bike and negotiating traffic safely planned at Park Station. Check out our urban bicycling workshop calendar for details and free classes near you.

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and our members are committed to partnering with Capt. Sanford and all of SFPD in making San Francisco safer for everyone who walks, bikes or drives. And we remain committed to holding leaders accountable to their promises for delivering safer streets.

The Aug. 11 Park Station community meeting was packed inside, leaving around 100 smart enforcement advocates outside.

The Aug. 11 Park Station community meeting was packed inside, leaving around 100 smart enforcement advocates outside.

We could not end this dangerous crackdown and restore a collaborative relationship with Park Station without everyone who spoke out for smart enforcement. If you haven’t already, please join the campaign now to keep Park Station accountable and focused on the most dangerous traffic violations.


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