San Franciscans Call for Vision Zero: Reducing Traffic Deaths to Zero in 10 Years

A diverse coalition of community groups is calling on City leaders to commit to a Vision Zero policy of eliminating traffic deaths in San Francisco in the next 10 years. City leaders, in Chicago and New York, including Mayors and Police Chiefs, have already adopted this crucial Vision Zero policy, and have made concrete plans to reduce the number of fatalities and serious injuries on the streets.

Last year saw a near-record number of fatalities of people biking and walking. In 2013, 21 pedestrians and four bicyclists were hit and killed by drivers. This is the highest number since 2007. Just since New Year’s Eve, three people — including a 6-year-old child and an 86-year-old man — were killed while walking.

Despite calls for critical safety improvements to the streets and more data driven enforcement of traffic crime and widespread education, the Mayor, Police Chief, District Attorney and SFMTA Director have made only small commitments to street safety and have not committed to any larger vision toward keeping our residents safe on increasingly chaotic streets.

The coalition of concerned community groups — led by Walk San Francisco and the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition — call on Mayor Ed Lee, Police Chief Greg Suhr, District Attorney George Gascon and SFMTA Director Ed Reiskin to commit to a goal of Vision Zero, and to enact the following:

  1. Fix the known dangerous locations where people are being injured on our streets — the majority of which are in the South of Market and Tenderloin neighborhoods — by empowering a Strategic Street Action Team to deliver on-the-ground improvements quickly;
  2. Ensure full and fair enforcement of traffic laws, with a focus on the most problematic dangerous behaviors and locations;
  3. Invest in training and education programs for all road users, with a focus on frequent drivers, who spend the most hours on the road and are involved in a disproportionate number of fatalities and serious collisions.

TAKE ACTION:

Speak up at the joint meeting of the Police Commission and Board of Supervisors on Thursday, January 16 (5PM, City Hall Room 250) and speak up for fair and equal enforcement and ask the Police to commit to Vision Zero. RSVP at sfbike.org/enforcement.

Speak up at the SFMTA Board Meeting on Tuesday, January 21 (1PM, City Hall). Let the SFMTA Board know that you support Vision Zero and call on the SFMTA to fix the known dangerous locations — before anyone else is hurt. Email SF Bicycle Coalition Community Organizer, Janice Li, at janice@sfbike.org

San Francisco organizations and groups who support Vision Zero: CA Walks, CC Puede, Central City SRO Collaborative, Chinatown Community Development Center, Chinatown TRIP, Community Housing Partnership, Excelsior Action Group, Folks for Polk, Friends of Monterey Blvd., Livable City, Mission Community Market, Mission Economic Development Association, North of Panhandle Neighborhood Association, Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee, San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, SF Housing Action Coalition, SF Bay Walks, San Francisco Unified School District, Tenderloin Neighborhood Development, Walk SF, Yerba Buena Alliance

Become a member and you'll improve your commute and get discounts at shops across the city.