Transportation will be essential to the recovery of San Francisco. On December 9, we gathered online to talk about how we have had to reimagine our streets this year out of necessity.
This year has proven that San Francisco can take quick action to encourage more people to bike and walk. The expansion of Slow Streets and car-free spaces has been truly transformative. These spaces are well-used and well-loved by people needing to travel and exercise in a safe manner.
But bike lanes and Slow Streets mean nothing without people riding on them. Through our Bike Match and Bike It Forward programs, we’ve given away over 150 bikes to essential workers and people needing a way to get around during the pandemic. We’ve also expanded our bicycle education program, which has seen a nearly 300% increase in attendance.
In 2021, we have a new project in the works. We are researching and piloting community-based alternatives to police issuing vehicle traffic citations for things like speeding or running red lights. Across our country, we have seen countless incidents of Black and brown people being harmed or even killed by police while issuing traffic citations. Although the total number of vehicle traffic citations is down from its peak in 2014, we are no closer to achieving Vision Zero, the goal of having zero traffic deaths and serious injuries in San Francisco by 2024. We are working with residents and community-based organizations in the Tenderloin to find better ways to enforce harmful vehicle infractions while prioritizing the safety of our most marginalized populations.
Watch the recording here:
We want to win big projects in 2021 to transform San Francisco into a better place to bike and live — but we need your support to get there. If you have the ability to give, every dollar counts. Make a donation today.