Eyes on the Street: A New Crosswalk at Market, Golden Gate and Taylor

The new crosswalk surface at Market, Golden Gate and Taylor. Flickr photo: geekstinkbreath

Hot on the heels of a mystery stenciler who couldn’t wait for bike lane improvements, the Department of Public Works has done some stenciling of its own at one of the city’s most hazardous intersections for pedestrians. On Thursday, crews worked to paint in brick-like patterns on two of the intersection’s three crosswalks, increasing their visibility while also making them a bit more attractive.

Most of the three-way intersections on the north side of Market Street downtown are scary places for walkers: drivers are often confused or aggressive and lights are poorly timed. According to the MTA’s 2007 traffic report, with eight injury collisions in 2007, this intersection is one of the worst in the city. Even more concerning, the intersection has seen a sharp increase in collisions since the beginning of the decade.

DPW Spokesperson Christine Falvey said this is part of a pilot project that also includes the intersections of Taylor and Eddy and Turk and Golden Gate. The treatment uses an inlaid thermoplastic, is “quick and easy to install” compared to brick or pavement stamping, and is “typically used in high traffic areas to delinate area for pedestrians to improve safety,” said Falvey.

“We will evaluate to see if it is effective in improving pedestrian safety and to note any maintenance issues,” Falvey said.

A similar crosswalk treatment was done in Noe Valley last year, at the urging of the Noe Valley Association. Would pedestrians be safer if all crosswalks were this well marked?

Frank Chan of the SFBC shot these great construction photos from the SFBC’s 15th floor offices. See the completed crosswalks and a close-up after the jump.

Flickr photo: geekstinkbreath

Flickr photo: geekstinkbreath

Flickr photo: geekstinkbreath