Lawmaker, Walk S.F., Renew Support for Vision Zero
3:46 PM PST on February 24, 2023
February 2020’s outreach meeting on Valencia, refining the protected bike lanes and intersections from 19th to Cesar Chavez. SFMTA would later throw out these approved plans, bowing to parking interests and ignoring years of outreach and best international practices. Photo: Streetsblog/Rudick
This lead to the death of Wan Mei Tan last month, who was killed at one of those intersections that would have been made much safer had SFMTA fulfilled its promises.
That’s why Supervisor Dean Preston will introduce a resolution at the Board of Supervisors to get all city agencies refocused on Vision Zero. Walk San Francisco is urging people who care about safe streets to email their Supervisors to get them to support the resolution. From Walk San Francisco’s statement:
On Tuesday, February 28, Supervisor Preston will introduce a resolution at the Board of Supervisors to get to the bottom of this question – and get all city agencies refocused on Vision Zero in key ways. Let’s get this resolution unanimously supported!
A look at what SFMTA now calls a “protected” bike lane–infrastructure that is best suited to preventing damage to cars, not saving lives. Photo: Streetsblog/RudickA look at what SFMTA now calls a "protected" bike lane--infrastructure that is best suited to preventing damage to cars, not saving lives. Photo: Streetsblog/Rudick
Streetsblog has to disagree with Walk San Francisco and Supervisor Preston on one point however. There’s no question to get to the bottom of: we know exactly why Vision Zero is failing. It’s because Mayor Breed, Supervisor Hillary Ronen, and others in the city hierarchy have made a conscious decision that parking and car throughput have some importance when measured against the literal lives and limbs of their constituents.
Streetsblog recommends that in your emails you tell these politicians you will dedicate yourself to making sure they have no political future if they don’t start valuing human life over parking. Maybe that’s something they’ll understand.