North Beach Meeting on Sidewalk Bulbs Gets Tense; SFMTA to Paint Demos
A public meeting in North Beach became tense yesterday as residents and firefighters opposed to basic street safety measures continued to assert that sidewalk bulb-outs are dangerous. To appease skeptics, the SFMTA announced that the bulb-outs planned at four intersections on Columbus Avenue will be tested first by installing painted "safety zones" in August. Construction of concrete versions will begin next year.
July 1, 2015
Lyft and Uber Won’t Release Data to Shed Light on How They Affect Traffic
As ride-hail services like Lyft and Uber have boomed in San Francisco and other cities, proponents claim they help reduce demand for parking and road space by making it easier for people to own fewer cars. But very little data has been released by the ride-hail companies that would allow experts to assess their impact on streets and traffic.
June 30, 2015
America Could Have Been Building Protected Bike Lanes for the Last 40 Years
Salt Lake City is on track to implement the nation’s first "protected intersection" -- a Dutch-inspired design to minimize conflicts between cyclists and drivers at crossings. For American cities, this treatment feels like the cutting edge, but a look back at the history of bike planning in the United States reveals that even here, this idea is far from new. In fact, the protected intersection concept appeared in every foundational document for bike planning in the early 1970s. But no American city ever installed one until now -- here's why.
June 30, 2015
SF Firefighters Take Campaign Against Safe Street Design to North Beach
At a community meeting about bulb-outs in North Beach tomorrow evening, some residents and firefighters are expected to speak against the curb extensions on the grounds that they make streets more dangerous.
June 29, 2015
Safer Path Could Help Untangle the “Alemany Maze” Highway Interchange
The "Alemany Maze," the deadly Highway 101 and 280 interchange in the southeast city, could get a safer crossing for walking and biking. Funding to study a walking path and bike lanes through the junction was approved this week by the SF County Transportation Authority Board of Directors, comprised of the Board of Supervisors.
June 26, 2015
SFMTA Plans to Install Painted “Safety Zones” at 40 Intersections This Year
The SFMTA has ramped up its roll-out of painted curb extensions, which the agency calls "safety zones," at some of the city's most dangerous corners. Twenty-one have been installed at at least 11 intersections, and the tally should reach 40 intersections by the end of the year, said SFMTA spokesperson Ben Jose.
June 25, 2015