Janel Sterbentz

As Streetsblog San Francisco reported last month, cities around the world have timed their traffic signals to favor slower moving modes, and now San Francisco has started a trial on one of the busiest bicycle routes in the city, Valencia Street.

Editor's note: This is the latest installment in our series of occasional stories on how to improve the streets for pedestrians in San Francisco.

Have you, or someone you know, been injured by a car while walking in SF or the Bay Area? Tell your story in a Streetfilm. We want to make pedestrian injury statistics come alive with actual experiences. Here is your chance to help make San Francisco safer for pedestrians.

Editor's note: This is the first in a series of stories that will focus on how to improve streets for pedestrians.

The plan proposes reducing carbon dioxide emissions to 40 percent below 1990 levels, and relieving freeway congestion by 20 percent below 2006 levels. It outlines a carbon or vehicle-miles traveled (VMT) tax, parking surcharges, congestion tolls, encouraging new residential projects to be built close to jobs, transit, shopping and services; and various bicycle, pedestrian and transit projects.

Valencia Street is one of the most heavily biked corridors in San Francisco but its current traffic signals are timed at an auto-only capable speed of 25 mph, leaving bike riders stymied at intersections, or gasping for breath after a mad 15-block sprint. Unfortunately, most riders choose the third option of running red lights, putting not only themselves at risk of being hit, but also endangering pedestrians crossing the street.