Pedestrian Infrastructure

A deadly stretch of Sixth Street received the city's first painted sidewalk extensions last week, created using low-cost, temporary materials to help make pedestrians more visible. The SFMTA implemented the pilot project between Market and Harrison Streets -- four blocks dense with residential hotels and shops -- to help curb injuries while the agency develops plans for a road diet.

It's not your imagination -- crosswalks around San Francisco are being upgraded more rapidly to the "continental" striping style, also known as "ladder" or "zebra-striped" crosswalks, to make people more visible to drivers when they're crossing the street.

The crowning achievement for Oakland's new planning and building director so far might be ensuring that cars are being driven through the Latham Square pilot plaza once again.

Update: A petition in support of wider sidewalks on Potrero has been created.

As if Geary and Masonic wasn't already hostile enough to pedestrians, here's an example of street dysfunction exacerbated by freight traffic at the newly-opened CityTarget. Winston Parsons happened upon a delivery truck driver setting up shop in a crosswalk and, he said, impeding buses on the 43-Masonic.

Most merchants on central Irving Street in the Sunset may have come around to the idea of turning 12 parking spaces into sidewalk extensions with greenery and stylized seating fixtures.

A new button-activated pedestrian beacon was installed on Sloat Boulevard and Forest View Drive this week as a part of a package of safety improvements, along with three bulb-outs and a more visible crosswalk. It's the spot where 17-year-old Hanren Chang was killed on her birthday in March by a drunk driver as she was crossing the street.

Along Marina Boulevard there's a bicycle and pedestrian path where visitors and residents can stroll along the bay without having to worry about cars -- until they get to the stretch between Scott and Baker Streets, where drivers are allowed to enter the path to access 51 parking spaces.

Plans to create calmer, greener streets on the Wiggle came into clearer focus Tuesday after the SFMTA presented more refined proposals for raised crosswalks and intersections, bulb-outs with greenery, traffic circles, traffic diverters, and other safety improvements.