Pedestrian Safety

Never let bad people steal the joy of cycling

SFMTA director talks about civility, even as he stereotypes people on bikes and pours gasoline on anti-cyclist fervor

Pedestrian deaths are continuing to skyrocket as the pandemic drags on — and since 2019, analysts say the death rate for walkers has eclipsed the rate of population growth by a factor of at least nine. According to the latest fatality estimates from the Governor's Highway Safety Association, U.S. drivers killed 3,434 people on foot in the first six months of 2022, an increase of five percent over the same period the prior year — and a staggering 18 percent increase over the number of walkers who died in early 2019, the last year before the pandemic.  The group also pointed out that those numbers can't easily be explained by non-traffic-related factors, noting that since "2019, the last pre-pandemic year, pedestrian fatalities have surged 18 percent in just three years – nine times faster than U.S. population growth."

Walk San Francisco and Supervisor Dean Preston try again to get San Francisco lawmakers and bureaucrats to value life over parking

What are Slow Streets? Where are they? And in what cities are the implemented? Now the answers are available for cities and advocates of livable streets.

The motion goes next to the full city council, and after that approval, city departments would report back within 60 days with recommendations on how the city can eliminate spot widenings

Next Thursday, the Metro board should overrule staff's rejection, and fully fund Pasadena's safe crosswalks project.

Recent coordinated attacks on cyclists brings together multiple bike clubs and advocates for a show of unity and positivity in the East Bay

Here are a few Streetsblog news nuggets to start your President's Day weekend.