Lake Merced Quick-Build Project

1. Install traffic calming improvements to reduce collisions and improve comfort for all travelers along Lake Merced Boulevard

2. Implement safe pedestrian and bicycle connections to or along Lake Merced Boulevard

The area north and east of Lake Merced Park on Lake Merced Boulevard between Font and Sunset boulevards was part of San Francisco's Vision Zero High Injury Network (HIN), where 75% of the City's traffic injuries and fatalities occur on just 13% of San Francisco streets. 

Project Scope:

• Reallocated parking and traffic lanes (only on some segments) to provide the opportunity to install upgraded pedestrian, bicycle, and transit infrastructure. 
• Narrowed travel lane widths to increase driver awareness and lower motor vehicle speeds. 
• Upgraded crossings by:
  • Refreshed road paint to improve crosswalk visibility
  • Installed advance limit lines to create buffer between crosswalk and vehicles at stop lights
  • Upgraded transverse crosswalks (crosswalks outlined by only two parallel lines) to continental ("striped") crosswalks
  • Constructed raised crosswalks or speed cushions at slip lanes, where feasible, to slow right-fast turning vehicles
• Installed on-street bikeways separated from traffic lanes using raised concrete islands to provide extra protection, and comfort for cyclists on the road, particularly on roads like Lake Merced Blvd, which has speed limits greater than 25 miles per hour.
• Implemented Neighborways to serve as an alternative to constrained streets with high speeds and heavy vehicle traffic. Street design measures included speed humps and wayfinding pavement markings to make residential streets friendlier for walking and biking. Neighborways were proposed where a traffic-separated bikeway is not feasible along Lake Merced Blvd.
• Implemented transit boarding islands and stop optimization. Transit boarding islands are dedicated passenger waiting areas that are separated from the sidewalk by a bikeway. Upgraded flag stops to transit boarding islands along Lake Merced Blvd. streamlines transit service by enabling in-lane stops and eliminating bike-bus conflicts.

Trade-offs included:

• Travel lane removal in some segments, but only in areas with extra vehicle capacity, and right/left turn lanes were maintained.
• Parking removal throughout the corridor, areas parked with oversized vehicles will be phased out in correlation with the selection of a Safe Sleeping Site in coordination with District 7.