SFMTA Awarded Federal Grant for Safe Streets

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By
Erica Kato
Thursday, December 14, 2023

An intersection in San Francisco with crosswalks, surrounding tall buildings and trees as people walk towads the intersection.Street safety improvements are coming to San Francisco's Tenderloin with the help of a federal grant. 

We are thrilled to announce we are the recipient of an $8 million grant from the US Department of Transportation (US DOT) Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program. The funds will be used for street improvements that are part of the Tenderloin Traffic Safety improvements Project. We are thankful to Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Mayor London Breed and Supervisor Dean Preston for their strong advocacy and letters of support in our application.  

The Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program was established by President Biden’s historic infrastructure law, and provides $5 billion over five years for regional, local and Tribal initiatives — from redesigned roads to better sidewalks and crosswalks — to prevent deaths and serious injuries on the nation’s roadways.    

Larkin Street traffic signal modifications and left-turn phasing - $7M  

  • Traffic signal upgrades and left-turn phasing, including larger 12-inch signal heads and mast arms to enhance signal visibility and pedestrian signal improvements, like Pedestrian Countdown Signals, Accessible Pedestrian Signals, upgraded curb ramps and streetlighting.  

  • Up to 11 intersections with traffic signal modifications and left-turn phasing:  

  1. Larkin/Pine  

  2. Larkin/Bush  

  3. Larkin/Geary  

  4. Larkin/O’Farrell  

  5. Larkin/Ellis  

  6. Larkin/Eddy  

  7. Larkin/Turk  

  8. Larkin/Golden Gate  

  9. Larkin/McAllister  

  10. Polk/Golden Gate  

  11. Polk/McAllister    

The San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA) has programmed $1.4 million to match $5.6 million from the Federal grant (totaling $7 million) for construction costs from the Proposition L half-cent sales tax for transportation. In November 2022, San Francisco voters approved Proposition L, the Sales Tax for Transportation Projects measure that will direct $2.6 billion (2020 dollars) in half-cent sales tax funds over 30 years. Prop L came into effect on April 1, 2023, superseding the previous half-cent sales tax, Proposition K.

Golden Gate Greenway - $1.05M  

  • This is a community-initiated project that was started by St Anthony Foundation and the 100 Golden Gate Greenway Coalition to reduce the 100 block of Golden Gate Avenue from two to one-lane of vehicle traffic, reconfigure the overhead trolley wires and to activate Shared Spaces on both sides of the roadway for community activities. Find more information at the Golden Gate Greenway project website.

  • During the COVID pandemic, St. Anthony’s closed the block daily to provide essential community services (i.e., food pantry, COVID testing), and this inspired them to think bigger about how this block can better serve the community permanently, thus the Golden Gate Greenway project.  

  • The SFCTA has programmed $350,000 for design and construction to match the Federal grant from the Prop L half-cent sales tax dollars for transportation.

   Bikeway Protected Corners - $950K  

  • The project proposes bikeway protected corners at 6 intersections in the Tenderloin that are on the High Injury Network. Turk Street, Golden Gate Avenue and Polk Street are the main bikeways through the Tenderloin neighborhood.  

    • These bikeways will see newly constructed protected corners using concrete curbs and/or speed humps to slow turning traffic and create a safer, separated crossing for people on bikes. The protected corner physically separates people walking/biking and driving, and angles drivers so that it is easier for them to see and yield to people walking and biking.  

  • The SFCTA has programmed $190,000 for construction to match the Federal grant from the Proposition L half-cent sales tax dollars for transportation.

CBO-led communication and outreach - $1M  

  • Work with community partners to advance some of the Tenderloin Community Alternatives to Police for Traffic Enforcement (TLCAP) recommendations to traditional traffic enforcement work, including multi-lingual education campaigns and outreach around speeding and sidewalk safety campaign to high-risk populations.  

  • Work with community partners to deepen outreach to vulnerable road users such as seniors, people with disabilities and monolingual populations to raise awareness of proposed street design/engineering work.  

  • Fund education and communications’ consultant to design and develop all education materials, and purchase and coordinate any campaign media buys, translations and printing to reach large members of the public to increase awareness, build support and promote a culture that prioritizes traffic safety.  

For more information, please visit the Tenderloin Traffic Safety Improvements Project webpage (SFMTA.com/TenderloinSafety).