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Daylighting

SFMTA.com/Daylighting

What is it? 

Daylighting is an easy-to-implement safety treatment that is a key component of intersections across the city. By converting the parking spaces immediately before a crosswalk into red zones a minimum of 10 feet long, daylighting increases the visibility of pedestrians crossing the street.  

How does it work?    

 

Daylighting increases the visual field of both pedestrians crossing the street, and drivers pulling up to an intersection. The diagram above shows how much easier the extra space makes it to see the curbs and the entire crosswalk. For pedestrians, daylighting means that they don’t have to venture into the intersection and peek around parked cars to see if they have a clear path to cross. This is especially important for children, who are less visible at intersections. At the same time, drivers get a clearer view of the intersection and can easily see if someone is waiting to cross from well in advance.  

SFMTA’s Commitment to Daylighting 

SFMTA is committed to daylighting the entire High Injury Network—the 13% of city streets that account for 75% of severe and fatal traffic crashes, with Proposition K funding approved by the San Francisco County Transportation Authority Board. This effort is part of our overall Vision Zero commitment to eliminate traffic fatalities and reduce severe injuries on our city streets. In May 2019, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution urging the SFMTA to create a daylighting plan and to systemically implement daylighting on the High Injury Network. 

Where to Find Daylighting in San Francisco 

  • The Tenderloin: 80 intersections in the Tenderloin--where every street is on the High Injury Network--were daylighted in early 2015. 14% fewer collisions were reported at intersections with daylighting.  
  • Folsom Street Near-Term Improvements: After daylighting was implemented between 11th Street and Falmouth Street in SoMa, 54% of pedestrians reported feeling safer navigating the street. 
  • 7th & 8th Streets Safety Project: After daylighting was implemented alongside a suite of comprehensive traffic safety treatments on the 7th Street and 8th Street corridors in 2017, 48% of people walking there reported feeling more comfortable.