SPRING 2025 UPDATE
The SFMTA, together with Public Works and the Port of San Francisco, is moving ahead toward approval and final designs for the Central Embarcadero Safety Project. The project will improve roadway and promenade safety, make it easier for people to access multimodal transit options, and bring other roadway investments to Central Embarcadero, from Broadway to Brannan Streets.
After more than a year of focused community engagement to build consensus around key design features, the project is nearing the 65% design milestone and seeking final legislative approval this summer.
For more information, check the project's frequently asked questions and draft illustrated plans documents.
The Central Embarcadero Safety Project is the latest phase of the Embarcadero Enhancement Program. This program seeks to improve safety, mobility, connectivity, and accessibility for everyone using The Embarcadero, which is a key route for public transit, tourism, marine-oriented commercial district, and a public recreation area. The Embarcadero is also an important route into San Francisco’s major business and cultural sites such as the Financial District, Fisherman’s Wharf, and Chinatown.
The SFMTA, in partnership with the Port of San Francisco, has spent years working with stakeholder groups and the community to create a better, safer Embarcadero. In 2018, this process resulted in a concept design that includes a new two-way protected bikeway and safety improvements for people who walk. Since 2020, the SFMTA has completed several Quick-Build Projects to implement this design.
The SFMTA and Port are now focusing on the Central Embarcadero area, between Broadway and Brannan streets to enhance and extend these improvements. The SFMTA has received $8.32m in grants (including One Bay Area and Safe Routes to BART funding) to make these upgrades:
- Extend the protected bikeway, from Folsom south to Brannan Street, making it easier to connect the SOMA and Mission Rock neighborhoods
- Make walking more comfortable, easier, and more accessible along the Embarcadero promenade and at important crossings between the bikeway and the roadway.
- Improved safety and operations of the train rail network, especially at the Folsom entrance
- Add to the existing real-time wayfinding and messaging signs, with a new sign near Washington Street
The SFMTA is also considering removal of the current northbound U-turn lane at Clay Street to straighten and consolidate the existing four-leg crossing to work better with the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department’s Embarcadero Plaza and Sue Bierman Park Renovation Project.
Work along the Southern Embarcadero (south of Brannan Street) will be coordinated with future waterfront development projects. Northern Embarcadero (north of Broadway) will undergo additional public outreach and review in 2025/2026 as part of a smaller quick-build effort and longer-term planning study via the forthcoming Embarcadero Connectivity Plan.
VISION ZERO
The Embarcadero corridor (between Lombard and Townsend streets) is also on San Francisco’s Vision Zero High Injury Network (HIN), representing the 13% of city streets where 75% of the severe and fatal injuries occur. From Spring 2019 to Spring 2024, there were 113 reported severe injury or fatal collisions on the corridor (along with daily ‘near misses’ on the street and along the promenade).
By adopting a policy called Vision Zero in 2014, the City and County of San Francisco is committed to building better and safer streets, educating the public on traffic safety, enforcing traffic laws, and prioritizing resources to implement effective initiatives that save lives. Vision Zero aims to eliminate all traffic deaths in San Francisco by 2024. The SFMTA prioritizes efforts on the corridors with the highest number of severe and fatal collisions.
The Embarcadero Enhancement Program supports Vision Zero and implements targeted, proven safety improvements on the corridor.
PROJECT GOALS
As the Embarcadero continues to evolve to fit the needs of the surrounding areas, so do the City’s values regarding transportation and safety. Busy sidewalks and streets with multiple uses create conflicts, discomfort, and challenges in implementing the Vision Zero Strategy. With those values in mind, the Embarcadero Enhancement Program aims to:
- Safety: Build a safer Embarcadero for all users
- Connectivity: Improve connections between the Embarcadero, nearby neighborhoods, and the region
- Access: Elevate the Embarcadero’s role as a valued destination and workplace for locals, visitors, businesses, maritime and industrial uses
- Economic Recovery: Invest in critical infrastructure to support the renewal and recovery of our City while protecting public health
- Mobility: Providing physical protection and lengthening the bikeway will make it easier to commute and recreate along the waterfront.
PROJECT HISTORY
Stakeholder Engagement
From 2014 to 2018, the Embarcadero Enhancement project team held dozens of in-person meetings with key stakeholders including the Northeast Waterfront Advisory Group, Central Waterfront Advisory Group, Maritime Commerce Advisory Committee, Ballpark Mission Bay Transportation Committee, San Francisco Hotel Council, SF Travel, SF Tour Guide Guild, South Beach/Rincon/Mission Bay Neighborhood Association, District 3 SFMTA Working Group, Fisherman’s Wharf Community Benefit District, Fisherman’s Wharf Restaurant Association, as well as individual stakeholders such as the operators of the Ferry Building, Exploratorium, and many others.
During this time, the project team also hosted five public open meetings, including three design workshops where residents, merchants, travelers, and the general public were invited to share their vision of the waterfront, desires for reconfiguring the roadway, and values relating to transportation, open space, and land use. In 2016, over 500 people attended an open house and responded to a survey to help assess bikeway alignment alternatives and other trade-offs, resulting in a conceptual design for a two-way, waterside-protected bikeway adjacent to the promenade.
In October of 2018, approximately 200 people attended an open house showcasing the conceptual design for the project, with 140 people completing a survey to gauge stakeholder support and priorities for the project moving forward. An outreach summary is available.
Additional stakeholder meetings took place throughout 2019 as the project moved into the preliminary engineering and environmental review phase and further public engagement are ongoing as projects within the three segments of the Embarcadero corridor manifest.
Previous Efforts
Throughout the planning phase of the Embarcadero Enhancement Program, the SFMTA and Port of San Francisco partnered to address safety issues with near-term and operational upgrades wherever possible.
- 2016 - Roadway striping, signs, and parking changes were installed between Howard and 2nd streets, as well as a new bicycle signal at North Point Street. The city also updated crosswalks along much of the corridor with high-visibility striping and advanced stop lines for vehicles, including bicycles, to reduce conflicts at intersections. Improved safety messaging and signs along the shared-use promenade were also installed south of the Ferry Building.
- 2018 – The peak period tow-away restriction between Broadway and Mission Street was removed. This near-term safe improvement allows all-day parking and established a full-time, green-colored bike lane. Vehicle right-turn lanes were provided at Washington and Mission streets to support the continued movement of people and goods.
- Note: With the proposals included with the first phase of the EEP (Central Embarcadero), the southbound bike lane along The Embarcadero from Broadway to Mission will remain. However, two discontinuous segments of the protected bike lanes (north and south of Washington Street) will be converted into buffered bike lanes to accommodate new curbside loading near the Ferry Building.
- 2019 - Important safety fixes to the Sansome/Chestnut streets and Battery Street intersections of The Embarcadero were completed as part of the Sansome and Battery Connections Project. Additional crosswalk upgrades along The Embarcadero (new high-visibility striping, focused between Green and Bay streets) were initiated in 2019 and completed in 2020.
- 2020 - Construction on the Embarcadero 2020 Quick-Build Projects at Pier 35, Ferry Terminal, and in the Rincon Restaurant Zone was completed to expedite safety and mobility improvements. These projects were a critical first step toward achieving the project goals.
- 2022 - Completion of the Central Embarcadero Quick-Build Project, which constructed a two-way separated bikeway on the water side of the Embarcadero between Mission Street and Broadway.
