San Francisco, CA - The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) today announced the Safety Zone Program, a new initiative that transforms state-mandated and existing daylighting areas from simple no-parking zones into protected, multi-use spaces that improve intersection safety, support access to neighborhood destinations, and create opportunities for community-led beautification improvements.
Central to the program is Community Corners, approved by the SFMTA Board yesterday, which provides neighborhood organizations with a new tool to enhance their streets by adding murals and planters to painted safety zones that reflect the character, cultural significance, and creativity unique to the surrounding neighborhood.
The Safety Zone Program advances key priorities from the Board of Supervisors’ Street Safety Act and Mayor Lurie’s Street Safety Initiative, combining data-driven safety investments, cross-agency coordination, and community partnership as part of SFMTA’s broader commitment to a safer, more responsive transportation system.
"Traffic safety is public safety, and we are working every day to make our streets safer for everyone—whether you're walking, biking, driving, or taking transit,” said Mayor Daniel Lurie. “We believe that vibrant streets are safer streets. And by combining proven safety improvements with community-led beautification, we are creating safer intersections and public spaces that reflect the pride and character of our neighborhoods.”
"We know that daylighting is an effective strategy for improving safety around our city’s intersections, and the Safety Zone Program and Community Corners will go a long way in helping us make more intersections safer, faster,” said District 7 Supervisor Myrna Melgar. “This work is important to the goals of the Street Safety Act, and our collective commitment to ending severe and fatal traffic crashes by designing safer streets for all San Franciscans. I want to thank the SFMTA for their leadership on the development of the program, and I look forward to seeing the new plants and creative mural ideas that neighborhoods throughout San Francisco implement at their community corners."
“Daylighting is a vital, proven street safety tool that is mandated by the State,” said Julie Kirschbaum, SFMTA Director of Transportation. "Through the Community Corners program, we are amplifying these safety benefits while also allowing neighborhoods and local businesses to transform public spaces by designing beautiful elements that reflect their community’s unique character."
San Francisco has made significant progress implementing daylighting, including:
- Approximately 65 percent of state-mandated daylighting (red painted curbs 20 feet before a crosswalk) are already in place across the city
- SFMTA has completed more than 2,300 intersections near schools.
SFMTA's broader street safety strategy includes:
- Safety and transit reliability projects in SFMTA's current budget that will improve 62% percent of San Francisco's High Injury Network.
- Proactive safety investments to create approximately 50 new painted safety zones annually, adding to more than 500 existing protected spaces ready for community-led enhancements.
- Eight new safety and community benefit quick build projects to target high injury streets and address neighborhood priorities, including Mission Bay where safety upgrades will be ready for the new elementary school opening this August.
- A new Safe School Connections Plan to improve safe, affordable and active transportation choices for children and families.
- Ongoing investments in speed safety cameras have reduced the share of speeding vehicles by nearly 80 percent at camera locations.
- Expanding red light camera operations to six new locations this summer, combined with education and engineering efforts, have driven a 70 percent drop in red-light-running injury collisions since 1996.
- Completing 700 signal retiming projects to improve pedestrian safety at crosswalks citywide, including 470 on the new High Injury Network
“Daylighting has already made thousands of intersections across San Francisco safer. The Safety Zone Program is an innovative way to build on that success,” said Viktoriya Wise, SFMTA Director of Streets. “We are showing how a proven safety investment can be strengthened where data shows it’s needed most. And we are excited to work closely with communities to enhance our core safety work in ways that bring neighborhood streets to life.”
“Daylighting saves lives, but paint alone doesn't stop cars from blocking visibility at intersections. Community Corners gives neighbors the tools to actually protect these spaces while bringing more greenery and public art to their blocks,” said Robin Pam, Director, Safe Streets for All SF. “We're grateful to SFMTA for turning years of community advocacy into a program that makes our streets safer and more beautiful for everyone.”
“With a bit of greenery, Community Corners make our streets safer and more beautiful, giving neighbors the opportunity to add a little character to their block,” said Luke Spray, Executive Director, Civic Joy Fund. “We’re delighted to see these being introduced across the city!"
The SFMTA will prioritize proactive Safety Zone improvements at locations where safety data show the greatest need, including the High Injury Network, areas with a history of pedestrian collisions, and locations near schools and senior centers. Depending on the needs of a location, Safety Zones may include functional curb solutions such as bike parking, that both preserve the safety benefits of daylighting and make more efficient use of limited curb space, providing convenient access to local businesses, schools, and popular destinations.
Protected Spaces & Community Places -- How the Safety Zone Program Works
The Safety Zone Program brings together three coordinated components:
Citywide Daylighting (State Baseline): Red curb daylighting installed across the city under California's AB 413, establishing a consistent, legally required safety baseline at intersections.
Safety Zone Program (SFMTA-led, Proactive Protected Daylighting): Using a standard toolkit, SFMTA reinforces daylighting at locations on the High Injury Network, sites with a history of pedestrian collisions, and areas near schools and senior centers. The toolkit includes painted safety zones, turn safety treatments, bike corrals, and concrete elements where warranted. These treatments reinforce safety while enabling compatible uses, such as bike parking, that activate the space without compromising visibility.
Community Corners (Community-Led Placemaking): A 24-month pilot that gives registered community organizations a streamlined pathway to enhance painted safety zones with murals and planters. Organizations can upgrade to an existing daylit zone or propose a new eligible location. Applications require a $50 registration fee, maintenance agreement, and insurance for planters plus the cost for planters or murals, including installation.
“Our unwavering commitment is to ensure that all communities in San Francisco have access to a greener, healthier environment,” said Jorge Romero-Lozano, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Greening Projects. “Through the SFMTA's Community Corners program, we will continue to advance this mission by beautifying neighborhoods and creating resilient, inviting spaces throughout the city. We appreciate the efforts of the SFMTA and the City in launching community-focused initiatives like this and look forward to seeing every neighborhood continue to thrive.”
“San Francisco Beautiful is thrilled to support the launch of the SFMTA’s Community Corners program. San Francisco Beautiful champions civic beauty, neighborhood character, and quality of life by protecting and elevating what makes San Francisco unique,” said Robert Ogilvie, CEO of San Francisco Beautiful. “We work with residents, community organizations, and civic leaders to advance thoughtful urban design, expand public art, and facilitate community-led neighborhood improvements. We believe this initiative will enable community partners to lead the redesign of public spaces, ensuring they truly reflect their vision and strengthen their neighborhoods. We appreciate the SFMTA and the City for collaborating with our communities on innovative ideas like this.”
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About San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), is a department of the City and County of San Francisco, is responsible for the management of all ground transportation in the city. The SFMTA has oversight over the Municipal Railway (Muni) public transit, as well as bicycling, paratransit, parking, traffic, and taxis. Established by voter mandate in 1999, the SFMTA aggregated multiple San Francisco city agencies, including the Department of Parking and Traffic, Muni, and, since 2007, the Taxi Commission.