Initial Plans for South Van Ness Quick-Build Project

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) is initiating a quick-build traffic safety project on South Van Ness Avenue between 14th Street and Cesar Chavez. This project is part of the SFMTA’s Vision Zero Quick-Build effort, which stems from a Mayoral directive for faster safety improvements to prevent collisions and increase traffic safety. South Van Ness Avenue is on San Francisco’s High Injury Network, the 13% of city streets that account for over 75% of serious injuries and fatalities and has one of the worst KSI (killed or seriously injured) rates of any street on the High Injury Network the city.

The project is proposing the following improvements to enhance the safety of all road users:

• Traffic Lane Reduction from four lanes (two in each direction) to three lanes (one lane in each direction with a center two-way left turn lane dividing the travel lanes). This lane reduction, commonly referred to as a "road diet," will still have enough capacity for today's traffic levels, as well as for some traffic growth. 
• Center Two-Way Left Turn Lane to allow drivers to turn left at alleys or driveways without blocking a travel lane
• Left Turn Pockets at intersections to provide left turning drivers with a separate turn lane without blocking thru traffic
• Traffic Signal Timing Changes that aim to promote safer, steadier traffic flow through the corridor and reduce speeding
• Improved Curb Management to allow businesses & community organizations to better utilize curb space for loading without blocking a vehicle lane

For more information about the project or to receive project updates, please subscribe to the project mailing list.

For questions and comments, please feel free to contact SVNQuickBuild@sfmta.com.