Quick Build for Safer Taylor Street

The Safer Taylor Street Project is happy to announce a “quick build” to rapidly bring traffic safety improvements to protect vulnerable road users, including people walking, seniors, children, and people with disabilities, on one of the Tenderloin’s most important streets. This summer, the following improvements will be made in advance of the larger streetscape project and bring us closer to meeting the City’s Vision Zero commitment to eliminate all traffic related fatalities and severe injuries:

• Road Diet – The number of traffic lanes on Taylor Street between Market Street and Sutter Street will be reduced while accommodating existing traffic volumes and encouraging safer travel speeds. At every intersection, turn lanes will be added to further facilitate right or left turns.
• Wide Loading & Parking Buffers – Areas next to on-street loading and parking lanes will be painted with hatch marks. This buffer area will provide more ease and flexibility for drivers of accessible vans, commercial delivery trucks, and other vehicle types to access the loading and parking lane.
• Left Turn Signal – A left turn arrow will be installed at the intersection of Taylor Street and Ellis Street to separate pedestrians crossing the street from drivers turning left. People crossing Ellis Street on the west leg of the intersection will have their own exclusive time to cross while drivers will have a separate time to turn left from northbound Taylor Street onto westbound Ellis Street.
• Left Turn Restriction – No left turns will be allowed from northbound Taylor Street onto westbound Eddy Street. This will simplify the intersection and reduce the risk of crashes and injuries here.

The Safer Taylor Team has considered several “quick build” street configuration ideas (shown here) and is honing in on a design that will prioritize traffic safety, speed of installation, and street cleaning operations. SFMTA will install these changes beginning Summer 2019.

Meanwhile, the detailed design process led by our partners at Public Works is ongoing. Public Works engineers and designers are evaluating the feasibility of the approved sidewalk widening of Taylor Street, which would unlock opportunities for landscaping, lighting, and other livability enhancements. More on this to come!