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Golden Gate Avenue Safety Project

Project Introduction

The Golden Gate Avenue Safety Project is an effort to increase safety for more vulnerable people on Golden Gate Avenue.

Golden Gate Avenue is a High Injury Corridor with some of the highest pedestrian and bicycle collision rates in San Francisco. On average, one person walking or biking is hit by a car every 38 days on the six-block stretch of Golden Gate Avenue between Van Ness Avenue and Market Street (48 in a five-year period.)

In support of San Francisco’s Vision Zero commitment to eliminate traffic fatalities by 2024, the SFMTA will be reconfiguring Golden Gate Avenue between Polk and Market streets to enhance safety for all road users.

 

Project Status
Completed
Bus Routes and Rail Lines
7X Noriega Express (Suspended)

Golden Gate Avenue is a busy pedestrian corridor that serves an important transportation function for San Francisco. The corridor is the designated street for the 7X Muni bus line and Golden Gate Transit Route 92 bus line.

The Golden Gate Avenue Safety Project puts forth a design for everyone. This concept was designed to enable safer access for road users of all modes, ages and abilities. Through community input and technical evaluation, the proposed design will include corridor-wide safety improvements from Polk to Market.

PROPOSED DESIGN

The proposed conceptual design includes the following improvements:

  • Reduction of travel lanes from 3 lanes to 2 lanes to help slow speeds
  • Eastbound buffered bike lane to provide a better connection between Polk Street and Market Street for people riding bikes
  • Travel lanes farther from the sidewalks and parking lanes, addressing collision patterns involving pedestrians crossing mid-block
  • Pedestrian safety features such as painted safety zones, crosswalk upgrades and traffic signal improvements

SAFETY NEEDS & VISION ZERO

Every year, 30 people are killed and 200 more are seriously injured while travelling on City streets. As a county, San Francisco ranks among the highest (worst) for traffic deaths and injuries in California. These deaths and injuries are unacceptable and preventable, and San Francisco is committed to eliminating them.

By adopting a policy called Vision Zero 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 in by 2024.

Pedestrian and bicyclist collision and injury data on Golden Gate Avenue point to a corridor in need of safety improvements for all those who share the road. Over a five year period, there were 48 pedestrian and bicycle collisions on the six block stretch of Golden Gate Avenue between Van Ness Avenue and Market Street. This project is in support of Vision Zero and will implement targeted, proven safety improvements on Golden Gate Avenue, one of the city’s streets that account for a disproportionate amount of traffic collisions. 

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

SFMTA staff have worked with key community stakeholders in developing a new design that employs best safety practices while addressing community needs.

Staff will be reaching out directly to stakeholders along the corridor in advance of public approvals. If you have additional questions about the project, please click the “Contacts” tab to reach out to the project manager.

TIMELINE

  • Community Outreach and Planning Phase: March 2015 – March 2016

  • Environmental Review: February 2015 – February 2016

  • Detailed Design: Winter 2015

  • Engineering Public Hearing: April 15, 2016

  • SFMTA Board of Directors Approval: May 2016

  • Construction (if approved by the SFMTA Board): Summer 2016

FUNDING

The project is funded by Proposition K Sales Tax Revenue and is estimated to cost approximately $180,000.