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San Francisco Police Issuing More Traffic Citations To Curb Pedestrian Deaths

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) — The number of traffic citations issued by police in San Francisco has risen through the first three months of 2014 due to an enforcement effort to stem the surge of pedestrian fatalities in the city, a police captain said at community meeting on Wednesday.

There have been seven pedestrian killed on the city's streets this year, including one near City Hall last Sunday evening. San Francisco police are attempting to reverse that trend by writing more tickets.

San Francisco Police Issuing More Traffic Citations To Increase Pedestrian Safety

Police Capt. Tim Falvey, of Ingleside Station, spoke at the Muslim Community Center in the Excelsior District for a town hall meeting about pedestrian safety, said traffic citations are up more than 30 percent compared with 2013 in his district.

"I think, city wide, citations are up closer to 70 percent. It's really been a focus and I think the officers are have responded very well. They're taking it very well; they are taking action," he said.

But San Francisco Supervisor John Avalos said increased enforcement is only part of the solution.

"The real thing is: are we going to be able to make our streets safer by engineering? That' something the city has lagged on and be able to have the integration of departments to work together," he said.

Mayor Ed Lee has proposed spending $17 million to boost safety at 170 intersections.

Wednesday night's meeting was headed by the Excelsior Action Group, a community group that has called for increased safety measures for residents walking in the neighborhood.

EAG is working with Walk San Francisco, a pedestrian advocacy group, to help implement the city's "Vision Zero" program, which has the goal of eliminating all of the city's traffic deaths by 2024.

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