SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS)— It may seem staggering, but last year in San Francisco 876 pedestrians were struck and injured by vehicles on city streets.
On Wednesday, Mayor Ed Lee talked about a plan to dramatically reduce those numbers. Lee stood in Union Square, where the city has implemented safe pedestrian crossings and sidewalks, and claimed San Francisco is one of the most walkable cities in the country. So far this year there have been 18 fatalities, two more than the year before.
The city plans to target the 50 most dangerous intersections, retrofit crosswalks, install yield signs and improve sight lines. Lee said they’ll also launch a citywide education program and have police issue more citations.
Lee said in some neighborhoods that the pedestrian-accident rate is so high that people literally fear walking on the streets. He joined the head of the Municipal Transportation Agency and the city’s police department to detail their comprehensive plan of action.
Lee said 50 percent of the city’s pedestrian accidents happened in five percent of the streets including major corridors like 19th Avenue, Market Street, Van Ness Avenue as well as Geary Boulevard.
