Skip to main content

Slow Streets Program to Help With Social Distancing

Slow Streets Program to Help With Social Distancing
By

With Muni service temporarily reduced during the COVID-19 health crisis, many San Francisco residents need to walk and take other modes of transportation to make essential trips. However, sometimes it is difficult to maintain 6’ of social distance on many sidewalks, park paths, and bikeways. This can be especially true when passing lines outside grocery stores and other essential services. Because of this, many pedestrians are choosing to walk in the street, exposing themselves to swiftly moving vehicle traffic. The SFMTA is implementing a new program, Slow Streets, to close some streets to through traffic and allow roadways to be used more as a shared space for foot and bicycle traffic.

Throughout the city, corridors have been identified for Phase 1 Slow Streets. Beginning this week, some of these streets will be closed to through vehicle traffic to prioritize walking/biking and to provide more space for social distancing during essential travel by those modes.

What will Slow Streets look like?

Streets will not be closed completely, and local vehicle access is permitted. There will be no changes to parking or driveway access for residents. Slow Streets will not create any legal change in the right of way. People walking/running in the street will not have the right-of-way over motor vehicles but will be allowed to be in the street (as the Calif. Vehicle Code currently permits). The goal is to take advantage of low vehicle numbers on certain travel corridors and allow people to maximize our resources while maintaining social distancing. Slow Streets will be in effect 24/7, given the limited staff resources to deploy/re-deploy equipment daily.

The purpose of Slow Streets is to manage traffic speeds and create a safe network for essential walk and bike travel while transit service levels are reduced. Our agency is committed to giving San Franciscans the necessary space to practice social distancing as they leave their homes for critical needs.

map showing slow street possible streets

Slow Streets candidates

  • Good candidates for a first phase of Slow Streets are shown on the map and in Table 1. These are lower-traffic residential streets that connect neighbors to essential services in the absence of Muni service. They have been vetted for feasibility and exclude Muni routes and major emergency traffic corridors.
  • For most Slow Streets, rollout will be incremental and iterative - approximately 8 blocks at a time - and may not initially cover the entire length shown on the map. Careful monitoring will be provided to ensure the transportation benefits of Slow Streets are not undermined by crowding and congregation.
Street From To Muni Routes
17th Street Noe Valencia 22 Fillmore, 33 Stanyan
20th Avenue Lincoln Ortega 28 - 19th Ave
22nd Street Valencia Chattanooga 48 Quintara
41st Avenue Lincoln Vicente 18 - 46th Ave
Ellis Polk Leavenworth 27 Bryant, 38 Geary
Holloway J Serra Harold K Ingleside, 29 Sunset
Kirkham Great Highway 7th Avenue N Judah
Phelps Oakdale Evans 23 Monterey, 44 O'Shaughnessy
Ortega Great Highway 14th Avenue 7 Haight
Page Stanyan Octavia 7 Haight
Quesada Lane Fitch 23 Monterey, 44 O'Shaughnessy
Scott Eddy Page 24 Divisadero

When will these streets be closed?

Beginning this week, we hope to install 2-3 Slow Streets corridors per week. The first round of Slow Streets implementation will consist of signage and traffic cones. We will continue to monitor the use of Slow Streets to minimize impacts on surrounding streets. 

How were the Slow Streets corridors chosen?

The streets were chosen to supplement reduced or suspended Muni routes, while providing bicycle and pedestrian access to essential services. Many of these streets run parallel to other major streets and transit routes. The Slow Streets are intended to provide a network of streets that prioritize walking and biking for essential trips.

Slow Streets are one part of the city’s efforts to reduce sidewalk crowding. Other efforts include removing vehicle parking outside grocery stores and restaurants to create extra pedestrian queueing space and widening sidewalks by removing vehicle parking on select high-pedestrian-traffic corridors. Please visit sfmta.com/COVID19 for the latest agency updates.



Published April 21, 2020 at 09:10PM
https://ift.tt/3bt1lce
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

150 Years Ago Today – The Cable Car is Born

150 Years Ago Today – The Cable Car is Born By Kelley Trahan August 2, 2023, marks the 150th anniversary of the world’s first successful cable railway, born right here in San Francisco. To celebrate the occasion, we bring you the story of Andrew Hallidie and the very first cable car company, the Clay Street Hill Railroad.  Andrew Hallidie (1834-1900) was a pioneering inventor and entrepreneur who changed urban transportation. In 1852, at the age of 18, Hallidie emigrated with his father from the United Kingdom to San Francisco during the California Gold Rush. His father, an engineer and inventor, had a wire rope patent that played a crucial role in his son's future success.   Portrait of Andrew Smith Hallidie in 1890. Inspired by his father's wire rope business, Hallidie developed a steel cable mineral mine hauling system in 1857. About a decade later, he designed a wire rope aerial tramway for transporting materials over mountainous terrain. Then, after a stint in bridg...
Post a Comment
NEXT

Shared Spaces are Here to Stay. Permit Renewals are Due January 15, 2023.

Shared Spaces are Here to Stay. Permit Renewals are Due January 15, 2023. By Anne Yalon Shared Spaces, amongst many other benefits, allows our residents and families to enjoy safe and social outdoor dining. Seen here are the the owners of Tio Chilo’s Grill and their children in the restaurant’s parklet on 24th Street in the Mission.  San Francisco’s popular Shared Spaces program allows merchants, restaurants and arts and culture organizations to use the curbside, sidewalk and other public spaces to conduct local business activities and stay afloat. What emerged as an economic lifeline during the pandemic is making San Francisco’s streets more energized, engaged and activated. Many of the Shared Spaces parklets have become central gathering places for the local community. “ Our parklet makes me feel like when I go to Mexico, where outdoor seating is everywhere. People end up joining their friends in our parklet. It is a space for our customers and our community," said Liz V...
Post a Comment
NEXT

Tenderloin Streets Transform During COVID-19

Tenderloin Streets Transform During COVID-19 By Kimberly Leung COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted people who live and work in the Tenderloin. As a result, the SFMTA has been working closely with District 6 Supervisor Matt Haney’s office, other city departments, the Tenderloin Traffic Safety Task Force and community members to address the public health issues and unique challenges in the neighborhood through innovative interventions.    The Tenderloin is home to many of our most vulnerable communities including historically marginalized groups such as people with disabilities, residents of SROs and supportive housing and limited-English proficient communities. With every single street in the Tenderloin on the city’s High Injury Network -- the 13 percent of San Francisco streets that account for 75 percent of severe traffic injury collision and fatalities -- thi...
Post a Comment
NEXT