Transportation officials in San Francisco are promising to take quick action on its dangerous streets after 10 pedestrians and cyclists have been killed in the city so far this year.
One of those include Berkeley resident Tess Rothstein, who was killed while riding her bike on Howard Street last month. Witnesses say she swerved to avoid a driver opening a car door when she crashed into the back of a truck.
Tom Maguire, director of Sustainable Streets for the Municipal Transportation Agency, says the plan will make busy roadways safer without waiting years to take action.
“There’s no need to wait for a long, drawn-out contracting process to play itself out,” Maguire said.
The improvements include posts and green paint for bike lanes, making crosswalks more visible, and adjusting signal timing.
Kevin Stall, chair of the Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee applauded the effort, which he says is especially needed for pedestrians in the Tenderloin.
“On a daily basis they try and cross these streets and the traffic is so dangerous that a lot of them do not get to do what they want to do: go to the store, go to school or things of that nature,” Stall said.
The bicycle and pedestrian improvements should be installed by the end of the year.