Making San Francisco’s streets safer is a constant effort. Some roadways made big headlines this year, but dozens of other projects are in progress at any given moment.
Despite promises to improve streets with more urgency through “quick build” projects, SF’s Vision Zero era – the past 10 years – has brought no overall reduction in traffic deaths or injury collisions.
As we reach the end of 2024, which was the Vision Zero goal for eliminating traffic deaths, we’ve checked to see what’s changed at six sites.
Some have been slated for improvements as far back as 2021. We’ve reported on these roads before, sometimes prompted by tragic deaths and public outcry.
Sometimes the outcry has led to changes; sometimes it has faded into delay and stasis.
Here are the six. Click to jump straight to that section:
- A stretch of what’s been touted as “Better Market Street”
- The interchange where Cesar Chavez Street ducks under Highway 101, often known as The Hairball
- San Jose Avenue along Balboa Park
- Arguello Boulevard from Golden Gate Park to the Presidio
- 13th Street under the Central Freeway
- Franklin Street, where an educator was killed on a sidewalk in 2021
We found a mix of results, from overhauls in progress, to cosmetic changes, to no activity at all. All injury collision data are from January 2018 through August 2024 and come from SF OpenData, except where indicated.
Market Street
Site: 5th Street to 8th Street
High-injury network: Yes
Notable stats: 165 injury collisions reported
The Frisc’s first report: May 2021
Changes promised and proposed: Approved in 2019, the Better Market Street project was supposed to make the downtown artery car-free. It included a turnaround loop for Muni F-Market streetcars, but delays on this loop and defeat of a June 2022 transportation bond lost the city a $15 million federal grant earmarked to help pay for the loop. The COVID pandemic also forced the city to scale back plans that included sidewalk-level bike lanes.
The first phase of the new version is focused on the segment between 5th and 8th: upgraded traffic signals and pedestrian crossings, sidewalk bulb-outs at two intersections, and more. Changes to the streetscape should include new trees, benches, and bike racks.
Current status: The bulk of the major work is complete: repaving, widening curb ramps, and adding gradual slopes to lead into the street. There are new hit posts along the bike lanes on 5th, and yellow dome mats on bus islands for safer access to crosswalks.
New trees line Market, though it’s hard to assess how much shade they’ll give in their current leafless state. (We didn’t see new benches.)
When the project, paused for the holidays, resumes in 2025, the agency will focus on remaining tasks such as fresh crosswalk paint, sidewalk reconstructions at the intersection of Market, Turk, and Mason streets, and where 6th Street, Golden Gate, and Taylor Streets converge. SFMTA expects to finish phase one in the first part of 2025, delayed from their original estimation of spring 2024.
Observations: These fixes were very much needed, and the streetscape in this first section is much improved over what existed before.
The Hairball
Site: The intersection of Cesar Chavez Street, Potrero Avenue, and Bayshore Boulevard beneath Highway 101
High-injury network? Yes
Notable stats: 56 injury collisions on the 101 on- and off-ramps and surrounding streets.
The Frisc’s first report: November 2022
Changes promised and proposed: In its most recent update, SFMTA said it’s working to finish by year’s end a “series of spot improvements” on the eastern side of the Hairball, which is a key connector for bicyclists between the Mission and southeast SF.
These upgrades would include new striping and bikeway improvements, Class IV bikeways (physically separated from car traffic), and no-right-on-red restrictions at Kansas and Cesar Chavez East.
A separate but connected project, the Cesar Chavez Quick Build, also promises a two-way Class IV bike lane protected with concrete along Cesar Chavez east of the Hairball from Kansas to Pennsylvania Avenue. It’s scheduled to begin next year.
The work is a broader effort to bring more safety infrastructure to southeast SF. The agency this year completed a protected bike lane to Bayshore between Silver and Oakdale avenues, but there are no firm plans to extend the lane to the Hairball.
SFMTA also hopes to add raised crosswalks and crossings with flashing beacons to other parts of the Hairball but has yet to say when or on which streets.
Current status: Few of the measures listed for installation by late 2024 are evident. For example, there is no ban of right turns on red at Kansas and Cesar Chavez East. The bike lane along westbound Cesar Chavez is not adequately protected from cars traveling in the same direction, or from cars turning left from Cesar Chavez onto Vermont Street or the 101 North onramp.
It’s worth noting that the Hairball is made up of three levels of roads and pathways. Pedestrians and bicyclists travel only along the bottom level, while vehicles use all three — creating potential collision courses with people on foot and bike. One example of this is at the bright white crosswalk connecting the pedestrian path between the 101 northbound on-ramp and the 101 southbound freeway, which takes people across an off-ramp from 101 North.
While there are signs telling drivers that there’s a pedestrian crossing, the curve of the road makes it so that there’s very little time and space between the freeway and the crosswalk along this offramp to see them.
Observations: On the whole, the complex tangle of roads still feels as dangerous as it did two years ago. There are striping and dotted lanes to usher bikers across on-ramps, but they still cross in front of cars preparing to move at freeway speeds. Even the surrounding streets that lead into the Hairball don’t feel safe.
San Jose Avenue
Site: 0.5 miles between Santa Rosa Avenue to Ocean Avenue
High-injury network: Yes
Notable stats: 24 injury collisions
The Frisc’s first report: Jan. 2023
Changes proposed and promised: For two decades, community members have called for traffic-calming measures along this stretch of San Jose, which has tempted reckless driving of 50 MPH or more. It also fronts Balboa Park and has heavy pedestrian traffic to and from children’s and sports facilities.
For years, neighbors only got one fix: a three-way stop sign at the midpoint. In October 2022, the SFMTA’s Citizens Advisory Council relayed requests for highlighted crosswalks, radar speed signs, and flashing beacons.
One year later, the SFMTA board approved some changes as part of a larger project for the J-Church rail line, which travels down San Jose. These included:
- Red transit lanes
- Extended boarding islands with accessible Muni stops at Santa Ynez and Santa Rosa
- Red zone daylighting at Santa Ynez Avenue, San Juan Avenue, and Paulding Street
- Rapid flashing beacons at San Juan Avenue and Paulding Street
- Pedestrian bulb-outs at Paulding and Baden Streets
The agency has said all Quick Build changes (posts and paint) would be in place this year. All improvements that require concrete — such as island extensions and pedestrian bulbs — are scheduled for 2026.
Current status: This month, we found most Quick Build changes in place. There were new crossing signs at San Juan Avenue and Paulding Street, fresh white paint to make crosswalks more visible to driverrs, and some curbs leading to crosswalks are now red zones.
There were not yet flashing beacons on pedestrian crossing signs, except for one at the crosswalk at the northeast corner of Balboa Park – a major access point to a playground, sports fields, and other recreation facilities.
Observations: The red transit-only lanes essentially reduced the number of traffic lanes from 4 to 2 for private vehicles. On our visit, cars seemed to be moving more slowly compared to two years ago as a likely result. Still, a few drivers cheated into the transit lanes while we were there.
Arguello Boulevard
Site: 1.1 miles from Pacific Avenue to Fulton Street
High-injury network: Yes (between Balboa Street and Clement Street)
Notable stats: 47 injury collisions reported
The Frisc’s first report: August 2023
Changes promised and proposed: Following the death of champion cyclist Ethan Boyes in April 2023 on Arguello within the Presidio, officials pledged urgent changes. The Presidio Trust, which has jurisdiction over its section of the road, said it would install safety measures. For the 1.1 mile section through the Richmond District – a key part of the city bike network – SFMTA floated a design for protected bike lanes.
Almost immediately, local and state officials earmarked $1.4 million to expedite the project. At the time, SFMTA told the Chronicle it would need another $250,000 to complete design and outreach.
Current status: Within the Presidio, there are now protected bike lanes, speed cushions, and additional signage. There are also signs, posts, and pavement markings to warn drivers about cyclists crossing the road at Washington Boulevard.
On its stretch of Arguello, SFMTA has yet to take action. The agency’s Arguello Safety Project page says construction of protected bike lanes should have happened this year. The page shows no meetings or updates. SFMTA spokesman Michael Roccaforte said $100,000 from Sups. Connie Chan and Catherine Stefani “was used to develop concept plans for the Arguello Quick Build,” and he added that state funding is still available for construction.
Side note: a related effort along Fulton Street is underway, which will add safety measures to a small part of Arguello. A pedestrian bulb-out on the northwest corner of Fulton and Arguello, where a pedestrian was killed last January, is under construction. (A bulb-out is also in the works at the intersection of Fulton and 8th Avenue.)
Also part of the Fulton project, the agency says it plans to place a speed camera between Arguello and 2nd Avenue.
13th Street
Site: 0.5 miles between Duboce Avenue and Folsom Street
High-injury Network? Yes
Notable stats: 100 injury collisions between 2018 and 2022, according to SFMTA.
The Frisc’s first report: April 2023
Changes proposed and promised: SFMTA approved the 13th Street Safety project in October 2022. It’s been in the design phase ever since. The project includes two complex intersections that are among the 10 most dangerous in SF, according to city data. They directly connect to the Central Freeway overhead with an on-ramp and off-ramp.
Changes in store include car lane reductions from Duboce to Folsom to make way for a protected bike lane; pedestrian bulb-outs and curb protections; and traffic signal upgrades for better visibility.
Current status: When The Frisc wrote about the project, which involves state and other city agencies, construction was to begin in late 2023 or early this year. That hasn’t happened.
The most current information on the SFMTA project site has moved the start date to late 2024 or early 2025. The only changes are fresh paint on the seismic bracing and the absence of the large encampment that once lined the street.
Observations: Walking or riding a bike along this stretch is still stressful. When we were reporting this story, a car turning left onto 13th from Folsom approached much too fast and got a little too close to us in the crosswalk.
Franklin Street
Site: 0.4 mile between Broadway Street and Lombard Street
High-injury network? Yes
Notable stats: 39 reported injury collisions Between 2018 to 2024
The Frisc’s first report: November 2021
Changes promised and proposed: In 2021, when an out-of-control driver killed educator Andrew Zieman in front of his Sherman Elementary students at Franklin and Union, city leaders demanded changes. This included daylighting to increase crosswalk visibility and traffic calming measures along Franklin.
At the end of 2023, in response to public pressure and from Sup. Catherine Stefani, SFMTA promised a road diet – a reduction in car lanes. Yet the agency stepped back from the proposal in January 2024.
Current status: Instead of the promised road diet, SFMTA installed raised rubber squares to force cars to turn off Franklin more slowly. They also painted safety zones and created no-right-on-red restrictions. According to an agency’s report, these changes reduced close calls between pedestrians and cars, but speeding remained an issue.
The agency says it has adjusted signal timing to bring speeds down, and a brief study in July indicated most traffic on Franklin was traveling at the posted 25 mph speed limit.
In 2025, the road will receive a speed camera as part of a pilot program. The cameras will click when cars exceed the speed limit by 11 mph or more and automatically issue speeding tickets.