Protected intersections arrive in the Bay Area
These innovative Dutch-inspired designs (amongst the first dozen built in the U.S.) seek to maintain physical separation between drivers and bicyclists through an intersection. Read More
San Francisco’s proposed bike-yield law continues to roll forward
Several weeks ago we wrote about a proposed bill that would make San Francisco the largest U.S. city to adopt a stop-as-yield law for cyclists. Earlier this week San... Read More
New pedestrian safety banners target San Francisco’s most dangerous streets
As of yesterday, pedestrian safety banners are now flying in SoMa. The banners, proclaiming “Slow Down!” and followed with either “We live here” or “I live here” are part... Read More
BART closures highlight need for BART-Transbay Terminal connection
BART’s recent weekend closures of the Transbay Tube were happily uneventful: thanks to advanced warning and frequent replacement “bus bridge” service, the closure did not appear to significantly increase... Read More
Could Strava be good tool for planning and policymaking?
A key challenge in planning, funding, and implementing bicycle and pedestrian projects is the lack of good data to guide policymaking. As Janie Nham notes on the NRDC Switchboard,... Read More
Los Angeles hires Seleta Reynolds: what it means for walking and biking in SoCal
LADOT GM nominee Seleta Reynolds (right) with former New York City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan (left) In case there was any doubt, Los Angeles has officially joined the livable... Read More
Five major bike gaps in the Bay Area
As Bay Area cities redesign their streets to better accommodate safe bicycling, key gaps in the region’s infrastructure become ever more apparent. Much of the growth in bicycling over... Read More
How dangerous is your street?
Last week we looked at the Dangerous by Design report. One of the useful features is the map tool, which overlays the locations of every pedestrian fatality in the... Read More
The hypocrisy of San Francisco’s selective traffic law enforcement
Street safety depends on the fair enforcement of traffic laws, but enforcement is not always fair. The juxtaposition of two stories over the past week illustrates the incongruent enforcement... Read More
Cities battle Caltrans over street design
As cities across California seek to build safer, healthier, greener “complete streets,” many have come into conflict with Caltrans over what constitutes an acceptable (and legally defensible) design. This... Read More
S.F. challenged to reduce bike fatalities, ramp up safety efforts
A report released earlier this week is urging San Francisco’s mayor and Board of Supervisors to increase efforts to reduce bike fatalities, calling for an ultimate goal of “zero... Read More
What’s the true measure of a city’s walkability?
Despite offering a good starting point, there’s still plenty of information missing when you look at the Walkscore of a specific location. As has been pointed out plenty of... Read More
Help TransForm reach their fundraising goal before the end of the year
With the end of the year fast approaching, our friends at TransForm are trying to set themselves up for success in 2013 by raising $75,000 to help them continue... Read More
SF Muni Turns 100 with Weeklong Celebration
San Francisco Municipal Railway kicked off a weeklong centennial celebration on Sunday by rolling out vintage streetcars on the city’s oldest existing rail line. Over the weekend, the J-Church–which... Read More
Take SFMTA’s customer satisfaction survey, give your opinion on street safety
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) is polling Bay Area residents on their customer experiences. The short survey asks for feedback on a variety of topics, from the... Read More
Metropolitan Transportation Commission votes down “Free Muni for Youth” campaign
Remember when we said the bright spot in the new San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) budget was a pilot program that would provide low-income children with free transit... Read More
Cyclists allowed to bring bikes on the BART all day on Fridays during August
Starting next week, a new pilot program will allow riders to bring bikes on the BART all day on Friday’s during the month of August. The normal blackout times... Read More
World Naked Bike Ride aims to promote greener communities and safer streets for cyclists
This past weekend marked the ninth annual World Naked Bike Ride, a clothing optional event designed to protest against oil dependency and promote cycling advocacy. In San Francisco, nearly... Read More
Driving simulator cautions teens about the dangers of texting and driving
Despite nearly all teen drivers saying they think it’s dangerous to text and drive, 43 percent continue to do it anyway. So, in an attempt to show teens the... Read More
Bright green bike lanes help increase driver awareness of cyclists, boost biker safety
With bright green bike lanes spreading across the Bay Area, the hope is that even the most oblivious drivers should start to take notice. The freshly painted bike lanes... Read More
New SFMTA Budget Approved: Pay Parking on Sundays, Free Transit for Low-Income Youth
The days of free parking on Sundays are numbered. The new two year budget approved on Tuesday by San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency officials will extend parking meter hours... Read More
235 People Participate in Walk to Work Day Contest, GJEL Donates $2000 to Walk SF
On Friday, April 6th, GJEL partnered with the pedestrian safety advocacy group Walk SF to encourage Bay Area residents to take part in Walk to Work Day and share... Read More
Finding the line between bike law enforcement and education
It’s hard to find an online forum discussing bike lanes—or even cyclists in general—without inadvertently stumbling across another “us versus them” debate about motorists being irritated with bikers who... Read More
Public Bikes recalls 4,100 bicycles due to potentially faulty pedals
The San Francisco based company Bike Works has issued a voluntary recall of 4,100 bikes for “safety reasons” citing several customer reports that pedals had either cracked or broken.... Read More
GJEL is Partnering with Walk SF for Walk to Work Day on Friday, April 6th
Walk to Work Day is this Friday, and GJEL is excited to partner with Walk SF to encourage people all across the city to conduct their daily commute on... Read More
San Francisco scooter share program may hit roadblock with the DMV
A new San Francisco startup offering a subscription based scooter sharing service is running into difficulties with California’s licensing laws. The company, Scoot Networks, was introduced earlier this month,... Read More
Lack of police action over pedestrian injury poses a major concern
An incident last week in which a man using a crosswalk was hospitalized after being hit by a shuttle bus only served to exacerbate feelings that when it comes... Read More
San Francisco combats transit inefficiency by having buses police transit lanes
Ensuring transit-only lanes are free of other vehicles is a costly endeavor. Even with just over 15 miles of transit-only lanes in the city of San Francisco, penalizing drivers... Read More
San Francisco’s new electric bikeshare program hopes to make cycling more accessible
When it comes to cycling in San Francisco, one of the biggest barriers is the hilly terrain. Now, a new pilot program is looking to eliminate that hurdle by... Read More
The number of San Francisco cyclists continues to rise
The Alliance for Biking and Walking released their 2012 benchmarking report, and with 10% of San Francisco’s commuters doing so on foot and another 2.8% opting to cycle, the... Read More
SFpark tries to curb distracted driving by making street parking easier
Finding street parking can be a massive headache. Drivers circle the block repeatedly; slowing to a near crawl whenever a space looks like it might be available, all while... Read More
More taxis in San Francisco equals fewer cars, safer streets
When I had the chance to talk to Supervisor Scott Wiener, a steadfast advocates of transportation reform in San Francisco’s government, I was surprised that he listed increasing taxi... Read More
Fatal San Francisco Muni Bus Accident Highlights Dangerous Left Turns
We've written a lot on this blog about the tragic result of San Francisco bus accidents. In the past, fatal Muni bus accidents have cost the city millions in... Read More
San Francisco Hit-Run Accident Victim Ryan White’s Condition Improving
By now, you’ve likely heard the story about 9 year-old Ryan White, a Philadelphia tourist visiting San Francisco to see the Phillies play the Giants. After the game, White... Read More
List of Fatal San Francisco Pedestrian Accidents – 2011
The thought of being killed as a pedestrian in San Francisco is terrifying. Fatal pedestrian accidents happen far too often in the Bay Area, especially considering that San Francisco... Read More
San Francisco & Oakland Ranked Walkable, But What About Pedestrian Accidents?
As a proud San Francisco resident, I’m excited when organizations or magazines rank the city as a great destination for anything and everything. That was my initial reaction when... Read More
Will Bike Lanes on Oak & Fell Reduce San Francisco Bicycle Accidents?
It’s no secret that biking on San Francisco’s Oak and Fell streets can be incredibly dangerous. In fact, the cross-town city arteries have proven dangerous for motorists as well,... Read More
Fatal San Francisco Big Rig Accident Raises Octavia Blvd Safety Questions
Yesterday morning, a big rig truck collided with a UCSF shuttle van, killing 52 year-old Dr. Kevin Mack and injuring three other passengers. The accident occurred on Octavia Boulevard,... Read More
DriveCam Technology Reduces San Francisco Muni Bus Accidents
It’s always fun to write about good news related to traffic safety in San Francisco. That pleasure comes this week as the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency reports that... Read More
Contra Costa County Named Most Dangerous for Bay Area Bike Accidents
Since The Bay Citizen began publishing local news little more than a year ago, their Bike Accident Tracker app has been one of my favorite features. First, the app... Read More
San Francisco Pedestrian Accident Injury Highlights Urgent Need For Street Safety
Early this morning, Wednesday May 25, a pedestrian was struck and killed by a vehicle on the corner of Pierce Street and Lombard Street in San Francisco’s Marina District.... Read More
Infrastructure Spending Could Reduce California Car Accident Costs
California is broke, and with budgets stretched thin across the board, it’s difficult to make an effective argument for increasing spending, even if the result is increased safety on... Read More
Bike to Work Day Events in San Francisco, East Bay, San Jose & Contra Costa County
May is National Bike Month, which means that bicycle advocates and lawmakers throughout California are boosting efforts to increase bike ridership and improve bicycle safety. Thursday May 12 marks... Read More
San Francisco Pedestrian Accident Death Proves Need for Masonic Avenue Safety Plan
Last Friday, 61 year-old James Hudson was killed by a drunk driver while crossing San Francisco’s Masonic Avenue, one of the city’s busiest and most dangerous arteries. The suspect,... Read More
California Bike to Work Day Benefits San Francisco’s Market Street
San Francisco is getting serious about reducing bicycle accidents. The upsurge in bicycle and pedestrian fatalities in past months has lead the city’s Municipal Transportation Authority to improve safety... Read More
National Bike Month Focuses on Reducing Youth Bicycle Accidents
As National Bike Month rolls around, we’re reminded that too many cyclists currently on the road maintain bad habits on city streets. Many adult cyclists don’t wear helmets, obey... Read More
Reducing California Pedestrian Accidents Saves Lives (And Money!)
For some reason, the fact that nearly 650 people are killed in pedestrian accidents each year in California alone, has not prompted state lawmakers to get serious about cutting... Read More
San Francisco Pedestrian Accident Highlights Urgent Need For Action Plan
Jogging across San Francisco’s busy Masonic Avenue Monday, a pedestrian was blindsided by driver going 30 miles per hour, sending the jogger flying through the air and later to... Read More
Distracted Driving Highlights Major Problems with San Francisco Muni Bus Accidents
What would you do if your bus driver was texting while driving? If you’re anything like San Francisco resident Shawn Higgins, who saw a bus driver texting on the... Read More
San Francisco MTA Continues Plan to Reduce California Bicycle Accidents
So far, 2011 has been a great year for San Francisco pedestrian safety and bicycle safety. Facing troubling pedestrian and bicycle accident statistics, city lawmakers have enacted programs that... Read More
Better Late than Never to Reduce San Francisco Pedestrian Accidents
Safety advocates throughout San Francisco have been pleased over the past few weeks with the city’s apparent goal to boost programs that would reduce pedestrian accidents in the coming... Read More
Task Force Plan Intends to Tackle San Francisco Pedestrian Accidents
As pedestrians in San Francisco and throughout the country become more active, some increase in pedestrian accidents is inevitable. Especially when it comes to senior citizens, children, and people... Read More
California DePuy Hip Implant Lawsuits May Come to San Francisco
Since DePuy Orthopedics announced a recall of one of its popular hip implant models last August, lawsuits have piled up against the Johnson & Johnson subsidiary. Most recently, it... Read More
San Francisco & Los Angeles Launch Plans to Reduce California Bicycle Accidents
As bicycle use continues to grow more popular, commuters remain vulnerable to bicycle accidents due primarily to the fact that city infrastructure for safe bicycle use lags far behind.... Read More
San Francisco Bicycle Accidents Rising Faster than Ridership
When the New York Times announced that it would devote a print section and webpage entirely to the Bay Area, residents were ready to step into the national limelight.... Read More
Driver Convicted in Portland Bus Accident Lawsuit
Fired Trimet driver Sandi Day was found guilty last week on three counts including careless driving that led to the death of two pedestrians and serious injury of three... Read More
San Francisco Easy on Drivers Responsible for Preventable Bus Accidents
As I’ve said before, getting hit by a bus has to be one of the worst nightmares imaginable. Clearly, much of the responsibility lies with pedestrians to be careful... Read More
San Francisco Muni to Pay $2 Million Settlement to Passenger Injured in Train Accident
Serious accidents involving city public transportation agencies always draw major headlines. After all, there are fewer fates more terrifying than being hit by a train or bus. In the... Read More
San Francisco’s WalkSF Meets to Reduce Pedestrian Accidents
At a meeting in San Francisco late last week, the city’s pedestrian advocacy organization WalkSF met with members of the Board of Supervisors to brainstorm methods to best reduce... Read More
Left-Turn Accidents ‘Alarmingly Common’ for Portland’s TriMet Busses
For pedestrians, getting hit by a bus is one of the worst thoughts imaginable. We’ve written before about Muni accidents here in San Francisco. But right now, due to... Read More
San Francisco Man Trapped, Killed in Muni Accident
This is nightmare material. While supposedly trying to hail a cab Wednesday, 49 year old Scott Whitsett was sandwiched between a Muni train and a bus. When the vehicles... Read More
Nearly 50 People Injured in MUNI Accident Saturday
Update 7/22/09 —SFGate, online home of the San Francisco Chronicle has posted videos of the MUNI accident. Update 7/19/09 — CBS5 has just reported that officials from the National... Read More
Golden Gate Park Pedestrian Accident
$285,000 for a pedestrian vs. auto accident in Golden Gate Park. Read More
Elderly Woman Injured in San Francisco Accident
$575,000 for an elderly woman injured in a construction accident in San Francisco. Read More
Pedestrian vs. Auto, San Francisco Settlement
$1.9 million for a pedestrian vs. auto accident in San Francisco. Read More