PEDESTRIAN-SAFETY UPGRADES UNVEILED ON SLOAT BOULEVARD 

Cutting-edge crossing beacon, bulb-outs and count-down signal just the start of improvements

San Francisco, CA – City officials gathered today to call attention to a new mast-arm traffic beacon on Sloat Boulevard at Forest View Drive. The High-Intensity Activated Crosswalk (HAWK) beacon system is activated by pedestrians with the push of a button when they’re ready to cross the street. This innovative pedestrian signal is the first of its kind in San Francisco and only the second in California.

“With three state highways bordering the Sunset District, pedestrian safety is a high priority for our office,” said District 4 Supervisor Katy Tang, who represents the area. “We hope the improvements made through the Sloat Boulevard Pedestrian Safety Project will help prevent future tragedies from occurring. Pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists should all feel safe when traveling through San Francisco, and we encourage everyone to continue to use caution when using our streets.”

Tang was joined at the unveiling by District 7 Supervisor Norman Yee’s office, Lowell High School Principal Andy Ishibashi and representatives from Caltrans, the San Francisco Department of Public Works and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA). Also present was Wenhan Chang, whose 17-year-old daughter, Hanren Chang, a Lowell junior, was killed by a motorist as she crossed the intersection in March.

Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru said the $690,000 project is an important addition to making the streets safer.

“I’m very proud of how we worked with the community to design and construct innovative improvements to make it safer to cross this busy street,” explained Nuru. “At some point along our travels, everyone is a pedestrian. Through our bond work, streetscape projects and our street care and maintenance, we aim to make San Francisco’s streets safer, more attractive, and easier to navigate.”

“One of our key goals is to increase pedestrian safety in San Francisco and promote walking as a sustainable and healthy way to get around town,” said Ed Reiskin, SFMTA Director of Transportation. “We support innovations that promote safety as people move across the City.”

In addition to the HAWK beacon, new pedestrian-safety improvements on Sloat Boulevard at Forest View Drive include an extended median to provide an improved pedestrian refuge area, bulb-outs on three corners to shorten the crossing distance, pedestrian countdown signals so people know how long they have to get across the street, ADA-compliant curb ramps, high-visibility crosswalks to better alert drivers and additional streetlights.

The recently completed improvements were Phase One of a multi-intersection project on Sloat. Phase Two consists of improvements at Everglade Drive and Constanso Way (bulb-outs, curb ramps, median extension and new crosswalks) and at 23rd Avenue (median extension, curb ramps, crosswalks, and another pedestrian activated HAWK beacon). Phase Two construction is estimated to begin spring 2014. The project budget for all phases is $927,357 and is funded by a federal Highway Safety Improvement Program grant, local Proposition K transportation sales tax funds and the City’s general fund.

For more information see Public Works website at http://sfdpw.org/index.aspx?page=1688.

###