MAY 2019 reporting the results VISION ZERO SAFE STREETS EVALUATION PROGRAM 2018 YEAR-END REPORT

VZ VISION ZERO SF SF A Note from the Mayor In 2014, San Francisco adopted Vision Zero, a plan committed to eliminating all traffic deaths in our city. At the core of Vision Zero is a simple and powerful philosophy: traffic deaths are unacceptable and preventable. In San Francisco, we have nearly 13,000 blocks of streets. Streets around our city serve a variety of needs, but all of them share a common goal of safety. To ensure we have streets and street improvements that best support our safety goals, we must understand what is working, what is not, and use this information to continually improve. The Safe Streets Evaluation Report takes a thorough look at new and innovative designs from the past year to help us understand their effectiveness through the lens of safety. In some examples, outcomes match our expectations. In others, there are lessons to be learned for the future. This approach allows us to be innovative while also establishing the cutting-edge for street safety here in San Francisco and for our peer cities around the world. As Mayor, I have committed to achieving our Vision Zero goal by 2024. The findings in this document and subsequent reports ensure we are prioritizing the improvements that work best to help achieve this goal.

Sincerely,

London Breed Mayor of San Francisco “The green paint - it feels like drivers notice the bike lane more. I also like that parking and bus pads are now moved to the left to protect the bike lane.”

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) is committed to understanding and reporting on how our projects affect neighborhoods and meet city and agency goals, including Vision Zero, the city’s commitment to eliminate traffic deaths in San Francisco. REPORTING THE RESULTS VISION ZERO SAFE STREETS EVALUATION PROGRAM 2018 YEAR-END REPORT

To meet this ambitious goal, the SFMTA’s Safe Streets Evaluation Program tracks progress and measures project performance for key traffic calming, bicycle, and pedestrian safety projects throughout San Francisco. The Safe Streets Evaluation Program serves many purposes, including: People feel safer and more comfortable FROM PLANS TO PROJECTS walking and biking in locations with protected bicycle infrastructure. how are we doing? FOLSOM STREET 9TH STREET/DIVISION STREET Inform updates and Communicate project Advance the state Streamline the design refinements to project effectiveness to of practice for San of future projects. In the last year, we installed over nine designs. the public, decision Francisco street designs. 83% 83% Project evaluations use miles of bike lanes, including a record 5.5 of bicyclists reported an increase in of bicyclists reported feeling safer and makers and other Even after construction, Also referred to as consistent metrics and miles of new protected bike lanes, as well comfort after the implementation of more comfortable after the installation transportation a new parking protected bike lane. of a protected intersection. the SFMTA continues “proof-of-concept,” analysis techniques to as pedestrian improvements along many professionals. making adjustments project evaluations are track trends over time to major corridors. The mileage is important, to ensure that projects Evaluation results are often used to analyze demonstrate efficacy of but what is even more important is 54% 55% function as intended. shared with the public innovative design of pedestrians reported feeling more of pedestrians reported their level of facility improvements. how these projects affect people’s By collecting location- and decision-makers treatments new to San comfortable walking along Folsom comfort and feeling of safety increased. travel experiences. Our evaluations of specific data related to to convey the effects Francisco. The data Street after project implementation. transportation behaviors, of SFMTA safety associated with proof-of- 15 individual projects in 2018 show that 17TH STREET street designs are investments on the real concept project evaluations SFMTA’s investments create positive 48% analyzed for effectiveness world experiences of allow San Francisco to impacts across many metrics. of drivers reported feeling more and targeted for the people using San rapidly evolve our state of comfortable driving on Folsom Street 80% refinement as needed. Francisco’s streets. practice to keep pace with To find out more about the after project implementation. An of people surveyed felt more comfortable using 17th Street after national or international methodologies used and to see full additional 40 percent feel no change. protected bike lanes were installed best practices. project evaluation reports, please visit: between Church and Sanchez streets. sfmta.com/safestreetsevaluation 7TH AND 8TH STREETS The SFMTA developed the Safe Streets Evaluation Handbook to document our processes and methodologies for starting Detailed survey results are available upon request. an evaluation, collecting data, performing analysis, and communicating findings. The Handbook also includes Standard 85% Operating Procedures (i.e., documents and templates for collecting and analyzing data consistently across projects). of bicyclists reported feeling safer The findings in this report utilized the methodologies found in the Safe Streets Evaluation Handbook. and more comfortable in the new protected bike lanes.

1 2 REPORTING THE RESULTS

Mixing zones help with right Vehicles travel at safer speeds More people are cycling on the streets hook conflicts, but don’t solve after installation of traffic lane with new and upgraded bike lanes, the problem. reductions and other traffic especially protected bike lanes. calming features. FOLSOM STREET TURK STREET 13TH STREET/DIVISION STREET 80% TURK STREET of people driving yielded to people biking at mixing zones. 287% 24% valencia street—how evaluation 10% increase in bike counts in the peak increase in bike counts on the east can help us make safe choices decrease in vehicle speeds was reported after a travel lane was evening commute occurred on Turk bound protected bike lanes on 13th removed and a bike lane was installed. Street after a protected bike lane Street from Bryant to Folsom Streets. 4% Evaluations help inform design changes of all observations at mixing zones were “close calls” or near- was installed; morning commute and future projects. The SFMTA will be crash instances. 7TH AND 8TH STREET peak hour bicycle counts have also POLK STREET significantly increased. able to understand the Valencia Bikeway Improvements pilot project implemented in TURK STREET early 2019 more quickly with methodologies FOLSOM STREET 16% 21% and standard processes developed through decrease in vehicle speeds reported on 7th Street following the increase in bike counts during 35% road lane reduction and bicycling improvements. morning peak hour bicycle volumes the Safe Streets Evaluation Program. increase of vehicles yielding to people biking was reported 21% on southbound Polk Street after the Double-parking and vehicles blocking the where mixing zones were installed. 9% increase in bike counts in the first installation of a new bike lane. bike lane is a significant issue on Valencia decrease in vehicle speeds reported on 8th Street following the year after installing protected bike Street, especially in the evening hours. We The majority of vehicles are yielding to bicycles at mixing road lane reduction and bicycling improvements. lanes. will be evaluating the pilot to measure any zones, however conflicts still occur. Later in this report we will improvements. This feedback will directly discuss how separated bike signals may help nearly eliminate VICENTE STREET inform the design for remaining portions of right-hook vehicle conflicts with bicycles. the corridor.

Even slight reductions in vehicle speeds can dramatically increase the probability of surviving a crash. 18% decrease in vehicle speed was reported on Vicente Street with the introduction of new bike lanes and speed humps.

85th percentile speeds used for data analysis.

3 4 VISION ZERO SAFE STREETS EVALUATION PROGRAM 2018 YEAR-END REPORT

LOCALIZED TOOLS are spot safety treatments working? In addition to our corridor-focused bike lane projects, the SFMTA implements targeted safety measures at intersections throughout the city. These include:

• Painted Safety Zones

• Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs)

• Daylighting

7TH AND 8TH STREET

BEFORE Multimodal corridors, with multiple freeway on-and off-ramps, AFTER In 2017 and 2018, we installed protected bike lanes, transit the busy 19-Polk bus route, active bicycle network, and high boarding islands, and other bicycle and pedestrian safety pedestrian volumes. improvements.

12512 136 REPORTING THE RESULTS VISION ZERO SAFE STREETS EVALUATION PROGRAM 2018 YEAR-END REPORT

LOCALIZED TOOLS LOCALIZED TOOLS painted safety zones rectangular rapid flashing beacons

When it comes to making pedestrians safer, Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons increase yielding painted safety zones work. to pedestrians in San Francisco, however are not being used by the majority of pedestrians using the crosswalks where they have been installed. 6% 13% 34% Motorists Motorists More motorists Six percent 13 percent Average use turned corners yielded to turned further increase decrease of RRFB’s by more slowly. pedestrians from the curb, at in vehicle in number of pedestrians is more often. safer distances yield rate after “close calls” after 34 percent. Painted safety zones are the khaki-colored On average, Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons are user- from people on installation of installation of The vehicle yield turning speeds The number painted areas flanked by flexible white sidewalks. actuated amber LEDs used at unsignalized RRFB. RRFB. rate will likely to decreased by up of drivers who increase with more posts which wrap around a growing to 55 percent. “fully yielded” The number of intersections or mid-block crosswalks. In use of the beacon. number of sidewalk corners in San Francisco This is based on to pedestrians vehicles turning San Francisco, most RRFB’s can be activated to slow right-turning vehicles. turning speeds increased by an within six feet of manually when pedestrians push a button. recorded for 100 average of 25 the curb decreased vehicles at a site percent after by an average This evaluation collected data at two where a painted painted safety of 35 percent locations before and after the installation safety zone was zones were after painted of RRFBs. We will be evaluating at least four installed. installed. safety zones were implemented. other locations in 2019 to better understand efficacy of this tool.

7 8 REPORTING THE RESULTS

LOCALIZED TOOLS daylighting

Daylighting, or red zones at intersections, improves sight-lines and visibility between drivers and people crossing the streets in the Tenderloin. 14%

Daylighting removes visual barriers within There were 14 The intersection Although collisions percent fewer of Geary and were generally a minimum of ten feet of a crosswalk or reported Taylor Streets reduced in intersection to maintain sightlines, and is a collisions at experienced the area, the intersections the greatest intersections of straightforward improvement that makes where reductions Jones Street at Ellis everyone on the street easier to see at daylighting in collisions and Eddy Streets intersections. treatments were after daylighting experienced implemented in treatments. more collisions, the Tenderloin suggesting neighborhood, that more which intervention is experiences needed at these 17TH STREET BETWEEN CHURCH AND SANCHEZ high pedestrian locations. volumes. BEFORE People on bikes and people in wheelchairs were getting AFTER In 2018, some parking was removed to accommodate a protected caught in the MUNI train tracks. bike lane with flexible soft-hit posts, which was later upgraded to concrete island barriers.

9 17 1017 REPORTING THE RESULTS VISION ZERO SAFE STREETS EVALUATION PROGRAM 2018 YEAR-END REPORT

LEADING THE WAY have innovative safety treatments been successful? what is a protected what is a protected what is a The SFMTA continually seeks to install bike lane? intersection? mixing zone? new types of bicycle and pedestrian One-way protected bike lanes are A protected intersection reduces A mixing zone is a combined improvements such as parking protected bikeways that are at street level and conflict between bicyclists and bike lane/turn lane with lanes, protected intersections, and use a variety of methods for physical vehicles by increasing visibility and distinctive markings to delineate fully separated bike signals. These new protection from passing traffic. delineating clear zones through that bicyclists are merging with treatments offer the chance to solve long- Types of physical protection can include median islands and/or paint, soft- vehicles in the vehicle turn lane. standing issues, but require thorough a parking lane, concrete/landscaped hit posts, and signs for bicyclists as The zone is intended to minimize evaluation to ensure that they are deployed buffers, or flexible soft-hit posts. they move through the intersection. conflicts with turning vehicles at effectively. Protected intersections rely on these intersections and is an alternative concrete and paint treatments to to an exclusive bike signal phase. separate bicycles rather than an exclusive bike signal phase.

11 1912 REPORTING THE RESULTS VISION ZERO SAFE STREETS EVALUATION PROGRAM 2018 YEAR-END REPORT

INNOVATIVE SAFETY TREATMENTS parking protected FOLSOM STREET TURK STREET bike lanes Recent improvements to Folsom There were 88 percent fewer Parking protected bike lanes work. Street include doubling the loading violations (i.e., parking, The city installed its first parking protected number of loading zones and loading or blocking the bike lane) installation of parking protected on Turk between Jones and Taylor bike lane in 2012 on JFK Boulevard in bike lanes. Since implementation, compared to the previous layout Golden Gate Park. Today, San Francisco there have been fewer loading of the street which included has over six miles of protected bike violations (i.e., parking, loading or curbside loading. lanes across the city. Division Street, blocking the bike lane). Average Folsom Street, Howard Street, 7th Street, loading times were reduced. Though many pedestrians are 8th Street, Turk Street, and portions present on Turk Street and some of Valencia Street are some examples 7TH AND 8TH STREETS enter or cross the bike lanes, of these new types of protected bike findings show no collisions and a Fewer than six percent of very low conflict rate of 1 percent facilities. Studies show that parking pedestrians experienced a conflict between and pedestrians on Turk protected bike lanes virtually eliminate with bicyclists in the new buffered Street (25 out of 2248 pedestrians loading violations with fewer vehicles loading areas (eight out of 145 interacted with a cyclist with no blocking the bike lane and little to no pedestrians interacted with a collisions). FOLSOM STREET conflicts between pedestrians and bikes bicyclist with no collisions). at painted buffers and at transit boarding BEFORE People walking and biking were vulnerable to vehicles AFTER Parking protected bike lanes, more yellow commercial loading accessing the freeway ramps. zones, daylighting, and transit boarding islands were installed. islands.

2013 14 REPORTING THE RESULTS

INNOVATIVE SAFETY INNOVATIVE SAFETY TREATMENTS TREATMENTS separated bike protected

signals On average, bikes comply with the The number of close calls (or instances Intersections traffic signal indications 86 percent when drivers and bicyclists made sudden, 96% 85% Separated bike signals, which aim to of the time at the two observed reactive moves to avoid a collision) San Francisco’s first protected drivers approaching a bicyclist of bicyclists reported their level of remove the conflict between right turning locations with separated bike signals. dropped from 17 close calls at observed intersection has been well-received yielded. comfort and feeling of safety vehicles and through-moving cyclists, mixing zones to 1 close call at observed by the community and reduces increased. After comparing six mixing zones on are being incorporated into different bike signals. Separated bike signals conflicts.To increase safety and comfort Folsom Street, 8th Street, and Turk 100% streetscape projects in San Francisco. result in the near-elimination of for the area, the SFMTA implemented a drivers approaching a pedestrian Street to the two new separated bike Analysis was conducted using two of the any close calls between cyclists and protected intersection at the 9th Street/ yielded. signal locations, we found a significant vehicles. first separated bike signals in San Francisco: Division Street/San Bruno Avenue 55% reduction in the number of times right of pedestrians reported their level Folsom Street at 8th Street and 8th Street intersection, an area that has experienced a turning vehicles encountered a bicycle As a result of the definitive nature of of comfort and feeling of safety at Brannan Street. The data collected shows as they turned. The percentage of right- these results and the clear benefits of high number of collisions in the last 5 years, increased. high compliance at the signals with some turning vehicles that interacted with a safer turns for all users, the SFMTA is including two fatalities. The new protected 98% of vehicles turned at speeds at or bike dropped from 41 percent at mixing Detailed survey results are available upon request. room for improvement. We also found that significantly expanding our investments intersection is experiencing high vehicle below the speed limit. the new signals definitively reduce conflicts. zones to two percent at bike signals. in protected bike signals, particularly yielding rates, low vehicle turning speeds, To date, our findings show thatseparated Separated bike signals significantly in the South of Market area. New with a majority of pedestrians and cyclists reduce the probability of conflicts bike signals are a significant protected bike signals are currently being reporting an increase in perceived safety. between cyclists and vehicles. improvement over mixing zones. installed on 2nd Street and Polk Street, As a result of these findings, the SFMTA and are planned for projects along On average, vehicles comply 96 is incorporating protected intersection Folsom, Howard, 5th Street and others. percent of the time. Typically, we find designs in many future streetscape However, given the complexity and cost that in the instances when vehicles are projects. non-compliant, bicycles and pedestrians of signal modifications, mixing zones will are not present. continue to exist as the gradual upgrades to fully separated bike signals continue.

15 16 REPORTING THE RESULTS

what determines safe streets in a “conflict” or every “close call”? neighborhood, The term “close call” refers to instances for every person when people walking, biking or driving make a sudden, reactive moves to avoid a The Safe Streets Evaluation Program collision with one another. Close calls can has conducted a number of intercept indicate the degree of safety that bicyclists surveys to evaluate key projects and experience at mixing zones and pedestrians have received valuable data. However, experience when crossing the street. we recognize there are short-comings to the current survey process. The socio- The term “conflict” refers to instances when economic status, gender, race, age, and people walking, biking or driving encounter mobility of those surveyed to date has another mode of transportation. been limited and needs to reach a wider range of stakeholders. We will be making changes to the survey process as the SFMTA strives towards more equity in both our infrastructure and how we measure performance of our facilities.

17 25 REPORTING THE RESULTS

LOOKING AHEAD upcoming evaluations In 2019, the Safe Streets Evaluation We also strive to work with our agency ”The separation from Program will continue to evaluate partners such as Transit, the SFMTA complete street projects, including Parking/Curb Management Department the moving traffic improvements on Masonic, Polk, Howard, and the San Francisco Department of Public has been a huge Townsend, and Valencia Streets. The Health to further bolster our data sets and program will also continue to evaluate findings to understand how our streets are improvement for me city-wide countermeasures such as such operating from every aspect. as a cyclist.” as flashing yellow left turn arrows as well as additional evaluations of Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) and fully separated bike signals.

19 REPORTING THE RESULTS

LOOKING AHEAD successes and We also saw areas where improvements to better capture under-represented lessons learned need to be made: communities.

We saw positive impacts on streets where Innovative treatments such as Mixing zones help with conflicts, but We need more information and major safety projects have been installed: parking-protected bike some users find the treatments data on the performance of our city- lanes, protected intersections, confusing and the zones do not wide countermeasures, such as rapid People are feeling more safe and fully separated bike eliminate conflicts. In contrast, flashing beacons and separated bike and comfortable biking in the new signals have community separated bike signals greatly reduce signals. We will be working to better protected bike lanes. support and are the probability of interactions between understand the efficacy of city- reducing conflicts. cyclists and vehicles and reduce wide countermeasures by More people are biking after the conflicts; therefore the SFMTA increasing sample sizes and installation of new bike lanes. is expanding our investments in amount of data collected. Vehicles are traveling at safer separated bike signals. We are also speeds. investing in protected intersections to reduce conflicts at intersections. Localized pedestrian improvements such as daylighting, painted safety To date, the socio-economic status, zones, and rapid flashing beacons gender, race, age, and mobility are helping to create a safer of those surveyed in our evaluations walking environment. has been limited; we need to reach a wider range of street users. We are improving both our survey tool and collection methods in 2019

21 Program Team

Jamie Parks, Livable Streets Director The Safe Streets Evaluation Program is funded by San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Prop K through the SFCTA. Chava Kronenberg, Pedestrian Program Manager For more information about the Safe Streets San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Evaluation Program, please visit: sfmta.com/safestreetsevaluation Thalia Leng, Safe Street Evaluation Program Manager San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency VZ VISION ZERO Victoria Chong, Safe Street Evaluation Program Planner SF SF San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency