With Deadline Looming, Supervisor Preston and Advocates Demand City Deliver on Vision Zero Goals

SAN FRANCISCO — Today, Supervisor Dean Preston and Walk SF are calling for a citywide recommitment to Vision Zero, and announcing a new effort to push the City closer to achieving it's Vision Zero goals. At today’s Board of Supervisors meeting, Preston will introduce a resolution calling for the often dormant Vision Zero Task Force to reconvene immediately, for departments to coordinate on VZ priorities, and for the implementation of urgent measures including quick build projects and speed reductions to decrease death and serious injury on our streets.

“Sadly, our City is not on track to meet our Vision Zero goals. This is the deadly reality, and our announcement today is a vital step toward ensuring all San Franciscans can safely use our streets,” said Supervisor Preston. “We have the tools, and we should be using these tools in a coordinated way, with urgency, to ensure we are doing everything possible to prevent serious traffic injuries and fatalities.”

The announcement comes as San Francisco continues to struggle to meet its Vision Zero goal of eliminating traffic fatalities by 2024. In 2022, the City experienced 37 traffic deaths, one of the most deadly years since Vision Zero was passed in 2014 with a ten-year goal of eliminating traffic fatalities in San Francisco. San Francisco has already had six traffic fatalities in 2023.

Preston and Walk SF are calling on the SFMTA to determine what resources and actions are needed to meet the short term goal of applying the Quick Build toolkit to 100% of the High-Injury Network. Preston’s district includes the Tenderloin and Western Addition neighborhoods, both of which are on the high injury network.

"We're grateful to Supervisor Preston for bringing Vision Zero back into focus at the Board with his resolution. Supervisor Preston’s resolution calls out much of what needs to be addressed right now: interagency coordination, dangerous speeds, and lagging progress on commitments in the City’s Vision Zero strategy. Lives are on the line, and the City needs to get back on track with the promises it's made to make our streets safe," said Jodie Medeiros, Executive Director of Walk San Francisco."

Advocates note that there has been a lack of coordination from city departments on Vision Zero efforts. The Resolution specifically urges greater departmental coordination and, specifically, renewal of regular meetings of the Vision Zero Task Force.

San Francisco had a Vision Zero task force that used to meet quarterly under former Mayor Lee, however, the task force has been much more sporadic since his death in 2018. In 2022, the task force met just once in March, and is set to meet for the first time this year on March 16. This is in sharp contrast to the experience in New York City, where a Vision Zero Task Force meets every two weeks, even during the pandemic, going back to 2014. A Vision zero Task Force that meets regularly, like in NY, can hold city departments accountable, and convene leaders from across the City to better communicate directives from the Board of Supervisors, the mayor, and advocates.

Preston’s resolution follows his extensive advocacy and leadership during the pandemic for slow streets, muni restoration, protected bike lanes, and speed reductions. That record includes:

Leading on the establishment of Slow Streets in D5, including Lyon, Golden Gate & Page

Championing car-free JFK and the Great Walkway

Successfully advocating for $17.6 million in federal funding for safe streets improvements in the Western Addition, including traffic signal upgrades, quick builds, and speed reduction work.

Establishing Fell Street parking-protected bike lane along the Panhandle, and securing design funds to establish a similar lane on Oak Street.

Leading on shared spaces, including closure to cars of Hayes Street in Hayes Valley and the Golden Gate Greenway in the Tenderloin

Transforming post-fatality protocols to create public transparency with the creation of the City’s Traffic Fatality Tracker and memorial posters with links for more information at collision sites

Leading Transit First efforts at the board, including restoration of suspended lines and service, stopping fare hikes, making Free Muni for Youth permanent, and eliminating parking at over 1000 bus stops so Muni riders have uninhibited access to transit.

“Vision Zero must be more than words on a page,” said Supervisor Preston. “We have a duty – especially to kids, seniors, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable populations – to reach these crucial Vision Zero goals and save lives as an urgent priority.”

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