Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.
San Francisco is ending its Residential Traffic Calming Program citing cost concerns, reports Matthew Green for KQED.
“Since the launch of the traffic calming program in 2013, residents have been able to ask the city to install new speed-reducing devices, such as concrete islands, speed bumps (and humps), road markings and rubber road cushions, in their neighborhoods.” Now, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFTMA) says high costs and demand are forcing the agency to suspend the program as it faces a $322 million deficit next year.
Since 2018, the city has installed over 500 traffic calming devices thanks to resident requests, and over 1,200 devices total. Yet 2024 was still the city’s deadliest year in at least 20 years for traffic deaths, and traffic citations declined by almost 90 percent between 2014 and 2024 due to police staffing shortages and new regulations.
Marta Lindsey of Walk San Francisco said she hopes the city will return with a more comprehensive approach to Vision Zero. “I hope SFMTA catches up on this backlog, but then comes back with a better program that can be proactive and bring speed humps to entire neighborhoods where they’re needed instead of this ‘speed hump by speed-hump’ approach.”
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