The death of 24-year-old cyclist Amelie Le Moullac on August 14 marks the third this year by a truck, and the second by one turning right (known as a right hook) into the bike lane. Her death has set off a movement for safer streets in SoMa, S.F.
Streetsblog's Aaron Bialick has covered the many unfolding aspects of Le Moullac's death and the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition's subsequent work to ensure that these types of deadly truck/car vs. bicycle collisions don't reoccur, particularly in the fast-growing South of Market area (SoMa) district of San Francisco, the location of all three bicyclist deaths this year.
SFBC is asking San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee to "commit to the redesign of Folsom Street" where Le Moullac had been riding that would include converting the existing bike lane into a protected bike lane. As Bialick noted in a blog for SPUR in 2011, it is an example of an "outdated, 20th-century strategy of engineering downtown streets into multi-lane, one-way motorways."
Bialick and KRON’s Stanley Roberts observed that "few drivers seem to understand how to properly make a right-turn in a bike lane — they’re required to merge fully into it, like any other traffic lane, while yielding to people on bikes. Instead, many drivers turn across the bike lane, setting up bicycle riders for a “right hook” crash."
Right hooks were the causes of death for Le Moullac and Dylan Mitchell while they were biking this year. The third victim, Diana Sullivan, was reportedly run over while stopped at a red light at Third and King Streets. None of the truck drivers involved have been cited or charged.
This movement for greater bike safety in the South of Market Area (SOMA) region of San Francisco following the deaths of cyclists has been seen in other cities. We noted attempts to safeguard cyclists from 'right hooks' in Seattle in 2008 and with the installation of 'bike boxes' in Portland in 2008.
September 6th update from S
FULL STORY: At Safe Streets Rally, SFPD Blocks Bike Lane to Make Point of Victim-Blaming

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie