The size of fire trucks frustrates advocates on many sides of the public safety debate. The San Francisco Fire Department sought a solution.
San Francisco recently announced the roll out of three new fire trucks, with five more on the way, that are designed to better maneuver the city's streets.
"The new engine, one of eight that will be deployed in the city, is ten inches shorter than the old trucks it is replacing, and can make a u-turn in just 25 feet," reports Roger Rudick. Those kind of vital statistics should excite anyway who has ever sought traffic safety improvements only to be told that narrow streets don't allow for safe passage of fire equipment.
Fire trucks have been a hot button issue in San Francisco since at least 2014, when "then-Supervisor Scott Wiener called on the fire department to design trucks to fit the city, rather than demanding that streets be designed to accommodate fire trucks," according to Rudick. Since then, the San Francisco Fire Department worked with Walk San Francisco and the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition on the design of the new trucks.
While San Francisco seems to have achieved a measure of success on the issue, the fire department still controls the street engineering department debate in most cities. Previous coverage from Planetizen provides more background on the controversy:
FULL STORY: Fire Department’s New ‘Vision Zero’ Truck
It Takes a Fatality to Remove On-Street Parking
On March 8, 30-year-old Tess Rothstein of Berkeley was riding a rented Ford GoBike in San Francisco's SoMa district when a car door suddenly opened, forcing her outside the narrow white line of the conventional bike lane into the path of a truck.
Some Fire Departments Are Supporting Change for the Sake of Safer Streets
A few pioneering fire departments are making room for safety (while demanding less space) on city streets.
Quick Build Initiative Transforming the Streets of San Francisco
Street improvements to benefit cyclists and pedestrians have been moving rapidly in San Francisco since the June approval of the Vision Zero quick-build initiative, a two-year plan to expedite safety project on high-injury corridors.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Planning for Accessibility: Proximity is More Important than Mobility
Accessibility-based planning minimizes the distance that people must travel to reach desired services and activities. Measured this way, increased density can provide more total benefits than increased speeds.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
Eviction Looms for Low-Income Tenants as Rent Debt Rises
Nonprofit housing operators across the country face almost $10 billion in rent debt.
Brightline West Breaks Ground
The high-speed rail line will link Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area.
Colorado Bans No-Fault Evictions
In most cases, landlords must provide a just cause for evicting tenants.
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Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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