San Francisco – Mayor London Breed and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) today announced the Western Addition Community Safe Streets Project has been awarded $17.6 million as part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) new Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program.
The funding for this grant program comes from President Biden’s historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and advances U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s nationwide effort to improve roads and address traffic fatalities. San Francisco’s application was supported by Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Senator Dianne Feinstein and Senator Alex Padilla. The overall budget to improve safety for the community includes design, construction, and education/outreach campaign activities is estimated to be $22 million.
“This federal support will help us to make our streets safer for the residents and workers in the Western Addition community,” said Mayor London Breed. “Projects like this are essential to creating safer road conditions in neighborhoods throughout our City and helping us make our communities safer for all. I want to thank Secretary Buttigieg and the U.S. Department of Transportation for their critical support for this project.”
The Western Addition Community Safe Streets project (WACSS) includes traffic signal upgrades and speed management improvements in support of the City’s Vision Zero goals. These safety improvements were identified in the Western Addition Community Based Transportation Plan (WACBTP).
“SFMTA’s community-based plans start with community – working with neighbors to understand their priorities and collaborating to turn those priorities into actions. We’re grateful to the people of the Western Addition for their work, and to the federal DOT for helping us implement the plan’s commitments,” said Jeffrey Tumlin, SFMTA Director of Transportation.
Key elements of the WACSS project are as follows:
- Signal visibility enhancements to improve safety through larger 12” signal heads and mast arms
- Pedestrian signal improvements such as pedestrian countdown signals (PCS), accessible pedestrian signals (APS), pedestrian activated flashing beacons, upgraded streetlighting, and upgraded curb ramps
- Speed management strategies such as lower speed limits through 20 mph signage, radar speed signs, quick build improvements based on WACBTP, and additional community engagement
- Multilingual education and outreach campaign on traffic safety and speed management
“We join city partners in thanking the U.S. Department of Transportation for its award of $17 million to implement the Western Addition Community-based plan,” said District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, Chair of the San Francisco County Transportation Authority. “The Transportation Authority also appreciates the US DOT’s award for our San Francisco Vision Zero Freeway Ramps Study. Both efforts will help save lives and create healthier and more equitable communities in our city.”
The Western Addition Traffic Signal Upgrades Phase 1 project is estimated to begin construction in Spring 2023. Near term improvements identified in the WACBTP have been implemented. These include daylighting, continental crosswalks, bulb-outs, pedestrian actuated rectangular rapid flashing beacons, and advanced limit lines.
The Western Addition Traffic Signal Upgrades Phase 2 project, estimated to begin construction in Spring 2025, has started design using local funds and is proposed to complete design and implement improvements at 16 intersections as part of the WACSS project.
For more information, please visit Western Addition Community Based Transportation Plan Implementation.
The Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program was established by President Biden’s historic infrastructure law, provides $5 billion over five years for regional, local, and Tribal initiatives — from redesigned roads to better sidewalks and crosswalks — to prevent deaths and serious injuries on the nation’s roadways.
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