Sloat Boulevard Residents Debate Traffic-Calming Measures For Busy Corridor

Sloat Boulevard Residents Debate Traffic-Calming Measures For Busy CorridorMarci Camacho of Public Works begins the meeting on Sloat Boulevard Pedestrian Safety Improvements. (Fiona Lee / Hoodline)
Fiona Lee
Published on February 11, 2016

Long a dangerous crossing for pedestrians, Sloat Boulevard is set to see improvements that will increase safety. On Tuesday night, local residents attended the last public meeting on the Sloat Boulevard Pedestrian Safety Improvements at Lowell High School to debate proposals on bulb-outs and bus stop relocations, presented by a consortium of agencies: Caltrans, SFMTA, and SF Public Works. 

Near many heavily-trafficked areas, including Lakeshore Elementary, Lowell High School, Lakeshore Plaza, and Stern Grove, the boulevard sees fast-moving traffic that's proven dangerous for pedestrians. In 2010, 55-year-old resident Feng Lian Zhu died after being struck while crossing at Sloat and Forest View. In March 2013, 17-year-old Lowell High School student Hanren Chang was killed by a drunk driver while crossing Sloat and Vale, near the earlier collision.

Tony Henderson of the SFMTA speaking on the advantages of pedestrian bulb-outs. (Fiona Lee / Hoodline)

Young or old, pedestrians who know Sloat's reputation treat the area with caution. One resident at the meeting said to laughter, “I’m a senior citizen, and I run like hell across Sloat!”

At 110 feet wide, according to the SFMTA, Sloat Boulevard also doubles as State Highway 35, connecting Skyline Boulevard to Highway 1. The busy corridor sees 24,000 vehicles barreling through each day, with up to 3,000 vehicles an hour during peak hours. Traffic and parking also worsen in the summer, when the Stern Grove concerts bring an influx of over 10,000 people to the area.   

The agencies have proposed a variety of traffic calming measures on Sloat between 21st and 36th avenues, including the installation of HAWK beacon signals (which are activated by pedestrians), the installation of pedestrian bulb-outs and red zones at intersections, and relocation of bus stops. The project will also see Sloat Boulevard repaved in conjunction with the Pavement Improvement project.  

During a meeting punctuated by interruptions and frustration, reaction to the proposals was mixed. While all agreed that pedestrian safety is a major issue, the loss of parking spots, relocation of bus stops, and the installation of bulb-outs were debated, as many residents pointed out that the proposals would have a direct impact on their own homes in the area.  

One topic that saw many comments was the addition of five HAWK beacon signals. These HAWK signals would be similar the one installed at Sloat and Forest View, but some believed that five was too many and would impede the flow of traffic.

"There will be seven HAWK lights and two traffic signals in 16 blocks. You're just going to move everyone over to Ocean Avenue, and we're just going to have this same meeting about congestion on Ocean Avenue in three years," said one resident. 

HAWK beacon signal system (Photo: SF Public Works)

Pedestrian and bus bulbs proved to be another topic of contention. While the agencies believe that bulb-outs would improve visibility for pedestrians and visually and physically narrow streets by 12 feet (six feet on each side), allowing for faster crossings, some residents were unconvinced. They pointed out that some of the proposed bulb-outs were directly in front of their homes, leading to a lack of privacy for homeowners.

For people who lived near bus bulb-outs or would have bus stops relocated to be closer to their homes, the bus stops were also controversial. Concerned residents cited traffic blockage, difficulties in getting out from their driveways, and graffiti and litter as a direct result of having bus riders waiting outside their homes.  

“I understand their rationale, but I don’t think it’s been thought through,” said Mike Tang, who lives at Sloat and 36th Avenue and had questions about the bus bulb directly outside his home. He believes the bulb would narrow the two-lane street to such a point that he and other residents in the area would be unable to back out when the bus was present.

Street without (top) and with the pedestrian bulb (bottom) (Photo: SF Public Works)

As the president of the Lakeside Property Owners Association, Bill Chiosini and his wife Barbara have been involved with the project since December 2011. “The Lowell high school girl was killed ... and we’d been agitating for years to have some kind of traffic control on Sloat. It’s a highway. We’ve been sitting down with Caltrans every quarter. I don’t think they’re used to vocal concerns from citizens,” Chiosini told us.  

“The most important thing I found was the ability to listen to my neighbors,” said Patrick Skain, a retired firefighter, who said that his perspective on proposed changes to specific intersections had changed after hearing from his fellow neighbors. “It’s important to have these meetings, not just to hear from Caltrans, but from our neighbors. I hope that Caltrans is listening just as I tried to listen to them tonight.”

To see the proposed changes intersection-by-intersection, the presentation can be found here from a previous public meeting in January. SF Public Works wrapping up public comment on the proposals via questionnaire (PDF). The deadline is tomorrow, February 12th, 2016.