Proposed Vision Zero initiatives designed to reduce pedestrian and cyclist deaths continue to pop up around the city. The latest effort is targeting a busy stretch of John F. Kennedy Drive in Golden Gate Park, adding 10 "speed humps" to slow down motorists.
As proposed, the 10 new humps (a joint project of the SFMTA, Rec and Park, and the Mayor's Office) would be placed on JFK Drive west of Transverse Drive, passing through the Chain of Lakes to the road's terminus at the Great Highway. The city was not able to provide exact locations for each speed hump at this time.
JFK Drive has been identified as part of the city's "high-injury network," the 12 percent of streets where severe and fatal crashes are most likely to occur. City data has shown that motorists on JFK Drive regularly drive seven to nine miles per hour over the road's 25 mph speed limit, with even greater speeds seen at night, when pedestrians and cyclists are less visible.
The speed humps would be a new addition to Golden Gate Park, which does have a "speed table" (a longer, flatter alternative to a speed bump or hump) on Nancy Pelosi Drive, the road that connects JFK Drive with Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive.
The effort to reduce speeds on JFK Drive comes after the death of 41-year-old cyclist Heather Miller, who was killed in a hit-and-run by a speeding motorist at JFK Drive and 30th Avenue on June 22nd. A suspect, 19-year-old Nicky Garcia, was ultimately arrested in the case; according to reports, the car he was driving was stolen, and he was going more than double the speed limit.
On the same evening as Miller, a second cyclist, 26-year-old Kate Slattery, was killed in an unrelated collision in SoMa. After public outcry over the two women's deaths, Mayor Lee called for expedited traffic safety improvements in SoMa and the park; since then, new speed limit signs have been added to JFK Drive, and police have stepped up enforcement.
“Golden Gate Park should not become a traffic thoroughfare," said a representative for the Mayor's Office. "We need to limit the speed of cars in Golden Gate Park to keep pedestrians, bicyclists and all park visitors safe. This is one proposal we are looking at to make Golden Gate Park safe for everyone.”
While many motorists are likely averse to jarring speed bumps, the city says that the proposed "humps" will be gradual slopes, which are less likely to cause noise or shake up passengers.
The SFMTA will discuss the proposed speed humps at a public hearing next Friday, September 16th, at 10am in Room 416 at City Hall. If you can't make the hearing, you can also submit comments by fax to (415) 701-4737, or by email to [email protected], with the subject line “Public Hearing.”
