ClickCease San Francisco unveils 1st 'protected intersection'

San Francisco unveils 1st ‘protected intersection’

San Francisco’s Vision Zero campaign includes an effort to avoid personal injuries to citizens by, in part, changing city’s streets to better protect pedestrians and bicyclists. City officials optimistically hope to eliminate traffic fatalities in San Francisco by 2024.

Making pedestrian and bicycle safety a priority is especially important at high-volume intersections. Last month, one of San Francisco’s most dangerous intersections received safety upgrades intended to eliminate the danger riders and walkers face from reckless drivers.

On Dec. 21, city officials officially unveiled San Francisco’s first “protected intersection” at Ninth and Division streets. According to SFBAy.ca, the intersection now includes a wide green bike lane and concrete islands to give pedestrians a safe place to walk while crossing the street.

The city chose to redesign the Ninth and Division streets intersection first based on traffic data. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency reported that 25 percent of traffic during rush hour there is made up of bicyclists, with more than 200 riders passing through every morning. This intersection is also notorious for collisions between bicycles and cars, Mayor Ed Lee said at the unveiling.

If these upgrades produce the desired safety improvement the city will construct protected intersections at other spots where riders and pedestrians are at high risk of injury.

Even with safer intersections the risks to pedestrians of personal injury from careless auto drivers will persist. For personal injuries that result from careless and negligent drivers, victims need an experienced personal injury attorney.

The Walkup law firm has been taking care of those injured by auto drivers since 1959.