A draft design has been developed for the Franklin Street Quick-Build project. Read on to learn more about the planning process, and view the draft design.
What we heard
The project team conducted the first round of outreach in spring/summer 2022 to understand how folks experience traveling on Franklin Street today, which included a walking tour, survey, and conversations with neighborhood stakeholders.
Key feedback heard through the project outreach included:
- Vehicles turn at high speeds and crosswalks feel unsafe
- Pedestrian visibility is an issue
- Drivers speed and run red lights
- Desire to maintain traffic flow
Draft design available
The recommended draft design responds the challenges and suggestions community members identified, takeaways from site visits, and technical analyses of collisions and traffic models. It focuses on pedestrian safety upgrades at the intersections, where vehicle turning speeds and potential conflicts between people driving and people walking are highest.
Below are the main elements that make up the draft design:
Painted Safety Zones
Painted safety zones (PSZs) increase the visibility of pedestrians at crossings by keeping the corners of intersections clear.
Slow-Turn Wedges
Slow-turn wedges encourage people driving to turn at safer speeds, and at angles that make people crossing more visible.
Daylighting
Red zones increase the visibility of pedestrians at crossings by keeping the area clear.
No Right Turn on Red
No right turn on red restrictions keep crosswalks clear and reduce potential conflicts between people driving and people walking.
These targeted intersection improvements are designed to focus on and address the safety of the most vulnerable road users – people walking on Franklin Street. The project team evaluated the potential impacts of a travel-lane reduction and found that reducing the number of travel lanes on Franklin could add to intersection delay and queuing on Franklin, impacting safety on parallel streets as drivers choose alternate routes.
As with all quick-build projects, the SFMTA, through its Vision Zero Safe Streets Evaluation Program, will assess the project’s outcomes and determine whether the changes implemented effectively respond to issues identified in the planning phase. Modifications to the initial design can be made in response to the results of the evaluation.
How to provide feedback
You may comment on the draft design at the Engineering Public Hearing taking place on Friday, December 2nd at 10:00 AM. For more information about the Public Hearing and how to provide comments before or during the meeting, please visit: https://www.sfmta.com/committees/engineering-public-hearings. If approved by the City Traffic Engineer following the December 2, 2022 Public Hearing, implementation would begin in winter 2022/23.
Questions?
If you have questions about the draft design or wish to set up a meeting to discuss with the project team, email us at FranklinQB@sfmta.com.
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