Frida Kahlo Way Quick-Build Project
Construction Substantially Complete!
Construction work on the Frida Kahlo Way Quick-Build substantially completed in August 2024. The new two-way bikeway is open for use, transit stop changes are operational, and traffic signal improvements and vehicle circulation changes have gone into effect.
Next Steps
Work continues within the Frida Quick-Build project area. Coordination with City College construction activities will result in additional improvements at the south end of the corridor at the new Student Success Center. Follow up work at the Frida Kahlo Way/Judson Ave intersection will discourage illegal vehicle movements and improve loading operations in front of Riordan High School The project team will monitor issues with the project design and make near-term adjustments in response. Over the next year, the project team will conduct a qualitative and quantitative evaluation to determine longer-term next steps. See post-construction fact sheet for evaluation details.
Project Introduction
The Frida Kahlo Quick-Build Project aims to improve safety for people walking and bicycling on Frida Kahlo Way and Judson Avenue west of Foerster Street. It seeks to strengthen active-transportation connections between the Sunnyside and Ingleside neighborhoods, Ocean Avenue commercial corridor, City College, and planned residential development on the Balboa Reservoir.
The project will add a two-way protected bikeway on the east side of Frida Kahlo Way / south side of Judson Avenue, update pedestrian crossings, make changes to improve transit access and reliability, and modify curb management to improve access to schools in the area. The project supports implementing goals and priorities identified in the recently completed District 7 Ocean Avenue Mobility Action Plan, previous planning efforts in the area, and SFMTA’s Vision Zero Program.
Project Timeline
Project Status
- Legislated
- Implementation / Construction
- Completed
Improvements
Bus Routes and Rail Lines
Neighborhoods
Streets
Frida Kahlo Way, Judson Avenue
What is a quick-build project?
Quick-build projects focus on implementing safety improvements on streets identified on San Francisco's Vision Zero High-Injury Network.
Quick-build projects are adjustable and reversible traffic safety improvements that SFMTA crews can install quickly. Unlike major capital projects that may take years to plan, design, bid, and construct, quick-build projects are buildable within weeks and months and are intended to be evaluated and reviewed within 24 months of implementation.
Typical quick-build type improvements include:
- Paint, traffic delineators, and street signs
- Parking and loading (curb management) adjustments
- Traffic signal timing changes and small modifications
Background and Scope
Frida Kahlo Way and Judson Avenue are centered in an area poised to experience significant change over the coming years. West of the project area, the Balboa Reservoir residential development proposes adding up to 1,100 units to the site. City College continues to expand facilities along Friday Kahlo Way, with their planned Student Success Center and STEAM buildings joining the Multi-Use Building, requiring students to cross the street. Already today, many Riordan High School students ride Muni to school and cross the Frida Kahlo Way to access bus stops. These developments will bring many more people to the streets, impressing the importance of traffic safety and travel choices other than driving.
The Frida Kahlo / Judson corridor is wide and provides opportunities for traffic-safety upgrades to serve better existing and future users. A previous road diet added bike lanes, which do not include physical protection and are therefore not attractive for many people, and pedestrian crossings are still very long. Further, the broad street encourages driving at faster speeds.
Though the Hearst Slow Street and traffic calming and streetscape improvements on Holloway Avenue have improved the quality of walking and bicycling in the greater neighborhood, Frida Kahlo Way and Judson Avenue are not adequately connected with the neighborhood’s active-transportation network and are ripe for upgrades. A future extension of Lee Avenue through the Balboa Reservoir development will provide better connections and increased demand for walking and bicycling. Building out the street grid is still many years away, however, so there is an opportunity for an improved walk/bike connection along Frida Kahlo Way and connecting with Lee Avenue in the near-term.
The project is informed by the Ocean Avenue Mobility Action Plan, which will prioritize and identify funding for transportation, pedestrian safety, bike safety, and traffic circulation improvements for the Ocean Avenue corridor between Junipero Serra Boulevard and San Jose Avenue.
Goals and Objectives
- Improve safety for people walking and bicycling by upgrading street infrastructure to best-practice designs
- Update pedestrian crossings
- Add a physically-protected bikeway
- Reduce vehicle speeds while keeping traffic moving, thereby reducing the likelihood of severe-injury collisions for people driving and people walking
- Address conflicts between those who walk, bike, and drive on the corridor
- Improve connections between educational and community destinations and surrounding neighborhoods, including City College, Riordan High, the Balboa Reservoir project, Ocean Avenue, and the Sunnyside neighborhood
- Improve sustainable transportation options in anticipation of more housing and mobility demand expected as the Balboa Reservoir and City College projects are built.
Contact Information
Frida Kahlo Way Quick-Build Project Team