Project Reports

2023 Slow Streets Design Toolkit

Volume Management Tools

Soft Diversion - Traffic Diverter and Sign at Intersections

• Traffic Safety Impact: Soft diversion at intersections discourages cut through traffic while still allowing for local access. Through strategic placement of Slow Streets flexible delineators, soft diversion helps keep traffic volumes low to support safe and comfortable active transportation.
• Implementation Considerations: Traffic diverters cannot be installed at intersections where a traffic signal is present without an associated left-turn restriction on the cross street and, if present, the removal of an existing turn pocket. Additionally, traffic diverters generally cannot be placed where conflicts with driveways or other access issues exist.

Left-Turn Restrictions

• Traffic Safety Impact: Left-turn restrictions help reduce cut-through traffic volumes on a Slow Street by prohibiting left turns.
• Implementation Considerations: Local traffic, such as residents and mail/ delivery vehicles, can only access the block by making a right turn onto it. This treatment has an added benefit because it allows for the standard Slow Street delineator and sign treatment to be installed at intersections where a traffic signal is present.

Median Diverters

• Traffic Safety Impact: Median diverters help reduce cut-through traffic by fully preventing a vehicle from continuing through to the next block and forcing vehicles to turn right. A median diverter is created by installing several traffic delineators in the middle of the intersection. This treatment further discourages non-local traffic from utilizing the street by preventing them from traveling multiple blocks, and keeps traffic volumes low.
• Implementation Considerations: Local traffic, such as residents and mail/delivery vehicles, can only access the block by making a right turn onto it.

Concrete Islands

• Traffic Safety Impact: Concrete islands provide a more durable barrier to discourage vehicle traffic.
• Implementation Considerations: Concrete islands work best on streets where there is sufficient space to maintain vehicle access in the opposite direction. Street sweeping and drainage must be considered for concrete islands located close to the curb. Concrete materials last longer, require less maintenance, and act as a more robust barrier for discouraging cut-through traffic than typical Slow Streets delineators, while allowing for bicycle and scooter access. Where possible, the islands could include space for community art and greening.

Speed Management Tools

Speed Cushions

• Traffic Safety Impact: Speed cushions help to reduce vehicle speeds along a block. Speed is a primary factor in most traffic safety-related conflicts. Speed cushions help mitigate the speeding issue by forcing oncoming traffic to slow down to travel over the vertical feature comfortably and safely. Placing consecutive speed cushions along a block discourages drivers from accelerating to unsafe speeds on longer blocks.
• Implementation Considerations: Speed cushions are typically not installed on streets with steep grades.

Neighborhood Traffic Circle

• Traffic Safety Impact: Traffic circles help to slow vehicle speeds at an intersection. A traffic circle is a calming measure that improves safety at intersections. It’s usually built of concrete, but other materials like safe-hit posts and paint can be used. The element in the middle of the intersection prevents drivers from traveling straight through and slows down vehicles as they navigate through the intersection, providing better cross-street visibility.
• Implementation Considerations: Depending on materials used, this tool may require more maintenance and take longer to install; can be installed at intersections with or without stop signs.

Painted Safety Zones

• Traffic Safety Impact: Painted safety zones help to increase the visibility of pedestrians at intersections and to encourage slower turning speeds. Painted safety zones are painted areas of the road that wrap around sidewalk corners to make pedestrian crossing intersections more visible to people driving. Narrowing the intersection encourages slower vehicle travel speeds and decreases the crossing distance for pedestrians.
• Implementation Considerations: May require parking removal.

Roadway Narrowing

• Traffic Safety Impact: Roadway narrowing uses striping and/or vertical elements to visually and physically narrow the right of way to discourage cutthrough traffic and tp help reduce vehicle speeds. Roadway narrowing can use multiple elements such as striping, bollards, and signage to discourage cut-through traffic and slow the speed of vehicles.
• Implementation Considerations: May require the removal of parking spaces.

Active Transportation Safety Tools

Continental Crosswalks

• Traffic Safety Impact: Continental crosswalks provide visual cues for motorists at intersections indicating that pedestrians may be present. Continental crosswalks are high-visibility roadway markings comprised of thick, vertical striping. Case studies on their usage have shown that motorists are more likely to yield to pedestrians in continental crosswalks as compared to traditional crosswalks. Crosswalks also indicate to a driver where a pedestrian might be crossing the street

• Implementation Considerations: Curb ramps are required to stripe crosswalks at intersections where the crosswalks are currently not marked.

Slow Street Pavement Markings

• Traffic Safety Impact: Slow Street pavement markings help to communicate roadway conditions, encourage slow vehicle speeds, and indicate pedestrian and bicycle priority on the street. Pavement markings are used to convey messages to roadway users. The Slow Streets roadway markings provide a visual cue that help to reinforce the character of the street as a place where all users should be traveling at slow speeds.
• Implementation Considerations: No major requirements.

Slow Street Wayfinding and Identification Signs

• Traffic Safety Impact: Slow Street wayfinding signs indicate the location of a Slow Street for approaching motorists and people walking, biking, and rolling. Like Slow Street pavement markings, Slow Street identification signs reinforce the character of the street as a place where all users should be traveling at slow speeds.
• Implementation Considerations: No major requirements.

Intersection Daylighting (red curbs at intersection approach)

• Traffic Safety Impact: Daylighting helps to improve visibility at intersections. Daylighting is a simple safety treatment that makes everyone on the street easier to see at intersections. It removes visual barriers within a minimum of 10 feet of a crosswalk or intersection with a red zone. The red zone prohibits parking close to the intersection where it could reduce the sight distance of motorists as they approach the intersection or crosswalk.
• Implementation Considerations: May require the removal of parking spaces.

This page contains downloadable PDFs of Geary Boulevard Improvement Project maps and detailed project drawings.

An accessible text version of Geary Boulevard Improvement Project proposals is also available.

Sustainable Streets Division Directive Order No. 6637

13(a). ESTABLISH – CLASS IV BIKEWAY (PARKING PROTECTED BIKEWAY)
Bayshore Boulevard, northbound and southbound, between Silver Avenue and Oakdale Avenue (reclassifying existing Class II bike lanes to Class IV Bikeway) (Approvable by the City Traffic Engineer)

13(b). ESTABLISH – TRANSIT BOARDING ISLAND
Bayshore Boulevard, east side, from 107 feet to 132 feet north of Cortland Avenue (extends existing island 25 feet) (Approvable by the City Traffic Engineer)

13(c). ESTABLISH – TOW-AWAY, NO STOPPING ANY TIME
Bayshore Boulevard, east side, from Marengo Street to Waterloo Street (removes 9 parking spaces)
Bayshore Boulevard, east side, from Flower Street to Oakdale Avenue (removes 6 parking spaces)
(Approvable by the City Traffic Engineer)

13(d). ESTABLISH – TOW-AWAY, NO PARKING ANY TIME
A. Bayshore Boulevard, east side, from 246 feet to 366 feet north of Cortland Avenue (daylighting and low-pressure fire hydrant, removes 4 parking spaces)
B. Bayshore Boulevard, east side, from 456 feet to 516 feet north of Cortland Avenue (low-pressure fire hydrant, removes 3 parking spaces)
C. Bayshore Boulevard, east side, from 300 feet to 338 feet south of Flower Street (removes 2 parking spaces)
D. Bayshore Boulevard, east side, from 157 feet to 211 feet south of Flower Street (removes 1 parking space)
E. Bayshore Boulevard, west side, from Oakdale Avenue to 123 feet southerly (removes 1 parking space)
F. Bayshore Boulevard, west side, from 161 feet to 305 feet south of Oakdale Avenue (driveway clearance and low-pressure fire hydrant, removes 4 parking spaces and shortens existing green zone)
G. Bayshore Boulevard, west side, from 386 feet to 679 feet south of Oakdale Avenue (driveway clearance and low-pressure fire hydrant, removes 9 parking spaces)
H. Bayshore Boulevard, west side, from Cortland Avenue to 103 feet northerly (removes 4 parking spaces)
I. Bayshore Boulevard, west side, from 346 feet to 366 feet north of Cortland Avenue (driveway clearance, removes 1 parking space)
J. Bayshore Boulevard, west side, from 395 feet to 522 feet north of Cortland Avenue (driveway clearance, removes 2 parking spaces) (Approvable by the City Traffic Engineer)

13(e). ESTABLISH – WHITE ZONE, PASSENGER LOADING, 8:30 AM TO 7:00 PM, EVERYDAY
Bayshore Boulevard, west side, from 522 feet to 604 feet north of Cortland Avenue (Approvable by the City Traffic Engineer)

13(f). ESTABLISH – YELLOW ZONE, COMMERCIAL LOADING, 9:00 AM TO 6:00 PM, MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY
Bayshore Boulevard, east side, from 112 feet to 194 feet north of Cortland Avenue (moves existing commercial loading zone 20 feet south)
Bayshore Boulevard, west side, from 305 feet to 386 feet south of Oakdale Avenue
(Approvable by the City Traffic Engineer)

13(g). ESTABLISH – TRAFFIC ISLAND
Bayshore Boulevard from Cortland Avenue to Oakdale Avenue (new concrete median, removes center lane and prevents left turns except at intersections) (Approvable by the City Traffic Engineer)
(Supervisor Districts 9 and 10) Jonathan Chimento, jonathan.chimento@sfmta.com
Proposal to install new safety measures on Bayshore Boulevard including parking protected bikeway.
Public Comments: Comments received in support and in opposition.

Decision: Items 13(a), 13(b), 13(e), 13(f) and 13(g) approved by the City Traffic Engineer for implementation. Items 13(c) and 13(d) approved by the City Traffic Engineer to forward to the SFMTA Board for final approval and implementation.
 

Sustainable Streets Division Directive Order No. 6653 Pursuant to the public hearing held on March 17, 2023, traffic movement and safety may be improved by the changes approved below. The Environmental Clearance for these items is noted on Order No. 6633.  

ESTABLISH – TOW-AWAY, NO STOPPING ANY TIME Bayshore Boulevard, east side, from Marengo Street to Waterloo Street (removes 9 parking spaces) Bayshore Boulevard, east side, from Flower Street to Oakdale Avenue (removes 6 parking spaces) (Approvable by the City Traffic Engineer)  

ESTABLISH – TOW-AWAY, NO PARKING ANY TIME

A. Bayshore Boulevard, east side, from 246 feet to 366 feet north of Cortland Avenue (daylighting and low-pressure fire hydrant, removes 4 parking spaces)

B. Bayshore Boulevard, east side, from 456 feet to 516 feet north of Cortland Avenue (low pressure fire hydrant, removes 3 parking spaces)

C. Bayshore Boulevard, east side, from 300 feet to 338 feet south of Flower Street (removes 2 parking spaces)

D. Bayshore Boulevard, east side, from 157 feet to 211 feet south of Flower Street (removes 1 parking space)

E. Bayshore Boulevard, west side, from Oakdale Avenue to 123 feet southerly (removes 1 parking space)

F. Bayshore Boulevard, west side, from 161 feet to 305 feet south of Oakdale Avenue (driveway clearance and low-pressure fire hydrant, removes 4 parking spaces and shortens existing green zone)

G. Bayshore Boulevard, west side, from 386 feet to 679 feet south of Oakdale Avenue (driveway clearance and low-pressure fire hydrant, removes 9 parking spaces)

H. Bayshore Boulevard, west side, from Cortland Avenue to 103 feet northerly (removes 4 parking spaces)

I. Bayshore Boulevard, west side, from 346 feet to 366 feet north of Cortland Avenue (driveway clearance, removes 1 parking space)

J. Bayshore Boulevard, west side, from 395 feet to 522 feet north of Cortland Avenue (driveway clearance, removes 2 parking spaces) (Approvable by the City Traffic Engineer)  

This Order is a supplement to Order No. 6637 issued following the March 17, 2023 public hearing.  Per SFMTA Board Resolution No. 200317-032, the SFMTA Board of Directors authorized the City Traffic Engineer to install tow-away zones on Bayshore Boulevard between Oakdale Avenue and Industrial Street.    

Whether or not the City Traffic Engineer’s decision is considered a Final SFMTA Decision is determined by Division II, Section 203 of the Transportation Code.  If the City Traffic Engineer approves a parking or traffic modification, it is considered a Final SFMTA Decision.  If the City Traffic Engineer disapproves or declines a parking or traffic modification, a member of the public must request additional review by the SFMTA of that decision which shall be conducted pursuant to Division II, Section 203 of the Transportation Code before the decision becomes a Final SFMTA Decision. Final SFMTA Decisions, whether made by the City Traffic Engineer or the SFMTA Board, can be reviewed by the Board of Supervisors pursuant to Ordinance 127-18.  

Decisions reviewable by the Board of Supervisors are denoted with a pound (#).  Information about the review process can be found at: https://sfbos.org/sites/default/files/SFMTA_Action_Review_Info_Sheet.pdf.  For questions about any of these items, please contact: sustainable.streets@sfmta.com and reference this order number. 

Draft Design for the 20th Street Slow Street