Howard Street Implementation

Located in the South of Market neighborhood (SoMa), between 11^th Street and 4^th Street, Howard Street is a two to three -lane westbound arterial originally built to support manufacturing and warehousing.

Over the past two decades, this project area has experienced explosive growth in housing and office employment. This growth coupled with a large population of disadvantaged communities significantly increased the number of people walking and bicycling.

Project Goals

• Improve safety for all users
• Make biking, walking and riding transit in SoMa more comfortable
• Identify/reflect the cultural diversity and vibrancy in SoMa
• Enhance the public realm and landscape

The Project addresses safety issues on Howard Street, a corridor on San Francisco’s Vision Zero High Injury Network (i.e., the 12 percent of San Francisco streets with 68 percent of severe and fatal traffic collisions). Between 2019 and 2023, one fatality occurred on the corridor along with 107 traffic crashes on Howard Street, with more than half of these involving people walking or biking.

Project Components

Once completed, Howard Street will implement the following treatments:

Roadway Configuration Changes

• Removal of one westbound travel lane on Howard Street between 4^th Street and 11^th Street

Pedestrian Safety Improvements

• New corner bulb-outs that shorten crossing distances 
• Traffic signals with optimized signal timing  
• Raised bikeway crossings that will prioritize pedestrians
• Leading Pedestrian Intervals or pedestrian head starts  
• Raised crosswalks at alleyways for step free access

Bicycle Safety Improvements

• New two-way protected bike lane on Howard from 4^th Street to 11^th Street
• Concrete buffers and parking bays to separate moving vehicles and people biking
• New bicycle and turning signals with dedicated phases for cyclists and turning vehicles
• Raised bikeways at select alley crossings to prioritize a cyclist’s right-of-way

Loading and Parking Improvements

• ADA compliant passenger loading zones to accommodate wheelchair ramp deployment

Public Realm Improvements

• Commemorative plaques, benches, decorative crosswalks, cultural signs, landscaping and trees
• New pedestrian street lighting

Utility Upgrades

• Upgraded auxiliary water supply system
• Improved drainage and sewer system

Immediate Need to Address Safety

Beginning in 2019, the SFMTA completed “Quick-Build” improvements on Howard Street from 11^th Street to 3^rd Street with a Class IV parking- protected bicycle lane and Howard Street between 3^rd  Street and The Embarcadero using effective temporary and adjustable measures such as paint, traffic delineators, and signage.

• Upgrading the existing bike lane to a parking-protected bikeway in the westbound direction to provide a more comfortable and separated space for people riding bikes
• Daylighting at intersections and driveways to improve intersection visibility
• Increasing the number of yellow zones to improve loading for commercial businesses
• Reducing the number of traffic lanes to redistribute roadway space for all road users