Sidewalks are for Pedestrians
Surveys
Sidewalks are for Pedestrians
According to the City Traffic Code Article 5, Sec. 96
It shall be unlawful to ride a bicycle upon any sidewalk area, except juveniles under the age of 13 and not in front of schools, stores, or buildings used for business purposes.
Yet every day seniors, children, and people with disabilities are intimidated and/or injured by bicyclists on the sidewalk. Furthermore, sidewalk riding is unsafe for bicyclists. Motor vehicles are less likely to see a bike coming off the sidewalk onto a crosswalk then if it was already on the street. In the last few years, the bicycle transportation community has grown significantly in San Francisco. Which is a very good thing considering the environment, street congestions, oil prices, and etc. Yet during this same time period, the conflicts and injuries caused by bicyclists riding on the sidewalk have also risen significantly.
In response to this growing hazard, SAN started a pedestrian safety campaign entitled Sidewalks are for Pedestrians. The goal of this campaign is to: Educate, Enforce, and Protect pedestrians’ rights. With the support of the Municipal Transportation Agency, MTA; the Department of Public Health, DPH; the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition; and WALK SF, the campaign is presently focused on bicycle riding on the sidewalks.
This year with grant funding from the Department of Public Health, SAN is conducting a study on the effectiveness of education and enforcement regarding bicycle riding on the sidewalk and pedestrian safety. The targeted area is the Civic Center. The project starts February 15, 2008 and will be completed by June 30, 2008. The study consists of three segments:
- Data Collection – Pre-existing Condition
- Education and Enforcement
- Post Project data Collection and Analysis Data Collection; Pre-Existing Condition
SAN will conduct a series of traffic behavior studies and community and bicycle surveys. The behavior studies will consist of traffic volumes of pedestrians, bicycles and motorized vehicles and traffic behavior, (e.g. riding one the sidewalk and looking both ways before crossing). The studies will establish the extent of pedestrian and bicycle conflict prior to the implementation of the education and enforce segment of the project.
Education and Enforcement In the targeted area of McAllister to Market and Van Ness to Hyde during the months of April and May, SAN will:
- Chalk “Walk Your Bike” stencils through-out the Civic Center,
- Sticker bicycle racks with “Walk your Bike on the Sidewalk”
- Request merchants and residents to display “Walk Your Bike on the Sidewalk” posters in their windows, and
- Distribute “Sidewalks are for Pedestrians” flyers to pedestrians/bicyclists. Post Project data Collection and Analysis
During the last month of the project, SAN will conduct a series of behavior studies. The studies will be conducted in the exact same matter as performed prior to the education and enforcement stage of the project. These June study results will be compared to the results of the studies performed in April to determine if the project’s method of community pedestrian education and enforcement has a positive effect on pedestrian safety.