In early April, the city celebrated the end of the Polk Streetscape project, the two-year, $26.8 million effort to improve safety on the busy street.
The city reports that on average, one pedestrian and one cyclist are struck by vehicles every month on Polk Street, one of the highest rates of such accidents in San Francisco. The Streetscape Project included 30 blocks of improved bike lanes, 136 new trees, 3,800 feet of upgraded sewers and 5,700 feet of upgraded water lines, 160 curb ramp improvements, improved traffic signals at nine intersections, 81 new street lights, and 31 refurbished lights, and resurfacing of the entire 1.8-mile length of Polk from Beach to McAllister Streets. The extensive reworking of the street drew significant concern and complaints from local residents and businesses about the loss of street parking and disruption of customer traffic.
“We will continue to evaluate Polk Street to determine what improvements can be added to help us achieve our safety goals,” said Mayor London Breed. “Moving forward, we must find ways to deliver these types of safety projects faster, which is why I have directed the SFMTA to implement simple, easy-to-install safety improvements as quickly as possible.”
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