Recent Traffic Changes: We Want to Hear From You!

It has been a few months since the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) implemented its plan to improve roads and walkways in the Barbary Coast neighborhood. We have received some member feedback about the changes, summarized below. Now we want to hear from you. What is working (or not) so far? Let us know in the comments section!

SANSOME STREET: Implementation of one-lane of through traffic on Sansome Street between Lombard and Chestnut to the Embarcadero (with sidewalk extension on Sansome between Lombard and the Embarcadero) and the addition of a protected bike lane with only one traffic lane on Battery Street between Lombard and Greenwich
- We are seeing some traffic backup during morning rush hour. People are getting caught by the left turn only lane on Sansome between Lombard and Chestnut. The right lane to go onto the Embarcadero fills up, and people caught in the left-turn lane end up circling around the Chestnut-Montgomery-Lombard block to get back in.
- No back-up at Sansome-Greenwich or Sansome-Lombard at 8-8:30 AM. There is some backup on the southbound Embarcadero but unclear whether it is due to the lane changes.
DAVIS STREET: Implementation of new bike lanes on Davis Street and added striping of pedestrian crosswalk at Davis and Pacific.
- Current plan does not address the increasing auto traffic speeds/patterns on Davis (south of Broadway) to Jackson and Drumm Streets in a very dense mixed residential/business community. With more than 1500 residents (including more and more families with children) living in the Gateway area (Davis/Jackson/Battery Streets), people want active traffic calming and pedestrian crossing improvements.
- Multiple comments from residents/workers and people with children argue for a traffic control officer or crossing guard at the Jackson/Davis St/Davis Ct intersection.
- Traffic calming and pedestrian crossing improvements (lighting, speed bumps, traffic control officer) should be enhanced on Davis Street and go beyond the Broadway/Jackson section.
- Pedestrian safety hotspots (especially for seniors and children) include Pacific/Davis cross walk, Davis/Jackson 4-way stop, Drumm/Jackson, Broadway/Davis, and Broadway/Embarcadero.
- Another hotspot is the intersection of Drumm and Washington Streets (not included in the SFMTA proposed changes): The two northbound lanes going towards Jackson previously permitted drivers in both lanes to go straight. The right lane was changed to “Right Turn Only,” which forces local residents trying to get to Jackson, the Safeway, etc. to wait behind cars turning left at Washington, which in turn must wait until the southbound traffic on Drumm has passed. We have often been stuck in the left lane for one or even two traffic light cycles before being able to go straight. At the same time, we have watched right turners going east onto Washington whiz by. It appears that many more people are stuck in the left lane than those drivers turning right. Please consider re-opening the right lane to those going straight.

6 Replies to “Recent Traffic Changes: We Want to Hear From You!”

To SFMTA:
1) I take Sansome every morning between 8:45 an 9 a m . Never, ever is there more than one bicycle.
Battery street West lane is now so narrow that parked trucks obstruct part of the lane. Very seldom a bike. I.e.Tax $ wasted.
2) Almost no bikers observe stop lights or signs and often ride right through pedestrians. No wonder bikes get hit.
3) SFMTA does not know how to deal with queues. Instead, they create them.
Dealing with traffic congestion is possible by using common sense analysis of queues. When the SFMTA eliminates a vehicle traffic lane to accommodate an occasional bike rider the result is the creation of queues in the remaining lanes. Also, when a lane is eliminated and traffic is at a standstill during rush hour do they realize that police, fire and ambulances can not get through and that this could mean loss of life and possible loss of buildings.
I have often advocated to SFMTA and elected officials that having all major employers use staggered hours could ease approximately 20% of the traffic during rush hours. Some arrive an hour earlier and leave an hour earlier. Some arrive an hour later and leave an hour later. All employees would still be at the office 6 hours of an 8 hour day, if they need face to face meetings. This could also help crowding on public transit.
4) Lastly, if bike rides will obey stop lights, stop signs and pedestrian rights of way, I will bet that bike accidents will decline.

Ron Kaufman
The Ron Kaufman Companies LLC
One Lombard Street, Ste 201
San Francisco, CA 94111

We are very concerned about the increasing traffic on Davis and Front streets. We have attended 2 community outreach meetings and have been told by SFMTA that pedestrian safety improvements are coming… just not now. Since Davis was repaved, traffic speed has become even more dangerous: every day we see people not stop at the 4 way stop sign on Jackson and Davis. Those who turn right on Davis tend to race to try to catch the green light on Broadway. The bikers don’t stop at the four way stop. The Muni express Presidio buses and the Uber/Lyft drivers race on Davis to catch the light on Broadway.

Same thing on Front Street from Jackson, cars accelerate instead of slowing down, oblivious there are people from the neighborhood crossing the street. Again the cars are trying to get to the green light on Broadway.

When we try to slow them down as we are crossing the street, the cars go around us!!! And they yell at us or insult us.

Both streets need to have speed bumps and flashing yellow lights. Too many drivers don’t see the pedestrians nor the yellow sign for the pedestrian crossing. Drivers don’t realize this is both a residential and a commercial neighborhood. They think these are downtown empty side streets for them to bypass the main streets.

Nothing less than speed bumps and flashing lights will do to ensure pedestrians are safe on Davis and Front streets. This is an urgent matter. Do we really have to wait until someone gets hurt to take action?

Sansome Street: Forcing the left lane to turn left at Chestnut is a disaster. Those caught in the side street then have a long line of slow-moving traffic to get back out onto Bay Street. Also, many drivers are caught in the wrong lane on Sansome and hold up traffic in both lanes trying to get into the lane they want.

The Embarcadero is a mess with only 2 lanes southbound during the morning and evening commutes plus the signals between Washington and Mission do not aid traffic flow.

Previous comments from others “We are seeing some traffic backup during morning rush hour. People are getting caught by the left turn only lane on Sansome between Lombard and Chestnut. The right lane to go onto the Embarcadero fills up, and people caught in the left-turn lane end up circling around the Chestnut-Montgomery-Lombard block to get back in.
No back-up at Sansome-Greenwich or Sansome-Lombard at 8-8:30 AM.”
My comment is that Sansome is much busier in the evening rush hour than the morning. So if there is backup in the morning, it must be worse at night. I can see the Chestnut/Sansome/Embarcadero intersection from my window. The left hand only lane is a problem. People are either going into it because the right hand lane is full or because they are confused. In any case, I often see cars in the left lane proceeding straight ahead. This certainly is an accident waiting to happen. I also don’t understand the restriction on left turn on red. It always worked well. I’ve never heard of any accidents there; and it only increases emissions as cars wait for the light to change.

The northbound intersection at Sansome and Chestnut isn’t ideal. From the left lane I don’t see why there cannot be a left turn on red since the pedestrians have a Don’t Walk light. That will help the flow a bit. From that same left light traffic can also turn right when the light is green. It’s not clearly marked and the turn is awkward but it works.

Ron Kaufman on November 10, 2019 at 10:15 pm said:

To SFMTA:
1) I take Sansome every morning between 8:45 an 9 a m . Never, ever is there more than one bicycle.
Battery street West lane is now so narrow that parked trucks obstruct part of the lane. Very seldom a bike. I.e.Tax $ wasted.
2) Almost no bikers observe stop lights or signs and often ride right through pedestrians. No wonder bikes get hit.
3) SFMTA does not know how to deal with queues. Instead, they create them.
Dealing with traffic congestion is possible by using common sense analysis of queues. When the SFMTA eliminates a vehicle traffic lane to accommodate an occasional bike rider the result is the creation of queues in the remaining lanes. Also, when a lane is eliminated and traffic is at a standstill during rush hour do they realize that police, fire and ambulances can not get through and that this could mean loss of life and possible loss of buildings.
I have often advocated to SFMTA and elected officials that having all major employers use staggered hours could ease approximately 20% of the traffic during rush hours. Some arrive an hour earlier and leave an hour earlier. Some arrive an hour later and leave an hour later. All employees would still be at the office 6 hours of an 8 hour day, if they need face to face meetings. This could also help crowding on public transit.
4) Lastly, if bike rides will obey stop lights, stop signs and pedestrian rights of way, I will bet that bike accidents will decline.

Ron Kaufman
The Ron Kaufman Companies LLC
One Lombard Street, Ste 201
San Francisco, CA 94111
Abu Farukh and Gabrielle Durana on November 4, 2019 at 9:28 pm said:

We are very concerned about the increasing traffic on Davis and Front streets. We have attended 2 community outreach meetings and have been told by SFMTA that pedestrian safety improvements are coming… just not now. Since Davis was repaved, traffic speed has become even more dangerous: every day we see people not stop at the 4 way stop sign on Jackson and Davis. Those who turn right on Davis tend to race to try to catch the green light on Broadway. The bikers don’t stop at the four way stop. The Muni express Presidio buses and the Uber/Lyft drivers race on Davis to catch the light on Broadway.

Same thing on Front Street from Jackson, cars accelerate instead of slowing down, oblivious there are people from the neighborhood crossing the street. Again the cars are trying to get to the green light on Broadway.

When we try to slow them down as we are crossing the street, the cars go around us!!! And they yell at us or insult us.

Both streets need to have speed bumps and flashing yellow lights. Too many drivers don’t see the pedestrians nor the yellow sign for the pedestrian crossing. Drivers don’t realize this is both a residential and a commercial neighborhood. They think these are downtown empty side streets for them to bypass the main streets.

Nothing less than speed bumps and flashing lights will do to ensure pedestrians are safe on Davis and Front streets. This is an urgent matter. Do we really have to wait until someone gets hurt to take action?
Patricia Neel on October 20, 2019 at 10:40 am said:

Sansome Street: Forcing the left lane to turn left at Chestnut is a disaster. Those caught in the side street then have a long line of slow-moving traffic to get back out onto Bay Street. Also, many drivers are caught in the wrong lane on Sansome and hold up traffic in both lanes trying to get into the lane they want.
Ray Hehman on October 19, 2019 at 3:29 pm said:

The Embarcadero is a mess with only 2 lanes southbound during the morning and evening commutes plus the signals between Washington and Mission do not aid traffic flow.
Karen Liao on October 16, 2019 at 11:15 am said:

Previous comments from others “We are seeing some traffic backup during morning rush hour. People are getting caught by the left turn only lane on Sansome between Lombard and Chestnut. The right lane to go onto the Embarcadero fills up, and people caught in the left-turn lane end up circling around the Chestnut-Montgomery-Lombard block to get back in.
No back-up at Sansome-Greenwich or Sansome-Lombard at 8-8:30 AM.”
My comment is that Sansome is much busier in the evening rush hour than the morning. So if there is backup in the morning, it must be worse at night. I can see the Chestnut/Sansome/Embarcadero intersection from my window. The left hand only lane is a problem. People are either going into it because the right hand lane is full or because they are confused. In any case, I often see cars in the left lane proceeding straight ahead. This certainly is an accident waiting to happen. I also don’t understand the restriction on left turn on red. It always worked well. I’ve never heard of any accidents there; and it only increases emissions as cars wait for the light to change.
Doug on October 15, 2019 at 9:37 am said:

The northbound intersection at Sansome and Chestnut isn’t ideal. From the left lane I don’t see why there cannot be a left turn on red since the pedestrians have a Don’t Walk light. That will help the flow a bit. From that same left light traffic can also turn right when the light is green. It’s not clearly marked and the turn is awkward but it works.