SAY "NO" TO RED ZONES ON STANYAN @ ALMA

The crosswalks at the intersection of Stanyan and Alma Streets are consistently unsafe. Motorists regularly choose not to stop for pedestrians waiting to cross Stanyan Street at Alma. Stanyan currently functions as a commuter street in Cole Valley, even as it cuts through a clearly marked school zone. The SFPD has patrolled the intersection and found rampant speeding and pedestrian crossing violations by motorists. Clearly this safety issue must be addressed.

Upon request by members of the Cole Valley Community, the SFMTA recently conducted a stop sign study. The SFMTA’s conclusion was to deny the stop sign, instead proposing red curbs to create more visibility at the intersection. We believe the proposed remedy is insufficient, and indeed counterproductive.

Visibility is not the problem. Any Cole Valley resident has seen how drivers at this intersection deliberately ignore pedestrians. Red zones will not make the crossing any safer because they will not change this aggressive commuter mentality.

WE OPPOSE THE MTA’S PLAN TO “DAYLIGHT” THE INTERSECTION OF STANYAN AND ALMA STREET WITH RED ZONES.
Red zones on Stanyan will be worse than ineffective. Not only will they fail to change the hostile mentality of commuters on Stanyan Street (who already ignore the school zone signage), but they will remove valuable parking from our neighborhood near a recreational center. Even more perversely, the reduction in parking will likely contribute to more aggressive driving around Grattan Playground as motorists compete for fewer parking spots.

THE COSTS OF THE “DAYLIGHTING” PROPOSAL OUTWEIGH ANY POSSIBLE BENEFIT.
The Cole Valley Community is disappointed with the MTA’s decision to deny us a stop sign on Stanyan at Alma. However, we reject the notion that “daylighting” with red zones is a suitable alternative. We oppose the MTA’s proposal. Instead we will continue to work with the SFPD in patrolling our school zone, and we will continue to pursue more effective traffic calming measures for the intersection of Stanyan and Alma Streets. We believe these steps will bring a greater measure of pedestrian safety at less cost to our community.