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SF Mission Bay safety town hall draws calls for more protections after toddler’s death
Residents in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood gathered Thursday night for a public safety town hall focused on improving pedestrian safety, following the death of a 2-year-old child who was struck and killed at a busy intersection in February.
SAN FRANCISCO - Residents in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood gathered Thursday night for a public safety town hall focused on improving pedestrian safety, following the death of a 2-year-old child who was struck and killed at a busy intersection in February.
District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said her office is continuing to evaluate the case. Her charging decision in the fatal crash is expected to be announced Monday.
"Certainly, in a case like this, we take it extremely seriously. We do believe that drivers have to be held accountable," said Jenkins.
Push for safer streets
What we know:
The meeting, organized by San Francisco Supervisor Matt Dorsey, centered on what more can be done to prevent another tragedy in a neighborhood that sees heavy foot traffic from both residents and visitors.
City officials from multiple departments, including police, fire, the mayor’s office and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency took questions from the audience.
"The reason speeding is so important is because it is the number one cause of fatalities," said SFMTA Streets Director Viktoriya Wise.
The SFMTA has already taken steps to improve safety at the intersection where the toddler was killed. Those include new barriers to protect pedestrians and cyclists, repainted crosswalks, and retimed traffic signals. The barriers replace unsanctioned barriers recently installed by the street safety advocacy group, Safe Street Rebel.
The SFMTA also noted that seven of the city’s 33 speed safety cameras have recently been installed in District 6.
Officials say those cameras are already having an impact.
Residents want more
What they're saying:
Despite those efforts, many residents said the changes are not enough, especially in a neighborhood that draws large crowds to nearby venues like Oracle Park and Chase Center.
Some neighbors raised concerns about traffic from visitors unfamiliar with the area.
"We have a lot of people who come trying to visit, who don’t live here or work here," one resident said.
"We love the events here, but we are also families. There needs to be a balance here," another resident added.
Focus on future improvements
What's next:
City leaders acknowledged those concerns and said more targeted safety efforts, particularly during major events, are being considered.
"With the special events we need to have a better presence here," said Steven Betz with the mayor’s office. "We do have in the budget a line item to surge for special events."
Residents also urged officials to expand safety improvements beyond Fourth and Channel to nearby streets like Terry Francois Boulevard.
Officials said community feedback will play a key role in determining where additional safety measures are implemented next.