San Francisco cycling and pedestrian safety advocates are in a large dust-up with the SF Fire Department. The dispute hinges on the Fire Department’s opposition to bulb-outs and other safety improvements designed to protect bikers and pedestrians from cars.
The San Francisco Fire Department says that such safety enhancements actually endanger the public by making it harder for fire trucks to navigate throughout the city.
SFFD Chief Johanna Hayes-White drew mockery from many safety advocates after suggesting that 74 percent of pedestrian crashes were the fault of inattentive pedestrians. Data actually indicate that drivers making illegal turns are the most common cause of fatal pedestrian accidents.
The SF Fire Department corrected Hayes-White’s errors in an official statement and called suggestions that it was against safety enhancements “ludicrous.” It also denied allegations that it attempted to block the implementation of safety enhancements, despite evidence to the contrary.
