Two More Injury Collisions on Masonic Since Pedestrian Fatality Last Friday

Collision from red light running this morning at Masonic & Hayes

Northbound motorist (silver Volvo) and westbound driver (silver Honda) collide

Smash-up in the busy crosswalk leading to John Adams campus of City College

This morning at about 6:35 two motorists collided in the Masonic and Hayes intersection, pushing both vehicles into the east-west crosswalk. One driver was badly shaken and possibly injured but he decided against a trip to the hospital. The man told BIKE NOPA that he was driving his silver Honda Prelude westbound on Hayes and that he crossed Masonic with a green light when he was struck by a northbound motorist, a woman, in a silver Volvo SUV. The driver of the Volvo talked with police officers and appeared uninjured. She was overheard stating that she crossed Masonic with a green light. The investigation is still underway, and the police provided no further details. The neighbor who alerted us to the collision, said she lived a half-block from Masonic and that she "hears these crashes out there all the time."

The red-light running collision this morning follows a much worse smash-up on Masonic with serious injuries resulting from a speeding motorist on Saturday, May 7, at approximately 7:30 pm. One eyewitness relayed the events:

"It happened ... as the sun was about to set. A white BMW flew down Masonic, trying to beat the light and get across Fell. A whole bunch of cyclists and joggers were just about to cross. He almost clipped the female jogger, who stopped mere feet away mid-stride, as she was about to cross the street. On a walking sign! This was how blatant he was, timing-wise trying to run this light.

"He missed the jogger, and I panned my head to follow him to the intersection. A motorcyclist collided with him. Both are going a good 60 MPH plus. The motorcyclist ran right into the side of the car, and flew over 15 feet into the air. His shoe actually flew off, and landed all the way across the intersection, right by me. The bike just exploded, totalled. I think I saw him raise his arms at
first, so hopefully he's alive. A huge crowd of people, rushed over to him, and police
and ambulances arrived soon after."

This witness recounted that he was in shock following the incident. He added that he hopes the driver is jailed "with at least two counts against him: one for almost killing the cyclist and one for almost killing the jogger."

Both incidents follow the tragic death of James Hudson, the 61-year-old man killed while crossing Masonic, in the crosswalk, by a drunk driver in the early hours of Friday, May 6th. (A vigil for Hudson followed by a street safety strategy session will be held Wednesday, May 11). Last month a 35-year-old woman was struck by a red-light running motorist on Masonic at Grove and suffered broken legs, head and internal injuries.

On Friday, May 13 the public is invited to attend and testify at a hearing that will review the city's plan for re-designing Masonic Avenue to make the corridor safer for all users. Those unable to attend can also send a message to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) before Friday to have the opinions considered as part of the hearing. (send opinions to sustainable.streets@sfmta.com with the subject heading "Public Hearing." For a review of the comprehensive safety plan developed by city planners and Masonic neighbors, check the SFMTA site here or the BIKE NOPA summary here.

For previous articles in the A Better Masonic series, check here.

NOPNA Board Votes Strong Support for Masonic's Boulevard Design

The Board of Directors of the North of the Panhandle Neighborhood Association (NOPNA) has added its support to an extensive re-design of Masonic Avenue dubbed the Boulevard option. Jarie Bolander, NOPNA President, informed city planners this morning by email, that the board decided to support the Boulevard option "because that's what the majority of our neighbors want." The NOPNA board's decision is based on a recently completed survey the group presented to NOPA and Masonic area residents.

Bolander noted the data from that survey revealed a preference for the Boulevard treatment by more than 87% of respondents compared with nearly 54% for an alternative, less extensive option. Especially persuasive to board members was the striking 86% support for the Boulevard among paid NOPNA members. The board's official decision for NOPNA now places the association among other neighborhood groups who support the safety and re-design measures for Masonic as well as the majority of residents who supported the same proposal in a SFMTA survey last year.

Bolander guided the association board's discernment of the Masonic-related issues through a thorough and sometimes contentious process that reached resolution only with the additional evidence of strong support from the neighbors that the NOPNA survey provided. He noted in his letter to the city that the board's decision was not unanimous.

For other articles in the A Better Masonic series, check here.

Everyone Loves Repaved Streets: Broderick in NOPA Going Smooth

Broderick: Hayes to Grove streets, northbound

Broderick: Grove to Hayes streets southbound

Broderick: Golden Gate to Turk to over the hill

It's hard to get much quarrel with clearing a street for re-paving, especially if done one to two blocks at a time. Today three blocks of Broderick street were car-free -- cleared of traffic and on-street parking. But this was no Sunday Streets-style celebration with pedestrians, strollers, skaters, and cyclists enjoying unrestricted use of public spaces. The road crews for the Department of Public Works (DPW) took to the streets and got down to business: scraping and grinding the roadway to get it ready for re-paving.

This week's work on Broderick is ahead of schedule according to the city's Five Year Plan: re-surfacing from Haight to O'Farrell had been slated to begin in early January 2011. The crews are hop-scotching some of the blocks now so a continuous new smooth ribbon of asphalt may still be weeks away.

Why re-pave Broderick street? With the city's woefully limited funds for upgrading its streets, preference usually goes to transit or bicycle routes or to main arterials. But DPW also tries to take care of the "local" streets, like Broderick, that are less-used but worn down nevertheless. When the blocks don't require sewer restoration -- the source of NOPA's re-appearing sinkholes -- a "mill and fill" paving operation is fairly easy to coordinate for the road workers.

In the next few days, take a walk or ride on Broderick and enjoy the difference. And then imagine if Masonic, Market, Polk, Folsom, and Mission were just as smooth.