SF Day School Backs "Complete Streets" Treatment for Masonic; Community Honors Fallen Pedestrian

Bruno Peguese, member of St. Cyprian's Episcopal Church, reflects on loss of James Hudson

SFPD Capt. Denis O'Leary affirms need for increased enforcement on Masonic

Candles left in April to remember Yannick Linke who was killed on Masonic last year

Dr. David E. Jackson, Head of the San Francisco Day School (SFDS), confirmed tonight that his institution will support the city's efforts to bring significant traffic calming to Masonic Avenue. He said the concerns for safety along the corridor prompted the school to endorse the Boulevard proposal. SFDS is located on the SE corner of Masonic and Golden Gate Avenue.

Staff and parents have witnessed many collisions in front of the school, and several former and current teachers have expressed concern about the risks for children when crossing Masonic given the frequently speeding traffic. Students at the school cross the corridor every day to use recreation facilities at the University of San Francisco campus west of Masonic. SFDS hosted the three city-sponsored community meetings convened last year to review and refine plans for traffic calming along Masonic from Fell to Geary.

Dr. Jackson confirmed that staff would submit a letter of support for the Boulevard plan to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency prior to Friday morning's public hearing at City Hall. Jackson made his remarks following the vigil for James Hudson, the 61-year-old pedestrian who was struck and killed by a drunk driver on May 6th. Twenty people gathered in the SFDS courtyard before walking a block north to Turk, crossing the street, and pausing to reflect at the site of fatality. Community members and representatives from the North Panhandle Neighborhood Association, Fix Masonic, St. Cyprian's Episcopal Church, and the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition stood in silence to honor all those who have died or been injured on Masonic. Several commented on the need to act to protect all users of the corridor. Supervisor Eric Mar and SFPD Captain Denis O'Leary participated in the vigil. O'Leary said he is committed to increasing and maintaining enforcement of the speed limit on Masonic. Individuals close to the motorist charged in the fatal incident also participated in the vigil.

A Better Masonic: Target Wants Site at Geary & Masonic; Mirkarimi's Office Alerts District 5 Neighbors to Community Meeting

Vallie Brown, aide to Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, addressed NOPNA neighbors

Masonic Avenue side of proposed Target "urban store"

Target is definitely interested in the former Mervyn's department store site at Geary and Masonic streets, and Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi wants to be sure District Five neighbors have a say in whether the proposal moves forward. Vallie Brown, aide to Mirkarimi, told NOPA neighbors Thursday evening that Target intends to seek both the Mervyn's site and a location in the Metreon at 4th and Mission streets. Brown said the supervisor's office contacted Target representatives and gave them a long list of neighborhood associations and merchants groups to invite to a community meeting scheduled for July 21st.

The Geary site is located in District Two, represented by Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier. Before Mirkarimi's initiative, Target had not reached out to groups like the North Panhandle and Alamo Square Neighborhood Associations or FixMasonic, the three-year-old grassroots group working to transform the Masonic corridor to better serve all users. The District Five groups may be less enthusiastic about the Target proposal that their counterparts in District Two. In a San Francisco Chronicle report last week about Target's intentions, Alioto-Pier is quoted as saying her constituents "seem pretty excited to see the vacant space filled with a Target."

At the Thursday evening NOPNA meeting, Vallie Brown said she emphasized to Target that many District Five residents were already concerned with the impact of Masonic traffic on the neighborhoods. "I told them the groups will want to review how the expected increase of traffic to a Target store will affect efforts to calm the street." Brown added that Target intends to install an"urban store" rather than a superstore. The distinction between the two seems pretty slim so far. "They said they wouldn't be selling lawn furniture or tires at their urban store."

The Target representatives told Brown of a positive aspect of their project in addition to new jobs and a commercial outlet in a now-empty storefront. Target provides community benefits to nearby neighborhoods, including grants for local improvement projects.

Target Community Meeting

Wednesday, July 21, 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

City Center Plaza, 2675 Geary at Masonic

Site of former Mervyn's Department Store

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

SF Day School Celebrates at Pride Parade

Celebrating All Families

SFDS getting ready to join the parade on Market Street

The San Francisco Day School celebrated the 40th GLBTQ Pride Parade on Sunday with a contingent joining the Parade itself. The North Panhandle-area school paraded from Beale Street to 8th Street on Market taking its message of diversity to an estimated 500,000 cheering observers along the parade route.

A Better Masonic: City and Neighbors Begin Planning Process

Javad Mirabdal, MTA Planner, reviewed the current conditions of Masonic

Masonic Monopoly? Group task to re-design a cross-section of the street

MTA will review 8 different sets of suggestions for street design

Masonic Avenue neighbors came away from the first city-sponsored review of the traffic corridor last night with an appreciation for how difficult it will be to re-design the street to better serve all users. More than 50 neighbors and a half-dozen city staff from the Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA), the Planning Department, and the Department of Public Works (DPW) reviewed the current status of the street and then broke out into groups to identify opportunities for changes. The participants' ambitious goals quickly ran into the realities of too little space even on a wide street with generally wide sidewalks.

Neighbors generally wanted to preserve features of Masonic, including

• smooth and steady flowing traffic lanes for vehicles and Muni buses
• the current 25 mph speed limit
• a designated bike route
• wide sidewalks for walkers
• curb-side parking

But they also wanted to re-design or at least enhance the corridor by

• improving safety and the perception of safety for all users on the street
• enhancing a sense of community or neighborliness that is blunted now by a corridor that separates east from west with several lanes of speeding vehicles
• normalizing traffic flow by removing the changes in number of lanes along the corridor
• quieting the street with landscaping and other sidewalk features
• installing a new landscaped median with refuges for safer pedestrian crossings
• installing a dedicated, perhaps separated, bike lane on one or both sides of the street
• providing for safer crossings for people walking

In the small group exercise, neighbors tried to fit all these features in a cross section of the street. Most were stymied with lack of space and considered trade-offs such as solid parking lanes or flex-time parking, a substantial median wide enough for trees or one just for small plants, and a narrower sidewalk to accommodate a bike lane.

Tuesday night the talk about Masonic mostly focused on people who use the corridor -- drivers, bicyclists, walkers -- and how to ensure safe passage for all of them. But one interest group also spoke up: people who live on the street. They share walking, biking and driving interests with those passing through, but Masonic is their home. Many at the meeting urged restoring a sense of community with a quieter street that encourages more interaction among those living on both sides of the street.

The intent of the meeting was to begin a process, according to Javad Mirabdal, the MTA planner who will guide the overall design review. "We're here to brainstorm tonight," he told the group. Miradbal anticipates three meetings; the next one will likely be held in August, probably the 17th. At that time city staff will return with design options based on modeling from Tuesday night's input. "We will present two or three options and discuss the costs and benefits for each."

Dr. David Jackson, Head of the San Francisco Day School, welcomed everyone to the facility at the start of the meeting. He emphasized how much the school community also wanted a safer Masonic. Recently SFDS urged the city to restrict left hand turns from Masonic onto Golden Gate as a result of a collision that occurred in front of the school and in view of students. The city agreed to implement the change. Jackson also offered use of the school for the second and third Masonic meetings.

Several members of the grassroots group FIX MASONIC joined the discussion last night. Marc Caswell, a Masonic resident, San Francisco Bicycle Coalition staffer and the current coordinator for the group, detailed the organization's previous efforts, including reducing the speed limit to 25 mph.

Previous post in the A Better Masonic series here.

Progressive Neighborhood Associations: Essential to a More Livable City

Damage from vandalism: acid etching removed from Divisadero store windows

An expense to city taxpayers: repairing damage from vandalism

An effective collaboration restores storefronts

City districts often flourish with active, forward-thinking neighborhood associations, especially when the groups foster collaborations with government, non-profit, and private entities. NOPNA has a long history of securing improvements for the North Panhandle through strategic partnerships. Early efforts include working with the Emerald Fund, the developer of the Village at Petrini Place and Lucky's grocery store, to support safety measures in the neighborhood, teaming up with local schools and churches -- Pacific Primary, the Day School. and St. Cyprian's Episcopal -- to promote bicycling, tree planting, and kids events, and planning with FIX MASONIC to make our western border a safer corridor.

The most recent evidence of a great collaboration was apparent along the Divisadero Commercial Corridor last week when contractors moved from storefront to storefront removing acid etch graffiti and installing protective film on vandalized windows. NOPNA and the Divisadero Merchants Association worked with the San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD) to land a $39,000 grant for the project. NOPNA served as the fiscal agent for the grant.

Ellyn Parker, the OEWD rep who works non-stop and appears everywhere in the neighborhood, coordinated efforts to secure the $39,000 grant. She also worked with neighborhood merchants to identify which storefronts needed the repairs most and which vendors were most affordable. As a result of the the groups' efforts -- and, of course, the creating of the grants program by the Mayor's Office -- two dozen storefronts will continue to enhance the appearance and livability along the new Divisadero Corridor.

Women Who Bike: Merylee Smith Bingham

Merylee Smith Bingham: commute destination in NOPA. Photo: Merylee Smith Bingham

How do you describe your bicycling style?

Law abiding, to a certain extent. Cautious in certain situations. Assertive sometimes.

As a former member of the San Francisco Bicycle Advisory Council (BAC), I got to work on some of the first bicycle education materials that the City of San Francisco published. During my tenure on the Education Subcommittee as well as when my kids were learning to bike, I was Law Abiding all the time. I had to model best practice. To do this, it's important to know the rules and regs. Today if there's traffic at a stop sign, I obey. If there's no one there but me, I use the old "Hollywood stop." But it's disastrous to act without knowing how you should behave on the road.

I'm also cautious. I was doored once. Back then, as now, my mantra was "Hang onto the handlebars." I did when I was doored. Every seam in my bike popped. The guy's door remained permanently open. I acted like the old guy in the Laugh-In skit who just fell over sidesways on his tricycle. But I had no road rash at all. Today I ALWAYS let the guy in front, whether car or bike, make their move before I make mine. I certainly don't sidle up alongside a car when there's a green light and expect he'll continue through the intersection. I make eye contact as much as possible. And I'll never never cut across traffic from a right-hand bike lane to make a left turn (which I recently saw). I'll ease myself into the lane and then make the left. I also thank folks when they give me their right of way. Even a friendly wave makes things better.

As for being aggressive, I've been bicycling for years now. Sometimes I just want to get to my destination and will ride at a good speed to do so. I've found that motorists see you better if you really move on the bike. If I enter an intersection, I'll stand up on the bike and pedal. Bobbing up and down while I pedal, I'm more visible. Body language tells a lot. Use it.

How often do you bike and what for?

I'm a commuter. I bike into NOPA from the Mission three to four days a week. I use the bike for shopping and tasks. I also use it to sightsee when I have the chance.

What can San Francisco do to encourage more women and girls to bike?

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition has some great classes on biking. They also have great bike tours. Take one of these. I particularly enjoyed their Sewer Tour. We used to gather friends with kids and ride as a group to Golden Gate Park or some other kids' destination. Or we'd take them to Mission Bay to teach them how to maneuver the railroad tracks and such. What parents do with their kids makes a big difference when kids grow and start to spread their wings. Although my kids don't bike regularly now, they never felt the need to get their driver's license. I'm proud of their choice. It's such a great step forward.

It helps to find a partner to bike with when you start out, especially someone who has regularly ridden the City. If you can't find someone to bike with, walk the route, or take the route slowly. Get used to the bike, the laws, the sites, the potholes, the way traffic flows. Don't be afraid to ask if there's a quieter street to ride.

Take a class on how to maintain your bike.

My volunteer efforts with the SF BAC included attempting to get bicycle education into the school curriculum. I understand how much needs to be taught in such a limited time. The San Francisco United School District offered us a 1/2 hour safety class in 7th grade health ed. We asked them to install bike racks. They refused because of liability issues. Without a good place to park your bike, why bike? Today there's Bike to School Day. Parents are biking with their kids to school.* It's much more enlightened.

Have friendships started with biking?

I made so many great connections working with SF BAC and the Regional Bicycle Advisory Committee (REBAC). I see some of them to this day. But when I'm biking, I don't really get the opportunity to chat. It's fun to recognize the regulars who are on my route to work. I keep an eye out for them and am a little disappointed when we don't cross paths.

I surprise people when I bike by ...

Thanking them for their road courtesy with a smile and a wave.

My message to women who want to try biking:

Bike by all means! I got started because I saw a ceramics teacher biking to school from North Marin. I figured if he could do it, then I could too. I lived by a lot of railroad tracks then and during my early biking efforts I became "my own railroad" (BN note: Marylee is referring to a comedic sketch by Lord Buckley about getting stuck in the tracks). But it's easy to learn how to avoid these situations. Back then I commuted from the Mission to North Beach, and I was often mistaken for a bike messenger. There also wasn't a place to park the bike when I got to work. So I carried my old heavy clunker up the two flights of stairs each day. Cardio and weight lifting taken care of in one fell swoop. Biking keeps you healthy, happy and sane.

* The San Francisco Day School participated in Bike to School Day this year as noted in this previous BIKE NOPA post.

*****

Women Who Bike is a collaborative effort by BIKE NOPA and Bikes And The City that features San Francisco women and their bicycles. Each Monday and Wednesday, check both sites for the experiences, stories, and ideas of women who bike the city. For previous BIKE NOPA posts in this series, check here. Post a comment and leave a message for our featured riders.

No Left Turn on Golden Gate from Masonic During Commute Hours: MTA Proposes New Traffic Safety Measure

Restricted turns already at Masonic and Turk Streets

No Left Turn sign would be posted at this intersection

Left turns by northbound motorists on Masonic already restricted

The Municipal Transportation Agency hopes to reduce the number of collisions on Masonic Avenue by prohibiting left turns at Golden Gate Avenue for southbound traffic during morning and evening commutes. The intersection is particularly risky given the steep grade between Fulton and Turk Streets and the ongoing problem of speeding motorists. Southbound drivers wanting to turn left back-up traffic while trying to find an opening in the oncoming rush. And northbound motorists must negotiate the intersection with left-turners sometimes already beginning their turn. The proposed sign will advise NO LEFT TURN, 7-9 AM, 4-7 PM, except Sat & Sun. A similar restriction already exists for northbound traffic at Golden Gate, but it does not exempt Saturdays.

The traffic safety measure results from neighborhood concerns about safety hazards at the intersection, especially for students at the San Francisco Day School located on the northeast corner. Dr. David Jackson, Head of School, told BIKE NOPA last week that MTA reviewed the traffic situation after a collision in February in front of the school. A concerned neighbor requested that the city establish the new restriction. Jackson cited safety problems on Masonic and other streets as one reason more students don't bike to school.

Fix Masonic, the grassroots organization urging traffic calming on the corridor, was not advised of this proposal. That group is awaiting implementation of a thorough analysis of Masonic Avenue involving city engineers, planners, and nearby residents. MTA received $120,000 more than a year ago to undertake the study.

Nearby residents will be notified of the NO LEFT TURN proposal this week. A public hearing will be held Friday, April 30th at 10 a.m. at City Hall in Room 416. See the hearing schedule here.

Bike to School Day in NOPA: SF Day School Students Spin to Campus

Riding through Golden Gate Park on the way to school

Top of Central Avenue, just a 1/2 block to go

Have to take the sidewalk during the morning blocking of the bike lane

The first-ever Bike to School Day for the San Francisco Day School inspired more than 25 students, teachers, and parents to spin through Golden Gate Park on a crisp morning to reach the campus at Golden Gate and Masonic Avenues. Leonard Moon, a Day School parent, organized the ride for the school. At first he thought the only kids committed to the ride today were his own. Instead at least twenty gathered in Golden Gate Park to kick-off the ride to the North Panhandle. Only a few students bike regularly to school now, according to Moon, but he hopes today's event will encourage more to do so. "Most kids think of the bike as a toy; it is much more useful than that."

Most of the kids on bikes were from the fourth through sixth grades, according to Jason Stone, a teacher in the Technology Department for the Day School. "But we also have a few younger students this morning." He was especially impressed that eighth-graders appeared for the morning ride. "To get them out this early is really surprising." Stone lives near the ocean and rides to school several times a week, especially now with the new smooth pavement on JFK Drive.

Rajan Dalal drove from Noe Valley to the meeting site in the park where he met his eleven-year-old son Kavi, who bicycled there, for the final spin to the school together. "This is so special to ride all together."* Rajan said they biked in their neighborhood and have found mostly flat routes.

Dr. David Jackson, Head of School, had planned to lead the bike bus from the park to the campus, but he had trouble finding the group at the meeting place. Instead he was standing with his Raleigh at the school entrance greeting all the bikers on their arrival. "We have quite a few faculty who bike every day," he noted. So far only a few students bike regularly. "Our families come from disparate areas in the city and our kids are mostly young so it's a little tricky to have them bike to school even with their parents." Jackson was particularly concerned about adopting more traffic calming measures on Masonic Avenue, the corridor that borders the Day School.

Students and parents all over San Francisco find biking to school safer and easier than ever before. Last year 500 students from 25 schools participated in San Francisco's Bike to School Day. This year organizers hope that number will double. The Unified School District supports the special biking day, and the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition organizers the event with other partners. For parents and kids who want to increase their bike skills, the Presidio YMCA Bike Program offers "Bike Smart, Ride Safe for Kids" this Saturday, April 17th from 10am to 12:30pm at the Presidio YMCA Bike Skills Area. For more information, contact Ben Caldwell, Director of Bicycle Programs.

1pm update: Early estimates suggest that 1000 students rode their bikes this morning to more than 30 schools. For further news about bike-to-school events around the city today and some great photos, check the YBIKE blog here.

* Correction: the earlier version of this post incorrectly stated that Kavi Dalal rode in his father's vehicle to the park. Kavi informed us that he biked all the way from Noe Valley to the park and didn't burn up any gasoline. Good job, Kavi!

"Better illegal and safe than legal and dead": Masonic Avenue sidewalk cyclist

Travelling up Masonic

In front of the San Francisco Day School

Bicyclists who ride on Masonic Avenue sidewalks do so as a last resort, according to several who posted comments following yesterday's BIKE NOPA story about riding on sidewalks in the city. A study conducted by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency found that 30% of cyclists (13 of 43) passing through the Masonic and Golden Gate Avenue intersection rode on the sidewalk. The percentage made the NOPA intersection the second highest of the three dozen sites included in the study. The bike count was undertaken on an August day last year between 5pm and 6:30 pm.

"Masonic is the only street in the city which I regularly ride on the sidewalk - and only in the uphill direction. Riding in the street there is some of the worst in the entire city -- and the sidewalk is plenty wide to acomodate bikes and pedestrians." mfogel

"I'm part of the better illegal and safe than legal and dead sidewalk riding crowd. I've been riding in the City for over 20 years and for the past few years I've switched to the sidewalk on Masonic heading uphill to Geary. I had too many scary encounters to ride in the street." Cheryl

"I think this street corridor is one of the biggest problems city-wide." Philip Peter

"I commute on Masonic daily and it's still treacherous. The cars get the light on Turk and keep their momentum going past the 25 mph sign hidden by the trees. On Monday morning when the parked cars are cleared, it's even faster. The Allowed Full Use of Lane sign is placed at O'Farrell after the damage is done. It's also way above sight level. I hate taking the sidewalk there which is uneven and terrible to ride on, but I do, only place in the city I do." James Farinacci

Although the SFMTA study counted bicyclists at the intersection of both Masonic and Golden Gate Avenue, there's little doubt that the incidence of sidewalk bicycling occurs almost exclusively on Masonic since Golden Gate is flat, smooth, and has a striped bike lane.

On the northeast corner of the intersection is the San Francisco Day School, and children, parents, and staff frequently use the sidewalks and crosswalks. But one of the teachers at the school has no problem with the sidewalk cycling.

"I teach at that corner. I've never seen a bicyclist riding carelessly on the sidewalks of Masonic. ... Almost all cyclists who use the sidewalk are going uphill which is slow work. I've also never seen a pedestrian get upset with such a bicyclist, because it's so obvious to everyone that riding on the street would be really scary." Diane

Fix Masonic, the neighborhood group that has advocated for safety measures on the corridor for years, continues to urge the SFMTA to use available, dedicated funds to assess neighborhood sentiment about a re-design of Masonic. A few of the BIKE NOPA readers have already expressed theirs.

Riding on the sidewalk: "that's not a good solution, compared to removing a traffic or parking lane, and putting in some real (painted GREEN!) bike space." mfogel

"It would be nice to have a physically separated, bi-directional bike lane on the east side of the street that connects logically from the Panhandle, through the weird overpass business to Laurel/Presidio Heights." Philip Peter

Masonic Ave: Sidewalk Riding for Safety

Safer than biking on the street at Masonic and Golden Gate

Illegal biking or safe use of a wide sidewalk along a dangerous street?

Not much bike space on northbound Masonic Avenue

No better on southbound Masonic either

Golden Gate Avenue at Masonic Avenue registered the second highest percentage of bicyclists riding on the sidewalk during the 2009 Bicycle Count conducted by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA). During the evening traffic rush (5 pm to 6:30 pm) on an August workday, 30% of cyclists (13 of 43) rode on the sidewalk.

The SFMTA study also notes that Golden Gate and Masonic are both signed bike routes with bike lanes. But that’s only partly right. Golden Gate has a striped bike lane; Masonic does not. Golden Gate’s bike lanes, at least between Parker and Divisadero, are what cyclists in other parts of the city work for: they’re wide enough on smooth surfaces.

Masonic is a different story. There’s no bike lane, no sharrows, and little space to “share the road” with motorists. The three block stretch between Turk and Fulton Streets has steep inclines, and drivers regularly race up the hill northbound or rush down southbound to make the lights. The posted 25 mph speed limit appears to have had negligible impact since the neighborhood group FIX MASONIC pushed to get it dropped from 30 mph. In fact, the current design of Masonic offers next to nothing to cyclists, except for the posted bike route signs.

The SFMTA study does not indicate the direction cyclists were traveling, but it’s safe to assume that Masonic sidewalks are the ones that get the peddlers. “The bicyclists are trying to be safe,” a school crossing guard observed yesterday afternoon while helping pedestrians cross Masonic and Golden Gate. “Masonic has very little space for cyclists, especially north of here.” In the ten minutes I observed traffic at the intersection at 3:30 pm, four cyclists rode along the Masonic sidewalk at the intersection.

Why do bicyclists ride Masonic – either the street or the sidewalks -- and take the risk on the street or breaking the law on the sidewalk? For the same reason that motorists drive Masonic: it’s the primary north-south route through this part of town, especially for travel between the Fell-Oak corridor and Geary Boulevard. The Anza Vista neighborhood breaks up the usual street grid, as does the Panhandle Park.

The San Francisco Day School is located at the northeast corner of this intersection with one of its entrances on Masonic. The bicyclists riding the sidewalk in front of the school pose at least a theoretical threat to the school kids, staff, and neighbors walking nearby, especially if the cyclists indulge in reckless, erratic riding. But a careful biker riding slowly and cautiously poses little problem given the larger-than-usual width of the sidewalk.

Bicycle riding on sidewalks is illegal for adults in San Francisco. But then, bike riding on through-streets that the city designates as bike routes but fails to make safe for cyclists is unwise for most peddlers. The SFMTA weighs in on the issue of sidewalk biking at this and other locations. According to the report, “SFMTA will continue to monitor sidewalk and wrong-way riding, as well as work to implement additional bicycle safety and education campaigns on these two behaviors.” One might wish for something a bit more bracing and innovative like traffic and street designs that serve all users of Masonic Avenue.

Seen While Biking: Crosswalks for Vehicles

Every school day this is how it goes: parents and/or guardians drop off and pick up kids at San Francisco Day School (SFDS) on Golden Gate between Masonic and Central. The vehicular line-up often fills Golden Gate, extends up Central, and onto Turk Street. Many motorists are aware that they should not idle astride crosswalks, especially when the SFDS monitor stands at the corner. Others are apparently oblivious to the idea that they are waiting to pick up their own kids while blocking someone else's kids from safely crossing the street.

SFDS has improved the situation immensely during the last few years. The school instituted more vigilant monitoring of the line-up with crossing guards at the intersections, staggered times for kids leaving school, and reminding parents to be more considerate and more safety-minded. But the waiting motorists continue to block the bike lane and too often straddle the crosswalks. Pedestrians must walk into the street which is overly congested with the queue of waiting motorists. And bicyclists: forget the bike lane on that side of the block; its full of vehicles.

The situation is better than it was before, but if you're a parent, a kid, or even simply a neighbor who wants to cross the street using the crosswalk, "better" falls short of safe enough.