New Bike Light Shield at Fell & Masonic: Small Change Might Reduce Crashes

With the shield, drivers see the no-turn arrow but not the green bike light to the left

The bike signal lights are obscured from the view of drivers in turning lane

Previously, drivers saw both red and green lights at the same time

Enforcement needed here: some drivers ignore all signals (1pm Nov. 9)

Without fanfare or even an announcement, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) has installed a shield to the bike light at the intersection of Fell and Masonic. The small adjustment may reduce the risk of collisions for travelers who use the intersection. The shield -- actually metal slits within the housing of the bike light -- obscures motorists' view of the bike signal so they don't think a green bike light allows a left turn from Masonic even with a visible red no-left-turn arrow.

Several collisions occurred at the crossing involving motorists and bicyclists and motorists and pedestrians before the bike light was installed in September 2008, and crashes continued to happen afterwards. Pedestrian and bike advocates have suggested that motorists may get confused by the combination of a red turn arrow and the green light meant only for bicyclists using the crosswalk. They began urging an adjustment within weeks of the initial light installation. Two years later, cyclists noticed the new shield on Monday of this week.*

A stop at the intersection early this afternoon indicated that drivers waiting in the left turn lane were unable to see the bike light. (I asked two motorists waiting for the light since I traveled by bike and did not approach the intersection in a vehicle). However, as happens frequently at the intersection, a truck driver did not see or ignored the red turn signal and nearly hit two cyclists crossing with a green light. As much as the new light shield may reduce collisions, the real solution for safe passage for bicyclists and motorists is to install separated bikeways on Oak and Fell for east-west travel.

Correction: An earlier version of this article listed the date of the bike light installation as January of 2008; the light was installed September 2008.

* Thanks to Marc Caswell, Fix Masonic coordinator, Masonic resident, and SFBC staffer for sharing his sighting of the new shield.

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

MTA Installs Permanent Radar Speed Displays on Masonic

One element to the traffic calming needed on Masonic

Installation of northbound display today

Southbound display board to be mounted on light pole Monday

The Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) started installing permanent speed radar displays on Masonic Avenue today to inform motorists when they are driving at unsafe speeds. The southbound display is mounted between McAllister Street and Golden Gate Avenue while the northbound board will be placed Monday closer to the McAllister intersection. According to Javad Mirabdal, MTA manager for the Masonic traffic calming project, the locations were selected to notify motorists just as they might be inclined to start speeding with the change in grade. Other considerations were availability of a power source and tree clearance.

Mirabdal has a good read on driver behavior on Masonic. In a 20 minute period this afternoon when traffic was relatively light, the most common speeds reflected on the board were in the mid- 30s to mid-40s. Speeds in the low-20s to mid-20s generally occurred when the signal light ahead had changed to yellow or red -- or perhaps when drivers noticed the new display. The posted speed along the Masonic corridor is 25 mph.

The speed radar displays were installed in response to calls for immediate safety measures on Masonic, especially following frequent collisions, injuries, and a fatality last month. MTA Executive Director Nathaniel Ford, Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, FixMasonic, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, and the North of the Panhandle Neighborhood Association have urged city staff to study and implement safety changes to Masonic while a full review of the street traffic design is underway. Another measure yet to be implemented is a temporary bicycle lane between Ewing Terrace at the north and Fulton Street to the south, a stretch of several blocks where bicyclists are at most risk due to increased motorist speed and reduced visibility due to the grade of the street.

The speed radar display boards installed on Masonic do not include photographic capabilities similar to red light cameras, and they do not rely on speed enforcement. Lt. Mark Solomon, Acting Captain at SFPD Park Station, explained that the display boards are "informational only." Traffic officers cannot use them for issuing warnings or tickets. "We use radar guns, and those have to be certified. Officers who use them also must be certified as trained in their proper operation." Solomon said the display boards are effective on their own, however. "You can watch drivers hit the brakes when they go by and notice they're speeding."

One study has found speeds reduced 5 to 6 mph where baseline speeds averaged 35 in 25 mph zones like those on Masonic. More significant reductions were found on streets where speeds exceeded the speed limit by 10 mph or more. Masonic residents, bicyclists, and pedestrians often complain of speeds they judge to be 35, 4o, 45 mph or more.

MTA has regularly added traffic calming features to Masonic. The most recent prohibited left turns onto Golden Gate Avenue during the morning and evening commutes. MTA engineers are also studying whether signal light timing can be adjusted to discourage speeding between signal changes on the street. Progress on that effort has yet to be disclosed.

Note: The display board mounted today may require fine-tuning, according to the electricians who installed it. The grade of the street, the slant of the sidewalk, and the angle of the board on the pole -- all make accurate placement more challenging. The work should be completed on both displays by early next week.

For more stories in the A Better Masonic series, check here.

Second Bicyclist in Two Days Injured in Collision; Crash with Taxi Driver at Duboce and Church

A bicyclist was struck and injured this evening in a collision with a taxi driver at Duboce and Church Streets where several rail tracks converge. The injury collision is the second in two days in San Francisco. Last night a motorist struck and injured a male bicyclist on Masonic Avenue at Fell Street; the condition of that cyclist has not yet been revealed by SFPD.

In an odd and upsetting development for the observer, the same cyclist who reported last night's crash to BIKE NOPA also witnessed this evening's incident. "John B" wrote at 9:19 pm:

I was riding home tonight and saw the aftermath of another car vs. bike collision. It wasn't in the nopa (ed.: North Panhandle), but at Duboce and Church where all those train tracks converge. It was a taxi who had hit the bicyclist. EMTs were stabilizing him on one of those straight boards when I showed up. I've been riding my bike in the city now for 5 years and these are the first two accidents i've seen. What is going on around here! Seriously though, hope everyone is OK.

We have contacted SFPD Media Relations for further information.

A Better Masonic: MTA Can Act Now AND Later

Masonic and Turk: site of fatal collision August 13th

Risky riding without a separated bike lane

Removal of tow-away zones needed now

The tragic loss of the 21 year old bicyclist last Friday night has spurred already-restless advocates to call for what essentially would be a two-track planning and implementation approach to the Masonic corridor. Last week the SFMTA presented four options for Masonic traffic calming at a community meeting in a planning process expected to yield on-the-street changes in two to three years. Neighbors welcomed the stepped-up review and planning process, but many are stating the obvious: selected changes are needed now even while the full project moves forward. Several of these traffic modifications can be implemented without disrupting the eventual design and involve minimal-to-moderate expense.

With an ever-tight budget, city planners are reasonably reluctant to implement changes that involve hefty expenses and may need re-doing in the months ahead. And they must heed state standards for engineering modifications. But opportunities exist for the MTA to move forward without disrupting long-range planning or challenge current codes.

All four options that the MTA presented include two measures. One is to remove the tow-away zones from the several blocks of Masonic that act as third lanes during morning and evening commutes. MTA could do this now as a reasonable traffic calming measure that will bring safety and less confusion with the changing lane configurations. The four options also propose a bike lane, although different treatments are highlighted. One of these could be implemented now even if further study, neighborhood input, and public hearings later indicate a better configuration a year from now.

The changes to current conditions can be temporary and experimental with evaluation built into the plans. The city has recently side-stepped the logjam of multiple studies and hearings to give new ideas a try. Current successes include the several Pavement-to-Parks spaces, the parklets such as the popular seating area outside Mojo Bicycle Cafe on Divisadero, and the ongoing adjustments to the Fell street approach to Divisadero.

Re-timing the signals on Masonic to slow speeds is complicated by the two-way traffic and the differences in block length. An adjustment in one direction might not match the opposite flow of traffic as the blocks shift from shorter to longer. But SFMTA can take a closer look for re-timing signals for the series of blocks of similar length.

Other simple improvements involve striping. The crosswalks at Oak and Masonic have long needed new paint (or thermoplasty) for the risky crossing. Laddered stripes would make it even more visible. Several of the Masonic intersections need similar treatments. Advance stop lines can be added to the intersections to keep motorists from pushing into the crosswalks. The long-promised upgrading of the bike light at the Fell and Masonic could be implemented to be more visible but less confusing to left-turning drivers.

An array of other traffic calming measures are available to city engineers and planners including several that fit the temporary-and-experimental category. What's needed is a commitment to a complementary set of interventions: the long-term process underway and short-term experiments to inform the eventual larger project. The recommendation here is to undertake a bold review of all possible immediate changes that keep traffic flowing while improving safety for all road users.

This morning the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition announced its endorsement of the MTA's Option C with a message titled "Masonic Avenue Must Be Fixed NOW" sent to its 11,000 members. Option C involves a separated bikeway or cycletrack, removal of parking on Masonic, and a landscaped median to accompany four lanes of traffic. The SFBC post states, "We will be pushing the City to install temporary improvements to create a safe and comfortable space for people bicycling, while the community planning process on the overall redesign continues."

Neighbors and advocates can encourage immediate changes as well as the long-term process by contacting elected officials, including the Mayor and Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi (already a strong supporter for Masonic changes), SFMTA executive director Nat Ford, and Masonic Traffic Calming Project Manager, Javad Mirabdal. Joining and supporting SFBC and the grassroots FIX Masonic spurs the momentum for a safer Masonic.

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

North Panhandle Neighbor Describes Fatal Collision Scene at Masonic and Turk

Bicyclist struck and killed by motorist at Masonic and Turk Street intersection

At Turk the southbound lanes of Masonic dip considerably, obscuring traffic

A North Panhandle neighbor who stopped in the intersection moments after the fatal collision at Masonic and Turk Friday night described the sequence of events to BIKE NOPA this afternoon. The neighbor, who asked not to be identified, said he was travelling southbound from Geary on Masonic when he reached the Turk intersection at about 10:30 in the evening. A taxi driver passed him, braked, and then he swerved around the bicyclist who was lying in the street after being struck by a hit-and-run motorist. "It was a yellow cab or a yellow and green cab, but he slowed and then went right around him and kept driving. What kind of person does that?" the neighbor said. "I stopped and opened my car doors to alert oncoming traffic to slow down and pass by carefully." The badly-injured 21-year-old man was lying in the inner southbound lane just past the Turk intersection. Parts of his red Nishiki bike were scattered across the lanes.

The near-witness said a woman in a Mercedes had also stopped in the intersection ahead of him. He overheard her tell a police officer that a driver also in a Mercedes ahead of her had hit the bicyclist and did not stop. "One of the bicycle wheels was lodged under her car," he said.

The neighbor then called 911. He thinks he was either the first or second to call. He could see the young man contorted and bleeding on the street while he tried to impress upon the 911 operator that an ambulance was needed immediately. "I gave her the location and told her what had happened but I had to repeat my request three times to send an ambulance. I looked at the man and it was clear he was in a really bad way." When I informed the neighbor that the young man had died of his injuries, the neighbor wondered about the time of his death. "I don't understand why he was taken to SF General Hospital when St. Mary's is just a few minutes away. In cases like that it seems like every minute is critical."

Clearly shaken by the experience, the local resident said he had been unable to talk about it during the day. At 5:15 this afternoon he telephoned me to describe the crash because he knew of my neighborhood involvement. After our call, I visited the site of the collision. Three network news reporters were on location for the evening news broadcasts. CBS Channel 5 reporter Don Knapp focused in his report on the many complaints from neighbors about drivers speeding on the street, the collisions that occur regularly, and the need to slow traffic.

As previously reported in BIKE NOPA, the Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) held a second community meeting last week to discuss options for traffic calming on the corridor. At that meeting several neighbors emphasized that slowing traffic, especially during off-peak hours, was vital to making Masonic a safer, more livable street. The grassroots organization Fix Masonic has worked with neighbors during the last several years to slow Masonic traffic. The group circulated a petition advocating that goal, and 600 nearby residents signed it.

Neighbors are urged to contact Javad Mirabdal (javad.mirabdal@sfmta.com) the MTA Masonic project manager, and Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi (ross.mirkarimi@sfgov.org) to urge the city to adopt as many traffic design changes as needed to make Masonic safer for all road users.

The NOPA neighbor who described last night's tragic event added a cautionary note for bicyclists. "I really wish bicyclists would avoid that spot of Masonic in the southbound lane, especially on a Friday night when people are drinking and driving."

Bicyclist Killed in Hit and Run Collision at Masonic and Turk

UPDATE 10:30 a.m. Saturday:

SFPD Officer Samson Chan provided further details about last night's fatality collision at Masonic and Turk. The crash occurred at 10:40 pm and involved a 21-year-old white male and a 38-year-old motorist of a 1989 Mercedes. Chan reported that the "victim died from injuries." He added that "the suspect fled the scene but was later caught by officers and arrested and jailed." Further details on the collision are under investigation.

A bicyclist was killed Friday evening about midnight in a collision with a motorist on Masonic Avenue at Turk Street. A neighbor who lives near the intersection reported to BIKE NOPA that when she returned home last night just after the collision occurred she found most of the block cordoned off with tape and about 20 police officers and police photographers at the site. It appeared to her that a driver in a Mercedes and a bicyclist were involved in the crash. Pieces of the bicycle were strewn about half a block with pieces of shattered wheel under the car, and clothes were shredded down the street. "It looked like things did not end well for whomever was on the bike, " she wrote in an email. This morning SFPD Park Station confirmed that the bicyclist was taken to San Francisco General Hospital and had died. No further information is available at this time, but an investigation is underway.

The neighbor who contacted BIKE NOPA added that there are "always terrible accidents at the Turk and Masonic intersection." During a June 15th community meeting about traffic calming for Masonic Avenue, MTA staff presented collision data for the Masonic corridor. Between 2004-2009, 11 collisions involving motorists, bicyclists, or pedestrians occurred at Masonic and Turk.

Note: an earlier post mistakenly suggested a possible discrepancy in collision data for this intersection; the differences in analysis exist for the Fell and Masonic intersection instead.

Bicyclists Beware: Golden Gate Park Exit a Double-Risk; Collisions & Injury and Be Found at Fault By SFPD Too

Arguello Blvd entrance to Golden Gate park at Fulton; where left-turn drivers yield right of way

Is this boogying? Bicyclists enter Fulton intersection with Arguello

Motorist yielding before making left turn onto Fulton from turn lane

Not great barriers but standard in city. Drivers: approach slowly

Looks like a street, striped like a street, motorists drive it as a street, and named a boulevard

Bicyclists who exit Golden Gate Park on Arguello Boulevard risk collisions with motorists and a judgment by SFPD that they are at fault if a crash does occur. That’s what happened to Kelly Johnson last month when he concluded his bicycling in the park to get coffee at the popular Velo Rouge café on Arguello at McAllister Street. He told his story to BIKE NOPA with the hope that others can avoid the trauma, injuries, and threat of financial hardship that he has dealt with since the crash.

On Sunday May 23^rd at about 2:30 in the afternoon, Johnson prepared to leave Golden Gate Park by way of Arguello which is part of the official bicycle route #65. That section of Arguello has a moderate grade as it drops to the intersection with Fulton Street. The intersection there is governed by traffic signals. Biking down the grade on his gray Raleigh, Johnson saw that the signal was red and he stopped for it to change. When the light turned green, he approached the intersection with his eye on the motorist in the oncoming, southbound left turn lane of Arguello. The motorist stopped in the intersection, apparently waiting for Johnson to ride through before completing his left turn onto Fulton.

Johnson recalled what should have been a straightforward crossing of Fulton Street with what he presumed was his right-of-way. “I proceeded forward, travelling at about 10-12 mph. As I entered the intersection, an SUV suddenly made a left turn from the right side of the vehicle I had been watching. The vehicle struck me with severe force. My memory is groggy after this.”

Only later, after reading the SFPD Traffic Collision Report, did Johnson get the full picture. According to the report, a 26-year-old male driver of a green Ford Escape was travelling southbound on Arguello in the outside lane. He intended to enter Golden Gate Park but found that the Arguello entry was barricaded. (This entry is closed to vehicles on Sundays, 6 am to 6pm, April through September). He later told an SFPD officer that he was stuck in the intersection and had to turn left. He noticed that the motorist in the left turn lane had stopped, so he proceeded to turn left onto Fulton (not using the turn lane). He was paying attention to a Muni bus on the south side of Fulton, he reported, and had nearly cleared the intersection when he glimpsed a bicyclist exiting the park. He said he tried to stop but, according to the police report, “the bicyclist hit his car…(and then) …the bicyclist fell to the ground and the bicycle continued across Fulton Street.”

It might still seem a straightforward but unfortunate incident:

• a man on a bicycle entered the intersection with the right-of-way
• one motorist waited for the bicyclist to clear the intersection before making a left turn onto Fulton
• another driver was surprised to find he couldn’t enter the park and then made an unanticipated wide-left turn without yielding the right-of-way to oncoming traffic (the bicyclist)

An SFPD officer from Park Station determined it otherwise. In the traffic report, he held Johnson responsible for failing to comply with California Vehicle Code 21804(a) that states the driver of any vehicle (bicycles are included) about to enter or cross a street “from any public or private property, or from an alley shall yield the right-of-way to all traffic…close enough to constitute an immediate hazard.”

Although the officer referred in the traffic report to “Arguello Street south of the intersection,” he wrote that Johnson was exiting “public or private property or an alley” when he was actually leaving the park on a street. But, the officer evidently believed Johnson should have yielded not just to the motorist in the left-turn lane but also to the sudden, unexpected turn of another driver in the intersection.

This interpretation by one SFPD officer has troubling implications for the hundreds of cyclists who exit the park at this location, especially on the weekends. Most expect motorists turning left to yield as part of the rules-of-the-road. Now they won’t know whether to exercise the right of way or wait until the intersection is clear of all confused drivers who may be making sudden turns. And, in fact, virtually all motorists turning left do yield to the oncoming bicyclists. A half-hour's observation yesterday, on a Sunday closure day, revealed all the drivers yielding to people riding their bikes into the intersection.

If SFPD now expects bicyclists to yield and motorists not to yield at Fulton and Arguello, then it seems the department will cause confusion and more risk at the intersection with no user understanding why the rules of the road don't apply. Drivers familiar with Arguello expect to yield a right-of-way to people leaving the park on foot, bike or vehicle already. Very few road users know about CVC 21804(a) or consider Arguello anything other than a street.

The SUV driver who collided with Johnson may have been confused by the street closure and the not-always-visible signs. No one would fault him with that. But to make an unexpected turn without traveling carefully enough to notice all circumstances of the road and then to collide with someone on a bike is something else.

For Kelly Johnson, the SFPD finding will likely make it much more difficult to obtain damages from the motorist’s insurance company for the injuries he sustained. The SF Fire Department fitted him with a neck brace and took him to SF General Hospital after the crash. There, Johnson was treated for a dislocated toe, wounds requiring sutures, massive swelling on the left side of his face including around his eyes, and severe scrapes and cuts on his face and left side of his body. He was released that evening and returned to his home in the North Panhandle where he has lived for the last seven years. He has since received bills from the hospital and Fire Department that total $18,000.

Johnson does not recall speaking with an SFPD officer, but the traffic report notes that another officer spoke with him at the hospital. The report narrative states that Johnson said he was coming out of the park, crossing Fulton with a green light, when a cur turned in front of him, and, according to the police report, Johnson said “he hit the car and fell to the ground.” Johnson told BIKE NOPA that he believes he was “hit by a vehicle that made a left turn from the wrong lane,” in violation of the vehicle code, CVC 22100 (b), that stipulates left-turns should be made from the inside left lane.

No witnesses who saw the collision were interviewed, other than Johnson and the driver of the SUV. However, the reporting officer later contacted a woman who was at the intersection. According to the report, the woman said “she saw the bicyclist boogying out of the park not wearing a helmet and just knew something bad would happen.” But she said she did not see the collision itself. Boogying? Difficult to say what the woman meant other than, presumably, that she thought he was moving quickly. (BIKE NOPA's first report of this collision included an observation from a cyclist who arrived after the crash that other bicyclists often "fly through the intersection" with the right-of-way). That he wasn't wearing a helmet is irrelevant to right-of-way determinations or to how he was biking.

But in a recent communication to SFPD, Johnson describes his bicycling, and himself, this way: "I am a 19-year resident of San Francisco. I have spent ten of those years living in the Park Station district. I am a responsible, property tax paying and voting citizen. I am an avid cyclist having been riding a bicycle for the last 24 years as my main mode of transportation. I don't take risks on the road or flaunt the law because I'm too old (47 years old) and I don't have health insurance."

Last week Johnson asked SFPD to review and reconsider the determination that he was at fault in the collision.

Devastated Muni Stop Replaced at Hayes & Baker

Road-rage motorist destroyed Muni stop at Hayes & Baker. Photo: Tom O'Connell

New structure now in place. Photo: Michael Helquist

A motorist overcome with self-indulgent, destructive road rage wiped out a Muni bus stop at Hayes and Baker the end of last month. More importantly, he seriously injured a visitor to San Francisco who was waiting for the 21 Hayes to arrive. Muni cleared the smashed structure, the city swept the glass from the sidewalk and street, and today a new stop is in place. Almost as if nothing had happened. But the real physical and psychological pain, the slow-healing, the life-disruption and the expense for the injured tourist continue out of our view.

SFPD Park Station Cites 8 Motorists in Pedestrian Stings at Fell and Masonic, 6 at Stanyan and Parnassus

Green light for cyclists and pedestrians; not for motorists pushing through

Fell & Masonic: an intersection needing "bad rep" for frequent pedestrian stings

How many citations does it take for an intersection to get a bad reputation among motorists prone to invade the right-of-way of pedestrians and bicyclists? SFPD Park Station Captain Teresa Barrett admitted she didn't know the answer, but she is willing to get the count started. Last week a special SFPD Task Force -- plainclothes and motorcycle officers -- set up pedestrian stings at two intersections in the Park Station district and issued fourteen citations for the offense.

The special operation issued citations to eight motorists at Fell and Masonic and another six at Stanyan and Parnassus for the all-too-common occurrence in the city: not yielding to pedestrians, cutting in front of pedestrians, threatening to "push" slow-walking users of the crosswalk on their way. The two intersections are among several that are being targeted for both the failure-to-yield offense and red light running. The previous week Park Station officers issued another 14 citations to motorists running the red on Fell and ignoring the red for the left turn lane onto Masonic. The Task Force is a joint initiative with SFPD Northern Station to respond to mounting complaints about risky intersections. The Fell and Masonic location continues to see frequent hazardous driving.

The Fell and Masonic intersection will likely require far more than periodic stings and a few dozen citations to establish a law-abiding norm -- or simply fear of fines -- among motorists who rush the lights and push into the crosswalks. No one should hesitate to report dangerous incidents to SFPD; thank them for current enforcement while encouraging a regular, sustained focus. NOPA area residents can address Captain Barrett, or her representative, directly at the next NOPNA neighborhood meeting on March 18th.

To report crosswalk incidents or red light running:

call SFPD at (415) 553-0123 (for non-emergencies)

contact SFPD Park Station directly at (415) 242-3000

North of Panhandle Neighborhood Association (NOPNA)

Next general meeting:

Thursday, March 18th, 7 pm: meet and greet; 7:30 meeting begins and continues until 9 pm

Jannah Restaurant (arrive early for drinks or dinner)

1775 Fulton Street (between Central and Masonic, across from Lucky's)

How We Talk About How We Travel: Vehicles Don't Injure, Motorists Do

Motorist, not Car, Claims Life of S.F. Pedestrian

Errant vehicles seem to be barreling and bumping along San Francisco streets injuring and killing pedestrians and bicyclists, at least according to much of the local media. Consider these reports from the last two days alone:

• "A woman was seriously injured when she was struck by a vehicle on San Francisco's Mission Street early Tuesday morning." KCBS News report, Feb. 24, 2010

• "A teenager was hit by a pickup truck in the Sunset district this morning and was transported to a hospital." SFExaminer.com report, Feb. 24, 2010

• "A pedestrian running to catch a bus was seriously injured this afternoon when he apparently tripped and the bus ran over him." ABC7News report, Feb. 23, 2010

In these cases, the car, the truck, and the bus were operated by individuals; the vehicles were not running amuck of their own accord. A motorist, a truck driver, and a bus operator struck or ran over pedestrians and seriously injured them.

One or other of the parties may bear all or some of the responsibility when a collision occurs, but the individual operating the vehicle nevertheless was the one who struck and injured the non-motorist. Granted, reporters sometimes refer to the driver in follow-up sentences or paragraphs but the first impression and the emphasis is on the vehicle.

(It's the same for bicyclists who sometimes -- but not as often as many people think -- hit and injure pedestrians on the street or sidewalk. Whatever the right-of-way issue in these cases, the person on the bike hit the person on the street or on the sidewalk).

There's no need to argue about the "politically correct" way to describe collisions that disrupt lives, cause injury and sometimes kill other road-users. The issue is not correctness. The concern is the tendency to not hold motorists responsible for what they do with their vehicles. The goal proposed here is not to "police" news reports or deprive editors of their brief headlines. The intent is to describe accurately what occurs -- "motorist hits pedestrian."

Last September the collision that killed a young woman on a North Panhandle street was reported by the SFExaminer.com with this headline: "Car Claims Life of San Francisco Pedestrian." No, a 19-year-old man struck and killed the young woman on the street.

5:30 pm addition: Sometimes pedestrians have "accidents" that apparently don't even involve vehicles, as sfist noted about the South of Market collision cited first in the list above. That blog's headline reads: "SOMA Pedestrian Accident Blocks Mission Street." In the brief article that follows there's not even a mention of a vehicle or a driver involved.

SFPD Vows to Increase Monitoring of Illegal Red Light Turns at Fell and Masonic; Will Begin Pedestrian Stings Too Next Week

The busy, multiple-use, dual signaled crosswalk at Fell and Masonic

Captain Teresa Barrett of SFPD Park Station announced greater monitoring of the hazardous traffic conditions at Fell and Masonic -- including several reports of illegal left turns by motorists -- will begin next week. The operation will be a joint Task Force with SFPD Northern Station involving four or more motorcycle officers at intersections throughout the two adjacent police districts. Officers will ticket motorists who fail to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians in crosswalks and will target drivers who run red lights. The Task Force will be on the streets every other week.

Barrett readily agreed to provide statistics from the Task Force operation with a listing of intersections monitored, times of day, number of citations, and types of infractions. She noted that Tuesday of this week Northern Station cited 22 motorists at intersections in that district.

Barrett previously described the joint effort, reported here in BIKE NOPA, but she re-emphasized the focus on illegal left turns at Fell and Masonic after criticism of SFPD's handling of the collision between a taxi driver and bicyclist in the crosswalk there on February 13th. In that case SFPD decided not to cite the driver. Several pedestrians and cyclists commented on that report, noting the frequency of illegal left-hand turns at the intersection.

In a related development, North of the Panhandle Neighborhood Association (NOPNA) President Jarie Bolander has requested that Captain Barrett and MTA Traffic Engineer Jack Fleck describe what their departments are doing to reduce the hazards at Fell and Masonic during the organization's next general membership meeting on March 18th.

All users of the street, the path, and the sidewalks at Fell and Masonic are encouraged to report both sightings of stepped-up sting operations and illegal left turns to the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition or here at BIKE NOPA.

No Citation for Taxi Driver in Fell/Masonic Collision that Injured Bicyclist

Crosswalk linking the Panhandle Path at Fell and Masonic Streets

Captain Teresa Barrett of SFPD Park Station confirmed this afternoon that there will be no citation for the taxi driver involved in a collision with a bicyclist in the crosswalk at Fell and Masonic Streets February 13th. Barrett told BIKE NOPA that officers often do not issue or recommend citations unless they witness the incident directly or unless there are no conflicting statements from witnesses at the scene.

In this case at least two independent witnesses stated that the bicyclist was in the crosswalk with the right-of-way. One other witness was a passenger in the taxi; that person expressed some uncertainty about whether the driver had a green light to turn onto Masonic from Fell, as reported in this earlier post. The officer who interviewed these individuals told BIKE NOPA that there were conflicting stories among the witnesses, leaving the responsibility uncertain. The officer also suggested the bicyclist might also have been crossing the street during the crosswalk warning period, but that appears to not be the case as reported here.

Captain Barrett advised that often the greatest consequences for motorists in cases like these are the increased charges from their insurance company. "A taxi company is going to have insurance," Barrett said, "and the company is going to look at collisions on the record." She also mentioned that even if motorists are given citations, the traffic court might toss them out.

Although the officer who completed the Incident Report said that the SFPD Traffic Unit would investigate whether a citation will be given, in reality the process appears to work differently. If the officer who completes the report does not indicate on the document that a citation is merited, the form will reach the Traffic Unit and only get filed for insurance purposes and for reference in any subsequent civil case. In effect, officers at the scene do determine the outcome of the case if they don't suggest a citation since further investigation is unlikely without that notation.

Capt. Barrett suggested that while no citation has been recommended to the taxi driver, the bicyclist injured in the collision "has a huge chance for obtaining damages in a civil case."

Note: Individuals can generally receive copies of the police/incident report once they follow the directions provided on a recorded message at SFPD Report Management Section (415) 553 1286. The case # for this collision is 100148285; Officer W. Wong filed the report. The date of incident: Feb. 13, 11:30 pm. You will need to provide your reason for requesting the report.

Getting Clear about Right-of-Way at Fell and Masonic Crosswalk: Different Signal Phases for Cyclists and Pedestrians

Operation of bicycle and pedestrian signals at Fell & Masonic, site of a collision on Feb. 13

Video: San Francisco Bicycle Coalition YouTube .

An observation by the SFPD officer who interviewed witnesses at the scene of a bicyclist/motorist collision at Fell and Masonic February 13th suggests a review is needed of how the California Vehicle Code (CVC) relates to the crosswalk signal operations at this site.

According to witnesses interviewed by BIKE NOPA the day following the incident, the cyclist was clearly in the crosswalk with a green light and had the right-of-way. One noted that the pedestrian countdown signal was at "6" (it runs from 15 to 1).

The SFPD officer also obtained this information from the witnesses. However, he suggested to BIKE NOPA that the cyclist might share some responsibility or fault if she had entered the crosswalk during the countdown. He explained that the countdown is meant as a guide and warning to those already in the crosswalk. This interpretation of the CVC is accurate for pedestrians but apparently not for bicyclists who have their own crosswalk signal.

Pedestrians receive a walk signal for crossing that holds for about three seconds before it begins the countdown from 15 to 1. Then the signal displays an orange hand. The bike light, however, has a different sequence. It turns green at the same time as the pedestrian signal, and remains green through the pedestrian's warning countdown. The bike light turns yellow for three seconds before turning red at the same time as the pedestrian light.

Why does this different sequence for bicyclists and pedestrians matter? The California Vehicle Code (CVC) states that pedestrians should not enter the crosswalk after the warning flash and/or the countdown has begun. However, for bicyclists the CVC states: "an operator of a bicycle facing a steady yellow bicycle signal is, by that signal, warned that the related green movement is ending or that a red indication will be shown immediately thereafter." (CVC, 21456.3 (b). The code does not prohibit the cyclist from being in the crosswalk during the warning phase.

In the case of the injury collision the night of February 13th, if the bicyclist was in the crosswalk during the pedestrian countdown, as witnesses stated, she had a full green bike light and, thus, legal right-0f-way when she collided with the taxi van and sustained injuries to her shoulder.

The crosswalk linking the Panhandle Path is unique in the city. Bicyclists have the legal right to ride, not walk, through the crosswalk according to a new state law reported previously here. The crosswalk is also unusual since it has the two different signals, one for pedestrians and one for bicyclists.

Bicyclists should take caution at this intersection where illegal left-hand turns by motorists occur frequently. Cyclists only get approximately three seconds of a yellow warning bike light before the red appears. At the same time, SFPD should be clear that cyclists retain the right-of-way throughout the green bike light sequence even while the pedestrian light shifts into a warning countdown.