San Francisco is considered one of the most walkable cities in the United States, but it also has some of the highest rates of pedestrian accidents. Since 2014, 200 San Francisco pedestrians have been killed, and another 20,000 have been injured while crossing the street. San Francisco has a pedestrian injury rate per capita that is 5 times higher than New York City. Many of these crashes, particularly the fatal ones, occur at just a handful of intersections.
That raises the question: What is the most dangerous pedestrian intersection in San Francisco?
FIFTH AND MARKET STREET
Firth and Market is, by far, the most hazardous crossing for both pedestrians and cyclists in the Bay Area and has been so for the past two decades. Market Street has some of the highest foot traffic in the city and is a big draw for tourists who are often unfamiliar with the roads. While this intersection, in particular, has the most crashes and injuries, it’s not alone as a dangerous intersection.
The entire length of Market Street is a hot zone for pedestrian crashes. In a given year, there are about 160 pedestrian injuries on this street alone. The city has taken notice of this problem and has aimed to improve safety through traffic engineering changes and the “Better Market Street” project.
Although these updates have brought some positive changes, including new rules to the transit-only lanes, recalibrating traffic light timers, and adding both zebra-striped crosswalks and pedestrian signals, Market Street crashes remain high, and the Fifth Street intersection still sees nearly 40 pedestrian crashes per year, excluding bike crashes. If you’re taking a trip to Market Street, be extra cautious, especially when crossing the street. And if you’re injured by a driver, know that you can rely on Casper, Meadows, Schwartz & Cook to help you through a difficult time.
To schedule a free case consultation with an experienced Walnut Creek personal injury attorney from Casper, Meadows, Schwartz & Cook, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at (925) 275-5592 or send us an email.