FINAL Program Plan Example: Pedestrian Safety in the Tenderloin-SWT by Sarah Wongking Tanuvasa

San Francisco Leads the State in Pedestrian Injury

sarahmw2 — 2025-05-08 21:49:06 UTC

On average, each day, at least 3 people walking are hit by cars in San Francisco. Over 50% of the people killed in traffic crashes in the city are pedestrians. Nationally, 14% of people killed due to traffic violence are pedestrians. (Walk San Francisco, https://walksf.org/news/for-reporters/#:~:text=Key%20Facts%20About%20Pedestrian%20Safety%20in%20San%20Francisco,doesn%E2%80%99t%20mean%20that%20more%20people%20should%20be%20injured.)

Pedestrians + Cars are a Bad Mix in the Tenderloin

sarahmw2 — 2025-05-08 21:49:06 UTC

In San Francisco each year over 800 people are injured in accidents involving pedestrians and cars. In particular, injury and death of people walking in the Tenderloin due to car accident is a critical health issue with the highest rates of any San Francisco neighborhood. Since 2014, in the 52 people were killed in traffic crashes in District 6 and
4,691 people were injured.
(Central Market/Tenderloin Data Portal, https://www.cmtldata.org/data/pedestrian-collisions)

Tenderloin Residents are Particularly Vulnerable

sarahmw2 — 2025-05-08 21:49:06 UTC

In comparison to the San Francisco General Population in the Tenderloin...

Youth population 3x higher than city average
Senior population 4x higher
Ethnic composition is 21% more diverse
Median income 70% lower
Violent crime 2.6x higher
311 requests 9.1x higher
1/3 of city single room occupancy housing stock within ¼ mile
Home to extremely dense residential areas, locally-owned small businesses, major event venues, and Union Square hotel district
Reliant on public transportation

(SFMTA Board of Directors, 2018)

Tenderloin streets are the most unsafe in SF

sarahmw2 — 2025-05-08 21:49:06 UTC

In 2015 the rate of severe and fatal pedestrian injuries per 100 road miles in the Tenderloin was 64, compared to 9 for the City overall.
(Central Market/Tenderloin Data Portal, https://www.cmtldata.org/data/pedestrian-collisions)

Walking in the Tenderloin is Risky

sarahmw2 — 2025-05-08 21:49:06 UTC

Along the 6th street corridor a pedestrian is struck by a vehicle every 16 days on average.
(Hoodline, October 16, 2018)

High Speed Traffic and Lack of Visibility of Intersections in the Tenderloin Cause Accidents

sarahmw2 — 2025-05-08 21:49:06 UTC

Excess travel lanes was a factor in 95% of pedestrian crashes on Taylor Street in the Tenderloin.
(SFDPH, Pedestrian Safety Presentation to Health Commission, 2014)

Driver Behavior Contributes to Many Accidents

sarahmw2 — 2025-05-08 21:49:06 UTC

Not yielding to pedestrians
Speeding -- Speed is the leading factor for serious injury and death in San Francisco. A person hit by a car at 40 MPH has a 15% chance of survival; at 20 MPH there’s a 90% chance of survival.
Distracted driving

(SFDPH, Pedestrian Safety Presentation to Health Commission, 2014)

Basic Pedestrian Safety Improvements Are Not in Place

sarahmw2 — 2025-05-08 21:49:06 UTC

On many of the streets in the Tenderloin there are unsafe conditions that need to be addressed. Traffic calming and pedestrian safety measures such as "daylighting" of intersections and audible pedestrian signals need to be put in place.
District 6 Vision Zero Report Care, Walk SF, May 2021

Don't Call it an "Accident"

sarahmw2 — 2025-05-08 21:49:06 UTC

Although pedestrian injury may not be intentional, some activists want the term "accident" to be avoided. Instead, using the term "crash" highlights that the injury is, in fact, preventable. Crashes that result in pedestrian injuries are more likely to occur in low-income communities and are part of larger structural inequities.

(Coy, P. "Stop Calling Them 'Accidents'" New York Times, February 7, 2022)

Injuries due to Accidents in the Tenderloin costs the City $$$$

sarahmw2 — 2025-05-08 21:49:06 UTC

$13 Million a year is spent on medical care for victims of pedestrian accidents in the Tenderloin. Check out this report for more info:
https://www.sfdph.org/dph/files/sfchip/VisionZero-PedestrianSafety-HealthCommission-May2014.pdf

(SFDPH, Pedestrian Safety Presentation to Health Commission, 2014)

Sources

sarahmw2 — 2025-05-08 21:49:06 UTC

Long Term Outcomes

sarahmw2 — 2025-05-08 21:49:06 UTC

Decrease in the # of injuries to pedestrians due to car accidents in the Tenderloin neighborhood in San Francisco in 2.5 years.
Decrease in the # of deaths of pedestrians due to car accidents in the Tenderloin neighborhood in San Francisco in 2.5 years.

Driving within Speed limit

sarahmw2 — 2025-05-08 21:49:06 UTC

Medium Term: Increase in the # of drivers in the Tenderloin neighborhood in San Francisco who drive within the speed limit by 1 year (behavior)

Short Term: Increase in the # of drivers in the Tenderloin neighborhood in San Francisco who believe it is necessary to drive slowly to avoid hitting pedestrians by 6 months (attitude)

Texting & Driving

sarahmw2 — 2025-05-08 21:49:06 UTC

Medium Term:Increase in the # of drivers in the Tenderloin neighborhood in San Francisco who do not text and drive by 1 year (behavior)

Short Term: Increase in the # of drivers in the Tenderloin neighborhood in San Francisco who believe that they can drive more safely if they do not text while driving by 6 months (attitude)

Defensive walking skills

sarahmw2 — 2025-05-08 21:49:06 UTC

Medium Term: Increase in the # of seniors who live in the Tenderloin neighborhood in San Francisco who use defensive walking skills by 1 year (behavior)

Short Term: Increase in the # of seniors in the Tenderloin neighborhood in San Francisco who know the elements of defensive walking by 9 months (knowledge)

Short Term: Increase in the # of seniors in the Tenderloin neighborhood in San Francisco who believe it is important to be careful when walking by 9 months (attitude)

Program Name

sarahmw2 — 2025-05-08 21:49:06 UTC

TaPPS: Tenderloin Pedestrians Promoting Safety

Program Participants

sarahmw2 — 2025-05-08 21:49:06 UTC

Seniors age 65+ who live in the Tenderloin
All people who drive through the Tenderloin

Building on cultural wealth of TL residents

sarahmw2 — 2025-05-08 21:49:06 UTC

This program and all components were designed utilizing Tara Yosso's cultural wealth theory in mind. The program recognizes that residents of the Tenderloin already have significant knowledge of the neighborhood and that seniors have the experience and linguistic capital to work with their own community. For this reason, we are using a peer to peer model to leverage the expertise and wealth of residents. We also are conducting a social media campaign to recognize the importance of signage in connection to this issue.

Program Activities Phase 1: Program Development (mos. 1-3)

sarahmw2 — 2025-05-08 21:49:06 UTC

Hire staff
Identify a space in the Tenderloin to rent for program activities
Purchase materials
Develop curriculum to train Pedestrian Safety Ambassadors in defensive walking skills, effective training technique, social marketing, media advocacy and public speaking
Develop curriculum to train Tenderloin seniors in defensive walking -- Defensive Walking for Tenderloin Seniors (DWATS)
Recruit 10 seniors from the Tenderloin to be Pedestrian Safety Ambassadors

Program Activities Phase 2: Program Implementation (mos. 4 - 21)

sarahmw2 — 2025-05-08 21:49:06 UTC

Train Pedestrian Safety Ambassadors

10 Senior Pedestrian Safety Ambassadors meet 3 hours a day for 5 days a week for 2 weeks for training and to create defensive walking skills outreach materials and messages for social media campaign

Pedestrian Safety Ambassadors Conduct Defensive Walking Training

Pedestrian Safety Ambassadors distribute flyers and conduct street outreach to seniors in the Tenderloin to recruit them to attend defensive walking training.
Pedestrian Safety Ambassadors conduct a two hour Defensive Walking for Tenderloin Seniors (DWATS) training once a month for 15 months.
- Training Approach
  - Observation
  - On the street practice
  - Making a plan
- Training Topics
  - identifying situations that carry higher risks of being hit
  - steps to control these situations as much as possible
  - defensive walking skills

Conduct Social Media Campaign

Media design firm develops large posters, billboards and social media posts using messages.
“Tenderloin Safe Streets” social marketing campaign runs for 9 months.
Pedestrian Safety Ambassadors engage in media advocacy and secure interviews in print, radio and television local news to promote campaign messages

Program Activities Phase 3: Closing (mos 22-24)

sarahmw2 — 2025-05-08 21:49:06 UTC

Hold Tenderloin community "Safe Streets" party to highlight reduced pedestrian injury & death in the Tenderloin
Hold graduation ceremony for the Pedestrian Safety Ambassadors
Conduct evaluation activities
Develop final report about the TaPPS program

Program Outputs

sarahmw2 — 2025-05-08 21:49:06 UTC

10 Senior Pedestrian Safety Ambassadors
1 curriculum to train the Pedestrian Safety Ambassadors
1 DWATS training curriculum
225 seniors (15 people per training) trained in DWATS
10 interviews of Pedestrian Safety Ambassadors on local news
100 social media posts as part of Tenderloin Safe Streets Campaign
20 poster and billboards displayed in the Tenderloin as part of Tenderloin Safe Streets Campaign

Program Timeline

sarahmw2 — 2025-05-08 21:49:06 UTC

TaPPS Staffing

sarahmw2 — 2025-05-08 21:49:06 UTC

Project Director (part-time)
Project Coordinator (part-time)
Social Marketing Consultant
10 Pedestrian Safety Ambassadors

TaPPS Budget

sarahmw2 — 2025-05-08 21:49:06 UTC