4th and Ellis

Dear Supervisor Dorsey, I am writing to express serious concerns regarding pedestrian and traffic safety at the intersection of 4th and Ellis in District 6. City records document 50 injury collisions within 150 meters of 4th and Ellis in the last five years, including one fatality. This figure covers a 150-meter radius, while the Danger Index grade is computed over a tighter 80-meter core, so the two figures are measured over different areas and a reader should not expect them to reconcile. This intersection shows more reported harm than 99 percent of San Francisco intersections, earning a grade F on the Danger Index. Please note that this index ranks reported harm, not risk per crossing, as there is no exposure normalization. Furthermore, 413 street-condition 311 reports have been filed at this location in the last three years, covering street defects, sidewalks and curbs, signs, streetlights, and blocked sidewalks. While no press coverage was found for this corner in a recent search window, documented press coverage of safety problems at this intersection goes back at least 10 years, to 2016. This is the earliest coverage we can find. No visual audit findings are available for this corner. A resident recently described a dangerous encounter: "To The A**hole Driver at 4th & King Who Almost Killed Several of Us Last Night. He gunned it as the light turned green, turning right into the cross walk at high speed as people were entering it, screeching tires, getting the back end of..." To address these serious concerns, I urge you to support funding for Continental crosswalks, corner daylighting, and a leading pedestrian interval at 4th and Ellis. An estimated cost for these improvements is $250,000 to $350,000, an order of magnitude, which could be secured through the Caltrans Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP). Thank you for your attention to this critical issue. Sincerely, A resident of District 6