Geary and Polk

Dear Supervisor Mahmood, I am writing to you as a concerned resident of District 5 regarding the persistent safety issues at the intersection of Geary and Polk. City records document 101 injury collisions within 150 meters of this intersection over the last five years. This figure covers a 150-meter radius, while the Danger Index grade is computed over a tighter 80-meter core, so these figures are measured over different areas and should not be expected to reconcile. This intersection shows more reported harm than 98 percent of San Francisco intersections, earning a grade F on the Danger Index. No exposure normalization: the index ranks reported harm, not risk per crossing. The city has received 230 street-condition 311 reports at this location in the last three years, counting street defects, sidewalk and curb, signs, streetlights, and blocked sidewalks. While no recent press coverage was found, documented coverage of safety problems at this intersection goes back at least 12 years, to 2014. An automated visual audit flagged a vehicle turning conflict zone in a Street View photograph, which city records corroborate with 3 pedestrian crossing collisions in five years. City records also show 311 reports: 8 in 12 months, and 3 pedestrian crossing collisions in five years, relating to faded or sub-standard crosswalk markings, though the visual audit did not find this in the photograph. Similarly, city records show 311 reports: 3 in 12 months relating to inadequate street lighting, and 311 reports: 4 in 12 months relating to curb or sidewalk in poor condition, neither of which the visual audit found in the photograph. I urge you to advocate for funding Continental crosswalks, corner daylighting, and a leading pedestrian interval at this critical intersection. An estimated $250,000 to $350,000, order of magnitude, could be secured through the Caltrans Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP). Thank you for your attention to this vital community safety matter. A resident of District 5