Save Polk Street Crowd Still OK With Murderous Street Design

"Accidents happen.  If only there was something we could do.  Oh, we can?  No thanks. " - Save Polk Street
image courtesy of Folks for Polk

With its slog of parking spaces and wide speed lanes, Polk Street has been a Detroit dream for decades. It's enough to make the Michelin Man weep with joy. An average of 2-3 ped/cyclist are struck per month, making it one of the 6% of SF corridors classified as "high-injury". Some people like Folks for Polks argue that since 85% of people get to Polk Street through transit, walking, or biking that they shouldn't have to suffer the wrath of the 15% of motorists that blow through it.

A group crowds around an injured person to explain why parking is so critical to Polk Street's 15%
image courtesy of Folks for Polk

The Save Polk Street Crowd has been fuming at the idea of losing 18% of parking spots on Polk Street, but perfectly comfortable losing human life.  The livid crowd would discuss revenue losses that have yet to happen on more equitable streets.  People like Folks for Polk have argued that revenue increases on streets that actually cater to people's safety and well-being.  They have also argued that building a bike lane not only promotes safe biking but it also slows down cars which also saves pedestrians from injury and death.  The Save Polk crowd said logic has no place when it comes to parking a car.

Dawn Trennert looking insanely receptive to the safety concerns of the 85% of people who get to Polk by mass transit, walking or biking
Image courtesy of  Folks for Polk https://twitter.com/FolksForPolk

During a Final final final final Polk Street redesign project, a SFMTA representative broke down and allegedly (*wink *wink) asked the "Save Polk Street" group, "So are you all just comfortable with a street that WILL eventually kill people?"

Save Polk Crowd - *silence*

SFMTA - "Come on we're all trying to skirt around this question.  Now do you want a design that is safe for everyone?"

S.P.C. - "Yes, of course do"

SFMTA - "ok so we remove about 18% of the parking only along Polk.  You'll still have ALL the parking on every side street, adjacent street, and in the underutilized parking garages"

S.P.C. - "Noooooooo!!!  We need that parking!"

SFMTA - "You JUST said you want safe streets."

S.F.C. - "Absolutely, but don't remove this parking"

SFMTA - "We're not magicians.  You can't have a complete street where everyone is safe with this level of parking."

S.F.C. - *dead silence* *cough* *mumbling*  "Well we don't really know if someone will die, right?"

SFMTA - "I can assure you that it's a statistical certainty.  It happens every year or more."

S.F.C - "but we don't know who it would be or when, right?"

SFMTA - "Is that comforting to you?"

S.F.C. - *silence*

SFMTA - "Well this has been a shitshow.  I hope to never see you harbingers of death again."

The SFMTA representative left along with their faith in humanity.

Save Polk Street skirting around safety issues and focusing on more pressing factors of driving your car to your business and parking right in front of it.

Video courtesy of  folks@folksforpolk.org

Folks for Polk continues to try to draw attention to the deaths and injuries on this corridor that will undoubtedly happen again.  They will continue to be met with dead eyes, blank stares and angry chants from the Save Polk Street crowd that refuse to acknowledge simple statistics, physics and geometry.  Save Polk recently focused their attention on the Van Ness BRT in hopes to keep that a car clogged nightmare to promote business as well.  So far the city of SF has been very receptive to the parking wishes of the Save Polk street even if it collides with their Vision Zero campaign.

"Save a sliver of parking for a few broken pedestrians and cyclists every year so we can park in front of our business?  I guess that's just the price we have to pay" - Save Polk Street
Image found here