19th Avenue Is a Safer Walk for Pedestrians

Slowing Down The Number Of Deaths

​The number of pedestrians killed by drivers blowing through the deadly stretch of 19th Avenue has hit a new record: zero -- and state Sen. Leland Yee is taking credit for it.

Yee, who is running for San Francisco mayor in 2012, duly noted that the highly traveled roadway which connects San Mateo County to Marin has seen zero pedestrian deaths since 2007, when Yee's legislation that doubled fines for motorists caught speeding down 19th Avenue, went into effect. 

That's compared to the 10 deaths that occurred between the five-year-span of 2003 and 2007.

Pedestrian-safety advocates had tried to solve the ongoing crisis with improved lighting, pedestrian countdown lights, and more visible sidewalks. But it didn't work. In 2007 alone, there were five pedestrian deaths along 19th Avenue.

So Yee worked with community members to implemented steep penalties for driving fast along 19th Ave. between Junipero Serra Boulevard and Lake Street at Highway 1. Drivers now get a double fine -- ranging from $50 to $2,400  -- for excessive speeding, illegal passing, overtaking, and reckless driving.

"We now have the missing piece to the puzzle," Yee says.

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