Assessing Public Outreach about Slow Streets in San Francisco

Project Description

In response to the increasing need to socially distance on the streets, many cities nationwide — and especially in California — have installed Slow Streets that prohibit thru traffic on roads. However, because Slow Streets are new, few cities have extensive data about resident responses to these new walkways. SFMTA has issued a questionnaire to better understand resident attitudes and understandings of Slow Streets. This project will perform a qualitative and quantitative analysis to provide insight into the responses from San Francisco residents. The project will categorize overall attitudes and general comments to interpret if San Franciscans understand the function and benefits of Slow Streets. The research will also identify missing regions in the questionnaire and citizen recommendations to determine if Slow Streets are not benefiting specific socio-demographic populations in San Francisco. This project directly relates to state policies that allocate resources for improved active transportation infrastructure and to Vision Zero policies that promise to reduce pedestrian/cyclist deaths. In examining what data is missing from the questionnaire responses, the project is also hoping to add to the nationwide conversation about how to equitably adapt safe streets outreach plans to community needs, rather than considering an entire city holistically.