The Barbary Coast Neighborhood Association Safety Committee met recently with officers from the San Francisco Police Departmentâs Central Station to discuss our membersâ concerns and the Committeeâs ideas to improve safety in our neighborhood. And we have good news to report!
The BCNA Safety Committee was created in response to increased incidents of cars stunt driving and speeding along the Embarcadero and works to address a range of safety issues for our residents, including crime, traffic, and pedestrian concerns. The focus of the June 5th walkabout with Lieutenant Farmer, Sergeant Barbosa, and Officer Collins was to seek solutions on (1) noise, speeding, and stunt driving, and (2) crime and personal safety, especially communities of concern who can be most at risk.
We are pleased to report that as a result of our efforts, SFPDâs Central Station has committed to helping us address these problems.
Lieutenant Farmer has asked his patrol officers to increase their patrol presence in the Barbary Coast area. We shared BCNAâs Safety Survey results, which found that 28% of respondents feel unsafe walking in the neighborhood during the daytime, and 51% feel unsafe at night. The officers agreed that âThis is unacceptable,â and committed to âmake sure there is immediate action.â
The officers proposed two significant steps to address the excessive noise, speeding and stunt driving on the Embarcadero on weekends. First, SFPD leadership will start a traffic operation to deploy police officers along the Embarcadero. The officers advised that the best chance of a long-term resolution is to deter this kind of behavior by issuing citations and fines.
Second, SFPD recommended blocking the entrance of Pier 27 (cruise ship terminal) because the large, empty parking lot frequently serves as a gathering place for stunt driving and sideshows. SFPD advised BCNA to work with the Port of San Francisco to install physical barriers to deny vehicle access on the weekends. As an interim, short-term solution, SFPD can increase patrol presence at Pier 27 to prevent large gatherings.
The Safety Committee is also launching a noise monitoring study to help our efforts to reduce speeding, stunt driving, and excessive noise by cars and motorcycles on the Embarcadero and other Barbary Coast thoroughfares. In July, the Safety Committee will place monitors at two busy intersections along the Embarcadero to record noise level data, in order to pinpoint the loudest days and times and more specifically define the noise pollution problem. We will share these data with SFPD Central Station, which we hope will enable a more efficient and effective deployment of resources to resolve these issues.
Click here for details on our June 5th walkabout with SFPD.
