Flyers supporting boarding islands and opposing a boarding pilot program have appeared along stops on the L-Taraval route. Saying "Boarding Islands Save Lives, [b]ut the SFMTA isn't putting one at this stop!," the flyers only appear at stops where boarding islands would not be built.

The much-disputed boarding islands are part of the SFMTA's Vision Zero plan to reduce pedestrian fatalities and collisions along the high-injury L-Taraval corridor. Over the last five years, 22 people (out of 46 total collisions) have been hit by cars as they boarded or disembarked from the light rail along the corridor.

The boarding island at Taraval and 24th Avenue. | Photo: Fiona Lee/Hoodline

The writer of the flyer opposes the boarding pilot, one solution that SFMTA is offering in the face of opposition from some merchants and residents, who are against the removal of parking spaces to make room for the boarding islands.

Instead of boarding islands, the pilot would see signage and a painted boarding area to warn drivers to stop for passengers of the L-Taraval. The boarding pilot was developed after contentious community meetings saw some residents turn out to oppose the removal of parking spaces. Other residents, however, supported the boarding islands.

The L-Taraval Boarding Pilot would be implemented at five stops along the L-Taraval route. | Photo: SFMTA

The flyer also encourages people to sign a petition advocating for boarding islands and opposing the boarding pilot. The petition comes from Walk San Francisco, a local pedestrian advocacy non-profit organization that has had representatives at the L-Taraval community meetings. At press time, 168 people had signed the petition.

The plan for the L-Taraval is now heading into its final stages for approval with the SFMTA Board of Directors in September.

Here’s the full text of the flyer: