CURRENT STATUS In February 2020, Embarcadero Enhancement Project staff presented an update to the Port Commission with two Quick-Build project proposals between Mission to Folsom streets and at Pier 35 to expedite safety improvements in key segments of The Embarcadero corridor. As a result of feedback received from advocates and community members, the Commission pushed project staff to extend the Mission to Folsom streets segment an additional block to include the segment between Folsom to Harrison streets, an area with frequent complaints of conflicts between drivers seeking to access the curb and northbound cyclists. In partnership with the Port of San Francisco, we will begin the construction of The Embarcadero Quick Build projects in mid-June 2020. These projects will change the way people travel on the waterfront and mark a pivotal starting point in creating an improved environment for everyone to use. For more information, visit SFMTA.com/EmbarcaderoQB

The Embarcadero is one of San Francisco’s most iconic destinations and landmarks. It is a thriving business corridor, a key transportation artery, a top tourism destination, a popular recreational route, and a worldwide attraction.

The Embarcadero also has a traffic safety problem. Heavy, diverse and sometimes competing travel demands produce daily conflicts between different user groups, both in the roadway and on the adjacent shared use promenade. These conflicts lead to uncomfortable and unsafe conditions that, in too many instances, result in serious injury and loss of life. Much of the roadway appears on the city’s Vision Zero High Injury Network, which represents the 13% of city streets where 75% of the severe and fatal injuries occur.

To address these ongoing safety issues the SFMTA, Port of San Francisco, and San Francisco Public Works are collaborating on a project that will increase safety, comfort, and accessibility for all who travel along The Embarcadero – while continuing to move people and goods in support of a vibrant waterfront.

Working with a diverse set of stakeholders, the Embarcadero Enhancement Project will develop and implement a series of “Complete Street” improvements along The Embarcadero from Townsend Street near Oracle Park to North Point Street near Pier 39 and Fisherman’s Wharf. These improvements will include:

a physically protected, two-way bikeway on the water-side of The Embarcadero

pedestrian safety enhancements at intersections and along the shared use promenade

roadway paving, wayfinding upgrades, and revisions to travel lanes and parking/loading zones

additional operational safety measures and education/enforcement coordination

Changes that would result from the project include the integration of the existing northbound bike lane into a two-way waterside bikeway; improved organization and accessibility of the promenade, and the removal of the third northbound vehicular travel lane between Howard Street and Pier 5 (approximately at Pacific Street), and between Sansome Street and Pier 33 (approximately at Francisco Street). Additionally, the project would introduce a limited number of turn restrictions and traffic signal changes to simplify and improve the efficiency of intersections and would revise curb allocations (for loading, parking, two-away zones, and other uses) to better reflect current and future demands.

The project is envisioned to be built in several phases. Larger capital-intensive phases would enhance pedestrian crossings to meet current Americans with Disabilities (ADA) standards and provide shorter crossing distances where feasible through sidewalk widening along the Embarcadero and across multiple side-streets. Other capital features could include a raised bikeway design (to be at the same level as the existing promenade), traffic signal upgrades, narrowing and other changes to center medians, potential streetcar station revisions at Broadway, and changeable message signs to help support vehicular access to existing parking lots/garages and to communicate real-time parking availability, traffic delays or detours. The project may also include less capital-intensive phase(s) that implement circulation and safety changes in the shorter-term using predominantly paint, posts, signs, and signal timing adjustments as part of the SFMTA’s Vision Zero Quick Build Initiative.

The project team will engage the public to inform and solicit feedback on conceptual designs, costs and trade-offs, and overall implementation strategies with the goal of achieving a design that is physically and financially viable, reflects public values, and enhances safety and the experience of people who walk, bike, take transit, or drive along The Embarcadero. Additional education and enforcement measures will also be explored and coordinated with engineering measures to support project goals.

The project’s current phase is funded by SFMTA local funds and local sales tax revenue administered by the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA).