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City leaders gathered on Friday afternoon at Mission and Norton streets on a new sidewalk extension, known as a bulb-out, to celebrate the completion of the Mission Street and Geneva Avenue Infrastructure Improvement Project.
The project was a multi-agency project that included the Department of Public Works, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.
Public Works Director Carla Short said dozens of changes were made along the corridor, including improvements to pedestrian safety and sewer main replacement.
“This project packed a punch,” Short said. “Eighty-seven new curb ramps, 70 new traffic signal poles, 34 bulb-outs, 22 streetlight replacements, 17 concrete bus pads, three bus bulbs, two raised crosswalks, tens of thousands of square feet of new concrete base and thousands of tons of fresh asphalt.”
The project area included Mission Street, from Geneva Avenue to the Interstate-280 overpass, and Geneva Avenue, from Prague to Mission. Public Works said the project took three years to complete, but was completed in segments to minimize construction impacts to the corridors.
District 11 Supervisor Chayanne Chen said the completed project will help improve the lives of those who live in and visit the area.
“The new curb extension, raised crosswalk, transit island, and improved visibility at intersections will help protect the people who use these streets every day, especially our seniors, children and families,” Chen said.
Both Mission Street and Geneva Avenue are on the city’s High-Injury Network, streets with the most deadly and injurious incidents. In the project area, the Office of Mayor Daniel Lurie said there had been five fatal collisions with at least 323 people injured in crashes over the last seven years.
Mayor Daniel Lurie said the project represented the city’s commitment to implementing traffic safety improvements on the city’s corridors with the most fatal and severe crashes.
“Investments like these make our neighborhoods stronger and give residents the confidence to move their community, move through their community on foot, on a bike, on transit, or in their car,” the mayor said. “This project is a model for what every neighborhood in San Francisco deserves — infrastructure that works for the people who live here.”
Laura Padilla, the executive director for the Excelsior Action Group, said the celebration was more about the completion of the project.
“We're celebrating an investment in people, local businesses, and the future of the Excelsior. Mission Street is the heart of our neighborhood,” Padilla said. “These important improvements will support our Excelsior night markets, cultural celebrations, family events and everyday moments that bring people together.”
The $31 million project was funded through a variety of sources, including over $8.6 million from local sales, transportation and from the Prop AA vehicle registration fee.
