Mayor Lurie Takes Steps to Make Streets Safer for San Francisco Children Ahead of First Day of School

SAN FRANCISCO – Mayor Daniel Lurie today took new steps to keep San Francisco children safe ahead of the first day of school on August 17. For the 2026-27 school year, the administration is lowering speed limits around schools across the city, increasing traffic enforcement, and continuing to provide crossing guards—building on safety improvements from automated speed cameras present near dozens of schools and expanded Muni service that will speed up students’ and families’ commutes to school and work.

This multi-agency work on student safety continues Mayor Lurie’s work to make San Francisco safer and more welcoming to families. Under Mayor Lurie’s Street Safety Initiative, city departments are working together to make streets safer for all residents and visitors. This spring, Mayor Lurie cut the ribbon on the Terry Francois Boulevard Bike and Pedestrian Safety Project and the Twin Peaks Promenade Project, bringing important safety and accessibility improvements to two San Francisco neighborhoods. Mayor Lurie’s Family Opportunity Agenda is simultaneously delivering vibrant public spaces for San Francisco families. Earlier this summer, Mayor Lurie broke ground on the Portsmouth Square Improvement Project, starting the process to deliver a vibrant space for Chinatown families after reopening the Tenderloin Recreation Center Children’s Play Area in May. And just yesterday, Mayor Lurie celebrated the opening of the newly rebuilt Eugene L. Friend Recreation Center, now an expanded and upgraded hub for families in the South of Market neighborhood.

“When tens of thousands of San Francisco students return to school next week, they should be able to get there safely—whether they walk, bike, take transit, or get dropped off,” said Mayor Lurie. “Under our Street Safety Initiative, we have made concrete changes around our schools ahead of the first day. As this school year begins, these changes will give parents more peace of mind and help every student get where they need to go safely. All of this work is part of our broader effort to make San Francisco a city where parents want to raise a family, from expanding access to childcare to creating room for more housing through our Family Zoning Plan.”

San Francisco is leading the state in lowering speed limits in school zones. Following the passage of AB 382, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) is working to expand 15- and 20-mile-per-hour speed limits near schools across the city, helping to prevent crashes in locations with large concentrations of young people. The SFMTA is working to fully phase out 25-mile-per-hour school zone limits at more than 230 public and private schools by 2028, giving both drivers and law enforcement officials clearer enforcement standards. The state law requires all California cities to implement these changes by 2031.

“Street safety is public safety, and we are using every tool at our disposal to make our streets safer and more accessible for our kids so they can get where they’re going safely,” said Julie Kirschbaum, SFMTA Director of Transportation. “We thank Mayor Lurie for his leadership to build momentum around this critical work and our public safety and school partners who work with us to keep our kids moving across the city safely.”

San Francisco has also been a leader on automated speed safety cameras, which add enforcement capacity beyond what officers can cover corridor by corridor. The first city in California to pilot automated speed safety cameras, San Francisco has seen a significant shift in driver behavior with an almost 80% decrease in speeding across the city’s 33 camera locations since SFMTA rolled out cameras in March 2025. In school zones where cameras are installed, dangerous speeding has dropped by as much as 94% compared to pre-installation levels, removing close calls for kids and families walking or biking to school:

• Bay Street (75% drop) between Marina Middle School and Galileo High School  
• Broadway (74% drop) next to Jean Parker Elementary School with other schools and senior centers nearby
• Cesar Chavez Street at Harrison Street (91% drop) in front of Flynn Elementary School
• Franklin Street (94% drop) next to Sherman Elementary School 
• Harrison Street (64% drop) in front of Bessie Carmichael Middle School  
• Seventh Street (92% drop) in front of Bessie Carmichael Elementary School  
• Third Street (86% drop) near KIPP Bayview Academy 
• Turk Street (69% drop) in front of Tenderloin Community Elementary School near shelters and health and social service providers

As students return to class, the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) is increasing traffic enforcement around schools, ensuring drivers slow down, watch out for pedestrians and cyclists, and obey all traffic laws to help protect students, educators, and other members of the public. Leading up to the new school year, SFPD has been conducting increased traffic enforcement across city with an emphasis on San Francisco’s high-injury network. SFPD continues its “Focus on the Five” initiative to track citations for the five top causes of collisions: speeding, running red lights, running stop signs, failure to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks, and failure to yield to pedestrians while turning.

“As students return to school, we're urging the public to slow down and be aware of pedestrians and cyclists around school zones,” said SFPD Chief Derrick Lew. “Our officers will be out in force ensuring drivers follow all traffic laws, including driving the speed limit and yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks. We're excited for students to return to class this year, and the SFPD will make sure we're protecting students, faculty, and everyone else throughout the school year.”

Lower speed limits, automated speed cameras in school zones, and increased traffic enforcement build on the progress SFMTA has already made to improve visibility at school intersections, having painted 2,300 curbs red as of 2025 so drivers can better see pedestrians and cyclists cross. Mandated by AB 413, daylit curbs are a proven safety measure. Other recent infrastructure projects have added further protection, including the Mission Bay Quick-Build near the new Mission Bay Elementary School and the Winston Drive Quick-Build supporting safety on routes to Lowell High School and San Francisco State University.

“Every child deserves to feel safe walking, biking, taking buses, or being driven to school each day,” said Dr. Maria Su, San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent. “As we welcome our students and families back for a new school year, we are grateful for the coordinated approach that city agencies are taking to make the journey to and from school safer. From drivers slowing down in new speed limit zones to families staying alert when crossing streets, when we all work together, every student can get to school confidently.”

“As a parent, volunteer soccer coach, and PTA president at Flynn Elementary, I am incredibly grateful that the SFMTA is prioritizing the safety of our children and families,” said Genny May-Montt, Flynn Elementary PTA President. “These improvements to Cesar Chavez, informed by data and community input, will make a meaningful difference for our students who cross this corridor daily for school, soccer practice, and after-school activities.”

As part of broader back-to-school efforts, SFMTA recently announced Muni service changes that will make it easier for students to get to school beginning August 29. Roughly 27% of all SFUSD students rely on Muni to get to and from school, rising to 55% among high school students. Free Muni for Youth continues to be among the most utilized of SFMTA’s free and reduced fare programs, helping maintain Muni as an affordable and accessible option for San Francisco families.  

Muni service changes specifically designed for the new school year include:

• Visitacion Valley to Francisco Middle School: A new “one-seat ride” eliminates a transfer previously required on the 8AX Bayshore Express, reducing wait times for students. Muni will add morning 8AX Bayshore Express trips serving the 8 Bayshore north of Broadway.
• 28R 19th Avenue Rapid: A new stop at 19th Avenue and Eucalyptus Drive gives Lowell High School students another convenient option to get to and from campus.
• Afternoon “School Trippers”: A small number of underused afternoon trips are being adjusted to redirect students to existing nearby service with no change to total trip time.

“Every child should be able to walk to school safely,” said Jodie Medeiros, Executive Director of Walk SF. “Lowering speed limits in school zones citywide is an important step toward preventing crashes and protecting children.”

Several of the city’s busiest lines will also see improved frequency and added capacity to and from downtown, including the 1 California, N Judah, 5R Fulton Rapid, 22 Fillmore, 29 Sunset, 38R Geary Rapid, and 49 Van Ness-Mission, which will ease commutes for students and families. Additional details on the service changes are available online and at SFMTA.com/ServiceChanges.