[Carfreeliving] Please join TLC in supporting AB 452 (Yee) - Creating a Safety Enhancement/Double Fine Zone for 19th Ave.

[Jeremy Nelson]

Hello-

Assemblyman Lee's bill (AB 452) to create a Safety Enhancement/Double Fine
Zone for 19th Ave (between Junipero Serra Blvd. and Lake St.) has been
reintroduced this year.

This bill would double fines for speeding, reckless driving, drunk driving,
and other illegal and dangerous driving behaviors along 19th Ave. (a copy of
the bill is available at
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/postquery?bill_number=ab_452&sess=CUR&hous
e=B&author=yee).

As you know, San Francisco is consistently ranked as having the highest
pedestrian and bicycling injuries and fatalities of any city in the country.
And within San Francisco, 19th Ave. is one of the most dangerous and
inhospitable streets to walk and bike on in the entire City.

TLC believes that the higher traffic fines authorized under AB 452 would
serve as an effective deterrent for illegal and dangerous driving along 19th
Avenue.  As a result, we believe the bill would help improve safety for
pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists who travel along 19th Ave. as well as
improve the quality of life for thousands of residents who live near this
dangerous roadway.

Please join Transportation for a Livable City in supporting this important
legislation by taking the following three actions:

1) Write an organizational or individual letter of support.  TLC's letter of
support is pasted in below for you to modify as you see fit.

2) Ask your members or constituents to send an e-mail, fax, or letter of
support.  E-mails should be sent to mailto:Jennifer.Schieck at asm.ca.gov.
Faxes should be sent to (916) 319-2112.  Letters sent by regular mail should
be addressed to Jennifer Schieck, Legislative Aide, Assemblyman Leland Yee,
State Capitol, P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento, CA 95814.

3) Attend a hearing in Sacramento.  The first hearing on this issue has been
scheduled for the Transportation Committee on April 25th, at 1:30pm, in Room
4202.  Please have someone on your staff or Board save the date and plan on
attending the hearing.  A TLC staffer will likely will be taking the Capitol
Corridor train to Sacramento to testify in support of this bill and we
invite you to join us.

Let me know if you have any questions or would like more information. Thanks
in advance -Jeremy

Jeremy Nelson
Policy Director
Transportation for a Livable City (TLC)
NOTE NEW ADDRESS & OFFICE PHONE:
995 Market St., Suite 1550
San Francisco, CA 94103
office: 415.344.0489
cell: 415.425.9848
fax: 775.540.9813
e-mail: jeremy at livablecity.org
web: www.livablecity.org

============================

April 18, 2005

TO:  Assemblyman Leland Yee, Speaker pro Tempore
State Capitol, Room 3173
PO Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 95814

RE: AB 452 (Creation of a Safety Enhancement-Double Fine Zone for 19th Ave.
in San Francisco) – SUPPORT


Dear Assemblyman Yee,

Transportation for a Livable City (TLC) is a community-based policy and
advocacy organization dedicated to improving San Franciscans’ quality of
life by promoting greater transportation choices, safer and better-designed
streets, and the creation of more affordable housing along transit
corridors.

On behalf of TLC’s hundreds of members and supporters, we are writing to
express our strong support for your bill AB 452 - Creation of a Safety
Enhancement-Double Fine Zone for 19th Ave. (between Junipero Serra Blvd. and
Lake St.) in San Francisco.

As you know, San Francisco is a compact city with very high rates of walking
and bicycling.  In addition, San Francisco is consistently ranked as having
the highest pedestrian and bicycling injuries and fatalities of any city in
the country.  And within San Francisco, 19th Ave. is one of the most
dangerous and inhospitable streets to walk and bike on in the entire City.

While 19th Ave. is a segment of State Highway 1, it is also a residential
street where thousands of families live and thousands more San Franciscans
traverse on foot and bike everyday, including many young children and
elderly persons.  Unfortunately, speeding auto traffic on this freeway-style
road endangers these many San Franciscans every day, and has resulted in
numerous injuries and deaths.

We believe that increasing fines for illegal and dangerous driving behaviors
like speeding, reckless driving, and drunk driving along 19th Ave. will help
reduce these behaviors (as the old saying goes, “the wallet is an excellent
teacher”) and will improve safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists who
travel along 19th Ave. and the quality of life for residents of 19th Ave.

Finally, because this double fine zone designation expires on 1/1/07, it can
be allowed to sunset if it proves unsuccessful.  However, the City of Arcata
has a double fine zone designation on State Highway 1 that has been very
successful in reducing dangerous driving and improving road safety.

We thank you for introducing this bill and urge your colleagues to support
this bill in when it is heard in committee.

Sincerely,

Jeremy Nelson
Policy Director, Transportation for a Livable City

Cc:  San Francisco Board of Supervisors
Municipal Transportation Authority’s Board of Directors
Emily Drennen, Acting Director, Walk San Francisco
Leah Shahum, San Francisco Bicycle Coalition
Andrew Sullivan, Executive Director, Rescue Muni