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Walk San Francisco, at its annual 'Woonerven'* party Tuesday evening, marked a host of accomplishments towards making San Francisco safer and more pedestrian friendly in 2019. "I want to toast everyone who went to a meeting at City Hall to speak. Or attended a vigil. Or emailed or called an elected official," said Walk SF director Jodie Medeiros to the room of 200 supporters at the event in the Mission. Their work, she said, helped bring seminal victories including "the biggest win of 2019, private vehicles off Market Street."
Jodie Medeiros thanked the crowd from the Make-Out Room's dimly lit stage.
To drive the point home (or maybe 'walk the point home' would be a better expression), the organization's communications director, Marta Lindsey, had Walk SF staff, directors and volunteers hold signs (seen in the lead image) which they lifted up as she listed each victory.
Walk S.F. directors and staff held up cards identifying this year's major accomplishments.
"I'm thrilled about Tumlin," said SFMTA Planning Director Sarah Jones, who was also at the celebration. She was especially happy about Tumlin's work on reforming 'Level of Service.' She sees his appointment as enabling staff to make bolder, more definitive changes to streets, including banning private cars on streets beyond Market. "We don't have the luxury of not being bold."
Alvin Lester, whose son was killed in 2014, and John Lowell, who was hit in 2001.
For all the hard-working advocates and city officials at the event, that means 2020 will require even more advocacy and commitment, around the city, at the state level, and beyond.
"We still have a long way to go," said Parks.
*Woonerven is an idea born in the Netherlands: a “living street” traffic-calmed with shared space and slow speeds: all traffic goes at the pace of a person on foot.