Addressing the Tragic Accident at West Portal Station
Planning for a Safe and Welcoming Intersection
Update Message from the Office of Myrna Melgar & West Portal Merchants Association
Announcing a new committee to address the West Portal Station traffic solutions
• • • • • • • • • • April 27, 2024 • • • • • • • • • •
Asafer, orderly, more welcoming and beautiful entrance to our thriving West Portal corridor is good for kids, families, and seniors, and it is good for business. National press attention descended on this corner of our district after an entire family was tragically killed by a speeding car while waiting for the bus. For decades, the intersection of Ulloa and West Portal Avenue has been crowded, confusing, and conflicted. Home to multiple bus lines, transit lines, thousands of daily transit rides, cars, strollers, and more all competing for limited space without much direction or order. Since taking office in January 2021, I have been discussing the necessary changes to this intersection with merchants, neighbors, and visitors to West Portal. Our streets are in dire need of an upgrade, and now is the time to act. We must assure residents, the greater public, and customers of the commercial corridor that West Portal is safe and welcoming.
We have heard valid concerns about impacts to traffic on other streets, double parking, and traffic safety at surrounding intersections, and are actively engaging with West Portal merchants to address concerns, solve problems, and incorporate their feedback. This public process is essential for the SFMTA to draft improvements to the proposal so the best possible design can be presented to the SFMTA Board for consideration.”
On April 18, Mayor Breed and I shared the first draft of a proposal to change traffic flow directly in front of the West Portal station.
This draft design would create additional pedestrian space outside the station, encourage cars to visit West Portal Avenue instead of drive through it, and create clear delineation between space for transit and space for private vehicles.
This draft design also continues to allow car traffic on West Portal Avenue and preserves all parking on West Portal Avenue.
You can see the full proposed project here.
stop is currently at the southwest corner of Ulloa Street and West Portal
Avenue. This stop and layover space would move across the
intersection on Ulloa Street just east of West Portal Avenue.
layover period there. Since that stop location would be converted to community space,
the layover location and the last inbound and first outbound stop would move to the
stop used by the 48 Quintara-24th Street at West Portal Avenue and Ulloa Street.
My office and the SFMTA are currently collecting feedback from the community on this proposal. The SFMTA has launched a survey , hosted 3 pop ups on the merchant corridor, and gathered input from hundreds of emails, phone calls, and in person comments at City Hall. We have heard valid concerns about impacts to traffic on other streets, double parking, and traffic safety at surrounding intersections, and are actively engaging with West Portal merchants to address concerns, solve problems, and incorporate their feedback. This public process is essential for the SFMTA to draft improvements to the proposal so the best possible design can be presented to the SFMTA Board for consideration.
In the coming weeks, an updated proposal will be available that addresses many of the concerns voiced throughout this public process. I appreciate all those who have provided their feedback and look forward to sharing the updated proposal with the West Portal community and all District 7 residents once the targeted public outreach has concluded.
Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions and thank you for your commitment to a Welcoming West Portal.
Myrna Melgar is the Supervisor for District 7
April 27, 2024
