Project Overview: Safe Streets Bernal
Mission: Enhancing cycling and pedestrian safety through community advocacy
Website: safestreetsbernal.org
Safe Streets Bernal is a grassroots community organization dedicated to making the streets of the Bernal Heights neighborhood safer and more accessible for everyone. By focusing on the needs of the most vulnerable road users—including pedestrians, cyclists, children, and seniors—the project advocates for infrastructure improvements that reduce traffic speeds and eliminate dangerous intersections.
Project Overview: Safe Streets Bernal
Core Objectives
Infrastructure Advocacy: Promoting the implementation of “slow streets,” protected bike lanes, and improved crosswalk visibility to prevent traffic-related injuries.
Neighborhood Connectivity: Ensuring that residents can safely navigate the steep and often narrow corridors of Bernal Heights while accessing local parks, schools, and business districts.
Data-Driven Solutions: Utilizing traffic studies and community feedback to identify high-risk areas and advocate for engineering changes that prioritize human life over vehicle throughput.
Community Engagement: Building a coalition of neighbors to speak with a unified voice when interfacing with city agencies like the SFMTA and San Francisco Public Works.
Key Initiatives
Safe Streets Bernal works to transform the neighborhood into a “Vision Zero” community, where traffic fatalities and serious injuries are eliminated. This includes supporting initiatives that discourage cut-through traffic on residential streets and encouraging “living streets” that serve as public spaces for the community rather than just conduits for cars.
Get Involved
The project relies on the active participation of Bernal Heights residents to identify problem areas, join advocacy walks, and attend public hearings. Through collaborative action, Safe Streets Bernal strives to create a walkable, bikeable, and safer environment for all neighbors.
Fiscal Sponsorship and Partnership
As the fiscal sponsor for the Ogden Avenue Gardens, Greening Projects provides the administrative and financial framework necessary to sustain this grassroots effort. Our partnership allows the project to scale its impact through professional oversight.
Financial Stewardship: We manage donations and grants dedicated to the site, ensuring transparency in how funds are used for seeds, tools, and infrastructure.
Liability and Permitting: Greening Projects coordinates with city agencies to secure the necessary land-use permits and provides insurance coverage for all volunteer workdays.
Technical Support: We provide access to horticultural expertise and specialized equipment, helping volunteer leads execute complex restoration tasks.
Help Us Grow a Greener, Healthier San Francisco
Connect with us on LinkedIn: Greening Projects