SerpApi.Org
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — San Francisco is getting the green light to lower speed limits on more school streets.
On Tuesday, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Board of Directors approved a citywide program, helping create safer journeys for children, families and everyone traveling to and from school.
The move comes ahead of lower school speed limits becoming a statewide standard by 2031.
Through Assembly Bill 382, the SFMTA has established a new 20 miles per hour default school speed limit and expanded where 15 mph and 20 mph speed limits can be used, adding another proven tool to the agency’s long-term efforts to reduce speeds and improve safety around schools.
Currently, all school zones are either 15mph or 25mph.
“Every parent should have the peace of mind that they can get their child to school safely. And we are taking a simple, proven step to help prevent crashes and save lives,” said Mayor Daniel Lurie. “As families get ready for the new school year, they deserve to know that they’ll be sending their kids out to safer streets so they can get to class and back home, every day, without fear.”
“Nothing matters more than helping children get to school safely,” said Julie Kirschbaum, SFMTA Director of Transportation. “Every day, thousands of families walk, bike, roll, take Muni and drive to schools across San Francisco, and every one of those journeys should feel safe.”
The first lowered speed limits will be installed before the start of the new school year at Dr. William L. Cobb Elementary School, Leonard R. Flynn Elementary School, St. Anthony-Immaculate Conception School, Jefferson Elementary School, Roosevelt Middle School and Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts.
“When we make it safer for kids to get to school, we are educating them before they enter the classroom,” said Supervisor Myrna Melgar. “I’d like to thank the SFMTA for taking advantage of this new law and making it safer for kids and families to get to school every day.”
“The safety of our students is our highest priority, and that commitment extends beyond the classroom,” said Dr. Maria Su, Superintendent of SFUSD.
The program includes:
- More than 2,300 school intersections have red-curb daylighting to keep crosswalks clear of parked vehicles, with 65% of citywide intersections now completed.
- Lower speed limits on more than 100 miles of safety corridors and neighborhood commercial streets under previous state legislation.
- Speed safety cameras that have reduced dangerous speeding by up to 90% at camera locations within school zones compared with pre-installation conditions.
Lower speeds are one of the most effective ways to reduce both the likelihood and severity of traffic crashes. According to SFMTA, a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling at 20 mph has about a 90% chance of surviving. At 40 mph, that falls to about 20%. In 2011, the SFMTA became the first large California city to lower school speed limits to 15 mph at approximately 200 public and private schools following changes to state law.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.
