The recent death of a 77-year-old woman struck by a vehicle at the intersection of 39th Avenue and Geary Boulevard represents San Francisco's third pedestrian fatality in 2025, continuing a tragic pattern at this location where a 68-year-old man was similarly killed in December 2020. Walk San Francisco executive director Jodie Medeiros expressed profound concern about the intersection's design, stating, "We grieve the loss of life on our streets and are heartbroken for this woman's loved ones." The intersection features four travel lanes on both roads without traffic lights, stop signs, or adequate pedestrian safety measures despite having crosswalks.
According to Walk San Francisco's analysis, the intersection's design creates inherent dangers for pedestrians who must cross a long distance while drivers often speed in this quieter section of Geary Boulevard despite a new 25 MPH speed limit. The absence of right-of-way guidance significantly increases collision risks at this location, highlighting what safety advocates describe as preventable design flaws. This incident occurs within the context of San Francisco's broader pedestrian safety crisis, where 24 pedestrians were struck and killed by drivers throughout the city last year, revealing systemic infrastructure challenges that extend beyond individual intersections.
The recent fatality has prompted renewed calls for immediate safety improvements, including traffic control devices and pedestrian crossing signals that could prevent future tragedies. Legal experts from https://www.chouloslaw.com have characterized the city's failure to install basic traffic guidance as potentially negligent, noting, "The City has a duty to ensure that those afoot have access to safe crossings of busy, wide streets." This legal perspective emphasizes municipal responsibility for pedestrian protection and raises questions about liability when known dangerous conditions persist without intervention.
The incident has intensified pressure on city officials to address known dangerous intersections proactively rather than reactively, with community safety advocates arguing that preventable deaths will continue without comprehensive infrastructure upgrades and consistent enforcement of traffic regulations across San Francisco's roadway network. The pattern of fatalities at this specific intersection demonstrates how design deficiencies can create recurring hazards, particularly for vulnerable road users like older adults who may require more time to cross wide streets. As San Francisco confronts its pedestrian safety challenges, this latest tragedy underscores the urgent need for systemic changes that prioritize human safety over vehicular convenience in urban planning decisions.
