Pedestrian deaths increase in San Diego despite road safety improvements: report

It will soon be 10 years since the city of San Diego adopted Vision Zero with the goal of having no non-motorist traffic deaths on city streets. However, a report published by Circulate San Diego, called “Vision Zero At Ten Years,” found there are more pedestrian deaths occurring now than when the initiative began in 2015. 

Will Moore, policy counsel for Circulate San Diego, authored the 20-page report. He said the city is “struggling forward in a safety crisis.” Moore applauded the city for making certain improvements — like the median work being done at the intersection of University Avenue and 44th Street — but said solutions are not coming quickly enough. 

“We need to do more. We need to re-double our efforts,” Moore said.

According to the report, the organization performed “walk audits” of neighborhoods known to have injuries and deaths based on local, state and federal data. They found points of concern in the City Heights and Grant Hill neighborhoods, including faded crosswalks, short crossing times and uneven roads, that could all be contributing factors to crashes. 

However, the report concluded the main reasons why crashes are becoming deadlier, despite efforts to make roads safer for all users, are bigger, faster cars coupled with smartphones and visibility issues that come with driving at night. 

The city's response

A spokesperson for the city of San Diego sent NBC 7 a statement that said it agreed with the report’s finding that “substantial” improvement is needed. The statement also said, in part, “safety is the City's primary concern regarding mobility and the work to create safer streets for all users, especially the most vulnerable, is constant.” 

The statement explained, “systemic safety involves implementing safety measures that account for human error and injury tolerance. This includes enhancing separation and visibility, reducing user speeds through thoughtful road design and environmental modifications, minimizing conflicts at intersections.”

Another statement shared with NBC 7 on behalf of San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said, “Mayor Gloria’s first four budgets invested tens of millions of dollars in making our streets and pedestrian infrastructure safer and more accessible for all travelers, including pedestrians and cyclists.”

“His first four budgets created a total of 385 miles of bike lanes, including 101 miles of Class IV (separated) lanes. This is well over double the 168 miles of lanes created in the four years prior,” the statement continued.

The city also added that infrastructure quality will remain a priority in upcoming budgets and they will continue to work alongside groups like Circulate San Diego to make streets safer.

The loss of a loved one

“A protected bike lane would have saved Kevin’s life,” Nancy Cavanaugh-Wilson told NBC 7 as she held a framed photo of her husband, Kevin Wilson, riding his bike.

Wilson died on Jan. 20, 2020, after being hit by a car while on his morning ride. Cavanaugh-Wilson said he was an "avid cyclist" and had been on a bike since he was a young boy. She said she would worry about him every time he left home to go for a ride, despite how well "he knew the rules of the road."

"This was out of his hands, you know," Cavanaugh-Wilson, as she recalled being told he was hit by a driver from behind, said. "He didn't stand a chance."

Despite how difficult it is to relive that day, she said she does not want anyone to have to go through the same thing. 

“We need people to be aware, and we need the city to improve what needs to be done to make our roads safer,” she said. She is now an advocate with Families for Safe Streets San Diego. While she said she knows the goal of zero traffic-related deaths on city streets is a lofty one, she said it is a motivator. 

“I don’t know if it’s ever going to happen, but we need that goal,” Cavanaugh-Wilson said. “Whatever it takes.”