Transportation Authority Board Approves $190,000 for Signal Improvements at Sloat and Skyline Boulevard

The Transportation Authority Board approved $190,000 in half-cent transportation sales tax funds this month for the design phase of new traffic signals at the Sloat and Skyline boulevards intersection at 39th Avenue, where Sloat Boulevard becomes State Route 35. The SFMTA-led project aims to improve traffic, pedestrian, and bicycle safety, as well as right of way at the intersection. Assembly Budget Chair Phil Ting also obtained $1.2 million in state funds for the project’s construction phase through the 2023 budget. 

The intersection is part of the city’s Vision Zero High Injury Network and is adjacent to retail and recreational facilities, including the San Francisco Zoo, Lakeshore Plaza, Lake Merced, and the Pomeroy Rehabilitation Center for the Disabled. Skyline Boulevard serves a major north-south connector from the west side of San Francisco to the Peninsula.

The project will: 

• Add new signal heads and mast arms to increase visibility for road users
• Signalize existing pedestrian crossings to support pedestrian safety
• Add curb ramps and street lighting
• Accommodate traffic diversions, reduce potential transit and vehicle delays associated with the upcoming closure of the Great Highway Extension Pilot south of Sloat Boulevard. The closure is connected to the Ocean Beach Climate Change Adaptation Plan. 

Additional features of this project also include modifying an existing median to allow for an extra left turn lane for northbound Skyline Boulevard. Design of the Sloat and Skyline Intersection Improvements is expected to start early 2023 and improvements are anticipated to be complete by the end of the year. Thereafter, planning and design efforts will continue to develop potential longer-term infrastructure improvements at this location in conjunction with area-wide circulation plans. 
 

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SFMTA also plans to construct two quick-build projects in the area to improve bicycle connections in the area. 

• The Lake Merced Quick-Build will construct or improve bicycle/pedestrian facilities along Lake Merced Boulevard from John Muir Drive to Skyline Boulevard.
• The Sloat Boulevard Quick-Build will create a two-way protected bikeway on the south side of Sloat Boulevard, stretching from 47th Avenue to the east end of the Zoo’s overflow parking lot.

The Transportation Authority provided $1.7 million previously for planning and design phases of the Lake Merced facility from half-cent sales tax and transportation network company tax funds.