During the September 24 Transportation Authority Board meeting, our board approved the I-280 Northbound Geneva Avenue Off-Ramp Study Final Report. The primary objective of this study was to address safety issues at the I-280 northbound Geneva off-ramp including vehicle queues extending to the freeway mainline and related collisions. The study also explored ways to improve multimodal safety while maintaining essential transit and pedestrian movements in the area. This study was requested by District 11 Transportation Authority Board member Ahsha Safai.
The I-280 Northbound Geneva Avenue off-ramp is located in one of the busiest areas of San Francisco, adjacent to the Balboa Park BART/Muni Station and nearby City College, Lick Wilmerding High School, and Balboa Park. This highly traveled area includes the I-280 northbound Geneva off-ramp which experiences vehicle queues extending back onto the I-280 mainline, resulting in elevated rear-end and other collisions. The congested traffic circulation and conflicts also result in adverse effects on pedestrian safety.
The study identified several project area deficiencies including the northbound I-280 ramp-intersection layout and cross-section, the northbound I-280 mainline-ramp layout, the ramp intersection layout, and traffic signal systems and operations. The analyses and improvement measures identified in this study are the first steps in a longer-term process for improving Geneva Avenue in the Balboa Park station area. The study’s recommendations were informed by input from the Transportation Authority’s Community Advisory Committee and neighborhood groups. The recommended next steps include:
- (Already completed) Implementing the recommended near-term signal phasing improvements with the Caltrans District 4 signal operations group and SFMTA and analyzing the operational and safety changes.
- Pursuing the recommended mid-term traffic signal system modernization to replace the current aging system as it reaches the end of its life cycle. Scoping will consider:
- Pursuing new overhead signal heads mounted on longer mast arms poles to improve visibility and may include elements of Intelligent Transportation Systems.
- Pursuing potential street lighting improvement.
- Exploring pedestrian bulbs, No Right Turn on Red signage, and other pedestrian safety and traffic management changes through the Transportation Authority’s Vision Zero Phase 3 Study and as part of next-phase scoping studies with Caltrans and SFMTA.
- Collecting detailed topographic survey, utility, structural, and geotechnical data to facilitate preliminary engineering.
- Further study of Geneva northbound ramp queue spillback to the I-280 mainline and ways to address this, potentially via lane lengthening/re-alignment (straightening) to improve storage and visibility and advancing driver information systems to notify motorists of potential queues ahead.
View the I-280 Northbound Geneva Avenue Off-Ramp Final Report (PDF)
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