The group Safe Street Rebel installed plastic buffer posts at the intersection of Fourth and Channel streets in SF’s Mission Bay where a two-year-old girl was recently killed, in an effort to push SFMTA to take more drastic measures to improve pedestrian safety there.

As the Chronicle reports, a group of residents and street activists called Safe Street Rebel installed plastic buffer posts at the intersection of Fourth and Channel streets in Mission Bay, where a two-year-old girl was killed by a driver who ran a red light, and her mother was seriously injured.

The group told the Chronicle that the wide, skewed intersection creates poor sightlines and encourages fast turns, which is explained in more detail on the group's website. The group wrote in a social media post that the buffer posts are made of the same materials SFMTA uses, and they're meant to mimic a curb extension by narrowing the roadway and tightening turns to slow drivers.

"Intersections are the most deadly part of our roads," says the post's caption. "Our simple change shortens crossing distances for people walking while slowing down turning cars."

Safe Street Rebel said the action was prompted by frustration with the city’s response and is intended to push transportation officials to implement a formal redesign, even if it’s just temporary until a longer term solution is created.

"138 of our neighbors have died in the last 5 years — real change is possible, and it doesn’t have to come from multimillion dollar projects or intense feedback sessions."

SFMTA officials said the installation was illegal but did not indicate whether it would be removed, as the Chronicle reports. The agency noted it had previously made safety upgrades at the intersection, including high-visibility crosswalks, red curbs to improve sightlines, and adjusted signal timing to give pedestrians a head start.

“Unregulated installations are not legal and may result in unintended consequences without the guidance of engineering best practices and public notification to road users of any road changes,” SFMTA said in a statement.

Crews also repainted crosswalks and repaired a streetlight within 24 hours of the crash, per the Chronicle.

“We are working on additional changes to improve safety which require careful engineering consideration,” said SFMTA.

As the Chronicle reports, Safe Street Rebel said the city’s response was inadequate and did not address the wide roadway.

The group has previously installed similar unsanctioned measures following fatal crashes, including nearby, at Fourth and King streets, where a 4-year-old girl was killed by a driver in 2023. Per the Chronicle, the group said the actions it took prompted the city to eliminate a turn lane and install a traffic signal at the intersection.

“It doesn’t need to be that way,” the group told the Chronicle, regarding dangerous intersections. “That’s what we’re trying to show.”

Image: Safe Street Rebel

Previously: Bystanders Describe Horrific Scene Where Toddler Was Killed In Mission Bay Intersection