City making improvements at some of San Diego's most dangerous intersections

Traffic safety improvements are in the works at some of San Diego’s most dangerous intersections, part of a list released Thursday by the city’s traffic engineering team.

That team annually conducts a review of the city’s intersections to pinpoint where safety measures are most needed. The team looked at city traffic collision data from calendar year 2024 and “evaluated intersections where five or more injury or fatal crashes had occurred,” a city statement read. Engineers also looked at intersections where vehicles had hit pedestrians, where injuries were prevalent and more.

“Our engineers and field operations teams are working hand in hand to ensure these safety upgrades are implemented to maximize safety for all road users,” said Transportation Department Interim Assistant Director Margaret McCormick. “Being able to carry out these projects with our in-house teams is important so the work can be completed as quickly and efficiently as possible.”

The locations prioritized for potential safety enhancements are:

• 15th Street at F Street;
• 8th Avenue at Broadway;
• Bayard Street at Grand Avenue;
• 8th Avenue at University;
• Kettner Boulevard at Sassafras Street;
• 10th Avenue at A Street;
• Otay Center Drive at Siempre Viva Road;
• Garnet Avenue at Mission Bay Drive;
• Fairmount Avenue between Montezuma Road and Talmadge Canyon Row;
• Imperial Avenue between 53rd Street and Jacinto Drive;
• Main Street between the I-5 off ramp and Woden Street;
• Midway Drive between Kemper Street and Duke Street; and
• Mission Gorge Road between Twain Avenue and Mission Gorge Place.

Transportation crews have finished, or are in the process of completing, safety improvements at several locations, including the segments of Fairmount Ave., Main St. Mission Gorge Rd. and Imperial Ave., but some must be completed through the city’s Capital Improvement Program and will require additional funding to implement, a city statement read.

Some of the safety recommendations for the above intersections are additional signs, flashing beacons and crosswalks to increase pedestrian visibility and have a traffic calming effect. The recommendations at other locations call for upgrading traffic signal lights, replacing or adding speed limit signs and installing pedestrian countdown timers.

Additionally, intersections may receive longer red curbs as part of the new “Daylighting Law,” which prohibits vehicles from parking within 20 feet of a marked or unmarked crosswalk.

A full list and the city’s efforts to combat traffic fatalities are available at sandiego.gov/VisionZero.