The size of fire trucks frustrates advocates on many sides of the public safety debate. The San Francisco Fire Department sought a solution.
San Francisco recently announced the roll out of three new fire trucks, with five more on the way, that are designed to better maneuver the city's streets.
"The new engine, one of eight that will be deployed in the city, is ten inches shorter than the old trucks it is replacing, and can make a u-turn in just 25 feet," reports Roger Rudick. Those kind of vital statistics should excite anyway who has ever sought traffic safety improvements only to be told that narrow streets don't allow for safe passage of fire equipment.
Fire trucks have been a hot button issue in San Francisco since at least 2014, when "then-Supervisor Scott Wiener called on the fire department to design trucks to fit the city, rather than demanding that streets be designed to accommodate fire trucks," according to Rudick. Since then, the San Francisco Fire Department worked with Walk San Francisco and the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition on the design of the new trucks.
While San Francisco seems to have achieved a measure of success on the issue, the fire department still controls the street engineering department debate in most cities. Previous coverage from Planetizen provides more background on the controversy:
FULL STORY: Fire Department’s New ‘Vision Zero’ Truck
It Takes a Fatality to Remove On-Street Parking
On March 8, 30-year-old Tess Rothstein of Berkeley was riding a rented Ford GoBike in San Francisco's SoMa district when a car door suddenly opened, forcing her outside the narrow white line of the conventional bike lane into the path of a truck.
Some Fire Departments Are Supporting Change for the Sake of Safer Streets
A few pioneering fire departments are making room for safety (while demanding less space) on city streets.
Quick Build Initiative Transforming the Streets of San Francisco
Street improvements to benefit cyclists and pedestrians have been moving rapidly in San Francisco since the June approval of the Vision Zero quick-build initiative, a two-year plan to expedite safety project on high-injury corridors.
Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs
Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.
Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?
Research Shows More Roads = More Driving
A national study shows, once again, that increasing road supply induces additional vehicle travel, particularly over the long run.
EV Chargers Now Outnumber Gas Pumps by Nearly 50% in California
Fast chargers still lag behind amidst rapid growth.
Affordable Housing Renovations Halt Mid-Air Amidst DOGE Clawbacks
HUD may rescind over a billion dollars earmarked for green building upgrades.
Has Anyone at USDOT Read Donald Shoup?
USDOT employees, who are required to go back to the office, will receive free parking at the agency’s D.C. offices — flying in the face of a growing research body that calls for pricing parking at its real value.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Moreno Valley
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Piedmont, CA
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland