Through persistence and some savvy nagging, Neighbor Lisa recently arranged to have a stop sign and proper crosswalk installed on the east side of Holly Park near Highland. Now, Neighbor Lisa tells Bernalwood how she did it:
Recently saw your post / community update about some new neighborhood street lighting, and all that went into making that happen. Crazy, but success. Yay! Inspired me to reach out to you all to tell you about our exciting new-ish crosswalk to Holly Park, pedestrian signage, and new stop sign on Highland.
It was installed during late spring to connect Highland Avenue and Holly Park Circle walkers headed to the east side of the park (main entrance with ramps, playground, dogs galore). Before this crosswalk, there was only one on the entire circumference of the park, connecting to the elementary school on the west. I was always worried about my toddler son and his preschool crossing that crazy circle everyday with cars whipping around the curves, so I made a 311 request.
This is an exciting community safety improvement that hundreds use every day, but more importantly, it’s a way to show other neighbors that this crosswalk (and the stop sign) came about simply because I completed an online 311 application and then made a few follow-up phone calls to SFMTA. I have also called 311 for more urgent requests, like a huge pothole on Appleton at Mission where I almost flew over my bike handlebars, and a massive trash dumping on the sidewalks behind the Safeway.
PHOTO: New crosswalk at Highland, courtesy of Neighbor Lisa
Bernalwood 
Cool! Thanks for reporting. I just went and requested a crosswalk in my hood. I went to this page and clicked on new request: https://www.sf311.org/#
It would be great to have a stop sign at the crosswalk on Bernal Heights Street at the entrance to Bernal Park. Yesterday as I was crossing it, this car coming flying up the hill and had to brake so hard in order not to hit me while I was in the middle of the crosswalk.
Great job, Lisa! Thanks! I use that crosswalk almost every time I walk my dog at Holly Park. We are very appreciative of it and you!!
Lisa, THANK YOU BUNCHES!!!
Congratulations! Ii contacted the 311 people because crossing Courtland and Nevada is is an increadable challange. Cars fly around a blind turn going east on Courtland towards Nevada. Getting to the bus stop inone piece is a nail biter. I was told tbhose aplications for stop sligns and traffic calming were due August 1 and I needed signatures from all the neighbors. Iwas out of town the end of July sojust gave up
Thank you neighbor Lisa! We have often wanted exactly this.
Now to take up the torch and get a stop sign put on the western side as well, at the end of Elsie or a bit further where it would benefit students at J Serra!
I get it, but … our charming neighborhood fills up with stop signs, slowing traffic even more and increasing transit times. Look at Bayshore with the added stop light at Lowe’s…. Did that add quality of life? I’ve lived here a long time. Please no stop sign at Bernal Heights Park. Be careful what you ask for, you might get it. Less can be more…
Slowing traffic through narrow and often one-way streets in Bernal is IMO an increase in quality of life.
Holly Park circle should not be a transit corridor. Nor for that matter should Cortland. This is a residential neighborhood filled with pedestrian and bike traffic.
The problem at the moment is IMO much more impatient newcomers expecting to gun expensive cars down to 101 as fast as possible, and to use our streets as cut-throughts suggested by Waze 😛
My grandparents lived at 301 Holly Park@Highland for almost 60 years. My brother was hit by a car 40+ years ago while riding his Big Wheel across the street to get to the park. Don’t worry, he’s completely fine! So cool to see a crosswalk and stop sign at that intersection that could prevent similar accidents. Thanks, Neighbor Lisa!
even more cool is hearing about someone taking the initiative to do something for her community and not just carping about it on social media -kudos neighbor lisa