It’s happened again. When SF State student Sandy Kim became the thirteenth person to die on 19th Avenue since 2000, one of the state’s most dangerous traffic corridors, the need for safety measures was revisited.

Between 2000 and June of 2007, 873 people have been injured and 13 people have died along the 19th Avenue corridor, which has prompted Senator Leland Yee to push for a double fine zone designation for the street.

Yee, who represents District 8 in San Francisco and San Mateo County has been fighting the past five years for a bill to make 19th Avenue a double fine zone area.

Yee has tried several times in the past to pass such a bill but was turned down by the senate and vetoed by the Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

A bill written by Assembly member Lois Wolk, AB 112, would require that a street’s rate of head-on collisions per mile, per year be at least 1.5 times the statewide average in order to have a street deemed a double fine zone and does not include areas that have a high number of pedestrian accidents.

“Nineteenth Avenue has not been known to have head-on collisions because of the divider between the lanes of traffic, so it would not be included into this bill,” Keigwin said.

According to Keigwin, Yee fought until the late hours of the legislative session on September 13, to work out a compromise to include 19th Avenue as a double fine zone. Yee was originally opposed to AB 112 because it did not include areas where there were high pedestrian injuries and fatalities, according to his press release.

“We feel this is not a cure for 19th Avenue but one of the many steps to make it safer for pedestrians to walk on the crosswalks,” Keigwin said.

The double fine zone would start at Junipero Serra through 19th Avenue and Park Presidio ending at the last residential intersection at Lake Street.

Susan Suval, chair of the Sunset District Neighborhood Coalition said she was delighted to hear to the news. “I certainly hope it works. Keeping pedestrians safe on 19th Avenue has been on many people’s minds,” Suval said. “Maybe taking more money out of the pocket of drivers might make it safer.”

The San Francisco MTA which includes the department of parking of traffic released a 2006 collision report showing intersections in San Francisco that have a high rate of car and pedestrian accidents. The report included intersections with seven or more injury collisions.

The only intersection on 19th Avenue that appeared on the report was on Sloat Boulevard, which had seven injury collisions in 2006, up by one from 2005. The fatality of Kim on Tuesday also occurred at that intersection.

Between 2000 and 2005 police responded to four accidents involving pedestrians at 19th and Holloway avenues, including one that resulted in a fatality according to a press release by SF State Public Affairs office in April of this year.

“Cars speeding on 19th Avenue have been definitely a problem. There are always crazy drivers who do not look out for pedestrians,” said Lacy Coniglio, 19, a women’s health major at SF State. “If this does pass and when the police start enforcing it, I think drivers will slow down.”

One way SF State has made sure that students were safe when they cross 19th Avenue and Holloway was by hiring two crossing guards in the spring of 2007. The guards work Monday through Friday from 8:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.

Yee has not only been fighting for a double fine zone but for some much needed countdown signals and better striped pedestrian crosswalks, which seems to be disappearing on 19th Avenue and Holloway.

“The legislative process is not always easy, but I am confident that the agreement we made in this final fours of session will result in 19th Avenue finally becoming a much needed double fine zone,” Yee said in his office’s press release.

During the legislative recess, Yee will be working closely with the Assembly members Wolk who authored Assembly Bill 112, Caltrans as well as Governor Arnold Schwarzengger’s office to come up with criteria that would make an area with a high rate of pedestrian accidents a double fine zone.

Yee then would present the double fine zone criteria as a new bill in the next legislation session in January of 2008 “We feel confident that this will pass,” Keigwin said.

Between 2000 and 2005 police responded to four accidents involving pedestrians at 19th and Holloway Avenues, including one that resulted in a fatality according to a press release by SF State Public Affairs office in April of this year.

“Cars speeding on 19th Avenue have been definitely a problem. There are always crazy drivers who do not look out for pedestrians,” said Lacy Coniglio, 19, a women’s health major at SF State. “If this does pass and when the police start enforcing it, I think drivers will slow down.”

One safety measure SF State has taken was hiring two crossing guards in the spring of 2007. The guards work at 19th and Holloway Avenues Monday through Friday from 8:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.

Yee has not only been fighting for a double fine zone but for some much needed countdown signals and better striped pedestrian crosswalks.

“The legislative process is not always easy, but I am confident that the agreement we made in this final fours of session will result in 19th Avenue finally becoming a much needed double fine zone,” Yee said in his office’s press release.

During the legislative recess, Yee will be working closely with the Assembly members Wolk who authored Assembly Bill 112, Caltrans as well as Governor Arnold Schwarzengger’s office to come up with criteria that would make an area with a high rate of pedestrian accidents a double fine zone.

Yee then would present the double fine zone criteria as a new bill in the next legislation session in January of 2008 “We feel confident that this will pass,” Keigwin said.