San Francisco police began ticketing cyclists, moped riders, e-scooter users and e-bike riders for running red lights in late March, targeting Market Street and other corridors on the city’s High Injury Network. These streets represent 13% of the city’s roadways but account for 68% of severe and fatal crashes.
A ticketed cyclist described his experience on Reddit, saying he was cited at 6:30 a.m. for running a red light at an empty Market Street intersection. The cyclist claimed the officer cited directives from the mayor’s office, though this account has not been officially confirmed. Mayor Daniel Lurie’s spokesperson Charles Lutwak neither confirmed nor denied the claim, referring Mission Local reporters to police communications.
SFPD offered a different explanation. Communications Director Evan Sernoffsky said the enforcement represents «high-visibility enforcement» on high-crash streets under the Street Safety Initiative, a program Lurie signed December 10, 2025. The program extends beyond Market Street and targets all road users, including motorists ticketed at the Powell and Market intersection. Whether the campaign stems from direct mayoral orders or routine police operations remains unclear.
The initiative follows stark traffic fatality data. San Francisco recorded 43 road deaths in 2024 — the highest since 2005. That number dropped 42% to 25 deaths in 2025. City officials credit the decline to 33 speed cameras that reduced speeding violations by 78% in camera zones. However, pedestrians — particularly seniors — continue dying at disproportionate rates.
Market Street leads the city in bicycle crashes. The intersection at Gough and Market recorded 48 crashes between 2014 and 2023, injuring 70 people. Bicycle traffic on Market increased 25% in 2024, creating more potential conflict points.
The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition calls the enforcement approach unbalanced. Vision Zero data shows speeding and red-light running by drivers remain the top two causes of traffic deaths citywide, leading crash factors annually since 2016. During the same period, cyclist fatalities remained rare: zero in 2023, three in 2024. The coalition argues cars, not bikes, pose the real threat.
The Street Safety Act, passed by the Board of Supervisors in September 2025, explicitly requires police to increase dangerous driving enforcement. The law replaced the failed Vision Zero program and established mandatory timelines and reporting requirements. Cyclists see irony in a law designed to target dangerous driving being used to ticket two-wheeled commuters.
Similar enforcement sparked controversy before. In 2015, SFPD announced a crackdown on the Wiggle, a zigzag bike route through the hills. Cyclists responded with a protest, lining up to come to complete stops at every stop sign. Traffic ground to a halt as frustrated drivers honked, accustomed to cyclists rolling through intersections.
Fines vary by enforcement method. Starting January 1, 2026, California allowed municipalities to expand red-light camera networks. Camera-issued tickets cost drivers $100 as civil violations without affecting driving records or insurance. Cyclists stopped by officers face $175 fines under standard Vehicle Code violations that treat bicycles as vehicles.
Bicycle traffic on Market continues growing alongside crash rates that rank among the city’s highest. Police ticket both drivers and cyclists, though SFPD has not disclosed enforcement proportions between the two groups.
