Benefit cost analysis applied to behavioral and engineering safety countermeasures in San Francisco, California

The state of the practice in safety has advanced rapidly in recent years with the emergence of new tools and processes for improving selection of the most cost-effective safety countermeasures. However, many challenges prevent fair and objective comparisons of countermeasures applied across safety disciplines (e.g. engineering, emergency services, and behavioral measures). These countermeasures operate at different spatial scales, are funded often by different financial sources and agencies, and have associated costs and benefits that are difficult to estimate. This research proposes a methodology by which both behavioral and engineering safety investments are considered and compared in a specific local context. The methodology involves a multi-stage process that enables the analyst to select countermeasures that yield high benefits to costs, are targeted for a particular project, and that may involve costs and benefits that accrue over varying spatial and temporal scales. The methodology is illustrated using a case study from the Geary Boulevard Corridor in San Francisco, California. The case study illustrates that: 1) The methodology enables the identification and assessment of a wide range of safety investment types at the project level; 2) The nature of crash histories lend themselves to the selection of both behavioral and engineering investments, requiring cooperation across agencies; and 3) The results of the cost-benefit analysis are highly sensitive to cost and benefit assumptions, and thus listing and justification of all assumptions is required. It is recommended that a sensitivity analyses be conducted when there is large uncertainty surrounding cost and benefit assumptions.

First Biennial Ocean Climate Summit: Finding Solutions for San Francisco Bay Area’s Coast and Ocean. Proceedings of the Summit: April 29, 2008, Golden Gate Club, The Presidio San Francisco, California

Executive Summary: The marine environment plays a critical role in the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) that remains within Earth’s atmosphere, but has not received as much attention as the terrestrial environment when it comes to climate change discussions, programs, and plans for action. It is now apparent that the oceans have begun to reach a state of CO2 saturation, no longer maintaining the “steady-state” carbon cycle that existed prior to the Industrial Revolution. The increasing amount of CO2 present within the oceans and the atmosphere has an effect on climate and a cascading effect on the marine environment. Potential physical effects of climate change within the marine environment, including ocean acidification, changes in wind and upwelling regimes, increasing global sea surface temperatures, and sea level rise, can lead to dramatic, fundamental changes within marine and coastal ecosystems. Altered ecosystems can result in changing coastal economies through a reduction in marine ecosystem services such as commercial fish stocks and coastal tourism. Local impacts from climate change should be a front line issue for natural resource managers, but they often feel too overwhelmed by the magnitude of this issue to begin to take action. They may not feel they have the time, funding, or staff to take on a challenge as large as climate change and continue to not act as a result. Already, natural resource managers work to balance the needs of humans and the economy with ecosystem biodiversity and resilience. Responsible decisions are made each day that consider a wide variety of stakeholders, including community members, agencies, non-profit organizations, and business/industry. The issue of climate change must be approached as a collaborative effort, one that natural resource managers can facilitate by balancing human demands with healthy ecosystem function through research and monitoring, education and outreach, and policy reform. The Scientific Expert Group on Climate Change in their 2007 report titled, “Confronting Climate Change: Avoiding the Unmanageable and Managing the Unavoidable” charged governments around the world with developing strategies to “adapt to ongoing and future changes in climate change by integrating the implications of climate change into resource management and infrastructure development”. Resource managers must make future management decisions within an uncertain and changing climate based on both physical and biological ecosystem response to climate change and human perception of and response to the issue. Climate change is the biggest threat facing any protected area today and resource managers must lead the charge in addressing this threat. (PDF has 59 pages.)

San Francisco, California 1849 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Map of San Francisco, drawn on stone by F.W. Creen. It was published by W. B. Cooke & Co. ca. 1849. Scale [ca. 1:12,848]. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the California Zone III State Plane Coordinate System NAD83 (in Feet) (Fipszone 0403). All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as roads, drainage, property lots and numbers, reserved government properties, and more. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection as part of the Imaging the Urban Environment project. Maps selected for this project represent major urban areas and cities of the world, at various time periods. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features at a large scale. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

San Francisco, California 1891 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Bancroft's official guide map of city and county of San Francisco : compiled from official maps in surveyor's office. It was published by The Bancroft Co. in 1891. Scale [ca. 1:30,000]. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the California Zone III State Plane Coordinate System NAD83 (in Feet) (Fipszone 0403). All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as roads, railroads, drainage, built-up areas, selected public buildings and places of interest, cemeteries, parks, city block numbers, city boundaries, and more. Includes inset: Skeleton map showing the relative position of San Francisco to the surrounding county, and reference list of prominent places below map. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection as part of the Imaging the Urban Environment project. Maps selected for this project represent major urban areas and cities of the world, at various time periods. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features at a large scale. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

San Francisco, California, Earthquake and Fire, 1906 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: [San Francisco, California, showing the area destroyed by fire, April 18-21, 1906]. It was published by R.J. Waters & Co. in 1906. Scale [ca. 1:21,000]. Covers the northeastern portion of the city showing burnt district in red. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the California Zone III State Plane Coordinate System NAD83 (in Feet) (Fipszone 0403). All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as the burnt district, roads, drainage, selected public buildings, wharves, and more. Relief shown by contours. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection as part of the Imaging the Urban Environment project. Maps selected for this project represent major urban areas and cities of the world, at various time periods. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features at a large scale. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

San Francisco, California 1915 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: San Francisco and vicinity. It was published by Southern Pacific Company in 1915. Scale [ca. 1:30,800]. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the California Zone III State Plane Coordinate System NAD83 (in Feet) (Fipszone 0403). All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as roads, railroads, street car routes, drainage, selected public buildings, parks, cemeteries, wharves, and more. Also shows the grounds of Panama-Pacific International Exposition. Relief is shown by hachures. Includes inset: San Francisco and adjacent territory. Also includes indexes to points of interest. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection as part of the Imaging the Urban Environment project. Maps selected for this project represent major urban areas and cities of the world, at various time periods. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features at a large scale. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

San Francisco, California and vicinity, 1954 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the United States Geological Survey sheet map entitled: San Francisco and vicinity, California, 1954. It was published in 1957. Scale 1:24,000. Compiled from 1:24,000 scale maps of the San Quentin 1947, San Rafael 1954, Point Bonita 1954, San Francisco North 1947, and San Francisco South 1947 7.5 minute quadrangles. Hydrography compiled from USC&GS charts 5532 and 5402. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the California Zone III State Plane Coordinate System NAD27 (in Feet) (Fipszone 0403). All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. USGS maps are typical topographic maps portraying both natural and manmade features. They show and name works of nature, such as mountains, valleys, lakes, rivers, vegetation, etc. They also identify the principal works of humans, such as roads, railroads, boundaries, transmission lines, major buildings, etc. Relief is shown with contour intervals 25 and 40 feet with supplementary contours at 5 and 20 foot intervals and spot heights. Please pay close attention to map collar information on projections, spheroid, sources, dates, and keys to grid numbering and other numbers which appear inside the neatline. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection as part of the Imaging the Urban Environment project. Maps selected for this project represent major urban areas and cities of the world, at various time periods. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features at a large scale. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

Chinatown, San Francisco, California 1885 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Official map of Chinatown in San Francisco, prepared under the supervision of the special committee of the board of supervisors, July 1885, W.B. Farwell, John E. Kunkler, E.B. Pond. It was engraved & printed by Bosqui Eng. & Print Co. in 1885. Scale [1:480]. This image consists of images of a two sheet source map that have been stitched together using image editing software to create one image. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the California Zone III State Plane Coordinate System NAD83 (in Feet) (Fipszone 0403). All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This cadastral map shows features such as roads, buildings with street addresses and types of businesses, and more. Buildings colored to show: general Chinese occupancy, Chinese gambling houses, Chinese prostitution, Chinese opium resorts, Chinese Joss houses, and White prostitution. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection as part of the Imaging the Urban Environment project. Maps selected for this project represent major urban areas and cities of the world, at various time periods. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features at a large scale. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

San Francisco, California 1859 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: City of San Francisco and its vicinity, California, U.S. Coast Survey ; topography by A.F. Rodgers, sub-assistant ; hydrography by the party under the command of Lieut. R.M. Cuyler, N.S.N. assistant. It was published by The Survey in 1859. Scale 1:10,000. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the California Zone III State Plane Coordinate System NAD83 (in Feet) (Fipszone 0403). All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows coastal features such as lighthouses, buoys, beacons, rocks, channels, points, coves, islands, bottom soil types, wharves, and more. Includes also selected land features such as roads, railroads, drainage, land cover, selected buildings, towns, and more. Relief shown by coutours (20 foot intervals) and spot heights; depths by soundings. Includes table of references (public buildings, etc.). This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection as part of the Imaging the Urban Environment project. Maps selected for this project represent major urban areas and cities of the world, at various time periods. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features at a large scale. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

San Francisco, California, 1863 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Map of the City & County of San Francisco : carefully compiled from recent surveys, including all new additions of cities, towns, and villas, delineating the lines of ranchos, private claims water works, railroads, &c. &c., drawn for the San Francisco News Letter and the Pacific Mining Journal by James Butler. It was published by Britton & Co. in 1863. Scale [1:15,840].The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the California State Plane NAD 1983 coordinate system (Zone III) (in Feet) (Fipszone 0403). All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as roads, railroads, drainage, shoreline features, property lots, numbers and landowner names, reserved government properties, ranchos, city boundaries, cemeteries, water works, and more.This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from the Harvard Map Collection. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features. The selection represents a range of originators, ground condition dates, scales, and map purposes.

A geographic dimension for decisionmaking : conference proceedings, October 30 and 31, 1975, San Francisco, California.

Item 142-F

Public hearing on proposed rules for controlling hazardous wastes : Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Sections 3001-3004, Volume III, March 13, 1979, San Francisco, California 94105, transcript.

Hearing sponsored by EPA Office of Solid Waste.

Beaches near San Francisco, California, 1956-1957 /

Mode of access: Internet.