The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) has announced that it will replace the center-running bike lane on Valencia Street with a new side-running protected bike lane. This decision followed a unanimous vote by the SFMTA board, marking the end of the controversial pilot program that was introduced just over a year ago. The pilot was intended to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians by moving the bike lane to the center of the street. However, feedback from both local businesses and some cyclists raised concerns, leading to the adoption of an alternative solution.
At the SFMTA meeting, members of the public shared their diverse opinions on the bike lane design. Some cyclists strongly supported the center-running lane, noting that it made biking through the busy street safer and less stressful. Dylan Harris, a local cyclist, explained that the center lane helped reduce the intensity of biking through city traffic, providing a safer experience for cyclists and allowing them to ride more calmly. However, there were also concerns from business owners about the impact on foot traffic and customer access to shops, as well as issues with parking and accessibility. Despite these varying viewpoints, many people urged the board to keep the center lane design in place.
Concerns from Merchants and Support for New Bike Lane
Business owners, particularly those along the Valencia Corridor, expressed frustration with the center-running bike lane. The Valencia Corridor Merchants Association argued that the lane design negatively affected customer access and parking, resulting in a drop in sales for many small businesses. The association acknowledged that the new side-running lane might offer some improvements but raised concerns about its design, particularly the elimination of left turns, loss of parking, and potential conflicts between cyclists, pedestrians, and delivery trucks. Despite these concerns, some merchants agreed that the current bike lane setup was not perfect, but they could not fully endorse the new plan either.
The side-running protected bike lane design aims to provide safer cycling conditions by moving the bike lane alongside the sidewalk and protecting it from parked cars. This approach is expected to create a clearer distinction between cyclists and vehicle traffic, addressing some of the issues associated with the center lane. Additionally, this design will work around 21 curbside parklets along the 8-block stretch between 15th and 23rd Streets. These parklets, which offer outdoor seating for restaurants, will be integrated into the bike lane design, with the bike lane curving around them. Some parklets will be “floated” away from the sidewalk to create a continuous bike lane, but this introduces challenges for those entering and exiting the parklets. The plan also includes new measures to improve pedestrian safety, such as adding posts and speed bumps around intersections.
Despite the decision to remove the center-running bike lane, SFMTA officials emphasized that the pilot achieved many of its goals. A recent 12-month evaluation showed a reduction in vehicles’ double parking in the bike lane and a slight decrease in traffic collisions. Although the reduction in collisions wasn’t drastic, the pilot was deemed a success in reducing vehicle volume, which dropped by 14%, and pedestrian traffic, which fell by 8%. Despite these improvements, the SFMTA acknowledged that some issues, such as cyclists encountering vehicles illegally entering the center lane, were not adequately captured in the data. Board members, including Steve Heminger, raised questions about why the SFMTA was moving forward with a change when the data suggested that the pilot was working.
Potential Challenges and Cost of the New Bike Lane Plan
While the new side-running bike lane will bring certain safety benefits, it will also present new challenges. The SFMTA’s plan involves removing 37% of the parking spaces currently available on Valencia Street, on top of the 71 metered parking spaces lost when the center lane was implemented. The cost of designing and constructing the side-running protected bike lane is estimated to be over $1.2 million. Additionally, an extra $900,000 will be needed for repaving the center of the roadway, adding planters and landscaping, and reimbursing merchants for parklet modifications. Construction is expected to begin in January, and while the new bike lane design is permanent, SFMTA officials have stated that the lessons learned from this project will inform future transportation designs in the city.
SFMTA Board Vice Chair Stephanie Cajina referred to the center-running bike lane as an “experiment” and acknowledged that the agency had learned valuable lessons from the project. She emphasized the need for caution when implementing changes in commercial corridors, such as Valencia Street, where there are many competing interests. Despite this change, Cajina suggested that SFMTA could consider experimenting with similar center-running bike lanes in other parts of the city. The future of Valencia Street’s bike lanes will be carefully monitored, and SFMTA hopes to use the experience gained from the current project to create safer, more effective bike infrastructure in the future.
