SAN FRANCISCO — New bike lanes are planned to emerge in one of San Francisco’s busiest corridors, but instead of traditional bike lanes to the right of traffic, these lanes will run right down the middle of Valencia Street in the city’s Mission District.
The new bike lanes will begin at the intersection of 15th Street and Valencia and extend eight blocks south to Valencia and 23rd. This is a pilot program that will last at least a year.
The city believes moving bike lanes to the middle of the street will improve safety by helping cyclists avoid any cars and trucks that stop to load and unload on that stretch of street. However, many cyclists fear the lanes will create new safety issues.
This reporter spoke to a local cyclist about what she thought of the project. Caetie Ofiesh has been cycling around San Francisco since she moved here 10 years ago.
“I use this bike to get to the grocery store, to work, to wherever I go, to restaurants, almost every day,” Ofiesh said, adding that she loves how convenient cycling is, not to mention that it’s just fun too.
“Sometimes, especially when I’m on my way home from work, that’s the best part of the day,” she said.
But San Francisco is a busy city. cars, buses, trams and pedestrians; They all have to share the road with cyclists, which can cause some problems.
“I avoid something almost every day,” Ofiesh said. “I’ve been hit by a car before. Luckily only once.”
For years, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) has tried to find creative solutions to keep everyone on the streets safe.
In April, the SFMTA approved a new pilot project that will move the Valencia Street bike lanes from the curb to the middle for eight blocks.
“If we just look across the street from here. Instead of the bike lane I’m currently standing on, which in turn is often full of double-parked cars, the bike lane will be where the bus is currently parked,” said SFMTA Streets director Tom Maguire.
He says the project will not only help cyclists but also pedestrians, as cars will no longer be allowed to turn left after the bike lanes join the centre.
“It’s going to get cyclists away from parked cars and ban left turns so we protect pedestrians from those turning vehicles,” Maguire said.
But not everyone is convinced the plan is a good idea. Ofiesh said she and many of her cyclist friends had concerns.
“You know at the intersections, if a car has to turn left or a cyclist has to turn right, what does that traffic sequence look like and is everyone prepared at each and every intersection?” said Ofiesh. “The other thing I worry about with the middle bike lanes is that cyclists clash without much margin for error and you know we’re not locked in steel boxes, we’re just on our bikes.”
Maguire says he just hopes everyone gives the project a shot.
“We’re committed to going back to our board and coming back to the public with a lot of transparency and robust data on what’s working and what’s not working,” Maguire said. “We would not be proposing this unless we felt it would represent a significant improvement in safety over the way the road looks today.”
Ofiesh says she understands SFMTA is trying and despite her concerns she will still try the new lanes once they are built.
“I’d like to be wrong. I’d love for this to work and be an improved experience for everyone, but I’ll definitely be careful,” Ofiesh said.
The city says construction on the project is expected to begin in late April, with lanes due to open to cyclists in mid-May.
