San Francisco Considers Plan to Transfer Bike Lanes to Heart of Valencia Avenue – NBC Bay Space
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency is considering a plan to move bike lanes on busy Valencia Street.
It’s one of the busiest spots in the Mission District and is currently the focus of a proposal to move sheltered bike lanes to the middle of the street.
“Here’s what we’re excited about: left-turn restrictions for vehicles, use of sturdier materials like the K-79 bollards and 4-inch high rubber curbs over the usual dual soft-hit posts typically included in the quick build projects. said Janelle Wong, executive director of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition.
The plan calls for the elimination of 70 parking spaces along the eight-block stretch in favor of loading zones.
Many entrepreneurs and employees in the area had serious concerns about the proposal.
“I think it makes it more dangerous for cars and bikers,” said Eiad Eltawil, owner of Rossi Galley.
He said Valencia already had a shortage of parking spaces, which became even more extreme when parklets were added during the pandemic.
He said his customers, who come from all over the city, are already having a hard time finding a place to park and shop.
Other business owners say erecting bollards and raised curbs in the middle of the street and restricting vehicles from turning left will make navigating Valencia all but impossible for delivery drivers — especially since busy parallel streets already have left-turn restrictions.
Not only companies raising questions about the setup of the bike lanes in the middle of Valencia Street, but also cyclists are critical.
“I don’t think the space has any way of accommodating that many types of lanes and it just sounds very dangerous to put people in the middle of traffic,” said cyclist Joseph Roseberry.
“As a cyclist, I don’t want to be in the middle because traffic comes and goes, and to do that would basically be pinning a person,” said Debbie Wiggins.
The proposal was presented to the SFMTA board on Tuesday and drew many public comments – both for and against.
