The SFMTA Board has approved a new bike lane design on Valencia Street following a protracted and contentious discussion in which business owners and bikers took opposite sides. With Tuesday’s unanimous decision, the controversial center-running design that was put into place as a pilot experiment in April 2023 will be replaced with protected bike lanes on the business corridor’s flanks.
With more parklet space, the center-running bike lane was a daring attempt to safeguard bikers and support small businesses during the pandemic. However, there were differing opinions on the experiment, and Mission Local reports that the Valencia Corridor Merchants Association and bikers were both unhappy with the new design. Merchants’ worries that their businesses would suffer if parking places were taken away to make room for the lane design were especially poignant.
Creating parking-protected lanes on Valencia between 15th and 23rd streets is the first step in reverting to a more conventional cycle lane configuration. By restoring two-lane automobile traffic and creating dependable and recognizable bike infrastructure for navigation, the redesign aims to balance the needs of all road users, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Many shops were concerned even though evidence showed that the center lane had no appreciable detrimental effect on sales. “The Valencia Corridor Merchants Association president, Manny Yekutiel, told the San Francisco Chronicle that the middle bike lane has been a disaster for Valencia Street and that it needs to be fixed.” With the proposed installation of parking-protected lanes and promotion for underutilized city-owned garages, SFMTA officials seek to allay doubters.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, SFMTA will implement “floating parklets,” a novel idea in San Francisco that has been implemented in places like Oakland and New York, as part of the realignment. These keep the bike lane and walkways apart from dining and entertainment areas. Board members felt prepared to turn a turnaround with the new design, which is scheduled for construction to start in January 2025, after acknowledging the division generated by the pilot lane.
As reported by Mission Local, SFMTA project manager Paul Stanis stated, Lastly, I just wanted to emphasize that this is a really complex, difficult, and occasionally rewarding undertaking. In order to make sure the new layout effectively meets community needs, the SFMTA has committed to closely monitor the project after construction is complete. An assessment will take place four months after the project is finished.
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