Tomorrow morning, you're invited on a walking tour of Page Street, which will see the addition of a new bike lane next year. At 8:30am, Casey Hildreth of the SFMTA will lead neighborhood residents on a tour of Page between Webster and Market, explaining some ideas the SFMTA has for improving the corridor, and garnering feedback on the plans.
Conversations about the future of transit and infrastructure around the busy Octavia corridor have been ongoing, with a lively neighborhood meeting last July resulting in area priorities for the SFMTA. Earlier this year, an open house took place showcasing 12 projects that are in the works, including curb extensions, bus zone changes, and daylighting (the removal of visual obstacles) at intersections.
One such project is the creation of a new bike lane on Page Street between Webster and Market. During rush hour, Page Street can become congested as cars queue along the residential street, waiting in line to get onto Octavia. But Page Street is also a popular bike corridor, meaning that the intersection of Page & Octavia can get hairy for cyclists and drivers alike. (The plan comes shortly after a number of cyclists were ticketed for passing stopped cars on the left in July.)
Two bike lane options are being explored for Page Street. The first would consist of an eastbound bike lane running down the center of Page Street from Laguna to Octavia. A green bike box at Octavia and Page would offer cyclists a safe place to wait for the light to change. Another bike box would be located at Page & Market.
The second option is a shorter bike lane that would again run down the center of Page Street, but would appear just 100 feet from the intersection with Octavia. This would also end in a bike box.
The goal is to have something installed by spring 2016. "As for next steps, we are sharing proposed improvements at tomorrow’s tour for community feedback," said Ben Jose of the SFMTA. "Working with the community we’ll be able to move onto a preferred design."
"The preferred design will need to go through internal reviews, public hearing and legislation at the MTA Board of Directors," Jose noted. "Environmental review may be needed based on whatever preferred design is chosen."
"HVNA is very involved in the traffic calming efforts of SFMTA, and we support this meeting to get input from the community," said Gail Baugh, the HVNA's vice president. "Page Street has become a parking lot during morning commutes, creating a hazard for cyclists."
The walking tour will start at Mercury Cafe's parklet on Page & Octavia at 8:30am. The group will travel up Page Street to John Muir Elementary, and then back down, with the tour wrapping up around 10am.
