Could A Bike Share Station Solve Jane Warner Plaza's Problems?

Could A Bike Share Station Solve Jane Warner Plaza's Problems?Jane Warner Plaza (Photos: Steven Bracco/Hoodline)
Steven Bracco
Published on March 28, 2016

Last week, Bay Area Bike Share announced the next wave of potential bike share stations; included in this expansion are multiple stations in the Castro and the surrounding area. And, as eagle-eyed readers may have noticed, one proposed station falls at Jane Warner Plaza, the controversial public mini-plaza at Castro and Market.

"We heard overwhelmingly from residents and businesses that Jane Warner would be a terrific place for a bike share station," said Paolo Cosulich-Schwartz of Motivate, Bay Area Bike Share's parent company. "A station at Jane Warner Plaza would serve the businesses and residents of Castro and Upper Market, while also providing a great connection to the Castro Muni station."

Local residents are well-aware of the problems Jane Warner Plaza has seen since its inception: it's seen by many as uninviting to residents and a magnet for transients, and some have even said they'd rather see it reopen to vehicle traffic.

Since debuting in the spring of 2009 as Castro Commons and then officially being dedicated as Jane Warner Plaza in 2010, there have been a variety of attempts at reconfiguring the plaza and adding different features. Cosulich-Schwartz said at the bike share workshop back in January that they'd received "great feedback at our workshops and stakeholder meetings that a bike share station would be a welcome amenity for the plaza that would help activate the space."

An exact location within the plaza has yet to be identified. Cosulich-Schwartz tells us Bay Area Bike Share will be "working with the Department of Public Works to identify a suitable location in/near Jane Warner Plaza."

Rail lines and vehicle access are some of the restrictions at JWP.

Jane Warner Plaza is overseen and managed by the Castro/Upper Market Community Benefit District (CBD). Executive Director Andrea Aiello tells us that finding a location inside the plaza could prove difficult. "Motivate would like to put a docking station in Jane Warner Plaza if it would work," she said, but "Jane Warner Plaza is fairly complicated and there are very few locations that anything permanent can be placed."

Some restrictions in the plaza include the fact that rail lines between the Chevron station and Muni platform must be kept free for the fire department to send an emergency fire train into the Twin Peaks tunnel. The space in front of the business on 17th Street must also be kept clear.

Aiello reiterated that nothing has been decided yet and that "they are currently in discussions with DPW, MTA, Planning, merchants on 17th Street, and the CBD." But, she says, "If a location can be found that works for all, it might be one piece in the puzzle of activating Jane Warner Plaza."

Supervisor Scott Wiener has been a longtime supporter of bike share and its expansion. "A bike share station will be positive for the plaza, in terms of activating it," he said. "The more we can activate Jane Warner Plaza, the better."

Bill Pung, who owns nearby Orphan Andy's, tells us that he supports the possibility of a bike share station at Jane Warner Plaza. Pung says he thinks bike share will draw more people to the Castro by offering them an alternate mode of transportation, and hopes that bike share will help increase foot traffic that will benefit all businesses in the Castro. Daniel Bergerac, president of Castro Merchants, says he's also excited about the possibility. "The addition of a bike share station will help with activating the plaza," he said. 

Bay Area Bike Share is inviting everyone to give their feedback about the proposed bike share stations through April, with plans for the stations to roll out in late 2016 or early 2017. In the meantime, what do you think about the possibility of bike share coming to the plaza?