The vigilante cyclist safety group calling itself SF Transformation—or SFMtrA, for short—has plans for adding more unauthorized traffic safety features to city streets, following its victory last week in getting the city to keep the soft-hit posts it installed at the nexus of JFK Drive and Kezar Drive in Golden Gate Park.
SFMtrA has just completed a crowdfunding campaign to install soft-hit posts between the car and bicycle lanes on Market at Gough.
The complex confluence of main arterials at Market and Gough has undergone a variety of traffic engineering projects in recent years, but the group feels the changes are not enough:
We're glad San Francisco is testing out new types of protected bikeways. But nearly a year after the construction of the Market Street raised bikeway pilot, it's become clear that a small, angled curb does nothing to prevent drivers from casually pulling into the bike lane to load/unload and pick up/drop off passengers.
We'd like to make this this raised bike lane safer by adding safe-hit posts along its entire length. This will require about 30 posts which cost roughly $30 each, for a total project cost of $900.
As of this past weekend, the group has already raised $901 on crowdfunding platform Tilt.
The SFMTrA added similar posts in Golden Gate Park in late September. Last week, the adjustments were approved ex post facto by the city, which said that it had been planning to add posts on its own there, anyway.
JFK/Kezar in Golden Gate Park is now safer for cyclists and pedestrians. Enjoy and #DemandMore. pic.twitter.com/opMAa5J0Os
— SF Transformation (@SFMTrA) September 27, 2016
Earlier this year, the group placed unauthorized road cones between various bicycle and car lanes around the city, including at Market and Gough (pictured above). All were removed due to lack of permits.
We'll keep you posted if and when the new posts go in, and whether they'll also receive official approval after the fact.