After a prolonged and heated debate that saw cyclists and business owners on opposing sides, the SFMTA Board has cleared the path for a new bike lane design on Valencia Street. The unanimous decision on Tuesday will see protected bike lanes on the edges of the commercial corridor, moving away from the contentious center-running design implemented as a pilot program in April 2023.
The center-running bike lane was a bold initiative to protect cyclists and assist small businesses during the pandemic with expanded parklet space. However, the experiment received mixed reviews, and according to Mission Local, cyclists and the Valencia Corridor Merchants Association were united in their dissatisfaction with the new layout. Concerns were particularly poignant from merchants who feared that removing parking spaces to accommodate the lane design would negatively impact their businesses.
The swerve back to a more traditional bike lane setup involves creating parking-protected lanes on Valencia between 15th and 23rd streets. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the redesign seeks to balance the needs of all road users, restoring two-lane vehicle traffic and establishing predictable and familiar bike infrastructure for navigation.
Despite data indicating no significant negative impact on sales due to the center lane, many merchants continued to express concerns. "The middle bike lane has been a disaster for Valencia Street and it needs to be fixed,” Manny Yekutiel, president of the Valencia Corridor Merchants Association, told the San Francisco Chronicle. SFMTA officials hope to reassure skeptics with the planned addition of parking-protected lanes and advertising for underused city-owned garages.
As part of the realignment, SFMTA will introduce "floating parklets," a concept new to San Francisco but seen in cities like Oakland and New York, as cited by the San Francisco Chronicle. These separate dining and social spaces from sidewalks with the bike lane. Acknowledging the discord caused by the pilot lane, board members feel ready to turn a corner with the new design, which is slated for construction to begin in January 2025.
According to Mission Local, Paul Stanis, an SFMTA project manager, said, “Finally, I just wanted to acknowledge that this is a very complicated, challenging and even at times rewarding project.” The SFMTA has promised to monitor the project closely post-construction to ensure the new layout efficiently serves community needs, with an assessment coming four months after completion.
