Valencia Street unveils new curbside bike lane
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Valencia Street's new protected curbside bike lane. Photo: Courtesy SFMTA
Valencia Street's new protected curbside bike lane opened Thursday after months of construction to remove a controversial center-running pathway.
Why it matters: The completion of the new curbside bike lane marks the end of a long-running saga over a center pathway that was met with widespread disapproval from businesses, bicyclists and Mission District residents.
The big picture: The bikeway replaces one that ran down the middle of the road, prompting outcry from merchants who said it led to a drop in business. Transportation advocates also argued the lane created confusion and safety hazards among cyclists, drivers and pedestrians.
Catch up quick: The SFMTA first installed the center-running bike lane, which spanned eight blocks, in August 2023 to create a more visible and protected corridor for bicyclists.
- Business owners expressed concern that the design had forced them to remove their parklets and led visitors and locals to avoid the area altogether.
- Following widespread opposition, the agency decided to scrap the project and redo the corridor last November. The redesign plus repaving of the center lane was estimated to cost more than $2 million, KQED reported.
State of play: The new bike lane runs along the curb down Valencia Street between 15th and 23rd streets.
- The bikeway still maintains safety by separating people biking from vehicle traffic with buffer zones marked by white bollards. It also allows businesses to continue using parklets and retains "as much parking as possible" via floating parking spaces, SFMTA spokesperson Erica Kato said in a statement.
What they're saying: "These side-running bike lanes return the street to a more familiar design after over a year of outreach to find out what works best for the corridor," Kato said.
Between the lines: The new bike lane was completed the same day the city launched its first Valencia night market, which closed a three-block stretch of Valencia Street between 16th and 19th to cars, making way for live music and local vendors.
- More than 5,000 people attended the event, which Manny's owner Manny Yekutiel told Axios was a "smashing success."
- "At the very least, the success of the night market is partially due to the fact that the middle bike lane is gone," he said. "The street feels a lot more normal and functional."
The intrigue: While the center lane was initially supported by many bicyclists, it created challenges and dangers for turning onto side streets, said Christopher White, the executive director of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition.
- Cyclists were also often at risk of getting hit by drivers making illegal U turns, he told Axios.
What's next: The success of the new redesign will be evaluated in the next six months, per SFMTA.