Double-parked cars, Uber and Lyft drivers weaving in and out of unprotected bike lanes and no sidewalks to walk on have ruled Townsend Street for years, but that is no longer the case. Townsend Street is now ready for you, with a brand new design that finally gives dedicated space to biking, walking and transit on one of the busiest transit hubs.

Yesterday, we joined Mayor London Breed, our street safety allies at Walk San Francisco and a crew of City staff to celebrate the new Townsend Street. Before these changes went in, people were walking in the street because there was no physical sidewalk, while people biking had to compete with buses, and Uber and Lyft drivers dropping off and picking up passengers in the unprotected bike lane.

Now, take a look:

Dedicated, safe paths for biking and walking

A block-long boarding island between 4th and 5th Street on Townsend.

And as Mayor Breed said in her remarks yesterday, “It looks great!”

But getting here wasn’t that easy. When this project was under threat of a years-long delay, former Supervisor Jane Kim led the push to make sure the City didn’t drop the ball on it. Following her lead, our members wrote hundreds of letters to the City’s leadership, showed up to City Hall hearings and pushed to make sure this critical connection was seen all the way through to construction. We do recognize that the quick pace of this project and the desire to see change in the ground meant there were design compromises though, and we will work with City planners to ensure the new design is working for people all who use Townsend.

If you want to support people-powered advocacy for more protected bike lanes, become a member today or make a gift to help us continue pushing for more.