After much anticipation, on March 18 final designs for the Evans Avenue corridor were brought before the SFMTA Board of Directors. After a presentation from the project team and heated debate, a final design has passed to bring safety improvements to Evans Avenue as soon as possible.
Evans is a wide industrial road used by many large vehicles that also serves as an important bike connection from the 3rd Street corridor to Cesar Chavez. This is a crucial link that provides access into the Hairball, which is the crossroads of many neighborhoods including the Mission and Potrero Hill. These conflicting uses have been difficult to reconcile, leaving concerns due to gaps in the protected bike lane. Because of this, many stakeholders came away wanting more protections from the quick-build safety improvements. With this being said, as the project gets implemented, we will work with SFMTA and community members to ensure that the project provides the most robust protections possible for people biking and walking. Thanks to your support, Evans Avenue will be getting vastly upgraded bike and pedestrian facilities, including a road diet which will reduce vehicle travel lanes from two to one in each direction. This will allow for a westbound bike lane that boasts parking protection as well as bollards to separate riders from vehicles. Eastbound, a painted lane will be implemented that gives riders a dedicated space to use as well.
Along with this, we acknowledge the impact this quick-build will have on the dozen or so vehicularly housed residents who reside on Evans Ave. Putting safety improvements for those biking on Evans Avenue is crucial, as well as ensuring that folks living on this corridor are given the tools and information they need. Thanks to the advocacy of unhoused residents and activists, the SFMTA committed to provide resources to those living here to aid in finding safe parking sites nearby. We stand with those who will be affected by the project and will work with them and other stakeholders to ensure that we get the necessary traffic safety improvements without further displacement, that their needs are met, and that more outreach is done in the future. As advocates for a safer and more bikeable city for everyone, we must ensure that the voices of unhoused people are also included in these conversations.
With the designs now approved, construction is set to commence this spring, with full implementation within the next couple of months. During this process we will continue to track the progress of the project and provide further updates. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to mjaramillo@sfbike.org.