At two city-run, public open houses for the Better Market Street project this month, a fully protected vision for a transformed Market Street was front and center. With our push for approvals this year, a safe Market Street for all is closer than ever to reality. Take the City’s survey for your last chance to weigh in on this visionary project.
Over two days in early June, hundreds of people gathered at open houses to weigh in on the designs for Market Street’s transformation. Much of the presented material was familiar to our members, who made up a large portion of the crowd. Sidewalk-level protected bike lanes and getting cars off of Market — things we’ve been asking for for decades — remain central parts of the project.
Beyond the sweeping bicycle safety improvements, a couple of new changes and opportunities stood out to members in the room:
- Better protected bike lanes from 9th to Franklin: In previous designs, the intersection of Market and Van Ness was a mess. This new design for the western portion of Market features better protected bike lanes that will keep them car-free with additional vehicle restrictions.
- Near term car-free Market: Building the full Better Market Street project will take years, but a car-free Market could come much sooner. We’re pushing to see car restrictions implemented later this year, shortly after approvals.
We’ve told the City that these two improvements are necessary to truly make this project visionary. Still, to make these designs a reality, they need to hear from you. Take the City’s survey to let them know that you want the best possible Market Street.