In the next year, Fifth Street is up for a complete redesign from Townsend to Market. This is our unique opportunity to transform this fast, four-lane high-injury corridor into the protected, safe bike route we need to connect Market to Caltrain and beyond.
At an open house earlier this year, the SF Municipal Transportation Agency presented their plans for a bicycle and pedestrian safety project for the entire length of Fifth Street. While this busy corridor is on our bike network, only sharrows guide the way presently, offering no dedicated or protected space for people who bike. Unsurprisingly, every segment of the street is a part of our high-injury network — the 13 percent of San Francisco streets accounting for 75 percent of serious and fatal injuries. Our members have spoken up time and time again for protected bike lanes in SoMa, and Fifth Street is no different. That means physically separated, continuous, green bike lanes for the entire length of the project to make this important connection safe and inviting for everyone.
Seeing protected bike lanes built along this busy downtown corridor will be a big lift, and we’ll need your help getting there. Our SoMa Member Committee is a group of active SF Bicycle Coalition members who strategize and organize around SoMa bike lane projects to make them happen. We’ve counted our successes on Folsom, Seventh, and Eighth streets — will you join us in making a protected bike lane on Fifth Street a reality too?
SoMa Member Committee Meeting
Thursday, May 17 — 6:00 – 7:30 pm
1720 Market St.