When change is too slow, it takes real leaders to step up and demand action.
That’s what all seven SF Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) Board directors did today when they unanimously directed the agency to find every opportunity to expedite a quick-build for a protected bike lane along all of the Embarcadero.
Next week, the San Francisco Port Commission is set to receive the same presentation and will make a decision on protected bike lanes on the Embarcadero. Can we count on you to show up and push for urgency?
San Francisco Port Commission
Tuesday, February 11 at 3:30pm
Ferry Building, 2nd Floor
At the SFMTA Board meeting today, City planners presented the long history of efforts to plan, design and construct a fully protected bike lane along the Embarcadero. Currently, there are quick-build proposals to construct a few blocks of protected bike lanes at key locations, and while your San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is supportive of these efforts, three blocks of bike lane fall far short of the vision we’ve been pushing for all these years. We demand a beautiful, high-quality biking experience along our waterfront with a two-way protected bike lane.
“We don’t want to wait,” said our Advocacy Director Janice Li. “Make all of the Embarcadero safe for biking now. Three blocks simply is not good enough in 2020, and we all know we can do better.”
SFMTA Board Director Amanda Eaken called out Mayor London Breed’s challenge to the SFMTA to construct 20 miles of protected bike lanes in two years and noted that a quick-build for all of the Embarcadero would go a long way to meeting that goal.
As strong as these comments are, it’s ultimately on the Port Commission to make a decision. While the SFMTA has been leading much of the technical work to plan and design a protected bike lane, the five Port Commissioners need to approve protected bike lanes because the Embarcadero falls within their jurisdiction. We need to make sure they hear from us that change can’t wait.
Join us next week to demand near-term protected bike lanes for all of the Embarcadero, and let’s make sure the Port Commission follows the SFMTA board’s lead. If you can’t make it, we encourage you to use the template here to write a letter to the Port Commission.
