With a room full of attendees at last week’s Valencia workshop, the City’s project team revealed plans for protected bike lanes from Market to 15th streets. If we want to see this urgency continue, take action and write a letter of support today as this project looks to be approved by the SF Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) Board on Dec. 4.
If approved by the SFMTA Board, these four blocks of fully protected bike lanes will be the first necessary step to create a welcoming, comfortable Valencia Street for all. We know the street is plagued by chronic double-parking in the bike lane and change is needed. That’s why our members have been turning out at SFMTA workshops and countless Valencia Member Committee meetings to bring real change along the corridor.
With Mayor Breed’s recent leadership, the project was fast-tracked and we now have the opportunity to see that the project is successfully delivered within the four-month timeline given. Support is critical now, so please take a moment to write an email to the SFMTA Board today and share why we need to put people first on Valencia Street.
Here are some suggested talking points to include in your email, and we encourage you to share your own personal stories of what it’s like to bike on Valencia.
- I bike on Valencia Street regularly and strongly support protected bike lanes on the corridor. I am excited to see the City remain committed to the four-month timeline set by Mayor Breed and I hope to see the start of construction in January.
- Valencia is long overdue for a people-friendly design that prioritizes those biking and walking along the corridor and this is a step in the right direction.
- I strongly urge the SFMTA Board to continue work to bring long-term improvements to the rest of the corridor as soon as possible.
If you’re with us and want to see construction begin in January, let’s make sure this project moves swiftly through approvals so we can carry this momentum for more protected bike lanes into 2019 and beyond.