Just a few months ago on Bike to Wherever Day, we stood on the City Hall steps to celebrate Black and brown joy on bikes. At that celebration, Mayor London Breed promised to install protected bike lanes in front of City Hall on Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, and this week, we saw that promise fulfilled.
This project is more than just bike lanes — it also introduces pedestrian safety improvements like shortening the distance to crossing the street, painted safety zones at the mid-block crossing, and a lane reduction. And while this project spans just one block, crucially it closes the gap in almost a mile of existing separated bike lanes on Polk Street from Market Street to Pine Street.
The symbolism of protected bike lanes in front of City Hall has resonance beyond this one-block stretch of Polk Street. It demonstrates San Francisco’s commitment to prioritize safety for people walking or using human-scaled mobility, and a greener and more connected city.
The past week has shown us how desperately the city needs this vision to reach every corner of San Francisco. Last week, we witnessed one of the most dangerous weeks for traffic violence this year. We have officially surpassed the number of pedestrian and bicycle fatalities of 2023. Any loss of life on our streets is unacceptable, and we must move faster to protect people walking, biking, and rolling.
With strong leadership, we know we can get there. The Goodlett Place Quick-Build demonstrates that when there is political will and support, we can get things done urgently and quickly. Quick-builds can be implemented quickly, and shouldn’t take two to three years to complete.
We need to keep this momentum going by passing a visionary, Biking and Rolling Plan—one that creates a citywide, interconnected network of car-free and people-prioritized corridors. Join or renew your membership today to get involved in SF CYCLES, our biggest advocacy campaign of the year.
