Update: the hearing has been moved to 12/2.

Nestled in the Southeastern part of San Francisco, the Hairball is a tangle of roads, highway ramps, and overpasses, mixed with pedestrian and bike paths running underneath. These paths serve as some of the only direct connections for people biking between Potrero Hill, Bernal Heights, the Mission, the Portola District, and the Bayview. However, critical improvements are needed throughout the Hairball so that folks in the Southeastern neighborhoods have safe and enjoyable ways to move across the city.

In an attempt to untangle the Hairball, The San Francisco Department of Public Works launched a project back in 2019 to improve a major pedestrian connection on the westbound side of Cesar Chavez. Last year, the path was reopened after a long-awaited refurbishment. Now, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) is working to give the bike lanes that lead in and out of the eastbound section some much needed attention.

The proposed improvements to the eastbound section will upgrade the existing bike lanes at the intersections of Marin Street and Bayshore Blvd east, Highway 101 and Cesar Chavez, and Vermont Street and the highway 101 onramp. The bike lanes will upgrade from class III painted lanes, to class IV fully protected lanes that will add visibility and protection for bikers, but we’ll need your support to ensure these proposed designs are approved.

On Thursday, September 29, these plans will be heading to an engineering hearing for a vote. If they pass, they will be implemented later this year, and be ready for commuters to use in 2023. Make a plan to call into this public hearing and show your support for the eastbound improvements, and help improve these critical bike connections in the Southeastern part of our city. Learn more about how to call in and provide public comment. If you have any questions you can reach out to mjaramillo@sfbike.org.