This week, the SF Municipal Transportation Agency’s (SFMTA) Board unanimously voted to make the pilot protected bike lanes on Valencia from 15th to Market permanent. As we’ve seen since the pilot was implemented in January 2019, these bike lanes bring us one step closer to a truly people-friendly Valencia Street.
To us, a people-friendly Valencia Street is one where families can feel safe biking to and from school, businesses, and home. This sentiment was widely shared amongst the 50-plus letters of support we received. “The SFMTA should create a bicycle network that even our children feel safe riding,” says SF Bicycle Coalition member Matt Hill. “My kids would love to bike to school everyday, but it’s just not safe.”
Another member, Dale Low, agrees. “I’ve recently started riding with my 14-year-old son on city streets and we feel very safe when biking along the protected lane on upper Valencia, but still feel exposed when biking on lower Valencia,” Dale said.
It’s clear that the pilot is a huge success and we need to use lessons learned from it to bring protected bike lanes south along the entire corridor.
Your SF Bicycle Coalition continues to create next steps we can jump into once shelter-in-place orders are lifted and it’s safe to do public outreach. If we want to see the southern portion of Valencia between 19th and Cesar Chavez Streets implemented soon, we’ll need your help. Sign up today to stay informed on the campaign and how you can plug in.
