Biking between the Castro and the Mission is becoming much more enjoyable and safe, thanks to a big victory at a recent SFMTA Board meeting. Thanks to the passion and dedication of our incredible members, we just won another block of protected bike lanes on 17th Street between Church and Sanchez.
On this block of 17th Street, several historic rails come together to form a complicated stretch of road that can be difficult to navigate by bike, especially when double-parked cars force traffic over the rails. City data confirms what we people who bike this corridor already know: this location has a long history of crashes.
Last week the SFMTA Board unanimously approved protected bike lanes on both sides of 17th Street to allow room for people on bikes to safely avoid the tracks between Church and Sanchez. Once implemented the bike lanes will close an important gap between the Mission and the Castro.
Plans for parking protected bike lanes on 17th Street. Image courtesy of the SFMTA.
Special thanks to members John Entwistle, Jiro Yamamoto and Bob Planthold who worked over the last few years to make sure that the City addressed this street design flaw in their neighborhood. We also want to thank all of the people who came to the hearing to tell their stories about biking on 17th Street. Members of the SFMTA Board were moved by hearing from people who had either experienced or witnessed crashes at this location. Your public testimonies and letters of support made this project possible.
Do you want to see more protected bike lane projects throughout the city? Become a member today and join the movement to improve biking all over San Francisco.
