SFMTA Rolls out New Green Bike Lane and Program for Planning Talent

As cyclists who use Page Street know all too well, there's a tendency for motorists to jam up at the intersection with Octavia as they head to 101. And despite improvements and some traffic calming measures, it still turns into a bit of a mash up around the intersection, with cyclists trying to thread through the traffic jam. This weekend SFMTA rolled out a center-running green bike lane that helps formalize what most cyclists already do--pass to the left of the queue of cars waiting to turn right on Octavia.

Planners sometimes call this "formalizing goat trails," meaning, at least with pedestrians, one looks at the worn grass or brush to figure out where people are walking. This is a great way to figure what's automatically the most convenient route and where to add asphalt or pavers. The same thing happens with cyclists: by observing intersections and streets, smart planners can change street configuration to accommodate natural behaviors, such as--in this case--cyclists passing a line of cars waiting to turn right. The SFMTA reports it also added green bike boxes and sharrow markings to provide more intuitive, comfortable and visible space for people on bikes to wait for the traffic signal.

While all of this is well and good, it's still no substitute for fully built out, protected bike infrastructure. Painted markings are often sold as "better than nothing," although even that's not always clear. That said, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is pleased with the improvements, explained Chris Cassidy, the organization's spokesman.

"With all of the cars queued up at that intersection to turn right every morning, it just made sense for people biking to pass drivers on the left. The SFMTA's efforts to keep people safe at Page and Octavia, and help us all avoid conflicts, deserve applause," Cassidy said.

Meanwhile, SFMTA is also launching an apprenticeship program to "jump-start meaningful careers for local residents while developing the SFMTA’s skilled workforce of the future," according to a release from the agency. The program is open to interested high school seniors, graduates, veterans, college students or those looking to change careers. SFMTA also reports that many of their workers are reaching retirement age and this is a way to assure there are skilled technicians moving forward.

To get more information, SFMTA invites people to join them at the City and County of San Francisco’s Winter 2016 Career Fair on Wednesday, Feb. 24 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 34 Hall, at 815 2nd Street. To get more information on the event, which is free, call 415.557.4800 or email DHR.Apprenticeshipsf@sfgov.org.