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  1.  

    mikesonn

    Dash-cams and go-pros, our only hope.

    May 15, 2013
    in response to Today's Headlines
  2.  

    Nicasio Nakamine

    It will still be against the rules (and common sense) to bring your bike aboard when the car is full. Not every part of the system is full during commute hours.

    May 15, 2013
    in response to Will the BART Board Take the Sensible Step of Lifting Bike Bans?
  3.  

    murphstahoe

    Is it stupid to build gigantic parking lots at BART stations where there’s barely enough housing?

    May 15, 2013
    in response to Will the BART Board Take the Sensible Step of Lifting Bike Bans?
  4.  

    murphstahoe

    It’s not logic, it’s politics.

    May 15, 2013
    in response to Will the BART Board Take the Sensible Step of Lifting Bike Bans?
  5.  

    cmu

    I guess BART is not as crowded as the NY subway. It’s stupid to allow bikes during crowded commute hours when there’s barely room for people. Even as an avid biker, I’d never inconvenience others this way, it would just give people another reason to hate cyclists. And before anyone brings up strollers, it’s a false comparison…strollers have another body in them.

    May 15, 2013
    in response to Will the BART Board Take the Sensible Step of Lifting Bike Bans?
  6.  

    Faded_seaside

    I still don’t understand the logic of banning bikes from the first three cars of the train.

    May 15, 2013
    in response to Will the BART Board Take the Sensible Step of Lifting Bike Bans?
  7.  

    Anonymous

    Yes, ive spent a lot of time sitting in that seat with a folding bike, and when somebody sits down next to me holding their bike up awkwardly I always tell them they can lean it on mine.

    May 15, 2013
    in response to Will the BART Board Take the Sensible Step of Lifting Bike Bans?
  8.  

    murphstahoe

    I knew all those coffee drinkers on BART were cyclists!

    May 14, 2013
    in response to Will the BART Board Take the Sensible Step of Lifting Bike Bans?
  9.  

    Kevin

    I really hate fluff pieces about how “good” biking is in SF. SF biking is terrible and these articles give an excuse for inaction.

    May 14, 2013
    in response to Today's Headlines
  10.  

    Kevin

    I agree. There should be signs encouraging bikers ask what people’s destinations are and to stack their bicycles in this area. When I’m riding BART, sometimes I ask if I can stack my bike against another persons’, sometimes I don’t feel like asking but would like to anyway.

    May 14, 2013
    in response to Will the BART Board Take the Sensible Step of Lifting Bike Bans?
  11.  

    cour

    these busses still stink. could have done better.

    May 14, 2013
    in response to Say Hello to Muni's New Buses
  12.  

    J

    Sometimes I think the rest of the country doesn’t know that bicycles are allowed on the NYC subway 24/7. It’s kind of shocking to go elsewhere and find these bike bans on systems that are used way less than the subway. Obviously, you don’t want to try and take your bike on the subway during rush hour cause everyone will hate you, but legally, it’s permitted.

    May 14, 2013
    in response to Will the BART Board Take the Sensible Step of Lifting Bike Bans?
  13.  

    Anonymous

    I saw both those pictures and the others but still fail to see how they justify the ban. If there is a problem with rider courtesy (blocking seats, open food containers) then target that. It’s a problem that’s not restricted to people with bikes, and no reason to punish people who are not being rude or inconsiderate.

    May 14, 2013
    in response to Will the BART Board Take the Sensible Step of Lifting Bike Bans?
  14.  

    Anonymous

    You must have missed the pic of the hipster blocking 3 seats with his fixie. Or the woman bicyclist drinking coffee from a ceramic cup. And there are more. Many more.

    May 14, 2013
    in response to Will the BART Board Take the Sensible Step of Lifting Bike Bans?
  15.  

    Anonymous

    Most of the bike pics (a small fraction of the posts) on that page are simply people complaining about folks taking bikes on board during the ban period. Recursive argument is recursive.

    Also, here is the actual caption from one of the posts:

    “This morning on the SFO train from Richmond .. and then two more bikers got on the train .. I’m about ready to start doing the same since BART doesn’t seem to want to enforce their own rules .. i’d love tor ride my bike to work.”

    May 14, 2013
    in response to Will the BART Board Take the Sensible Step of Lifting Bike Bans?
  16.  

    Anonymous

    There is some truth to her words. Don’t believe me? Check out the pics of clueless bicyclists at the BART Idiots Hall of Fame Facebook group.

    May 14, 2013
    in response to Will the BART Board Take the Sensible Step of Lifting Bike Bans?
  17.  

    noname

    Fact. Her words are pretty offensive on many levels.

    And I guess understanding how mass transit works isn’t a a required skill to be a board member.

    May 14, 2013
    in response to Will the BART Board Take the Sensible Step of Lifting Bike Bans?
  18.  

    murphstahoe

    +1 – when you make the big time and get a publicly elected position, you have to grow up

    May 14, 2013
    in response to Will the BART Board Take the Sensible Step of Lifting Bike Bans?
  19.  

    MrEricSir

    Based on the way she brings up stereotypes as though they were relevant to a public policy discussion, I’d say whether or not she rides Bart is the least of our problems.

    May 14, 2013
    in response to Will the BART Board Take the Sensible Step of Lifting Bike Bans?
  20.  

    noname

    Is it me or does Murray’s comments make it sound like she’s never ridden BART?

    May 14, 2013
    in response to Will the BART Board Take the Sensible Step of Lifting Bike Bans?
  21.  

    foo

    One thing I found that helps with lots of bikes on a BART car is to stack them against the bar where the bike silhouette thing is, sort of like on Caltrain. That way you pack in a bunch of bikes in a small area. I was going always offer other bikers to stack theirs on mine when they get on.

    May 14, 2013
    in response to Will the BART Board Take the Sensible Step of Lifting Bike Bans?
  22.  

    mikesonn

    “Stop lights, autos, pedestrians, cyclist and the time it takes for typical bus riders to get off and on the bus including some with bikes are never factor into any argument.”

    This comment made on post about removing autos from the equation. TEP will address stop distance (dwell time) and signal timing. But you are a native, so you much know what is best.

    May 14, 2013
    in response to Red Transit Lanes on Church Have Made Muni Faster and More Reliable
  23.  

    ANative

    Amazing blog we have here.

    May 14, 2013
    in response to Red Transit Lanes on Church Have Made Muni Faster and More Reliable
  24.  

    Andy Chow

    Downhill part is challenging because people will bike at different speeds and that not all the bikes have the same braking ability (not really an issue on the uphill part). Cyclists needs room to maneuver to compensate for the inconsistent braking ability. Secondly, there’s need for room in the parking area for drivers to stop and wait for other cars to back out. I don’t think it is a good idea to mix faster moving bike traffic with stopped car traffic waiting for a parking space.

    May 14, 2013
    in response to SFMTA Installs Bike Lanes on Point Lobos and Northern Great Highway
  25.  

    Anonymous

    I think you rebut your own position with the following:

    “SMTA = Bunch of confused idiots believing they’re dumb ideas will really work”

    May 14, 2013
    in response to Red Transit Lanes on Church Have Made Muni Faster and More Reliable
  26.  

    ANative

    Apparently you missed the point.

    May 14, 2013
    in response to Red Transit Lanes on Church Have Made Muni Faster and More Reliable
  27.  

    April

    Great job on this article, Andrew!! Thanks so much for your commitment to expanding cycling opportunities in San Mateo County. I’m happy to see that Supervisor Pine is riding along with you.

    May 14, 2013
    in response to As Bike to Work Day Booms, Some San Mateo County Cities Lead the Way
  28.  

    Chris Tran

    You have a good point but I still think it should be buffered not barricaded. Or make the bike lane wider.

    I just pictured myself going downhill at the age of 60 and I definitely don’t want a car behind me.

    May 14, 2013
    in response to SFMTA Installs Bike Lanes on Point Lobos and Northern Great Highway
  29.  

    murphstahoe

    That Potrero Hill View article is a case study for tearing down the 280 stub back to Chavez.

    May 14, 2013
    in response to Today's Headlines
  30.  

    Anonymous

    it’s partly because it’s flat but I agree, SOMA is usually hellish on a bike, or walking for that matter. I would say south of market and most of D6 have enormous potential for biking as they are mostly flat with wide streets. A protected bike lane on every street would be necessary to realize that bike potential, as the streets have too much high speed vehicle traffic to really be comfortable for 8-80 even though physically they present little challenge.

    May 14, 2013
    in response to Today's Headlines
  31.  

    Mario Tanev

    SOMA is the most bike-able neighborhood? I don’t mind biking on Oak pre-bike lane, but SOMA genuinely terrifies me. That bike score is instantly untrustworthy for me.

    May 14, 2013
    in response to Today's Headlines
  32.  

    dat

    WHO IS that HANDSOME DEVIL in the black jersey with the black beard in the middle of the photo?!?!

    May 14, 2013
    in response to As Bike to Work Day Booms, Some San Mateo County Cities Lead the Way
  33.  

    casey

    Regarding the Santa Cruz Highway 1 bridge, after the floods of ’82 Santa Cruz used computers (don’t laugh, this was newfangled in the ’80s) to model what happens when redwood trees pile up on a bridge in a flood. They’ve replaced all of the bridges under city control with a design they think will survive another big flood, but getting CalTrans to actually admit that their one bridge in town is a disaster waiting to happen is impossible.

    Santa Cruz doesn’t want a wider bridge there, CalTrans does. Flood Control (read that as “not having the bridge fall down”) really is Santa Cruz’s major concern, but that isn’t a big enough reason for CalTrans.

    I think they’ll suck it up and fork over the money.

    May 14, 2013
    in response to Today's Headlines
  34.  

    Jym Dyer

    @5c6e74f9c4be18e3e0b82b7e5f4c701f:disqus – Sheesh yourself, you completely missed the point. Nevius quoted the SFBC and a bicyclist but completely ignored Folks for Polk. This makes it seem as if it’s bicyclists vs. plain ordinary regular people, a narrative you seem to have bought into with your wording about “both” sides, one of which is “the pro-bike side.”

    May 14, 2013
    in response to SFMTA Drops Protected Bike Lane Proposals for Most of Polk Street
  35.  

    Donkey

    They should install these bike counters at red lights to show how many bicyclist run them and how much revenue the city is missing out on from the traffic violations. If the revenue was then captured, we could then install these on every block of the city!

    May 14, 2013
    in response to Market Bike Counter: 3,231 Cyclists in a Day -- And That's an Underestimate
  36.  

    friscolex

    You had me at “perfect pavement”.

    May 14, 2013
    in response to SFMTA Installs Bike Lanes on Point Lobos and Northern Great Highway
  37.  

    peternatural

    I obviously do have kids. I obviously don’t have a car. I obviously live in SF and have for many years. I’m obviously saving boocoo cash monies, not to mention time spent circling for parking. You obviously don’t know what you’re talking about.

    May 14, 2013
    in response to Planning Commission OKs Car-Free Housing at Fulton and Gough
  38.  

    Giorgio

    Copenaghen counts 35 thousand per day in the busiest bike lane (Norrebrogade), but this is a good start for SF!

    May 14, 2013
    in response to Market Bike Counter: 3,231 Cyclists in a Day -- And That's an Underestimate
  39.  

    Walk Eagle Rock

    I could be mistaken but it looks like the median could be narrowed and the traffic lanes in general be narrowed to accommodate buffered/protected bike lanes in each direction.

    May 14, 2013
    in response to SFMTA Installs Bike Lanes on Point Lobos and Northern Great Highway
  40.  

    Anonymous

    The Transbay Terminal is going to be much more technically difficult to dig and design than Geary, Van Ness, or 19th Ave would be. Downtown SF has 50 floor buildings plus dense underground utilities infrastructure. As does Oslo and New York. They figured it out, and SF has budgeted what I described above for the Transbay Terminal.

    May 14, 2013
    in response to Small Business Commissioner: San Francisco Needs More Parking Garages
  41.  

    Anonymous

    I’m rather hoping the Doyle Drive project runs out of money and they finish it up with the single span. It’s practically as wide as the bridge itself, which will always be the bottleneck, so why double it?

    May 14, 2013
    in response to Today's Headlines
  42.  

    Anonymous

    It’s a bit late in the day to offer design suggestions, but–looking at the top picture there– wouldn’t it have been nice to slide the entire parking lot a few feet to the left (east) and have the bike lane continue straight along the shore, fully protected? The road warriors will take the road anyway, as they don’t need a bike lane, while the 8-80 crowd would probably appreciate the greater separation.

    But I nit-pick. I’ve gone down once already, and it’s really great.

    May 13, 2013
    in response to SFMTA Installs Bike Lanes on Point Lobos and Northern Great Highway
  43.  

    Filamino

    “Chinatown, with locals avoiding it all together.”
    Disgustingly racist. Just shows the complete ignorance of not understanding the dynamics of Chinatown and the community.

    May 13, 2013
    in response to SFMTA Drops Protected Bike Lane Proposals for Most of Polk Street
  44.  

    Filamino

    I saw nothing biased about Nevius’ article. He states the facts – both sides have legitimate concerns about the existing plans and there will have to be a difficult decision to be made which one to choose. He is doing what professional journalists should be doing: stating the facts and letting the readers decide their opinions. Just because he didn’t take the pro-bike side doesn’t make it an anti-bike article. Sheesh.

    May 13, 2013
    in response to SFMTA Drops Protected Bike Lane Proposals for Most of Polk Street
  45.  

    Anonymous

    The problem with all these variable cost pricing + underground proposals is that the demand we currently see is a result of the price being artificially low. If you actually instituted variable cost pricing, prices would be fairly low and there would be no shortage, so the idea of embarking on a massive underground construction project would be ridiculous.

    It’s as if I was giving away free burgers day after day, and finding that people were lining up around the block for them. So I decide that the demand for burgers is so strong that I’m going to build a top-notch high-volume kitchen, and I’m going to charge $10 a burger to pay for it. And when I’m done most people say “well I’ll just get a $5 burrito instead,” and my giant shiny new kitchen leaves me bankrupt.

    May 13, 2013
    in response to Small Business Commissioner: San Francisco Needs More Parking Garages
  46.  

    Andy Thornley

    My advice is to get out and ride on it once or twice and see what you think about the quality of the bike space, and then ponder how to get it closer to 8-to-80 grade for biking. SFMTA & DPW have done a swell job with the materials and conditions they had to work with, there may be more awesome ways to set it out, but the bicycling environment on this roadway has gone from D to B+ or better (confident bike riders will grade it higher, I think, and be grateful for the perfect pavement as much as for the stripes). Having ridden it a couple of times I’m very pleased, the buffered bike lane and smooth pavement makes the northbound trip much more mellow — pedaling uphill may not be any flatter, but it’s a lot more pleasant. 8-to-80? With that incline the road will always be somewhat challenging for bicycle traffic, but a reasonably fit adult can make it up the hill and the bike space is pretty good (it had been nerve-wracking/terrifying). When I was pedaling up the grade from Safeway with a basket full of groceries, a couple of kitted-out roadie dudes steamed up behind me and had no trouble passing, thanks to the wide bike lane and buffer. SFMTA will be adding plastic bollards as they generally do in bike lane buffers these days, I’d like to see those bollards nearer to the travel lane than to the bike lane (so those roadies can keep passing me in comfort).

    Southbound downhill past Louis’ and the Cliff House the bike lane does drop and there’s a single shared travel lane and a wide shoulder, for me it felt more natural to ride in the wide shoulder (braking and alert to taillights) than bobsledding out in the travel lane (with sharrows in it), but then I’m a guy with a basket full of groceries. Of course that wide shoulder has the back ends of cars parked diagonally; generally it’s best not to bring bike traffic too close to the back ends of parked cars (and the parking in front of the Cliff House really can’t be removed at this point in California history, check back later), hence the sharrows in the travel lane. This is actually less 8-to-80 than the uphill experience and parents may still be taking their kids (and adult tourists taking themselves) downhill via the sidewalk, but with that steep winding grade up and down it’s never going to be JFK Drive or the Yosemite Valley loop. Still, it’s pretty good, go out and ride on it and see what you think, and bring a camera so you can be ready to catch a million-dollar sunset photo, pinky orangey scarlet sky backdropping a beautiful international bikeway in our backyard . . .

    May 13, 2013
    in response to SFMTA Installs Bike Lanes on Point Lobos and Northern Great Highway
  47.  

    FL

    Chiu has to listen to everyone involved because that is his job. The merchants have brought up their legitimate concerns about the plan to him and the SFMTA and so has the bike/ped safety advocates and other people involved in Polk Street. Now they are trying to find a plan that everyone can get something out of it. There is nothing wrong with consensus. Not everyone can have everything their way.

    May 13, 2013
    in response to Bike to Work Day at City Hall: Lots of Pro-Bike Talk, Few Real Commitments
  48.  

    SF Native

    You obviously don’t have kids…

    May 13, 2013
    in response to Planning Commission OKs Car-Free Housing at Fulton and Gough
  49.  

    SF Native

    Sure … Great for 20 something tecchies .. Not great for families. Families continued to be squeezed out. Families need actual cars – not just car share.

    May 13, 2013
    in response to Planning Commission OKs Car-Free Housing at Fulton and Gough
  50.  

    murphstahoe

    Because going downhill you are going faster and need more of the road to maneuver your turn. A barricaded lane would be a big problem, at speed you can’t make a turn in such a small slot.

    I have gone down Clipper many times and have yet to touch the bike lane. I need the whole lane. And that’s perfectly reasonable as I’d be going the speed limit.

    This downhill corner is part of Escape from Alcatraz. That ought to be interesting. EFA used the 2 center lanes. Trying to do so again would leave no room for cars.

    May 13, 2013
    in response to SFMTA Installs Bike Lanes on Point Lobos and Northern Great Highway

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