Eyes on the Street: Church Street at Market Gets Three New Bike Racks

church_bike_rack_2.jpgPhotos by Bryan Goebel.

The SFMTA has installed three new bike racks on the southeast corner of Church Street at Market to help accommodate the throngs of bicycle riders who often park their bikes illegally on the Muni island rails. I snapped these photos of the new bike racks this afternoon and one thing rang clear: it’s not enough.

Damon Curtis, the Bike Plan implementation manager for the SFMTA, said the racks were installed based on requests from businesses. However, the area was a pressing priority for the SFMTA last January, when the agency asked for injunction relief to install bike racks on Church following complaints from disability rights advocates about the transit island bike parking.

"We know the demand continues to grow and as we move forward that could be an area we can look at for corrals and things like that," Curtis told Streetsblog.

Andy Thornley, the SFBC program director, hopes the SFMTA will install more bicycle parking in the area, and be sensitive to the concerns.

"Apart from the intrinsic demand of the businesses, the important thing to be aware is that there has been complaints and concerns voiced by folks in the disabled community about that Muni platform encroachment," said Thornley.

Curtis said the SFMTA has installed nearly 300 new bike racks since the partial lifting of the bicycle injunction, and had a backlog of 900 requests at the time. The agency is working as quickly as it can to meet the demand, he said.

church_street_bike_rack_3.jpgTwo new bike racks on Church St. near Market.
Market.jpgOn weekend nights, and even during the week, bicycles are a common sight on the Muni island because of the lack of adequate bicycle parking in the area. The area is home to many thriving restaurants and bars.
Church_bike_racks_1.jpgA new bike rack on Church in front of Chilango, which requested it. 

ALSO ON STREETSBLOG

Bike Rack Bonanza: How the City Places Them, And How to Get One

|
Flickr photo: Neal Patel Brand new bike racks have been popping up all across the city in the half-year since the city got partial-relief from the long-standing Bike Plan injunction. Along with countless sharrows, they’re one of the most visible and widespread improvements to the city’s bike infrastructure during that time. But with so many […]

SFMTA Approves New On-Street Bicycle Parking

|
Future site of on-street bicycle parking in front of Boogaloos on Valencia. Photo: Matthew Roth When the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), which runs Muni, instituted the sweeping December 5th service changes and eliminated several bus routes, including the 26-Valencia, bicycle advocates immediately raised the question of what would be done with the now […]

SF Has Turned 30 Car Parking Spots Into 336 Bike Parking Spots

|
Bike corrals are popping up so quickly around San Francisco, who can keep track anymore? The SF Municipal Transportation Agency has installed 27 corrals since it started rolling them out in 2010, adding 168 bike racks without taking up any sidewalk space. That means 30 on-street spaces normally reserved for one parked car each can now accommodate […]