The outer lanes of Market Street will be re-paved between Van Ness Avenue and Sixth Street this weekend, the Department of Public Works announced today. The work is scheduled to start on Friday at 7 p.m. and finish within 24 hours.
"This will be a major improvement to the city’s most important bicycling street," said SF Bicycle Coalition Executive Director Leah Shahum in a statement. "For the growing number of people biking on Market Street -- whether traveling to work or connecting to regional transit or visiting neighborhoods connected by our city’s main artery -- this repaving could not come soon enough."
DPW has patched up some of the most dangerous spots over the years -- most recently last September -- but the agency says the street hasn't had a proper re-paving in about 30 years. "This repaving initiative will last longer and create a much safer and more comfortable experience for the thousands of people who use the street every day," said DPW Director Mohammed Nuru in a statement.
DPW does have plans to re-pave the rest of Market's curbside lanes east of Sixth Street in two phases: "The stretch between Steuart and Third streets is tentatively scheduled for June 21-22, and the section between Third and Sixth streets is tentatively set for mid-July," said a press release from the agency. "Work on the intersections will be completed after the summer tourism rush and special events."
The $700,000 project is funded with gas tax funds, according to DPW. During construction, bikes, automobiles and trucks will be detoured off of Market. Muni and other public transit vehicles will still run in Market's center lanes, and all boardings will take place on the center islands.
There are no known plans to re-pave the center lanes, which are generally only used by trolley cars, buses, and autos, until the repeatedly-delayed Better Market Street project is completed in 2019.
