Today’s Headlines

  • “Street Fight” Author Jason Henderson on “Whining Motorists” and Improving Transit for the Many (SFBG)
  • Using a Lane for Bikes on the Western Bay Bridge: “Wildly Unrealistic,” Says MTC (SFBG)
  • Traffic Still Backing Up After New Bay Bridge Opening (ABC), MTC Chief Blames Gawkers (CBS)
  • Caltrans is Trolling on the New Bay Bridge Span (KTVU); Bike/Ped Path Sees Cost Overruns (SFGate)
  • David Chiu Announces Run for Assembly (SFGate)
  • Center Medians on Streets Like Geary Get Dirty as Motorists Toss Trash (SFGate)
  • Turns Out You Can Dock Bay Area Bike Share Across Cities, Just Not Bikes From SF (Cyclelicious)
  • Two People Killed by Caltrain on Same Day (CoCo Times)
  • Sunnyvale Votes to Remove Parking, Traffic Lanes for Buffered Bike Lanes on Duane Ave. (Cyclelicious)
  • Pacifica Residents File CEQA Lawsuit Against Highway 1 Widening Project (Daily Journal)
  • “RidePal” Startup Allows Companies, Workers to Share Private Commuter Buses (PA Online)
  • City CarShare Comes to Pleasanton (SFBay, Business Times)

More headlines at Streetsblog Capitol Hill

  • Anonymous

    Around 6:00 PM yesterday I saw a few SFPD officers ticketing or at least giving warnings at Folsom and 8th to drivers using the extra big bike lane. It was great to see, (especially since one of those drivers almost sideswiped me around howard) I hope those drivers got a ticket to help the message stick a little.

  • Mark Dreger

    The Hwy 1 widening project in Pacifica is crazy and completely unjustified. There hasn’t been (and won’t be) any significant new development in that city, and, while traffic can be slow during peak periods, none of the people I know who live out there have any real complaints. 4-to-6 lane conversions should never even be considered in this day and age. $52 million dollars?! Wow.

    Locals successfully fought a fwy bypass to Devil’s Slide and got a tunnel. Now Caltrans is again trying to destroy the natural beauty of the Central Coast. Keeping my eye on this one.

  • Anonymous

    If I recall correctly, the MTC was exploring the possibility of letting bikes share the service pathways on the sides of the western span of the Bay Bridge (much as we do on the Golden Gate). Anyone know if that study has been completed yet?

  • John

    Ticketing drivers in the bike lane is great, but I’ve never seen a buffered bike lane on Folsom. Where was this?

  • Anonymous

    The drivers were heading south on 8th street. The police were intercepting them around Folsom since there is no right turn onto Folsom from 8th, drivers in the bike lane would be in very clear violation.

  • gneiss

    It’s no surprise that motorists use the bike lane on 8th as it has to be one of the worse buffered bike lane implementation I’ve ever seen. For several years I’ve been avoiding 8th because of the conflicts I’ve had with car drivers racing behind or turning right in front of me in the bike lane. At the very least, the city could have put some kind of textured pavement in the buffer between the bike lane and the auto lanes to make it clear to drivers that they shouldn’t be there. Better would have been to spend the money to move the meters out into the street, daylight and clarify mixing zones at the intersections, and make it a parked car buffered lane.

  • Anonymous

    From what I’ve heard from the bike coalition it was the best that could be done in the limited amount of time. The SFMTA or DPW or whoever didn’t have the time or resources to study or implement alternatives before the street was scheduled to be repaved.

    The benefit is that in the future, there is now 1 less auto lane and plenty of space for better bike infrastructure so an upgrade *should* be easier.

    I agree the existing lane is often overrun by motorists at rush hours and has gotten worse in recent weeks, but I ride it several times a week and generally don’t have much trouble. I enjoy the extra space compared to 7th street or Folsom.