City officials held a press conference yesterday to tout the widening of Arguello Boulevard in the Presidio to add sidewalks and bike lanes. Previously, the short stretch of road had only shoulders for people to walk and bike on, squeezing between guard rails and motor traffic. It's one of the first projects to be funded by a local $10 vehicle registration fee increase which city voters passed under Prop AA in 2010.
Supervisors Mark Farrell joined officials from the SF County Transportation Authority, the Presidio Trust, the SF Bicycle Coalition, and Walk SF at the event to promote the project as an "expedited safety" improvement, though the road is used more for recreation than A-to-B travel, and planners didn't face the challenges that come with reallocating space for walking and biking on city streets (the road was expanded on to park land).
"For years, bicyclists and pedestrians have traversed a dangerous stretch of roadway to travel on this route,” said Farrell in a statement, noting that private philanthropists paid for much of the project's design and construction. Of the $1,120,769 in total, Prop AA revenue underwrote $350,000, and $750,000 came from other sources, according to the SFCTA.
“Not only have we managed to expedite the delivery of this important safety project thanks to Prop AA," said Farrell, "but we’ve also done so by bringing together a federal agency, private philanthropy, and public dollars -- a truly creative and collaborative approach to meeting the needs of San Francisco residents."
There does seem to be a missed opportunity with the design of the bike lanes. The lack of driveways and car parking seems to provide prime conditions for raised, protected bike lanes on a curb, rather than painted bike lanes on the roadway.
Still, the SF Bicycle Coalition noted it's "one more link in better biking and a crucial connector to the Golden Gate Bridge."
