In case you're wondering why the left-turn "jug handle" connecting bike commuters on Market to Valencia Street suddenly disappeared behind construction barricades, we've got the answer. The "bike bay" is being re-built with granite curbs, replacing the original concrete curbs with materials that better match the rest of Market Street.
That's according to SFMTA Livable Streets spokesperson Ben Jose. Jose said the re-construction is part of the ongoing work around the intersection of Market, Haight, and Gough Streets, which will create a contra-flow Muni lane and build pedestrian bulb-outs. Even though many have complained that the bike waiting zone and thru traffic lane are uncomfortably narrow, Jose did said the bike bay is not being widened, but that it could be in the Better Market Street project.
When I stumbled upon the construction site last Friday, there was no apparent alternate accommodation for people on bikes waiting for the bike signal to turn left off Market. It wouldn't be the first time that construction crews have closed a bike lane on that stretch of Market without providing a safe detour.
