At long last, the Oak Street bike lane has physical protection from motor traffic. Long-awaited concrete planters were completed last week.
"We're thrilled that the final pieces are finally coming together to make the bike lanes on Oak and Fell achieve the high level of protection San Franciscans were originally promised and that we have advocated strongly for," said SF Bicycle Coalition Executive Director Noah Budnick. "Protected bike lanes are one of the most powerful ways to make San Francisco safe and inviting for people of all ages to bike. This critical corridor will now be a safe, attractive route for people biking and local residents, and will make the roadway more predictable for people driving."
Next up is Fell Street's three-block counterpart, completing the link between the Panhandle and the Wiggle, the flattest central route between the eastern and western neighborhoods. Fell's concrete planters and finishing touches are expected to be completed by the end of April.
The first step in the redesign was to create a curbside bike lanes with a painted buffer. In an October 2013 survey, many bike commuters who use the route -- currently, roughly 1,800 a day -- said those changes made them feel safer and more likely to bike on Fell and Oak. The new concrete planters should make the route even less stressful and send a stronger signal to drivers not to park in the bike lanes.
In related news, the SFMTA Board of Directors last week approved the new residential parking permit Area Q to provide some regulation for car parking in the neighborhood. The idea was developed during planning for the Fell and Oak bike lanes since they required the removal of about 100 parking spaces, with about half added back on nearby streets.
Check out more photos of the Oak bike lane at Hoodline.
