Mid-Valencia Update: Curbside Protected Bike Lanes Improve Safety

It’s been nearly a year since SFMTA opened curbside-protected bike lanes on the middle part of Valencia Street, from 15th to 23rd. SFMTA recently released data that shows the new lanes are working. From the agency:

• In the first 6 months of the new side running bikeway, we saw an about a 30% decrease in the rate of all collisions along the corridor
• For the same time period, the collision rate dropped by 67% for bike- and 100% for pedestrian-involved crashes
• We’re learning from what we constructed almost a year ago and have already revised some loading zones, added accessible ramps for white zones, and addressing vehicles parking in red zones.
• We’re also planning to revise the traffic signal progression so we can restore some of the bike green signal wave. This would allow cyclists to get more green lights and reduce having to wait for the red light to change at some intersections

“We’re heartened to hear that bike-related collisions have decreased dramatically along Valencia after the installation of the curbside parking-protected bike lane,” wrote the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition’s Christopher White. “This is why we advocated for SFMTA to find a permanent solution that works for everyone and reduces conflict for people biking and rolling along this crucial corridor.”

Livable City’s Tom Radulovich likes the curbside lanes, but said there’s room for improvement. “Some of the space in front of the parklets has become informal parking spaces, and where the lanes move around the parklets, vehicles routinely block them.”

He also expressed concern about the inconsistencies in intersection design, which can be confusing. “I’m mostly satisfied, but there are a few things that don’t work.”

There’s also the proverbial elephant in the room: the remaining blocks from 23rd to Cesar Chavez Street. Right now, that section still has an old-school striped lane sandwiched between parked cars and moving traffic (aka Class II).

District 8 Supervisor Rafael “Mandelman strongly supports completing the bike lanes on Valencia,” wrote Sophie Marie, his chief of staff. Some speculate that the larger number of residential driveways and the loss of street parking for the local churches render the undertaking more politically challenging, although it’s unclear if that’s really the reason for the omission.

Another explanation often given is that SFMTA staff are exhausted after all the brouhaha caused by the center-running bike lane. That was installed in 2023 and subsequently removed in response to opposition from both merchants and advocates.

“Mid-Valencia was an enormous undertaking for many people, so right now we’re continuing to stay engaged with the community and make sure this project is working for everyone,” wrote SFMTA’s Michael Roccaforte.

“I’m sure SFMTA feels like they’ve already spent more time redesigning Valencia than they should have,” Radulovich told Streetsblog. “But it’s because they insisted on doing it wrong the first time.”

“The gap in protected infrastructure, where the bike route reverts to a Class 2 painted lane from 23rd Street to Chavez, creates confusion and inconsistency, and puts people biking and rolling at greater risk for conflict with cars,” wrote White. “The successes we’ve seen along Valencia in the past year are exactly why we must protect the entire corridor.”