Bicycle Infrastructure

On the evening of January 10, during the last round of storms, tour guide and active San Francisco Bicycle Coalition (SFBC) member Lauren Sailor was bicycling down the 800 block of Market Street on her way to get a tune up for her trusty steed, Morgan. It was dark and rainy. That portion of Market Street has no real bike protection or lane--just some sharrow markings. Sailor heard a car coming up on her left. Then she saw a rectangular shaped--and innocent looking--puddle. She had to make a choice: take her chances with the puddle, or swerve and risk a conflict with the car. She made the same instant calculation all cyclists have to make on our streets, almost every day--she decided the puddle was the safer bet.

A quick note about a twitter kerfuffle from last night over a closure to the Panhandle bike path. This involved San Francisco Bicycle Coalition member Elisabeth Snider, who lives in the Sunset and uses the path regularly. Upon seeing the closure of this essential transportation link for cyclists, Snider tweeted 311 with the above photo for more information:

More evidence for the need for an estuary bridge connecting Jack London to western Alameda.

San Francisco is almost ready to open its newest protected bike lane.

Advocates met with bike business representatives and others to talk about new technology, bike share, and how to make San Francisco a more bike-friendly city.

Jason Henderson is a geography professor at San Francisco State, writer of the book Street Fight: The Struggle over Urban Mobility in San Francisco, co-author of Low Car(Bon) Communities: Inspiring Car-Free and Car-Lite Urban Futures, and a Streetsblog contributor.

There's a new survey out from the Panhandle Residents Organization (PRO) asking local residents whether they would like parking-protected bike lanes added to Fell and Oak along the length of the Panhandle.

Streetsblog Readers Vote for their Favorite SF Advocacy Group

Suddenly a white car passed close, horn blaring. It was a classic "punishment pass.” I was in the right lane. The left/passing lane was empty. There was simply no reason for it.