Bicycle Safety

San Francisco's Traffic Code states that a motorcycle officer or the driver of any other emergency vehicle is allowed to park in a bike lane when "engaged in emergency services." California code is a little less clear but Streetsblog tipster Andrew Turley points out that cops obstructing the bike lane can create dangerous conditions for cyclists forced to merge into busy traffic. He came upon an officer parked in the bike lane on Market Street between 8th and 9th today. He sent these pictures and his account of what happened when he confronted the officer, who was preparing to eat a plate of eggs at Sam's Diner:

Until the city certifies its Draft Environmental Impact Report in a few months and Judge Busch lifts the bicycle injunction, we have to get more resourceful about maintaining our safety as cyclists.

Though Superior Court Judge Peter J. Busch ruled the MTA will not get an immediate exemption to the bike injunction to remove the eastbound segment of the bike lane at Market and Octavia because he didn’t think an “adequate case has been made that there's a public safety crisis,” when the hold on the bike plan is lifted as early as this spring, the agency will likely try to remove the lane anyway.  

In a ruling cheered by bicycle advocates, San Francisco Superior Court Judge Peter J. Busch today rejected the MTA's request to modify the bike injunction to allow the removal of the eastbound Market Street bike lane and concrete island at Octavia Boulevard, the city's most dangerous intersection for bicyclists. 

A San Francisco judge, in a tentative ruling issued this afternoon, agreed to a portion of the city attorney's request (PDF) to modify the bike injunction to "enhance markings on already existing bike lanes," but will move forward with a hearing tomorrow before deciding on an MTA plan to remove a portion of the eastbound Market Street bike lane and concrete barrier at Octavia Boulevard.

Last September, San Francisco's city attorney asked Judge Peter Busch to allow an exemption to the long-standing bicycle injunction so the MTA could improve the city’s second most dangerous intersection for cyclists, where Fell Street meets Masonic Street.  Even after the MTA adjusted signalization and gave cyclists a separate green light, cars are running the red light and hitting cyclists.

In a powerful show of opposition to a plan that calls for removing the eastbound Market Street bike lane and concrete island at Octavia Boulevard, hundreds of bicyclists, their supporters and local and state elected officials gathered today at the dangerous intersection to loudly urge the MTA to scrap its idea for a shared lane.

The Municipal Transportation Agency Board of Directors has unanimously endorsed its traffic engineer's plan to remove the eastbound bike lane on Market Street at Octavia Boulevard despite pleas from bicyclists and advocates.