SF's controversial Valencia St bike lane is one step closer to being removed. Here's the replacement
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The controversial centerline concept bike lane on San Francisco's Valencia Street has sparked outrage from shop owners saying it is a business killer and cyclists who call it dangerous.
On Monday, the SFMTA presented the finalized design for a replacement, meaning the center bike lane is one step closer to being removed.
"It was new and a little bit difficult to navigate and if anybody parked or ran out to get something all the traffic got stuck behind them and it was challenging," said Viktoriya Wise, SFMTA Director of Streets.
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After over a year of business owners voicing concerns about the removal of parking spots to create the new bike lane, the city's transportation agency is taking responsibility and is presenting their final design to turn the center bike lane into a side running bike lane.
"I hope that the agency has learned a valuable lesson for the future that they should just install curbside protected bike lanes from the start than kind of proposing these novel or new designs that don't work," said Luke Bornheimer, Executive Director of Streets Forward.
The side running bikeway design is already in place in other parts of the city.
The new design will have cyclists riding next to the sidewalk, and cars serving as a barrier between traffic and the bike lane.
It is a win for cyclists, but will still impact parking.
"Overall, we are going to remove 79 parking and loading spaces with the change to a side running bikeway design, but we are also increasing the number of motorcycle spaces," said Paul Stanis, SFMTA Valencia Bikeway Project Manager.
RELATED: SF restaurant owners say Valencia St. will 'die' if controversial bike lane is not revised
The new design is not perfect and Bornheimer is concerned about the risks of floating parklets.
"There is a bike lane running in between the sidewalk and the parklet so if the server or someone is walking in between the parklet and the sidewalk, if a kid or a senior or a person with disability is walking in between the sidewalk and the parklet, they have to cross the bike lane so that just created conflict and potential safety issues," said Bornheimer.
Despite all these, merchants are hopeful that the new design will bring business back to Valencia.
"Hopefully it helps us bring in traffic. More foot traffic, more people want to drive on the streets over here," said Gavin Singh, manager of Apna Chulha Restaurant.
"I remember how Valencia used to be a pretty happening place," said Kinani Ahmed of Sextant Coffee Roasters. "I'm looking forward to it. We have talked to the business owners and SFMTA and I think overall everybody agrees."
The SMFTA board is set to vote on the design on Tuesday.
