The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s board unanimously approved the new curbside Valencia Street bike lane on Tuesday, and admitted that the transit agency should have been more cautious with experiments in merchant corridors.
That experiment — a bike lane running up the center of the street — had pitted transit advocates against shopkeepers. Now cyclists and the Valencia Corridor Merchants Association were finally on the same page: Neither were fans of the new design.
“The [merchants association] cannot officially support the side-running bike lane,” said Manny Yekutiel, president of the Valencia Corridor Merchants Association, which has fought the old design. Yekutiel was one of dozens who spoke up in the three-hour-long meeting held at City Hall.
Yekutiel, echoing long-held concerns from merchants against streetscape changes, said the new design will get rid of a lot of the parking spots on Valencia Street. “We’re worried it will affect business.”
The design will remove about 79 parking or loading spots, or 40 percent of the 225 spaces on Valencia from 15th to 23rd, according to SFMTA
Although it was lambasted for months, some cyclists today lamented the end of the center lane. Erin Fieberling, a bicyclist who lives in District 9, said the current center lane makes them feel safe. It’s “a straight, clear, predictable path with no interruption,” they said, adding that it actually made them more likely to use local shops. “I use the Valencia Street bike lane most often to travel to local businesses on Valencia Street.”
For its part, the board acknowledged that the Valencia Street bikeway pilot, started August 2023, has been a failure. “We have to be very careful about experimenting in commercial corridors,” said board vice chair Stephanie Cajina. “That requires a certain level of care that perhaps we did not perceive when we initially approved this particular item. It’s a big learning.”
The controversy surrounding the center bike lane pilot program often involved neighborhood merchants who said the project harmed their business.
But both a Mission Local analysis and the city controller’s office found that to be untrue: The bike lane had no impact on sales on the corridor. Instead, the sales decline might have reflected a general slowing of the economy.
Still, the pilot project was met with scorn and the SFMTA decided in February to reverse course after just six months and install more conventional, side-running lanes.
The new design will include parking-protected lanes on Valencia between 15th and 23rd streets. The design will also bring changes to the parklets along the street. Most will remain alongside the curb, but three will be rebuilt into “floating parklets” separated from the sidewalk by the bike lane.
The floating parklet design is new to San Francisco, but has worked in Oakland and New York City, according to the SFMTA.
SFMTA will add more motorcycle and scooter parking spaces, and advertise two SFMTA-owned parking garages at 16th and and 21st streets that are rarely full.
Paul Stanis, an SFMTA project manager, said the new design was the result of balancing safety, mobility and economic vitality.
While data the agency collected showed the center-running bike way generally made riding along Valencia Street more predictable, it did not work for everybody.
The side-running bike lane is expected to be more predictable and more familiar for people to navigate, said Stanis.
The SFMTA is expected to begin the construction in January 2025, and the process will take two to three months, depending on weather conditions.
Despite the anger from attendees, board director Mike Chen expressed a certain degree of support for the centered lane. “I want to underline that I don’t think that the center-running lane was a failure from the point of view of bicycle safety. There are maybe other places in San Francisco where this center-running lane could be appropriate.”
The SFMTA reached the final block by block design after making changes with feedback collected during their 10 months of community outreach. That included two community open houses in September, a mailer to nearby residents and businesses, meetings with over 100 merchants, and conversations with those who own parklets on Valencia Street.
Additionally, the SFMTA is having a monthly construction working group meeting to minimize the impact of construction work, with inputs from merchants, construction staff, project team, and advocates.
“Finally, I just wanted to acknowledge that this is a very complicated, challenging and even at times rewarding project,” said SFMTA project manager Stanis. “In reality, probably 30 or 40 people have actually worked on this project at one point or another … We feel it represents the best that we can come up with given all of the input, consideration and constraints.”
“We have a lot left to do, but we are excited to get some of our weekends and nights and some of our holiday time back,” he added.
About the author
Burglars ransack Southern California homes while posing as deliverymen
Residents are frightened and angry as a group of suspects continue ransacking San Fernando Valley homes, leaving a trail of destruction behind.A Valley Village resident said she was stunned and shaken up after thieves targeted her home on Dec. 17 between 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.The break-in was captured on home surveillance cameras as a male suspect approached the house and appeared to be disguised as a delivery man.“Ten minutes after we left [our home], someone was knocking at the door and our dog was barking away,” she said. “Then within a minute, someone had broken into the back of the house, smashed the glass door, came in and locked the dog in a room and just trashed the house. They took all of my jewelry.”Photos of the aftermath showed drawers in every room were removed and emptied and all […]
Jim’s owners retiring, leaving future of Mission diner unclear
The mom-and-pop owners of Jim’s Restaurant on Mission Street, a community staple for over three decades, will have their last day of work this Saturday, according to the restaurant.Jim’s Restaurant announced that its owners will be retiring after Saturday. It’s unclear, however, whether Jim’s will continue operating under new management. What is clear is it will no longer be the same without Ms. and Mr. Kim. The current owners, Kim Ok Un and Kim Jung Nyun, declined to comment about their retirement or whether Jim’s would continue operating. An Instagram commenter says, “So so sooo happy for you guys!! So well deserved but Jim’s will never be the same without you”.Another says, “Legendary spot just up the street from KPOO. Thanks y’all for the decades of service to the community.”On Friday around noon, the restaurant at 2420 Mission St. between 20th and […]
Police bust man at Gwinnett McDonald’s they say tried to sell home he didn’t own
Gwinnett County police arrested a man at a local McDonald’s who they say attempted to sell a property he did not own by stealing the identity of its rightful owner.Police say 55-year-old Armond Long, of Lilburn, posed as the property owner and listed the land for sale on Zillow.The scheme unraveled when the actual owner discovered the listing while the sale was pending and contacted authorities.Records show the land was pending for $130,000 before law enforcement got involved.“He didn’t have any intention of selling that property, so he contacted local authorities,” said Cpl. Juan Madiedo.TRENDING STORIES: Authorities in Lake Havasu City, Arizona worked with Gwinnett County police to set up a sting operation.Long agreed to meet at a McDonald’s near the Mall of Georgia to sign final closing documents. An undercover Gwinnett officer, posing as a courier, handed Long documents […]
S.F. police shoot, kill Dior guard turned alleged hit-and-run driver
San Francisco police shot and killed a purportedly armed man they say they tracked down — after he allegedly hit pedestrians and a cyclist with a car on Thursday evening. Assistant Chief David Lazar, who gave a press conference this morning, said the man was believed to be a security guard at Dior, and said he discovered a firearm “on the ground” at the scene that he believed belonged to the guard. He did not give any details about whether the man was armed at the time police shot him. Lazar also could not confirm how many police officers fired their weapons at the man. The driver was allegedly driving on the sidewalk around 6:30 p.m. at Kearny and Post streets and hit two pedestrians, an 18-year-old and a 17-year-old, Lazar said, in pursuit of a man on an electric bicycle. After hitting […]
Mother of Olentangy High student that inspired sextortion bill hopes it saves lives
Editor's note: This story discusses suicide and sexual abuse. If you or someone you know is struggling, you can call or text 988.Jennifer Markus spent much of Wednesday watching The Ohio Channel as a bill to make "sextortion" a felony wound its way among lawmakers.She's a pediatric care nurse at Nationwide Children's Hospital where her colleagues have offered comfort after her son Braden Markus took his life three years ago when someone posing as a high school girl on social media asked him for intimate photos and then demanded $1,800 so they wouldn't be published.He initially refused. But within 30 minutes, the boy who loved sports and fireworks and Japanese food, who was about to get his driver's license, was gone."It's bittersweet," Mrs. Markus told The Dispatch Thursday. "Holy crap. my friends and a lot of people just got this […]
Street sheet – Mission Local
Mission Local produces enterprise reporting on San Francisco's most critical issues: police reform, corruption, public health, housing and homelessness. Learn more about us, and donate below keep us reporting.Subscribe to Mission Local's daily newsletter Source: missionlocal.org
Related
Jim’s owners retiring, leaving future of Mission diner unclear
The mom-and-pop owners of Jim’s Restaurant on Mission Street, a community staple for over three decades, will have their last day of work this Saturday, according to the restaurant.Jim’s Restaurant announced that its owners will be retiring after Saturday. It’s unclear, however, whether Jim’s will continue operating under new management. What is clear is it will no longer be the same without Ms. and Mr. Kim. The current owners, Kim Ok Un and Kim Jung Nyun, declined to comment about their retirement or whether Jim’s would continue operating. An Instagram commenter says, “So so sooo happy for you guys!! So well deserved but Jim’s will never be the same without you”.Another says, “Legendary spot just up the street from KPOO. Thanks y’all for the decades of service to the community.”On Friday around noon, the restaurant at 2420 Mission St. between 20th and […]
S.F. police shoot, kill Dior guard turned alleged hit-and-run driver
San Francisco police shot and killed a purportedly armed man they say they tracked down — after he allegedly hit pedestrians and a cyclist with a car on Thursday evening. Assistant Chief David Lazar, who gave a press conference this morning, said the man was believed to be a security guard at Dior, and said he discovered a firearm “on the ground” at the scene that he believed belonged to the guard. He did not give any details about whether the man was armed at the time police shot him. Lazar also could not confirm how many police officers fired their weapons at the man. The driver was allegedly driving on the sidewalk around 6:30 p.m. at Kearny and Post streets and hit two pedestrians, an 18-year-old and a 17-year-old, Lazar said, in pursuit of a man on an electric bicycle. After hitting […]
Street sheet – Mission Local
Mission Local produces enterprise reporting on San Francisco's most critical issues: police reform, corruption, public health, housing and homelessness. Learn more about us, and donate below keep us reporting.Subscribe to Mission Local's daily newsletter Source: missionlocal.org
Supervisor Melgar won, now the trick will be to manage her constituents’ competing interests
District 7 incumbent Myrna Melgar faced a particularly bruising re-election campaign. She squared off against significant numbers of her own constituents by supporting hot-button issues like Proposition K to close the Great Highway to cars, and upzoning parts of her district that have been previously limited to single-family housing. “If I lose this election on this issue, then that’s the right thing to do,” Melgar said in June, after a particularly contentious meeting about zoning changes coming to her district, and the rest of the city. But she didn’t lose the election. No matter the ideological differences, most of her constituents agree: She’s good at the actual work of being a district supervisor. “When I call — somebody does get back to me,” said Peggy da Silva, a West Portal resident who has reached out to Melgar’s office over concerns like city […]
SFPD arrests woman for allegedly defacing murals across city
Police officers from Ingleside Station arrested the alleged serial Mission Street mural vandal Tuesday night. She had been filmed by bystanders on Sunday defacing a mural on Mission Street by deceased muralist Mario Cid Gonzalez. Witnesses said they observed a woman matching the suspect’s description defacing that mural months prior as well. Tuesday’s arrest of 33-year-old Ana Da Costa Pereira came after the defacing of more murals that night, including one on the side of the Excelsior District’s Central Drug Store at Mission and Santa Rosa streets. Da Costa Pereira was booked into the San Francisco County jail Tuesday night at 9:22 p.m. for vandalism of more than $400 and two counts of possession of graffiti instruments.Police said that Da Costa Pereira is responsible for multiple incidents of mural vandalism up and down Mission Street. An email sent by police to […]
Fielder goes for experience and new faces for her legislative team
District 9 Supervisor-Elect Jackie Fielder’s four picks for legislative aides includes two members from current supervisor Hillary Ronen’s team, and two from the campaign team that catapulted her to a 19-point victory over her closest contestant, Trevor Chandler.Fielder’s team will be composed of Jennifer Ferrigno, Ana Herrera – both current aides to Ronen – and political outsiders Sasha Gaona and Feng Han.“I’m so excited to work with these four amazing folks who are stars in their own right and are ready to fight for our communities,” said Fielder. Fielder praised the work both Han and Gaona did in the campaign that delivered her a victory with “stunning margins.” The supervisor-elect also celebrated the experience both Herrera and Ferrigno bring to her team, “Ana and Jennifer have been serving in Supervisor Ronen’s office on some of the district’s most pressing issues, and […]
