Market To Mission Bike Plan In SF Prompts Objections From Neighbors
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) — Cycling advocates, business owners and other San Francisco residents are raising objections to a proposal to move bicycle traffic off a portion of Market Street and onto Mission Street.
The proposal is one of the options being considered as part of a bigger plan to improve all transit on Market called the Better Market Street project.
The project would improve traffic flow for cars, buses and pedestrians on Market Street between Octavia and the Embarcadero, and San Francisco Supervisor Scott Wiener called it one of the most important plans moving forward in the city.
"Market Street in many ways is the spine of our street system, it' is critically important to many different modes of transportation and the city. For many years Market Street, frankly, has underperformed," Wiener said.
One of the options being considered for the project is a plan to move all bicycle traffic onto Mission Street and all bus lines onto Market, but that idea is not going over well with the public.
Christopher Dolan, who owns a law firm on Market between Van Ness and Polk, said he would hate to see bicycles diverted off the thoroughfare.
"I want you to think of other things that bicycle traffic does in that area. It reduces crime because there's a human presence outside of a car that is nearby that brings a set of eyes to the roadway," Dolan said.
Objections Raised Over Plan To Move Bike Lanes From Market To Mission Streets In SF
SF Municipal Transportation Agency Executive Director Ed Rieskin said change would come to Mission Street one way or another, but that it's important to figure out if they are going to balance bikes on one street and buses and vehicles on the other or a combination of both
Several community meetings on the BetterMarket Street project are planned for next month.
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