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"Save the Valencia Center Bike Lane"

These new stickers are popping up along #ValenciaStreet in response to the city's plan to move the bike lanes to the sides.

I hated the center lanes at first, but they've really grown on me. I’ve noticed more people warming up to them, especially when I talk to pedestrians, who appreciate how the center lanes help reduce conflicts between pedestrians and cyclists.

The QR code points to biketoeverything.com/2024/10/3… #SanFrancisco #MissionDistrict

Two stickers on a post. One says "Save The Valencia Center Bike Lane" the other says "Side Running Lanes Are Worse". Both have a QR code and different bullet points supporting their argument. They are in a very simple font and design with a mix of red, blue, and black text. Not very eye-catching. Here are some of the bullet points: "SAVE THE VALENCIA CENTER BIKE LANE, Side-by-side riding, No right hooks, No zigzags around parklets, No pedestrian conflict, Preserves parking, No double parking."

Save The Valencia Center Bike Lane. It's Better Than You Think. - Bike to Everything

Already agree with me? Save the San Francisco Valencia center bike lane with this email in one tap! (and maybe attend the Nov 19th meeting as well). More info below.
Dylan Harris (Bike to Everything)
#sanfrancisco #missiondistrict #ValenciaStreet
in reply to Doctor Popular

jwz
jwz
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I have not ridden my bike on Valencia since that lane went in, because I strongly value not being dead.
in reply to jwz

Doctor Popular
Doctor Popular
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@jwz I think you should. It''s 100% safer than it used to be. We might have hot-takes on where the protected bike lanes should be, but there's no doubt the old unprotected lanes were far worse than what we have now.
@jwz
in reply to Doctor Popular

Joel Kin
Joel Kin
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@jwz it’s actually between 4% and 68% less safe if I understand this document correctly? Fewer bicycle collisions now I guess so maybe narrowly you’re right. sfmta.com/media/41108/download…
A chart of traffic collisions per month showing a big spike right after implementation and a slow decline to slightly higher than pre-implementation a year later
@jwz
in reply to Joel Kin

Doctor Popular
Doctor Popular
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@foon @jwz according to that chart, bike and pedestrian collisions are down. Scooters accidents are triple what they used to be though... right?

If so, that could be because more folks are using scooters now (especially food delivery services). I might be bad at understanding the chart, but it looks like it's showing safer streets for cyclists and pedestrians. And it's still trending downwards even though bike ridership has been going up.

@jwz @Joel Kin
in reply to jwz

Jef Poskanzer :batman:
Jef Poskanzer :batman:
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@jwz @foon My interpretation of the Valencia center-running bike lanes is that it solved one issue - drivers parking in the bike lane - and made a bunch of other things worse, such as illegal turns across the bike lane.

This is actually a general theme in all fields of engineering. How many times have you seen some folks go "Email sucks because of this one thing. I will make an email replacement which fixes that one thing!" and makes a bunch of other things worse. Over and over.

@jwz @Joel Kin
in reply to jwz

gz
gz
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@jwz
Is the center lane physically protected?
@jwz
in reply to gz

Doctor Popular
Doctor Popular
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@godzero @jwz sort of. It's a big rubber bumper and some plastic poles. Enough to discourage most drivers, but not enough to actually stop a car.
A photo of the bike lane on Valencia street with with rubber bumpers on the ground to keep cars from crossing into it.
@jwz @gz
in reply to Doctor Popular

jwz
jwz
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@godzero Not enough to discourage a car, but enough to knock a bike over! This thing was designed by Satan himself.
@gz
in reply to jwz

𝕂ℕ𝔽 𝕀𝕆𝕆 ☎️
𝕂ℕ𝔽 𝕀𝕆𝕆 ☎️
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@jwz i often use Harrison or Folsom but you kinda hafta use Valencia if yer going to Bernal or Bernal cut from say market or Dolores park
@jwz
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