NOPA Streets: Baker Bike Lanes Re-striped, SFMTA Beats Its Own Schedule

Every other block re-striped following recent re-paving

Baker to the south, ready to complete the lane striping

Less than a week ago the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) said crews could not re-stripe the traffic and bike lanes on Baker between Fell and Turk for several weeks, sometime in July. But today three blocks of traffic lanes have their bright white stripes and the bike icons and markings have a fresh coat of thermoplasty -- although a few areas of the bike lanes await their turn. Thanks to Damon Curtis of SFMTA for coordinating the bike lane striping and the paint crews. They always seem to love being out on the street striping bike lanes. Be sure to say hello where ever you see them.

The smooth and striped blocks are primed to host thousands of neighbors and visitors on foot and wheels when Sunday Streets returns to NOPA on September 11th.

Note: Yes, blatant and intentional product placement in the photos.

Safe Passage: Keeping the Bike Lane Open Through Construction

Polk from Bush to Pine

Flickr photo: geekstinkbreath

Here's a street scene we really like: a sewer project that keeps the bike lane open during construction, especially since the work is on a much-used north-south bike route like Polk Street. This block between Bush and Pine might easily have blocked the bike lane altogether; instead the Public Utilities Commission, or its contractor, has closed the street to all but bicyclists while the work proceeds outside the bikeway.

San Francisco streets need a lot of work above and below ground with sewer line reconstruction, concrete base renovation, and basic surface repaving. In our compact urban space any street construction can leave bicyclists -- and sometimes motorists -- scrambling to safely get from Point A to Point B along their usual routes or find detours.

The city's Blue Book of regulations governing street construction is being revised, partly to include new requirements that are more responsive to the needs of bicyclists. The recent difficulties during the Valencia Street upgrade are a good example of what can go wrong: bikeways can be left exposed to trenches, strewn with debris, diverted without notice, and be blocked altogether. The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is working with the Department of Public Works and the Municipal Transportation Agency to add new safety measures and better enforce those that exist.

"I'll Never Do That Again," Bicyclist Tells SFPD After Trying to Beat Signal, Colliding with SUV Driver in NOPA

Scene of bicycle and BMW crash at Baker and Fulton streets Photo: Jignesh Desai

Trying to beat the light in the North Panhandle is obviously just as risky as many other parts of the city. Yesterday morning a bicyclist spinning southbound in the bike lane down Baker Street from McAllister thought he could clear the intersection at Fulton before the signal changed. Instead, he mis-timed his approach, entered the intersection against the light, and collided with a motorist driving a BMW on Fulton. SFPD and the Fire Department arrived soon after. According to NOPA neighbors Jignesh Desai and Leela Gill who happened on the scene independently after the crash, the cyclist appeared OK even if his bike was badly twisted.

Lt. Mark Solomon, Acting Captain of SFPD Park Station, told BIKE NOPA that the investigation of the collision was straightforward and easier than most. "The bicyclist admitted he was at fault," Solomon explained. "He told us, 'I'll never do that again.'" Solomon said he was uncertain if the cyclist was taken to the hospital. Another officer had already filed the collision report downtown.

In an earlier conversation Solomon said a different bicyclist involved in a collision at Fell and Masonic on September 21 was also found at fault. In that incident a motorist travelling southbound on Masonic entered the intersection at Fell and then stopped before the crosswalk linking the east and west ends of the Panhandle's multi-use path. Pedestrians had already entered the crosswalk with the green light and the right-of-way. Apparently, when the driver noticed a lull, she proceeded to cross the sidewalk. In those few seconds a bicyclist entered the crosswalk with the green bike light and collided with the vehicle.

Two independent witnesses, one of whom was a cyclist, gave statements during the investigation. They both stated that the motorist stopped in the intersection and proceeded when the crosswalk seemed clear. Both asserted that the cyclist was travelling at "high speed," perhaps 15 mph or more on Panhandle Path when he hit the vehicle. Solomon cited the California Vehicle Code (CVC) 21451 (b), for determining the cyclist's fault. He explained that the cyclist (or any "driver") should have yielded to the motorist who was lawfully within the crosswalk. Had the motorist tried to "beat the light" but got stuck in the intersection when pedestrians were already in the crosswalk? Solomon said the CVC considers the driver legally waiting for the crosswalk to clear. "It's looking for the lull that's important," Solomon concluded.

In the earlier report of this September collision, it appeared that the motorist may have been turning left from Fell onto Masonic against the light. The SFPD investigation found that was not the case: the motorist was travelling southbound on Masonic.

In other SFPD Park Station news:

• Lt. Solomon confirmed that officers continue to ticket motorists for speeding on Masonic Avenue and making illegal left turns onto side streets. "Five days a week officers are out there on motorcycles, the other two days they're in cars."
• The one-year federal allocation that financed pedestrian sting operations in the city expired September 30th.
• Solomon will conclude his position as Acting Captain of Park Station on Sunday, October 10th. Captain Dennis O'Leary will take command of Park Station early next week.

A Better Masonic: MTA Narrows Options to Two, Sets Sept. 30 for Next Community Meeting

One of four traffic calming options presented at the August meeting

City planners will present two sets of traffic calming measures for Masonic Avenue on September 30th in the final community meeting in a three-part planning process. Based on input from participants, staff will then develop a final strategy to take to public hearings at the start of next year. The two options will likely offer different combinations of measures discussed during the meeting held earlier this month, including removal of the current tow-away zone during morning and evening commutes, installation of bus bulb-outs at selected intersections, changes to signal timing, and installation of a separated bike lane and a landscaped median.

Staff originally planned to convene the third meeting sometime in October or November, but the recent fatality on Masonic has led to a greater urgency among city officials, Masonic neighbors, and community advocates for safer streets. Three days after the August 10th meeting, Yannick Linke was struck and killed by a motorist while riding his bike on Masonic near Turk Street. That tragedy led to calls for immediate improvements even before the current planning process completes its course.

Javad Mirabdal, manager of the Masonic traffic calming project, said the September 30 meeting will include a discussion of immediate actions that the Municipal Transportation Agency is considering. "We will be talking about what we can do that does not require a public hearing," he explained. One of those measures, according to Mirabdal, will be adjusting signal timing along the corridor, especially for southbound traffic. "Signal timing will control the front of the queue of traffic, but there's always bandwidth for cars further behind to go faster." The agency can also position speed reader signs along the street to inform motorists how fast they're driving. "This is an educational measure." Mirabdal also called for more enforcement of the speed limit, now set at 25 mph but routinely ignored by many drivers.

The community planning process will be completed within a few months. "We're going to finish this study by the end of December," Mirabdal said. "In January we may have measures to take to a public hearing. After that, the next steps will depend on the final design and getting the money needed for implementation."

During the upcoming meeting, city staff will present results from the survey that participants completed in August about which of four options they preferred. These findings guided the staff toward the design of the final two options. Planners will also discuss the costs involved for the different strategies and present more detailed designs. "The last time we showed a cross-section of changes for one block," Mirabdal explained. "The next meeting we will show the traffic calming measures for the whole corridor."

The MTA will notify residents along Masonic by mail about the purpose, time and place of the upcoming meeting.

Masonic Avenue Traffic Calming Project
Meeting #3
September 30, 2010
Thursday, 6:30 to 8:30 pm
San Francisco Day School
350 Masonic at Golden Gate Avenue
(enter on Golden Gate)

For more information: javad.mirabdal@sfmta.com
(415) 702-4421

For previous articles in the A Better Masonic series, check here.

Bike Injunction Lifted Friday; New Bike Lane Today

Mayor Gavin Newsom applauds the imminent bike improvements in the city

City crews followed the ceremonial first paint roll on Townsend

Dozens of bicyclists, livability advocates, city staff, and elected officials gathered for the new bike lane striping and to celebrate the lifting of the court injunction

San Francisco city officials and bicycle advocates hailed the end of the four-year-old bicycle injunction this afternoon and applauded the striping of the new Townsend Street bike lane. On a bright, sunny day Mayor Gavin Newsom touted the environmental and public health benefits of more bike lanes in the city at a press conference held at 4th and Townsend. Nathaniel Ford, executive director of the Municipal Transportation Agency, assured the dozens of San Franciscans in attendance that the city was prepared to implement several new bike improvements. Minutes later Newsom and SFMTA Board Chair Tom Nolan shared a paint roller to get the lane striping underway.

Today's new bike lane has been in the works for years as part of a city-wide bike plan that was put on hold under court order in June of 2006. That changed late Friday afternoon when San Francisco Superior Court Judge Peter J. Busch issued an order that the city was in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, in its plans to implement the bike plan. Originally 56 new bike projects were anticipated, but the number was pared to 45 with the remainder delayed for further study. Last November Busch permitted a few of the bike improvements but held back 35 for a final decision on the adequacy of the environmental review undertaken by the city.

In a statement released this afternoon by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, Renee Rivera, acting director, noted that even under the pall of the injunction, bike riding in the city increased by more than 53% and that every neighborhood was requesting bike improvements. According to the SFBC, surveys show that one in two San Franciscans would bike if streets had bike lanes and were more inviting to cyclists. In addition, bike counts reveal that bicycling surges by an average of 50% after a bike lane is added.

The Townsend bike lane will soon be followed by stripes on North Point Street and on Laguna Honda. Thirty-two other streets will also see bike lanes in the city.

JFK Drive West-End to Feature Traffic-Calming Stripe

JFK Drive west-end striping will follow this model but without as much width

Solid stripe narrows and presumably slows vehicle traffic while giving space to cyclists

The now-smooth west end of JFK Drive from Crossover Drive to the Great Highway in Golden Gate Park will offer yet another benefit to bicyclists and motorists: a traffic-calming solid stripe that will narrow the traffic lane and, in some areas, create a de facto bike lane. The striping will be similar to the treatment on the east end of JFK, from Crossover to Stanyan, but with a much narrower roadway. In addition, the center line has been shifted to widen the lane in downhill portions of JFK to give cyclists more room and a better chance to avoid dooring. No parking will be removed as part of these enhancements. An extra benefit: as a traffic calming feature, the striping is not affected by the bicycle injunction.

According to Rick Thall, Project Manager for the Recreation and Parks Department, the east-bound lane of JFK from the Great Highway to Crossover will have a solid stripe outside the parking lane. This section of the roadway is narrower and does not permit similar treatment on both sides of the drive without removing the parking lane. Andy Thornley, SFBC Project Director, likened the treatment to a "floating bike lane" that permits safer bike passage where the road widens and when long stretches of the parking lane are unoccupied as often happens in the west end of the park.

The narrower traffic lane is intended to slow traffic through the park. That's an important feature since motorists might be tempted to drive faster on the newly-repaved surface. Last Wednesday a member of the Esquivel Construction crew that was completing the resurfacing of JFK suggested the park road "might become a freeway" once drivers no longer have to dodge suspension-wrecking potholes. Rec and Park hopes the new striping will keep that from happening.

Door Zone Danger: Wider Than You Think

How much space do you allow to avoid getting doored? A new vid posted by CommuteOrlando Blog, "Avoiding the Door Zone," reveals how cyclists are in danger of being doored even when they're at the traffic side of a bike lane. COB suggests riding outside the bike lane to get booth physically and psychologically far enough from the opening door. You don't want to get hit and you don't want to reflex-swerve into traffic when the door swings your way. That advice might work in Orlando but what about many width-starved San Francisco bike lanes?

Most San Francisco streets have little room to spare, at least the way they're apportioned now. The bike lanes are usually narrow: one door swing out and the full lane is often blocked. Biking west on Fell Street from the Wiggle, what are you going to do? Choose the visible hazard (zipping, if not speeding, vehicles) or the unseen menace (the passenger or parker who doesn't look before opening the car door)? Avoid Fell altogether, the unitiated might suggest although the few Fell and Oak Street blocks between Scott and Baker are esential links between the Wiggle and the Panhandle for easties and westies. Same situation elsewhere.

What can happen to cyclists in the door zone? Another vid here, "The Swinging Door," from COB. It's not pretty.

On NOPA streets with bike lanes, the exception to the door zone hazard is Baker. But wait, beware the cars backing out into the lane from head-in parking.

Door zone danger: THIS is why cyclists often take the full lane when there aren't striped bike lanes, as they are allowed to do by state law. (They should keep to the right if the lane is wide enough and there are no obstacles to safe travel). Thanks to Wikipedia for the photos (no time here to stage my own); also see the Wiki's entry on door zones.

Love Your Bike Lanes: Baker Street

Cyclists love the Baker Street bike lanes. The five blocks from Fell to Golden Gate are a godsend for north/south bikers. Whip off the Wiggle onto Fell and then charge up Baker and you get to all of NOPA's east-west streets.

Going to the Richmond? A quick left on Golden Gate and you're on the way to Parker, Turk, Arguello, and then

Lake or Cabrillo. It's a clean sweep all the way to the ocean. Morning commute downtown? Re-trace your ride through NOPA or hit the Panhandle to reach Baker. On to Oak with the Wiggle ahead.

It's quick, it's essential. But it's not smooth, not the NOPA stretch between Fell and Golden Gate. Here's the odd thing: not long ago the worst pavement in NOPA was Baker between Hayes and Fell. Thankfully, the city intervened and re-paved...but only some of the block, down the center, for the cars. Left behind and untouched were the bike lanes on either side -- rough, ridged, and bumpy. Why not pave the whole block?

Just over a year ago Arguello received just the opposite treatment. The city re-paved the bike lanes -- but not the vehicular lanes. Never again, said the Dept of Public Works. It cost almost the same to pave the bike lanes alone as it would have to resurface from curb to curb. So why not all of Baker? If we were stuck in the bikes vs. cars paradigm -- that's so pre-injunction -- we'd say, "one for one; we're even; move on."

Today motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians seek livability for all. Pave all of Baker and all of Arguello. Safe surfaces on major routes for all. When will it happen? DPW is set to repave Baker through NOPA beginning October 31st of this year. No more straddling the traffic side of the bike lane. And Arguello? Not till July 2012.

Love the lanes; make them smoother, safer. To find when your NOPA block will be repaved see the earlier post here; for any block in the city, check the DPW site here.