Wiggle Bike Route Segment Gets Much-Needed Reconstruction and Paving

Every bicyclist is hoping for a smooth ride on this essential part of the Wiggle

Total scrape to the dirt for reconstruction of Steiner Street block

Both traffic lanes of Steiner between Duboce and Waller to get a new base and asphalt

Only a rideability test on two wheels will determine for sure whether the roadbed reconstruction and paving of Steiner Street between Waller and Duboce will be as smooth and safe as bicyclists have long awaited. On Monday crews began removing the old base down to the dirt in the traffic lanes. A new layer of asphalt will follow early in July. The two block stretch is a crucial link in the Wiggle bike route used by hundreds of people on bikes every day. Advocacy by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and a commitment to safe bike routes by the Department of Public Works helped advance this project by several months. During the weeks ahead, Sanchez Street just south of Duboce, aka "the washboard," will receive a similar roadbed makeover.

Neal Patel, director of SFBC's Good Roads Campaign, said he was "thrilled" to see this segment of Steiner Street get repaved. "This is a great example of how Good Roads volunteers identified a crumbling stretch of road that needed fixing and how the Department of Public Works quickly responded and prioritized a fix."

Many bicyclists had taken to avoiding the two blocks of Steiner altogether given the rough surfaces that resulted from multiple repairs over several years. Others found the route even more frustrating with the temporary paving that followed a recent utility cut the length of the blocks. Several people complained to DPW directly about the uneven, bouncing ride that forced cyclists off the bikeway and into the traffic area. Their input contributed to the effort SFBC had begun to get the roadway repaved many months ahead of schedule.

The Steiner and Sanchez blocks are good examples -- although certainly not the worst -- of what happens when streets are not adequately repaired in a timely manner. Only during the last several years has DPW received enough funding to keep city streets from dropping below their "fair" rating. To avoid the much more expensive roadbed reconstruction (instead of asphalt repaving alone), the department will need a significant infusion of new revenue.

Disclosure: I am one of SFBC's Good Roads volunteers, and I can't wait to see the Steiner and Sanchez blocks completed.

SFBC Reports, Gets Repaired NOPA Sinkhole

Emerging sinkhole on Golden Gate between Masonic and Central

17th & Dolores Streets,

before the patch paving of crosswalk

What started as a smooth but deep dip in the pavement along Golden Gate Avenue became a crumbling crevice and a real hazard to pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists earlier this month. Fortunately, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition's (SFBC) Good Roads volunteers were spinning through NOPA on their first-Saturday-of-the-month ride December 5th. The group of eight stopped, circled the emerging sinkhole with white spray paint to alert others of the defect, noted the nearby address, and later reported it to 311. Within days, a work crew from the Department of Public Works (DPW) repaired the hole and smoothed the surface. The "pothole intervention" is one way that SFBC and bicycle advocates work to improve city streets for all users.

In operation for nearly two years, the Good Roads campaign has turned in more than 1500 potholes, cracks, and sunken manholes found on city streets, especially along bike routes. The SFBC has developed a good working relationship with DPW, and together they manage to make much of the city's bike network safer and smoother for cyclists. While many streets in the city require complete resurfacing for safe use by cyclists and motorists, the pothole repairs take care of immediate problems.

Neal Patel, SFBC Community Planner, notes that Good Roads volunteers help the city do what it lacks the manpower for -- being "eyes on the street" to identify pavement problems needing repair. "We bring a small group of people together to identify a large number of hazards in a short period of time in one geographic area," Patel said.

The Good Roads Campaign benefits more than bicyclists. During their monthly excursions, the riders also report damaged crosswalks, missing utility covers in the streets and sidewalks, and gaping holes in lanes of traffic. For example, the SFBC volunteers requested advanced re-paving for two blocks of 17th near Potrero due to excessive pavement cracking, wide patch-paving for the Dolores Street crosswalk at 17th Street in the Mission, and replacement of missing manhole covers on Palou Avenue in the Bayview.

The Good Roads Ride is open to bicyclists who want to make San Francisco safer for everyone. Volunteers visit a different neighborhood every ride, and first-timers are always welcome. Check the SFBC Good Roads site or contact neal@sfbike.org for more information. The next ride is Saturday, Jan. 9th -- delaying by a week the usual first Saturday ride for those recovering from the holidays.