Read on Twitter
I've been thinking about the autoreply that @sfmta_muni uses on 311. Does anyone at SFMTA actually review these reports and study trends? Do they use it to find the + and - of their bike lane design? It seems like a great way to see how well their bike lane design is working 1/
This bike lane (to nowhere) on 16th btw Mississippi and Missouri has been on my mind lately. There is no reason why this shouldn't be a real protected lane. It's been bright green since June and already has 130+ @safebikelanes 311 reports. Clearly not working 2/
I wonder how many reports are necessary before the SFMTA decides that they need to make changes? These photos do not show a safe bike lane. Is the concern that stopping drivers from parking in the bike lane will force them to park in the bus lane? 3/
There is a protected bike lane on Berry St. It replaced a metered parking lane with a contraflow bike lane allowing people to go from 3rd to 4th. It's a great idea, and was heralded by the SFMTA Director as a "protected bikeway". 4/ https://twitter.com/jeffreytumlin/status/1288921861129035776
Since that Tweet, there have been 45+ reports of blocked bike lanes on this 1 block of Berry. While it's called a protected lane, it is more porous than protected. When bike lane users go around an obstruction here, they are forced to ride into oncoming traffic. Not safe. 5/
There is a white zone and metered spaces on this block, but that does not keep drivers from parking in the bike lane in front of the @MissionHousing door and garage at 150 Berry. 6/
I don't want to give the impression that the issues are only outside of 150 Berry. The entire block is an example of failed protected bike lane design. 7/
The other main issue of this block is @RecologySF dumpsters that are left in the bike lane by building managers. It is legal (surprisingly) for them to be left in the bike lane after 6PM based on Public Works code. Most of the blocked bike lane reports are from the afternoon 8/
This should not be surprising to SFMTA engineers. There have been reports to the SFMTA and 311 about dumpsters in bike lanes since at least 2017. See thread: 9/ https://twitter.com/jefposk/status/874029834019627008
And another thread: 10/ https://twitter.com/apthornley/status/1080568329926922241
Why does SFMTA not plan for dumpsters in new designs and create an area in the buffer for dumpsters? Is this something that has even been discussed @jeffreytumlin and @transpocrat? Why don't we cite property owners and remove dumpsters when they're in lanes before 6PM? 11/
I question if SFMTA learns from their mistakes? We keep seeing the same designs that look great on paper but don't work in reality. Is SFFD the reason why these lanes aren't truly protected + safe, or is the SFMTA "hope drivers aren't dicks" design philosophy to blame too? 12/12
Thanks for reading! This concludes my "Old Man Yells At Cloud" moment
