Help make Upper Market a safer corridor for all!

Upper Market bike lanes between Castro and Guerrero are plagued by frequent illegal double parking (see Flickr album).

Double-parked cars force our cycling neighbors into two lanes of dangerous fast-moving traffic — making it very dangerous, and stressful for both drivers and cyclists. Not to mention that the blocks are long, which encourages cars to go way above the speed limit.

Market street bike lane going eastbound between Dolores and Duboce is probably the most dangerous section of the whole stretch, because:

• Drivers tend to go very fast to catch the right-turn signal.
• Merge lane is too long (see images below)

This route is extremely popular among Castro and Twin Peaks bike and e-bike commuters, as it is very flat, and connects the Eureka/Corbett bike routes with the Market street bike facility starting east of Castro street.

However, despite all that, bikes have to share road with cars going 40+ MPH. Cars speed because how wide the road gets.

Solution: Protected Curb-side Bike Lanes

This is not a novel concept. In fact, we have done exactly that in mid-upper-market — from Octavia to Duboce (westbound), and Guerrero to Octavia (eastbound). Why don’t we continue this all the way to Castro street? This will encourage more of our neighbors to bike — reducing congestion, pollution, demand for parking, and our city’s carbon footprint — meeting our city’s climate and Vision Zero goals.

It will benefit the merchants on Upper Market because they will be more accessible by people from farther neighborhoods (Hayes Valley, Mission, etc) without being limited by parking spaces, or expensive Uber fare.

It will benefit car users by replacing unnecessary car trips with bike trips — saving the road for parents, seniors, and disabled folks who really need to take the car.