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Business owners along Valencia Street in San Francisco are complaining that a pilot bike lane program is negatively impacting their businesses. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) is searching for a solution to address concerns while ensuring the safety of cyclists. Some business owners are considering breaking up the SFMTA or calling for a change in leadership. The bike lane program is set to run until August 2024.
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SF business owners fed up with Valencia bike lanes look at breaking up SFMTA
Business owners along Valencia Street are saying a pilot bike lane program is killing their businesses. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency says its looking for a solution to keep cyclists safe and businesses operating. Now small business owners may look into breaking up the SFMTA, or a change in leadership.
SAN FRANCISCO – Business owners along Valencia Street are saying a pilot bike lane program is killing their businesses. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency says it’s looking for a solution to keep cyclists safe and businesses operating.
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San Francisco’s Valencia Street is one of the city’s major north-south corridors; now a year-long pilot program with a bike lane running down the center of Valencia is underway through August 2024.
But business owners along the stretch with the center bike lane between 15th and 23rd streets, like Nikki DeWall, who owns Blondie’s Bar, say that lane is killing their businesses. “Over the course of the last six months, our business has dropped anywhere between 30% and 50% depending on what day, which is a huge impact,” said DeWall. The timeline given by DeWall slightly precedes the implementation of the bike lane pilot project.
Mission District business owners held a rally in the bike lane to call attention to their concerns. At that rally, DeWall said she and the other businesses aren’t anti-bike, but say the bike lane and the changes it’s brought are now impacting all types of businesses along the corridor. “They’re all getting the same feedback from their patrons,” said DeWall. “There’s nowhere to park, it’s too complicated to figure this street out.”
Even bike lane users say they’re not fans of the center lane configuration. “Hell no, it’s not really safe because people here just don’t care,” said Hal Nguyen. “There’s always construction up here, and people get hit by cars and I’ve seen more accidents since this lane has been here.”
SFMTA Director Jeffrey Tumlin said the bike lane is a work in progress and that the SFMTA is committed to finding a balance to keep cyclists safe and businesses healthy. “That’s what we’re trying to find with this pilot, and we’re going to keep making adjustments until we get the dials fine-tuned to create the greatest public good while recognizing the street is of limited right of way, and has a lot of needs,” said Tumlin.
Organizers of the protest say the problems with the bike lane are symptomatic of deeper problems within the SFMTA, and are looking at breaking up the SFMTA and or seeking changes to how the SFMTA is run and leadership is picked.
SFMTA’s director says the solution to frustration with a bureaucracy isn’t to destroy the entire department, but to work with leadership to find a way forward.
Business owners along Valencia Street in San Francisco are expressing their frustration with a pilot bike lane program that they claim is negatively impacting their businesses. The program, which features a bike lane running down the center of Valencia Street, is aimed at promoting cyclist safety and maintaining business operations. However, some business owners argue that the bike lane has led to a significant decline in their sales.
Nikki DeWall, the owner of Blondie’s Bar, stated that her business has experienced a drop of 30% to 50% over the past six months since the implementation of the bike lane pilot project. Other business owners in the Mission District have also voiced their concerns, emphasizing that the changes have affected various types of businesses along the corridor. They complain about limited parking availability and the complexities associated with navigating the street.
Even some bike lane users are dissatisfied with the center lane configuration, citing safety concerns and an increase in accidents since its introduction. Despite these issues, SFMTA Director Jeffrey Tumlin asserts that the bike lane is a work in progress. He emphasizes the agency’s commitment to finding a balance that ensures cyclist safety while supporting local businesses. Tumlin acknowledges that adjustments need to be made to address the concerns raised by the affected business owners.
In response to the dissatisfaction, organizers of the protest are considering options such as breaking up the SFMTA or seeking changes in leadership and the agency’s operations. However, Tumlin contends that destroying the entire department is not the solution. Instead, he suggests working together with leadership to find a way forward and address the frustrations with the bureaucracy.
As the pilot program continues, it is essential for the SFMTA to consider the feedback from business owners and bike lane users to find a balance that supports both cyclist safety and the economic vitality of the Valencia Street corridor..
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Christien Kafton said Fed up with Valencia bike lanes, business owners look at breaking up SFMTA
