Bike Lanes So Fresh, the Paint's Still Wet
Categories: Local News
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| Wet paint or an obstacle course? |
Huzzah! San Francisco cyclists can rejoice that the city's first bike lanes in three years have finally been laid down. A lawsuit initiated by a man named Robert Anderson against the city (who argued that bike lanes actually hurt the environment) had kept the creation of new lanes at a stand still until now.
As this press release (pdf) from the S.F. Bike Coalition handily explains, the injunction hasn't totally been lifted, but the city has approved the striping of 10 new bike lanes. This particular swath of bik- friendly asphalt races down Waller Street near Steiner. It's not actually a bike lane, but a "sharrow," a piece of road that is meant to be shared by motorists and cyclists alike.
The first lanes were laid down yesterday, on Scott Street, and many cycling enthusiasts were on hand to celebrate the occasion with champagne and cigars, although Mayor Gavin Newsom was not able to put in a scheduled appearance. He was slotted to paint a green "bike box" -- an advanced stop line that gives people on bikes a priority waiting area at stop lights -- at the corner of Scott and Oak. But as SF Citizen reported yesterday, he double-booked bikers and India, and India won, postponing the "greening" of Scott Street.
Fair enough. We suppose if the city can wait three years for a bike lane, we can wait another few days for a mayoral photo op.
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