San Francisco officials Tuesday marked the halfway point of the expansion of the city’s bicycle network since a court injunction blocking work on the plan was lifted last year.
San Francisco’s original bike plan was adopted in 2005, but a 2006 injunction that lasted four years forbade the city from implementing any projects.
When the injunction was finally lifted in August 2010, the city got to work painting new bike lanes, changing traffic signals and installing new bike racks, among other changes, and Mayor Ed Lee announced on Tuesday more than 50 percent of the work is complete.
“Whether commuting to work, running errands or taking a family outing, more and more San Franciscans are choosing to bicycle,” Lee said in a statement.
“With more than 50 percent of the bike expansion network completed, I want to encourage those who have yet to try it to experience for themselves the benefits of this healthy, fun, low-cost transportation option,” he said.
Since the injunction was lifted, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency has completed 17 different projects that added bike lanes to a total of 14 miles of city streets.
The SFMTA has also installed about 500 bike racks, expanded the green painted bike lanes on Market Street, and changed the traffic signals at Fell and Scott streets to improve bicyclist safety.
The demand for new bike lanes did not wane during the injunction–bicyclist trips in the city increased by 58 percent during the four-year stoppage–and is continuing to grow now that the plan is being implemented.
“We know that improvements to San Francisco’s bike network encourage bicycling citywide,” new SFMTA Director of Transportation Ed Reiskin said.
More information about the San Francisco Bicycle Plan can be found at www.sfmta.com/bikes.
Dan McMenamin, Bay City News
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