After a long wait, there’s an excellent chance that Tuesday’s final Supreme Court hearing to lift San Francisco’s bike plan injunction might mean that the injunction will be lifted later this summer.
If the lifting of the injunction does what supporters like the SF Bicycle Coalition hope, more folks will be out riding their bikes than ever. And more folks riding means a need for more bike racks — a need that the SFMTA’s been getting ahead of by trying to get ahead of. Need a rack near you? You can request a rack via email and telephone.
But be warned that it might take a while: the SFMTA has hundreds of backlogged requests for bike racks and the agency has already installed 300 since modifying their bike injunction in 2009. But don’t let that backlog scare you: Andy Thornley of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition has these suggestions for how ti push for one by you: “Make the case for why this rack matters… Don’t just sit back and wait for that rack to show up. Folks that ask will eventually see a rack, so go today and ask for a rack — ask for ten racks. It costs nothing.”
There are a few requirements, such as making sure the bike rack can be at least two feet from the curb and any utility vaults without obstructing walkways, as there must be a six-foot clearance to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act. A few other things to note are that bike racks can’t be located in either blue curb zones, directly in front of stores/building entrances, or in driveways. You can see the whole list of requirements here.
Does your location fulfill all those stipulations? Then, send an email to bicycle@sfmta.com or call and leave a message at 415.585.BIKE (2453). Don’t forget to include the address, cross street, contact person and phone number or e-mail address for confirmation.
