Construction crews completed San Francisco’s first raised bike lane, officials with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency and San Francisco Public Works said Thursday.
The demonstration project is located on two blocks of eastbound Market Street from Gough to 12th streets, city officials said.
The bike lane is separated vertically from other vehicles by a curb, which makes it safer and more comfortable for everyone on a bike, according to city officials.
But while nearly all riders feel safer on a raised bike lane, a report by the Federal Highway Administration says, “it has been difficult to identify conclusive safety trends due to lack of data, especially bicycle volume data before separated bicycle lane installation.”
The raised bike lane also keeps cars from entering the lane and encourages cyclists to use the lane rather than the sidewalk, according to city officials.
SFMTA officials are asking road users to give their opinions of how the bike lane is working. The survey can be found at http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/2322210/c17b00fc308f.
Raised bike lanes have been used for decades in the Netherlands and Denmark, resulting in some of the world’s highest rates of ridership, SFMTA officials said.
“We’re excited to see how the new design calms traffic and makes San Francisco easier, safer and more enjoyable for everyone to get around,” San Francisco Bicycle Coalition Executive Director Noah Budnick said in a statement.
Keith Burbank, Bay City News
