another link for better biking

The green, separated bikeway on Cesar Chavez Street (East) is in the ground! The SF Bicycle Coalition worked tirelessly in 2011 to build community support for safer biking on this vital link to Caltrain, the Bay, and Bayview neighborhood. The separated bikeway, improved intersection design at Evans, continuous green pavement (dashed at mixing zones) are now on the ground.

Thanks to Cesar Chavez businesses, CC Puede, Veritable Vegetable, SF2G riders, and many community members and SF Bicycle Coalition members on both sides of Cesar Chavez for supporting this project along the way.

Thanks to many of you for sending support letters for this project along the way. You can make another impact by sending a letter to city leaders that helped make this happen. Has getting to work, school, or out to dinner been easier and safer since these separated bikeways went in? Send an email to SFMTA Director Ed Reiskin and Supervisor Malia Cohen to voice your support for the Cesar Chavez East Separated Bike lanes. Your voice will help show the huge demand for better biking in San Francisco and help bring more projects like it.

You can use the text below as a guide, and email to Ed.Reiskin@sfmta.com, Malia.Cohen@sfgov.org, and CC Neal@sfbike.org:

Dear Director Reiskin and Supervisor Cohen: DESCRIBE YOURSELF: Your name. Where you live. Where you work. Where do you go when you bike on eastern Cesar Chavez? How have the bike lanes improved your ride? Add anything else about yourself. As one of the hundreds of thousands of people who bike in San Francisco, I thank you for making these critical safety improvements to our streets. Sincerely,

Cesar Chavez East (Highway 280-101)

After numerous community meetings, interviews, and site visits, the city has produced a vision for connecting neighbors, increasing safety, and supporting a thriving industrial corridor on Eastern Cesar Chavez. Visit http://cce.sfplanning.org for more information.

After news of the delay in the near-term bicycle project for Cesar Chavez Street from Highway 101 to Interstate 280 in 2011, the SF Bicycle Coalition is ensuring the near-term bike project isn't delayed further and help plan for the long-term full streetscape improvements. The SFMTA Board of Directors approved final parking changes in February 2012 and approved final intersection changes at Evans to Connecticut in April 2012.

Approved design for Evans intersection (click to enlarge).

Cesar Chavez West (101 to Sanchez)

After a robust community process started in 2008, sewer work has finally begun on Cesar Chavez. The streetscape improvements (planted median, sidewalk improvements, bike lanes) will follow sewer work starting in the Spring of 2012. See the Department of Public Works wesbsite for more details and timelines.

February 2012 Update**

The SFMTA has just announced changes to the long-awaited community-based design for Cesar Chavez between Bryant Street and York Street. Caltrans, the Stated Department of Transportation, is now requiring an additional vehicle travel lane on Cesar Chavez between Bryant Street and York Street, forcing the loss of on-street car parking on the south side of the street in that section.

You can read about the background of the longer-term Planning Department study here and contact Neal@sfbike.org if you have any questions.

The Cesar Chavez bike lanes are part of a plan which will add over 30 miles of new bike lanes across San Francisco

To stay up to date on projects to create more safe and comfortable bikeways, become a member today and help support better biking in San Francisco!