Construction Begins on San Francisco’s First Raised Bike Lane

Work crews are on the scene on Market Street between Gough and 12th Streets, beginning construction on San Francisco’s first-ever raised bike lane. This raised bike lane will span two city blocks going eastbound only. This demonstration project will bring a well-established standard from great bicycling cities like Copenhagen to Market Street, our most popular street for folks on two wheels.

The demonstration will help advance similar designs coming to Polk Street, Second Street, and Masonic Avenue, and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) will evaluate which design elements on Market Street could be carried forward into future raised bike lanes throughout the city.

Construction is due to last up to four weeks, with work limited to off-peak hours, and the existing eastbound bike lane on that span of Market Street is closed for the duration of construction. Here’s how to navigate Market while construction is underway.

The Eastbound Market Street bike lane will be closed during construction. Image courtesy SFMTA.

 

Market Street is a great proving ground for this type of bike lane design, and we continue to push for this type of lane the full length of the thoroughfare through the Better Market Street project. Join our Market Street campaign today to stay up to date on improvements and opportunities to help win better bike lanes the rest of the way.

Join the Campaign for a Better Market Street

Why Raised Bike Lanes?

Imagine biking on a whole different level than people driving and walking, where a full lane sits just a few inches higher than the road but slightly lower than the sidewalk. That lane clearly announces “this space is for people biking,” with a bikeable gradient replacing bollards or other barriers. These are raised bike lanes, and they’re one of our favorite kinds of protected bike lanes.

Raised bike lanes allow for specific vehicles, such as paratransit and emergency vehicles, to have temporary curb access. They are also shown to have a positive safety impact for people walking as well as people biking. What’s more, raised bike lanes are perfect for narrow streets; they can be implemented without dedicating scarce space to concrete medians or other physical barriers, making for safer and more efficient roads.

Become a member and you'll improve your commute and get discounts at shops across the city.