Embarcadero Survey: Top Concerns, Top Locations to Fix

The Embarcadero Enhancement Project launched in July, a public planning process led by the SF Municipal Transportation Agency to develop ideas about what a protected bikeway along the Embarcadero will look like. As the City continues with outreach leading up to an open house early next year, we wanted to get a better sense of how you travel along the waterfront as well as the everyday issues that you face in doing so.

We registered over 330 responses to our survey over the month of August. Thank you to everyone who took a few minutes to give your feedback! Below is a summary of what you told us.

Three Top Concerns on the Embarcadero

1. Double parking: Particularly where taxis and buses drop off their passengers, we are hearing an overwhelming issue with vehicles parked in the bicycle lane. Since there are narrow bike lanes, this forces bicyclists into vehicle traffic unpredictably.

2. Vehicles entering and exiting driveways: Port industry is an icon of San Francisco’s history and its current waterfront usage, and driveway access is needed for the many businesses on the Embarcadero. However, many driveways are hidden behind crowds of people and vehicles need to cross the bike lane to get on and off the piers.

3. The volume and speed of vehicles: When Loma Prieta hit in 1989, critical damage to the former Embarcadero Freeway required it to be taken down. This, however, created space for public access and opened up beautiful but forgotten views of our waterfront. As more and more people move to our city and the Embarcadero booms in popularity, we need to continue to think of sustainable ways to move people along the waterfront in a way that reduces both the volume and speeds of vehicles.

Three Most Dangerous Locations

1. 3rd Street and King Street: Heading southbound towards AT&T Park, Mission Bay and beyond, the bike lane ends abruptly and turns into sharrows. This sudden change is not only confusing but dangerous. For example, a fatal collision occurred last year when Diana Sullivan was killed while riding her bicycle.

2. Bay Street and North Point Street: When heading toward North Beach or the Marina, both Bay Street and North Point Street offer the most direct routes, but trying to cross multiple lanes of fast traffic to make the quick left turn proves difficult. Many of you described this turn as stressful, complicated and unsafe.

3. Battery Street: Heading southbound past Chestnut and Sansome Streets can be confusing since only a thin bike lane floats between vehicle traffic. We are excited that, with the support of the Port of San Francisco and the SFMTA, there will be improvements to realign the bike lane and guide you across these long intersections. Read more about these near-term improvements here.

Want to get even more involved? If you’re not already, become a member today! You’ll be able to sign up for upcoming volunteer opportunities such as our Bike Polite outreach on the Embarcadero later this month.

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