Protected Bikeways Planned for the Embarcadero

Whether it’s heading to a Giants game, visiting the Exploratorium or hanging out at the piers for unparalleled views of the Bay, the Embarcadero is a uniquely San Francisco experience. But as it attracts more visitors every year and our city grows, we need to think about how people move along our waterfront.

In order to address the overcrowding and increasing conflicts, the SF Municipal Transportation Agency is leading a public process for the Embarcadero Enhancement Project. The goal of this year-long planning effort will be to develop a conceptual design for a continuous and protected bikeway along the Embarcadero from AT&T Park to Fisherman’s Wharf.

The existing conditions include a narrow on-street bike lane for portions of the Embarcadero in each direction as well as a mixed-use Promenade shared between people walking and biking. There are significant gaps in the network, particularly towards AT&T Park in the southbound direction and towards Fisherman’s Wharf in the northbound direction. These gaps have led to serious injuries as well as a fatality earlier last year at 3rd Street, where the bicycle lane ends. Even with the bike lane, the fast-moving traffic and lack of physical protection or separation makes it an unwelcoming ride for even the experienced. Vehicles regularly park in the bike lane, forcing bicycles into fast-moving traffic.

As we know, protected bikeways are great for everyone on the street. They streamline complicated intersections, encourage good bike behavior, clearly delineate space and significantly increase safety for drivers as well as people on bikes and on foot. If  we’re going to have an inviting, high-quality bikeway anywhere in the city, there is no better place than the Embarcadero, which serves as the heart of our Bay Trail Bikeway and as a critical part of Connecting the City.

Our vision for the Embarcadero is a continuous and consistent protected bikeway for the entire length of the Embarcadero that connects multiple neighborhoods together along our iconic waterfront. If that vision is realized, it will be the largest Connecting the City piece done in three years!

Embarcadero Open House
Thursday, July 24 from 6-8PM
Pier 1, Port of San Francisco (at Washington Street)

There is no better time to get involved. The SFMTA, in coordination with other City agencies, will be holding their first public open house to launch this planning process and we hope you can join. What would make this bikeway better for you? How do you move around the waterfront currently?

If you can’t make the meeting, there will be workshops in the Fall to begin looking at the details of the project. We also have the following survey available to get your thoughts, so please share this with your family, friends and networks so we can build this bikeway together.

Take Our Embarcadero Survey
 

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