Over 50 of you showed up yesterday at the SF Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) Board of Directors Meeting and over 30 of you spoke passionately about the need for protected bike lanes on Townsend.
After hours of moving public testimony, SFMTA Director Ed Reiskin conceded us a victory: “with an expeditious process we could start seeing improvements in the ground [on Townsend] by the end of the calendar year.”
Just three weeks ago, the project to build protected bike lanes on Townsend had been canceled. Because of you, the SFMTA committed to resurrect the Townsend Improvement Project and have something built by the end of 2018. The path to victory wasn’t easy, and we’ll need to continue the push to hold the SFMTA accountable to yesterday’s commitments.
People Protected Bike Lane (PPBL) organizes an action on Townsend last week. Over sixty people show up and the media takes notice.
Supervisor Jane Kim announces that she will be making Townsend a priority for her last six months in office
These past three weeks of action are a testament to the power of our movement, the coalitions we build, and the change we can drive through people power.
As we push SFMTA to stick to their commitments on Townsend, we’re also calling upon the City to end the irresponsible delays on another high-injury corridor: the Embarcadero. The SFMTA and the Port of San Francisco continue to drag their feet on making necessary improvements to prevent further fatalities. We’ve heard from our members and pedicabs that the time for change is now, which is why we’re asking for immediate hotspot improvements and a commitment to approve, fund and construct fully protected bike lanes along the entire three-mile corridor by 2022.
Join us as we demand the necessary and urgent change we need to see on the Embarcadero.
