A New Ride on San Jose Avenue

San Jose Ave
Image courtesy of the SFMTA

 

When a buffered bike lane was added to San Jose Avenue, the number of bike trips increased by 62 percent. Now there are further improvements welcoming people biking to and from our city’s southern neighborhoods along this crucial corridor. And the credit for these vital improvements goes to the support and advocacy of our members.

The physical protection in the form of concrete barriers replaced the paint buffer separating the bike lane from faster moving traffic lanes on San Jose Avenue between Randall Street and I-280. To date, this is an infrequently used treatment in San Francisco, showing the City’s commitment to adapting best practices that have been successful in other cities.

The old buffered bike lane (left) improved biking here, but the new concrete safety barriers are better yet. The map (right) shows the area of San Jose Avenue encompassed in this project.

After years of community advocacy, the SF Municipal Transportation Agency worked with Caltrans to slow down traffic by narrowing northbound lanes on San Jose between Randall and I-280 and adding a buffered bike lane. This bike lane closed a critical gap in our bike network and dramatically improved the experience of biking this stretch known as the Bernal Cut.

Narrowed and freshly paved and painted, last week San Jose Avenue reached its final phase of the project when the SF Public Works added concrete safety barriers to the buffered bike lane. These new improvements transformed this wide thoroughfare into the obvious route for people of all ages riding to and from our city’s southern neighborhoods.

Do you want to see more protected bike lanes in San Francisco like the one on San Jose Avenue? Join or renew your membership today and join us in advocating for better biking all over the city.

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