This article first appeared in the Fall 2014 edition of our quarterly newsletter, the Tube Times. For this story and more, download the Fall 2014 PDF.

With nearly 40 miles of shoreline, San Francisco is truly a city built on the bay. Our city is surrounded by water on three sides, with world-class attractions that bring in visitors from around the world to explore our waterfront and come away with a uniquely San Francisco experience. For those of us who live here, it is our city’s treasure that we want to preserve for generations to come.

It only makes sense that our waterfront deserves the highest quality bikeway that ties all the neighborhoods and destinations together. As part of Connecting the City, our vision for 100 miles of crosstown bikeways that are welcoming for people of all ages, our Bay Trail Bikeway connects our waterfront work from the Golden Gate Bridge all the way to Candlestick. Here’s what’s happening on the waterfront:

Embarcadero Enhancement Project

This three-mile stretch from AT&T Park to Fisherman’s Wharf is the heart of the waterfront. Every day, thousands of people bike on the Embarcadero bikeway and shared-use Promenade, a number that has more than quadrupled in the last eight years. The City launched a year-long planning process to envision a protected bikeway for the full length of the Embarcadero. They will continue their public outreach throughout the fall and present findings at an open house early next year. Learn more at sfbike.org/embarcadero.

Marina Boulevard

For the last year, we have been working together with neighborhood residents to ensure the Bay Trail path along Marina Boulevard is a wonderful place to walk a dog, go for a morning jog or bike with children. Surveys show that 98% of the pathway users are people biking or walking. We continue to work with the City to relocate the parking to a convenient location for visitors and boat owners to ensure a clear and open Marina path. Learn more at sfbike.org/marina.

The Blue Greenway

The Blue Greenway begins at the southern tip of the Embarcadero at Lefty O’Doul Bridge by AT&T Park and extends along the southern waterfront. Projects such as the Cargo Way protected bikeway came out of the original Blue Greenway planning process, which also recommended a two-way buffered bikeway for Terry Francois Boulevard to be completed by the end of 2015. We continue to advocate for the Blue Greenway, which is an important part of our vision for a fully-connected southern waterfront.

A Project So Big, We Have Two Staff on the Job!

Janice Li is heading up our Embarcadero campaign. From attending community meetings to organizing on-street actions, Janice is working to ensure the Embarcadero is safe and welcoming for everyone. Join her by emailing janice@sfbike.org.

Paolo Cosulich-Schwartz is leading our business outreach for the Embarcadero project. Business support will be crucial for ensuring this project moves forward. If you work along the Embarcadero, get involved by emailing paolo@sfbike.org.