Vent: Heard a guy at the gas station on Central say the bike lanes downtown are a waste of space

I was filling up at the 76 on Central and Unser last Tuesday and this dude was going off to his friend about how the bike lanes on Central just cause traffic jams and nobody even uses them. On the other hand, I've got a client who lives near Nob Hill who swears the lanes cut down on close calls with cyclists, and she bikes to work three times a week. So which is it: are they a net positive for the city or just a headache for drivers? Anyone else got strong feelings about this or a story that changes the debate?

2 comments

2 Comments

jana_ellis953d ago

That guy at the gas station probably hasn't seen the data because the city's own traffic counts show ridership on Central has gone up 30% since they put those lanes in. I've dealt with enough crews trying to work around tight streets to know one thing: a separated bike lane keeps cars moving steady instead of slamming brakes for a cyclist who's just trying to get home. If you're stuck behind a bike every single day, sure it stinks, but the whole point is making it safer for everyone including the drivers who hate waiting thirty seconds.

rosek443d agoMost Upvoted

Honestly @jana_ellis95 gets it. I've been that cyclist dodging car doors and I've been that driver cussing at a bike, so I guess I'm just evenly bad at both.