The city of San Francisco’s idea to create a bike lane running through part of Chinatown is back to the drawing board after fierce resistance from community leaders.
The idea, which was drawn up by the San Francisco MTA and presented to Chinatown leaders, would have created future protected bike lanes.
Many business leaders were quick to react to the idea and they're were anything but receptive.
"All the streets we have is congested. We also have outside dining, and also take a lot of parking space,” said Edward Siu, the president of the Chinatown Merchants United Association Of San Francisco. “It is no way, to get a bike lane, even a shared lane. It cannot be worked in Chinatown."
Siu said that as soon as the SFMTA suggested transforming part of Broadway into a protected bike lane, he called his attorney, who then called San Francisco Mayor London Breed's office.
In the plans Siu saw, Pacific and Jackson streets, both narrow one way roads through Chinatown would also be designated as bike and vehicle shared streets.
A spokesperson for Breed confirmed that her office reached out to the SFMTA about the bike lane idea and the need for more research and communication.
According to a spokesperson for the SFMTA, the idea to put protected bike lanes on Broadway what just that, an idea. The agency is paying close attention to the reaction of the Chinatown community.
In a prepared statement, an SFMTA spokesperson said in part: "at this time, based on the feedback we've heard from the merchants in the area, The agency is not considering bike lanes in our scenarios in Chinatown." Siu credits the mayor’s office for this.
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"I hope from now on, not only for an election year, but it should also be, go on like this, okay. Respond fast and make it clear,” he said.
Meanwhile, bicycle advocates said they are not happy. They point out that San Francisco has set a goal to reduce vehicle traffic and increase protected bike lanes in the city.
"This signals that if you just make enough noise that the city will just go counter to it's goals and its values. Which is the exact opposite of what we need to be doing as a city,” said Luke Bornheimer, a bike and pedestrian safety advocate.
Breed’s office said they are working with the SFMTA to make sure all future communications with the community about this and other projects are more clear, timely and informative.
