Author: Rick Coates
A month ago I observed a near accident on the Embarcadero in San Francisco. Presently bicycle lanes are positioned between traffic and parking. Thi s is unsafe. When motorists swing in to a parking place it is easy to not notice a cyclist in the bike lane. In the incident I witnessed, a cyclist came within inches of loosing his life. San Francisco has a plan to upgrade the bike lanes between the curb and parking which adds additional protection to cyclists from auto traffic and reduces the risk of getting “doored” by a driver exiting a parked car. Unfortunately, San Francisco has been dragging its feet on this project. Thanks to efforts of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, the City has now committed to completing the project by the end of the year. Activism matters.