I'm in San Francisco and we have a contentious center bike lane on Valencia St that I'm trying to save from becoming side-running (semi-protected, but tbh not fully protected). Wondering if anyone else has good/bad experience with center bike lanes elsewhere (more likely in Europe maybe?). I've started to really like the center lanes, here's some things I love about them:
- A wide, spacious bike lane enables side-by-side riding and increases in bike ridership over time – love the extra bike width. it's like a full on bike path in the middle of the street…but no pedestrians so it's great for commuting. I think about the alternative of cars getting the center lane, then they get the benefit of double parking and going around and passing each other while bikes get relegated to narrow side lanes where we have to ride single file.
- No vehicle conflict – no right hooks, no left hooks (unless cars turn illegally), I can ride for blocks without any car conflicts. it's amazing.
- No pedestrian conflict – since it's kinda in the middle of the street pedestrians don't go there (I suppose it isn't illegal tho). side running and parking protected lanes can often be full of pedestrians if the sidewalk gets full. We also have parklets on Valencia St which make pedestrian conflict and the bike lane movement more complex. The center bike lane is nice and straight.
- A center lane preserves more parking and loading on the curbside which is something many people and merchants like to complain about, compared to other protected bike lane designs. – at least it's something to tell the carbrains
- Emergency vehicles can utilize the center lane much better than if cars were stuck in the middle – for once maybe the fire department is into a bike lane? If the cars are in the middle the fire trucks would definitely get stuck, but bikes and scooters can easily move out of the lane to let emergency vehicles pass
- A center lane better prepares a street for pedestrianization. More space on the sides of the street for pedestrians by merchants and parklets while bicycles can flow in the middle of the street.
San Francisco is trying to remove our center lane, but I think it's a bit reactionary and I'm trying to make it stay! Are there any streets you'd like to see with a center bike lane?
by teradyl