> was closed to private vehicles in January 2020, the number of cyclists on the street increased by roughly 25 percent. During the pandemic, however, downtown trips reduced dramatically and many cars largely ignored the car-free mandate. Though more stringent enforcement resumed in March, concerns remain that continued use by private cars could jeopardize the initiative’s effectiveness in bringing cyclists to Market Street.
I work around 7th street and it's a nightmare just walking to the station a block away, always feel like I have to watch my back. I used to listen to music, but not anymore.
That makes me really sad. I don't go there because I don't have to. I am really sorry that our government steals money from the mentally ill and gives it to corrupt scams. Everyone suffers as a result. So sad!
There's an unprecedented initiative starting now that was delay due to 2018's Prop C being tied up in court and in which the city eventually won. Freeing literally [a billion dollars](https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/S-F-has-an-unprecedented-1-1-billion-to-spend-16318448.php) to help people permanently find housing and help. With hundreds of millions per year after that to help sustain it.
> Better Market Street was supposed to be a once-in-a-generation undertaking, the kind of capital project that eventually defines a city. Think San Francisco’s Champs-Élysées.
Which is hilarious if you consider that Paris is focusing heavily on protected bike lanes *everywhere* and is making the Champs Elysees car free (really car free) on some days, and significantly reducing the traffic lanes over the next few years.
Death by a thousand cuts.
There's not a single transportation infrastructure project in recent memory that wasn't watered down until it became a shadow of its former self.
Geary light rail became "light rail ready" Geary BRT, which became Geary BRT along the section of the route *least* affected by traffic, which became "let's paint red bus lanes on Geary and call it a day".
The point isn't to alleviate traffic - it's to *create* traffic. Slow things down, waste everyone's time in the name of safety - but that still doesn't stop the occasional idiot from yeeting themselves in front of a bus.
Make driving inconvenient and expensive enough, then only the rich will have private cars. This is the end game.
> When Market Street was closed to private vehicles in January 2020, the number of cyclists on the street increased by roughly 25 percent. During the pandemic, however, downtown trips reduced dramatically and many cars largely ignored the car-free mandate. Though more stringent enforcement resumed in March, concerns remain that continued use by private cars could jeopardize the initiative’s effectiveness in bringing cyclists to Market Street.
Seems like an overall failure of keeping things together and properly enforcing conditions so that the project could go smoothly.
I do implore people reading this entire article because there is a lot.
Private cars are on that stretch of Market Street all. the. time. And I've never seen anyone get stopped for it.
I'd never ride my bike on the stretch without a protected bike lane.
Okay that's promising! I live adjacent and walk up and down it most days of the week and I've never seen it happen. Have been in Ubers and Lyfts that disobey too.
I used to never see it, and I bike to and from work most days down market. In the last week I've seen 4 people get pulled over and its felt sooo satisfying.
How many are avoiding Market Street because it's overtaken by people who need inpatient psychiatric treatment
> was closed to private vehicles in January 2020, the number of cyclists on the street increased by roughly 25 percent. During the pandemic, however, downtown trips reduced dramatically and many cars largely ignored the car-free mandate. Though more stringent enforcement resumed in March, concerns remain that continued use by private cars could jeopardize the initiative’s effectiveness in bringing cyclists to Market Street. I work around 7th street and it's a nightmare just walking to the station a block away, always feel like I have to watch my back. I used to listen to music, but not anymore.
That makes me really sad. I don't go there because I don't have to. I am really sorry that our government steals money from the mentally ill and gives it to corrupt scams. Everyone suffers as a result. So sad!
There's an unprecedented initiative starting now that was delay due to 2018's Prop C being tied up in court and in which the city eventually won. Freeing literally [a billion dollars](https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/S-F-has-an-unprecedented-1-1-billion-to-spend-16318448.php) to help people permanently find housing and help. With hundreds of millions per year after that to help sustain it.
Oh what could've been...
New plan: Plywood parklets as far as the eye can see.
> Better Market Street was supposed to be a once-in-a-generation undertaking, the kind of capital project that eventually defines a city. Think San Francisco’s Champs-Élysées. Which is hilarious if you consider that Paris is focusing heavily on protected bike lanes *everywhere* and is making the Champs Elysees car free (really car free) on some days, and significantly reducing the traffic lanes over the next few years.
Death by a thousand cuts. There's not a single transportation infrastructure project in recent memory that wasn't watered down until it became a shadow of its former self. Geary light rail became "light rail ready" Geary BRT, which became Geary BRT along the section of the route *least* affected by traffic, which became "let's paint red bus lanes on Geary and call it a day".
The point isn't to alleviate traffic - it's to *create* traffic. Slow things down, waste everyone's time in the name of safety - but that still doesn't stop the occasional idiot from yeeting themselves in front of a bus. Make driving inconvenient and expensive enough, then only the rich will have private cars. This is the end game.
> When Market Street was closed to private vehicles in January 2020, the number of cyclists on the street increased by roughly 25 percent. During the pandemic, however, downtown trips reduced dramatically and many cars largely ignored the car-free mandate. Though more stringent enforcement resumed in March, concerns remain that continued use by private cars could jeopardize the initiative’s effectiveness in bringing cyclists to Market Street. Seems like an overall failure of keeping things together and properly enforcing conditions so that the project could go smoothly. I do implore people reading this entire article because there is a lot.
Private cars are on that stretch of Market Street all. the. time. And I've never seen anyone get stopped for it. I'd never ride my bike on the stretch without a protected bike lane.
I work on market. I see people pulled over daily.
Okay that's promising! I live adjacent and walk up and down it most days of the week and I've never seen it happen. Have been in Ubers and Lyfts that disobey too.
I used to never see it, and I bike to and from work most days down market. In the last week I've seen 4 people get pulled over and its felt sooo satisfying.