New San Francisco Bicycle Lanes Cause a Stir and Increase Collisions
San Francisco has seen an increase in bicycle lanes over the last few years and with it, the amount of bicycle/auto collisions seems to have increased as well. There are various facets to improving the situation; to solve one of those problems where there is still a struggle for motorists and cyclists is to find a balance whilst they share the road.
Bike Allowed Use of Full Lane CVC 21202, San Francisco. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
SF Gate reported that the increase in green bike lanes that support San Francisco bike traffic may actually be encouraging auto and bicycle collisions instead. Leach Shahum an executive director for the Bicycle Coalition said that while the increase of lanes are a great improvement, the balance of road sharing is “clearly not there yet.” Perhaps a synergy with the bike coalition and traffic engineers in charge of laying down the lanes may help.
There are various problematic routes as the SF Gate points out. The Market Street Slalom poses a problem when the green lane runs from the curb along Van Ness, then veers out to the middle of the street for a couple of blocks, then goes back to the curb. It is inconsistency in design that can lead to an accident with a car.
English: Green cycling lanes for making turns where a one-way street (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
According to most, however, the Octavia and Market vortex that comes before the Market Street Slalom may be considered the most dangerous bike/car intersection in the city. Bikes come down a hill on the right side while drivers slow down and attempt to turn right. If they don’t see the cyclists, they may turn directly in front of them and cause a collision.
Shahum says that perhaps the best solution to tackle the problem would be an increase in law enforcement. Having law enforcement in the areas of trouble can help remind people to obey the law and get accustomed to the new bike lanes.
Another heavily criticized bike lane area is the lanes at the Golden Gate Park. Those lanes travel between parked vehicles and the curb which now poses a threat to pedestrians. This puts pedestrians at risk for being plowed by a bicycle even though the lane is separated by the traffic. San Francisco Bicycle and pedestrian accidents have been reported to lead to wrongful death of a pedestrian.
People who cross the lane to get to their parked cars, if the lanes are heavy with traffic are scared to get hit. And bicyclists who are traveling on the bike path run the risk of being hit by a car door from an unaware vehicle occupant. Depending on the speed of the cyclist, the injury could be deadly.
Reviewed by Chris H. in 2012.