San Francisco Valencia Street bike lanes have faced much controversy for quite some time now. Ever since the recent change to add bike lanes in the middle of the road, small business owners have been complaining. One small business owner has chosen to take extreme measures to spread awareness about the matter.
Many of the owners claim that the bike lanes have been interfering with their business by limiting parking and making it harder for people to spend time on Valencia Street and shop or eat at restaurants.
One owner, Eiad Eltawii, owner of Yasmin, a Mediterranean restaurant on the corner of 19th Street and Valencia, went on a hunger strike and chose to starve himself to show his frustration and pain bike lanes have caused to his business. One reason he’s on strike might be the city removing parking meters, which has caused his business to slow down and has made it more difficult for car owners to patronize businesses on Valencia.
Bike owners also have mixed feelings about the new layout of the lanes. Here are a few viewpoints from cyclists at Mission High. Everyone interviewed liked the bike lanes but had criticism and strong ideas of what else could have been done for the lanes on Valencia.
True Somers, a junior who rides an electric bicycle everyday to school and back, had some feelings about the new bike lanes. He said, “My ideal bike design would be what they did from Market to 15th Street where it’s a side way bike lane. That way there’s a space for bikes, then car parking. It’s a better space so bikers don’t get doored.”
Ms. Lawson, an art teacher who rides her bike to and from school claims, “I think we should have it so that it’s separate from where somebody could take a left turn and not get hit by a door and knock you off your bike.”
Ms. Bonnie, English and History teacher, said, “I felt a lot safer and my chances of getting hit have lowered significantly by riding that bike lane on that street.”
With much commotion on both sides of the line, it’s hard to see who is wrong or in the right. Even though most people like the bike lanes, there are still others who see it as interference for people who work in Valencia. It seems SFMTA might not consider changing its design as of May 2024, but with more people learning about the situation, it’s anyone’s game.
