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The Panhandle is Getting a New Dedicated Bike Lane

A new protected bike lane on Fell the full length of the Panhandle will be coming in June
By - posted 5/20/2020 No Comment

Thanks to the SF Bicycle Coalition for letting us know that SFMTA will be installing a parking protected bike lane on south side of Fell Street along the Panhandle to help increase safe social distancing during COVID-19.

This parking protected bikeway will be paint and safe-hit post construction only. Any construction related lane closures will have little to no effect on transit, pedestrians, and bicyclists.

  • Car traffic will be reduced from four lanes to three lanes
  • Construction on this temporary project anticipated to begin in June 2020.
  • This is a temporary project during COVID-19
  • Approximately 12 out of 136 parking spaces on the south side of Fell Street will be removed in order to provide space for turning lanes and visibility zones.

The proposed improvements involve repurposing a travel lane in order to fit a parking-protected westbound bikeway on the south side of Fell Street. The protected bikeway will be located curbside, with a three-foot access aisle to access the floating parking. The cross-sections below detail the existing and proposed conditions for the corridor.  View the map

A signal protected intersection design at Masonic was considered but a mixing zone treatment was chosen because:

  • New curbside bikeway with signal separation would result in signal heads out of alignment with bikeway and lanes, potentially resulting in confusion and red-light running
  • A signal modification and changes to the red light camera would be required and would delay the project, substantially if signal modifications could not be made using existing hardware
  • A fully protected option is available along the path