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SF’s Market Street Goes Car-Free on January 29

SF kicks private cars off Market to help speed things up for Muni, deliveries and bikes
By - posted 1/29/2020 No Comment

Get ready for San Francisco’s Better Market Street project, enabling transformational safety and streetscape improvements along 2.2 miles of Market Street, one of the most traveled streets in the world.

On January 29, 2020, Market Street will become car-free east of 10th Street, benefiting the thousands of people who ride transit, walk, or bike on Market Street on a daily basis. These improvements will be paired with numerous safety enhancements at intersections and new loading zones on cross-streets.

Additonal Project Details:

To explore the full plan view project, check out SFMTA’s block by block map.

Market Street 2020 Updates

Beginning Wednesday, January 29th:

  • Making Market Street car-free eastbound from 10th to Main, and westbound from Steuart to Van Ness. Vehicles will still be allowed to cross Market street at intersections.
  • Similar car-free restrictions on Second Street (between Stevenson and Market) and Steuart Street (northbound between Mission and Market; southbound travel unchanged) to facilitate making Market Street car-free.
  • Peak hour loading restrictions on Market Street to reduce conflicts between people on bicycles, transit and commercial vehicles
  • No southside loading in the eastbound direction (towards the Ferry Building) on weekdays between 6:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
  • No northside loading in the westbound direction (towards Twin Peaks) on weekdays between 3:00 pm and 7:30 pm.
  • Prohibiting right runs onto Valencia from eastbound Market Street (Friday 1/31/2020)

Completed:

  • Over 100 new cross-street passenger and commercial loading zones to accommodate safe loading.

Ongoing through Spring 2020:

  • Extending existing transit-only lane east from Third to Main Street, the segment of Market with the most transit service, and making it Muni-only (taxis and non-Muni buses will no longer be allowed).
  • Converting the existing red bus/taxi-only lane to Muni-only between 9th and 3rd streets.
  • Installing painted safety zones at eight intersections to make crossing the street safer and shorter.
  • Adding bicycle intersection improvements at Eighth, Page, Battery, and Valencia streets.

Beginning Summer 2020 and later:

  • Changes to sections of Ellis and Jones streets near Market Street to improve safety and vehicle movement.

Today’s highly anticipated decision provides a path forward for longer-term construction improvements to widen sidewalks, add protected bike lanes, speed up Muni, and improve loading and delivery for businesses. Given Market Street’s importance for transit, the project features new Muni-only lanes and new rapid service stops that with the goal of creating a 25% time savings for transit riders.

Quick-build Elements starting in January 2020: Full Details

While Market Street officially becomes car-free on January 29th, other changes listed below are set to be implemented over the first few months of 2020.

Vehicle Changes

  • No private vehicles allowed on Market Street eastbound from 10th to Main and westbound from Steuart to Van Ness — including app-based ride hail companies like Uber/Lyft.
  • All traffic can continue to cross Market street at intersections.
  • Vehicles with commercial plates, taxis, emergency vehicles and paratransit will still be able to use Market Street.
  • Vehicle direction changes for sections of Ellis, Jones, Second and Steuart streets to improve safety and vehicle circulation
  • Right turns onto Valencia from eastbound Market Street will no longer be allowed, Page Street will become a bike-only connection to and from Market Street.

Transit Enhancements

  • Extending existing transit-only lane east from Third to Main Street, the segment of Market with the most transit service, and making it
  • Muni-only (taxis and non-Muni buses will no longer be allowed in center lane)
  • Converting the existing red transit-only lane to Muni-only between 9th and Third streets
  • Converting the existing red transit-only lane to Muni & taxi only between 12th and 9th streets
  • Buses in the curb lane will benefit from the car-free restrictions as well

Loading Changes

  • 100 new cross-street passenger and commercial loading zones to accommodate safe loading
  • Peak hour loading restrictions on Market Street to reduce conflicts between people on bicycles, transit and commercial vehicles:
  • No southside loading in the eastbound direction (towards the Ferry Building) on weekdays 6:00 am to 9:30 am.
  • No northside loading in the westbound direction (towards Twin Peaks) on weekdays between 3:00 pm and 7:30 pm.

Additional Safety Improvements

  • Installing painted safety zones at eight intersections to make crossing the street safer and shorter
  • New bicycle intersection improvements at Eighth, Page, Battery, and Valencia streets.

Project Information

Quick-build is just the first step in implementing Better Market Street, the City’s multi-agency project to transform 2.2 miles of Market Street from Octavia Boulevard to Steuart Street. The project’s goal is to enhance safety and accessibility, improve transit performance, replace aging infrastructure, and revitalize the corridor’s streetscape.

Construction on the full project will be managed by Public Works and is expected to start in late 2020 or early 2021

Read More: SFMTA| Better Market Street | SF Public Works