Changes planned for Presidio roadway following world champion cyclist's death
SAN FRANCISCO - One month after a world champion cyclist was hit and killed by a car in San Francisco’s Presidio, a plan has been approved to beef up bike safety along a major thoroughfare in the park.
Cyclists can expect a dedicated bike lane to go into place along Arguello Boulevard, one of the park’s busiest roadways, sometime in 2024.
"It’ll be a game changer in many ways," said Janelle Wong, Executive Director of the SF Bicycle Coalition.
Wong's organization is among several community groups that have spent years advocating for changes to the route. Pressure on the Presidio Trust to make changes to the roadway increased after championship cyclist Ethan Boyes was killed by a driver along Arguello Boulevard in April.
On Friday, The Presidio Trust tweeted: "In the aftermath of tragic crash that killed Ethan Boyes, we met with @sfbike to walk the crash site + ensure robust improvements are made asap, including immediately improving signage, pavement markings, flexible posts; w/permanent bike lanes separated with bollards in 2024."
"It's fantastic," said Anne Barbaret, who was cycling towards The Presidio on Friday. "Sometimes it’s hard, because I think it’s a problem of speed. The cars go fast and cyclists don’t have a safe lane, so when there’s a collision, it’s usually the cyclist that suffers."
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SF bicyclists demand protected bike lanes along busy Arguello Boulevard
Bicyclists who held a slow ride in San Francisco said they want changes following the death of a world champion cyclist killed by a driver one week ago.
Now all eyes are on a section of Arguello Boulevard stretching from The Presidio, all the way to Golden Gate Park. The SFMTA, which manages that section of roadway is currently in discussions with the community on a preliminary plan to install a dedicated bike lane there too.
But the SFMTA says funding is still not in place for the estimated $1 million to $2 million project.
The first phase of work on The Presidio's bike safety project is scheduled to begin this summer. Next up, the SF Bicycle Coalition says they plan to lobby the Presidio Trust to lower speed limits along Arguello Boulevard.