San Francisco to add additional bike lanes, start citing drivers who park in them

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KTVU) - San Francisco's mayor today announced the city will be making the streets safer for bicyclists and targeting those who make it more dangerous to cycle around the city.

The mayor is looking to create 20 additional miles of protected bike lanes like this throughout San Francisco, and if you park there, get ready to get a ticket.

Talk to any cyclist in San Francisco and they will have harrowing stories of close calls, or like Dave Guarino, actually being hit by a car.

"They didn't use their turn signal at all," said Guarino. "I was coming down in the bike lane and so they swooped in front of me and just knocked me off my bike."

San Francisco's streets buzz with activity. Pedestrians, drivers and cyclists all sharing the roadways now the mayor is proposing to add an additional 20 miles of new protected bike lanes where the cyclists can ride by the curb separated from motorized vehicles.

"We have to make our streets safer for everyone, so bicycles know where they go, so that cars know where they go, and people know where they go," said Mayor London Breed.

The mayor also pushing the municipal transportation agency and police to increase the number of citations for people blocking or parking in bicycle lanes.

"We have to do better for safety for everyone and everyone has to follow the rules," said Breed.

Dave Guarino says more protected bike lanes will keep him safe.

"It's really good news," said Guarino.

San Francisco's bicycle coalition backs the mayors call for more protected bike lanes and says citing drivers who block those lanes will save lives.

"Protected bike lanes and better infrastructure is part of the answer," said Brian Wiedenmeier from the SF Bicycle Coalition. "The enforcement that mayor Breed announced this morning is going to get us part of the way there."

The mayor says she hears the complaints about additional congestion on city streets and worries that adding more bike lanes will make navigating San Francisco more difficult for drivers.

But, she says ultimately the lane will make the street safer which could decrease traffic.

"The person on that bike is a person that isn't in a car, and we want to keep as many cars off the road as possible," said Breed.

The mayor's call comes on bike to work day. She's asking for the additional bike lanes to be built in the next two years and as for citing drivers who block bike lanes, that stepped up enforcement begins today.