Construction to begin on San Francisco's Valencia Street bikeway

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The current Valencia Street bike lane runs down the center of the street.

SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency crews on Monday will begin a months-long project to replace the current center-running bike lane on Valencia Street with side-running lanes.

Construction workers will begin by removing the current center-running bicycle lane between 15th and 23rd Streets. Crews will then repave the center of the street before installing the side-running bike lanes.

The project is expected to take about two to three months to complete.

The SFTMA said the construction will not impact access to businesses in the area, but the agency noted the work may cause traffic delays and necessitate the removal of some street parking. 

The backstory:

The center-running bike lane was introduced as a pilot program in 2023, and was implemented in order to ease conflict between people on bikes and motorist while maximizing loading and parking for businesses in the area.

Although SFMTA data indicated the pilot program improved safety and comfort for bicyclists along Valencia Street, the agency decided to replace the center-running bike lane with side-running lanes after receiving extensive community feedback expressing concern over the center lane's changes to traffic patterns.

"While the center-running is easy for folks to bike straight down Valencia, it’s taken time for bicyclists to understand how to turn onto side streets," the SFMTA said in a statement. "And it’s more complicated to reach mid-block destinations."

Construction timeline

What's next:

The construction will take place between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays, weather permitting. The SFMTA said there may be occasional work outside those timeframes.

Construction work will start at the southern end of the corridor at 23rd Street, and will move northward. However, work may also take place in multiple locations along Valencia Street at once.