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San Francisco could be ditching its controversial center-running bike lanes

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San Francisco could be ditching its controversial center-running bike lanes


Valencia Street’s experimental bike pilot project with separated bike lanes running down the center of the street could be coming to a close, according to a new report from the San Francisco Transportation Authority.

The pilot initiative, which saw the installation of a unique center-running bikeway along Valencia between 15th and 23rd streets, aimed to address dual concerns: creating a secure bike lane while preserving vital loading zones, parking spaces, and curbside parklets important for local businesses.

Some early assessments, according to SFTA, indicate encouraging results, with the center-running lane effectively reducing conflicts between cyclists and motorists. Notably, the new configuration has led to fewer instances of vehicles obstructing bike lanes and causing dooring incidents, resulting in a notably smoother and safer riding experience for cyclists.

However, the report also indicated a whopping 11 collisions during the three-month study period, half of which occurring as a result of car drivers making illegal left or u-turns. Those numbers included Jian Huang, an 80-year-old pedestrian hit and killed by a driver on Sept. 20, 2023.

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“We’re revisiting the feasibility of a side-running protected bikeway, similar to what we had originally proposed. But it can’t happen overnight,” read the SFTA report issued on Feb 16. “Before we finalize any new proposal, we’re going out to talk with community members about the benefits and tradeoffs of a side-running design.”

Sustainable transportation advocate Luke Bornheimer, the organizer behind the grassroots ‘Better Valencia’ campaign, applauded SFMTA pivoting to curbside protected bike lane designs for Valencia Street.

Valencia Street (photo: SFMTA report)

“I’m glad to see SFMTA pivoting towards a curbside protected bike lane design, which will be better for business and everyone’s safety as proven countless times in cities around the world, including multiple times in New York City,” he said, in a press release.

A big concern before the decision to move the protected bike lanes to the center of the street came from local business and the familiar refrain of losing customers if parking spaces are eliminated. However, studies have shown that protected bike lanes are actually good for local business. Something Bornheimer also agrees with.

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“Curbside protected bike lanes help more people shift trips to bikes and make it easier for more people to shop at local businesses, which is critically needed on Valencia,” said Bornheimer, citing positive results in New York City as one example.

In the coming year, deliberations regarding a potential transition to a side-running protected bikeway, akin to the original proposal, will be revisited, with community input playing a pivotal role in shaping the corridor’s future direction.

SFTA also noted it would explore other long-term design options such as converting Valencia into a pedestrian promenade.

For now, Bornheimer is urging SFTA to get ride of the center lanes and move to the side-running protected lanes as soon as possible.

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Yankees top Giants 7-0 as robot umpire debuts

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Yankees top Giants 7-0 as robot umpire debuts



Aaron Judge went hitless on opening day for the first time and struck out four times for the first time since September 2024, but the New York Yankees still produced plenty of offense and beat San Francisco 7-0 Wednesday night in the debut of Giants manager Tony Vitello as the major league season began.

José Caballero drove in the go-ahead run with an RBI single in a five-run second and also lost the first challenge taken to Major League Baseball’s so-called robot umpire, unsuccessfully appealing a strike by Logan Webb in the fourth.

Max Fried (1-0) allowed two hits in 6 1/3 innings to became just the fifth Yankees pitcher since 1969 with at least 6 1/3 shutout innings on opening day, joining Catfish Hunter (1977), Ron Guidry (1980), Rick Rhoden (1988) and David Cone (1996). New York won an opener with a shutout on the road for the first time since 1967.

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Webb (0-1) started the fourth inning with a 90.7 mph sinker on the upper, inner corner that was called a strike by Bill Miller, a major league umpire since 1997. Caballero tapped his helmet, and the 12 Hawk-Eye cameras of the Automated Ball-Strike System upheld Miller’s decision in a graphic shown on the Oracle Park scoreboard.

Caballero singled in the second and Ryan McMahon followed with a two-run single before Austin Wells’ single prompted a mound visit for Webb. Trent Grisham hit a two-run triple and was checked by medical staff after a hard slide into third.

Judge was booed before the game and during each at-bat as he began his 11th big league season. The California native had been pursued by the Giants during free agency in 2022 but he ultimately chose the Yankees’ $360 million, nine-year contract offer.

Webb, a 15-game winner last season making his fifth start on opening day, was tagged for six earned runs — seven in all — and nine hits over five innings.

The 47-year-old Vitello made the big jump from coaching the University of Tennessee.

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The teams resum3 the series Friday afternoon, with RHP Cam Schlittler starting for New York opposite lefty Robbie Ray.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb



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1 dead in house fire in San Francisco’s Portola neighborhood

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1 dead in house fire in San Francisco’s Portola neighborhood


One person was found dead Tuesday night in a house fire in San Francisco’s Portola neighborhood.

The one-alarm fire occurred in the 500 block of Dwight Street and caused major damage to the interior of the home, the Fire Department said.

Firefighters extinguished the fire and remained on the scene checking for hidden fire in the walls and roof.

One person was declared deceased at the scene. The exact manner and cause of the person’s death will be determined by a medical examiner. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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Barricaded suspect in standoff with police in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood

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Barricaded suspect in standoff with police in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood



A person was barricaded inside a residence in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood on Tuesday afternoon in a standoff with officers, police said.

The San Francisco Police Department said the situation was happening at the Cadillac Hotel, a historic single-room occupancy building on Eddy Street between Jones and Leavenworth streets. Officers responded to a report of an assault at the hotel at about 2 p.m. and determined that the suspect was barricaded in one of the units, police said.

Crisis negotiators and other specialists also responded and were developing a plan for a peaceful resolution to the standoff, police said. An ambulance and paramedics were also standing by at the hotel.  

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Members of the public were asked to avoid the area. The San Francisco Fire Department said Eddy Street between Leavenworth and Jones was closed to traffic.

The Cadillac Hotel was built in 1907 and has been listed as a San Francisco Designated Landmark since 1985, becoming the first nonprofit single-room occupancy hotel west of the Mississippi. For decades, it also housed Newman’s Gym, one of the oldest boxing facilities in the U.S., where boxers such as Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Sugar Ray Robinson, and Joe Louis trained.  

Today, the hotel provides supportive housing for approximately 160 low-income residents. 

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In 2015, the hotel became the site for The Tenderloin Museum.





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