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1. Embed this notice
   Doctor M. Popular (docpop@mastodon.social)'s status on Monday, 18-Nov-2024 04:54:28 JST Doctor M. Popular

   "Save the Valencia Center Bike Lane"

   These new stickers are popping up along #ValenciaStreet in response to the city's plan to move the bike lanes to the sides.

   I hated the center lanes at first, but they've really grown on me. I’ve noticed more people warming up to them, especially when I talk to pedestrians, who appreciate how the center lanes help reduce conflicts between pedestrians and cyclists.

   The QR code points to https://biketoeverything.com/2024/10/31/save-the-valencia-center-bike/?utm_source=butts #SanFrancisco #MissionDistrict

   • Embed this notice
     jwz (jwz@mastodon.social)'s status on Monday, 18-Nov-2024 04:55:06 JST jwz

     in reply to

     @docpop I have not ridden my bike on Valencia since that lane went in, because I strongly value not being dead.

   • Embed this notice
     Doctor M. Popular (docpop@mastodon.social)'s status on Monday, 18-Nov-2024 05:07:34 JST Doctor M. Popular

     in reply to

     • jwz

     @jwz I think you should. It''s 100% safer than it used to be. We might have hot-takes on where the protected bike lanes should be, but there's no doubt the old unprotected lanes were far worse than what we have now.

   • Embed this notice
     jwz (jwz@mastodon.social)'s status on Monday, 18-Nov-2024 05:21:15 JST jwz

     in reply to

     • gz

     @docpop @godzero Not enough to discourage a car, but enough to knock a bike over! This thing was designed by Satan himself.

   • Embed this notice
     gz (godzero@sfba.social)'s status on Monday, 18-Nov-2024 05:21:16 JST gz

     in reply to

     • jwz

     @jwz @docpop
     Is the center lane physically protected?

   • Embed this notice
     Doctor M. Popular (docpop@mastodon.social)'s status on Monday, 18-Nov-2024 05:21:16 JST Doctor M. Popular

     in reply to

     • jwz
     • gz

     @godzero @jwz sort of. It's a big rubber bumper and some plastic poles. Enough to discourage most drivers, but not enough to actually stop a car.

   • Embed this notice
     Joel Kin (foon@mastodon.social)'s status on Monday, 18-Nov-2024 05:28:42 JST Joel Kin

     in reply to

     • jwz

     @docpop @jwz it’s actually between 4% and 68% less safe if I understand this document correctly? Fewer bicycle collisions now I guess so maybe narrowly you’re right. https://www.sfmta.com/media/41108/download?inline

   • Embed this notice
     Doctor M. Popular (docpop@mastodon.social)'s status on Monday, 18-Nov-2024 05:28:42 JST Doctor M. Popular

     in reply to

     • jwz
     • Joel Kin

     @foon @jwz according to that chart, bike and pedestrian collisions are down. Scooters accidents are triple what they used to be though... right?

     If so, that could be because more folks are using scooters now (especially food delivery services). I might be bad at understanding the chart, but it looks like it's showing safer streets for cyclists and pedestrians. And it's still trending downwards even though bike ridership has been going up.

   • Embed this notice
     jwz (jwz@mastodon.social)'s status on Monday, 18-Nov-2024 05:28:42 JST jwz

     in reply to

     • Joel Kin

     @docpop @foon You can show me all the charts you want, I look at that thing with my lying eyes and go "LOL hell no".

   • Embed this notice
     Jef Poskanzer (jef@mastodon.social)'s status on Tuesday, 19-Nov-2024 09:26:13 JST Jef Poskanzer

     in reply to

     • jwz
     • Joel Kin

     @jwz @docpop @foon My interpretation of the Valencia center-running bike lanes is that it solved one issue - drivers parking in the bike lane - and made a bunch of other things worse, such as illegal turns across the bike lane.

     This is actually a general theme in all fields of engineering. How many times have you seen some folks go "Email sucks because of this one thing. I will make an email replacement which fixes that one thing!" and makes a bunch of other things worse. Over and over.