Crissy Field Ave

-
July 2018. Crissy Field Ave closed permanently to cars
Crissy Field Ave is a crucial bicycle link that connects the Golden Gate Bridge with many parts of San Francisco. It is heavily used especially by Marin commuters heading to downtown SF. Previously. this stretch was uphill only with a lane for cars and a dedicated bike lane. Over the summer of 2018 the road was closed to cars and converted into a two-way bikeway. This was a huge improvement for all cyclists: commuters, road racers, mountain bikers on the way to the headlands, tourists riding bikes for the first time in years, etc. Everyone uses this stretch, hundreds of riders every day of the year.

So it's all good, right? Not quite. The road surface is very rough and uneven, and only minimal effort was put into sealing cracks prior to painting fancy bike lanes. The result: an obstacle course for downhill cyclists that results in broken spokes and dangerous dodging maneuvers to avoid the roughest patches.

If you would like to see this section improved, please drop a note to transportation@presidiotrust.gov. They are receptive to feedback and are continually working on improvements that make the Presidio a more friendly place to cyclists. Here's the note I sent:

Hi,

I am a regular bike commuter from Marin to SF. Twice a day, ~4 days a week I travel through the Presidio by bike along with many other bicycle commuters that follow a similar route.

I am in general very pleasing with the conversion of Crissy Field Ave to a bike path. The car-free environment makes me feel safer, my southbound commute is now a couple minutes shorter, and I can avoid the dangerous off-camber curve at the bottom of Long Ave. However, there is a safety issue that I would like to see addressed. The poor quality of the pavement is a hazard both directly affecting cyclists traveling downhill, and indirectly impacting uphill cyclists and walkers that end up head-on with downhill cyclists trying to dodge the ruts.

Just today a cyclist broke two spokes on the downhill -- it takes a lot of impact to break spokes and she was lucky to avoid crashing. Furthermore, I have personally witnessed close calls as riders try to dodge the worst parts. The minor crack filling that was done before painting might be fine for cars, but is not sufficient for our skinny tires. I would like to see this stretch properly resurfaced. It is a huge thoroughfare for bikes and could be a shining example of what proper bike infrastructure looks like. Unfortunately right now it's more of a half-done-right obstacle course.

Thank you very much for your consideration.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

A growing sea of blinky red lights

-
Image
Cycling (especially the serious to semi-serious road riding bunch) definitely has noticeable fashion and gear trends. Right now it's all about bright pink and orange attire, giant mono-lens mirrored glasses, and Rapha. At least here in the Bay Area. There's one trend that I hope sticks around for good: blinking red tail lights. It used to be only for dorky commuters and night rides, but I'm pleased to see an increasing use amongst a huge range of riders. Now it's common to see a flashing light on a $10k+ rig rolling out on a clear day. Yay for safety! These things have become so bright, compact, long-lasting, and affordable that there's no reason not to have one (and use it). I bought my Portland Design Works Danger Zone Tail Light  (Retail: $30, good price: $23) more than 5 years ago . When the button stopped functioning well I emailed the company and they sent me a replacement within a couple days. I just had to show a picture that it wasn't due to
Read more

Riding at night

-
Image
Sunset on Mt. Hollywood Dr in Griffith Park It's September and the days are getting noticeably shorter. Those morning or late afternoon rides are now becoming less doable as darkness encroaches. Well, now might be the time to get yourself ready for night riding! Riding in the dark does not have to be a dangerous and scary experience! With some planning and proper equipment, riding at night can be just as pleasant as a daytime cruise. And you can easily extend your available riding time by starting your morning ride before the sun is up, or wrapping your afternoon ride well after sunset. I'll share my approach to night rides by looking at 3 topics: Gear Route planning Safety tips Gear When it comes to your bike, there are two absolutely essential items that you need to ride safely in the dark. First, a good tail light keeps you safe by alerting motorists to your presence and allowing them to steer clear of you. Second, a good headlights has a dual purposes o
Read more

Worlds cheapest cycling glasses

-
Image
Not my finest selfie, but at least i'm wearing the glasses Have you heard about cycling's hottest new apparel brand? No? It's called Dewalt. Ok, maybe not hot or even an apparel brand, but the company that's known for construction tools make some pretty sweet and cheap safety glasses that do a great job for dark and/or rainy rides. They still fog up sometimes when I'm going really slow or stopped, but other than that they are great. Highly recommended. The best part is that at $8 you don't have to lose any sleep when you lose them or scratch them up.
Read more