Two-wheeled commuters and weekend types are in for a special kind of treat: the designated bike lane kind. As of yesterday, a new bike lane has appeared on three blocks of Oak Street extending from Baker down to Scott. The new lane serves the opposite flow as the Fell Street lane that's been around since November and connects the Panhandle with the Wiggle in the eastward direction.
That's not to say that cyclists haven't already been using Oak to barrel downhill toward the Scott Street Wiggle turnoff: now, they'll just be more visible and less apt to get crushed between a truck and a parked car or brained by a car turning right off of Oak Street, where drivers and cyclists alike are moving along at a fast clip due to the timed traffic lights.
Haighteration reports that the lanes were painted and striped yesterday, with barriers to separate cyclists from traffic and corner bulbouts on the way. The lanes are marked with the same jaunty green color as other lanes and "sharrows" along the Wiggle. About 50 parking space were eliminated by the new lanes, while another 50 or so were recouped by converting parallel parking spots to back-in angled parking and perpendicular parking along Baker Street.
The lane comes as part of the Oak Street and Fell Street Pedestrian and Bike Safety Project, an SFMTA initiative.
