Editor,
I saw “Proposed Bike Lane on 17th Street Hits Speed Bumps” in the October issue and wanted to write as a Potrero Hill resident to say that I strongly support the plan to put protected bike lanes on 17th Street. My wife, children and I frequently bike on 17th to get to the gym, the doctor or to visit friends. It is the main east-west corridor for people traveling by bike, but it is currently not safe because people on bikes risk getting hit by an opening car door.
Often overlooked is the fact that a number of San Francisco residents ride bikes because they cannot afford a car. We also need to make 17th Street a safer route for the sake of these members of our community.
Peter Belden
Vermont Street
Editor,
I’m writing in response to “Proposed Bike Lane on 17th Street Hits Speed Bumps,” in the October 2022 edition. I live in Potrero Hill and work in Dogpatch. I’m fortunate enough to have a short commute which means I’m biking down 17th Street several times a day. I also street-park a car in the neighborhood for longer trips.
As both a driver and cyclist, and frequent customer of businesses on 17th/18th Streets, I was surprised by the article. Folks who live in the neighborhood know that most parking capacity comes from perpendicular parking on north-south streets. These spaces work for both passenger cars and trailers. We’d lose a small portion of the total parking capacity in the neighborhood. In exchange, we’d make 17th Street much more safe and accessible, especially for children, parents, and other groups who are typically excluded from cycling.
Kevin Chen
Missouri Street
