Arguello Safety Project

The goal of the Arguello Quick Build Bicycle Safety Project is to improve safety, promote bicycle travel and strengthen connectivity to the citywide bicycle network. The project was initiated in response to a recent fatality on the roadway in the Presidio. The collision and subsequent fatality of a cyclist highlight the need for safer active transportation infrastructure on Arguello Boulevard.

Arguello Boulevard currently has bike lanes, providing a lane and space for bicyclists in both directions. This project will review and potentially propose bikeways separated from motor vehicle traffic, or protected bikeways. Protected bikeways are bicycle facilities that are separated from traffic by parked cars, safe-hit posts, transit islands or other physical barriers. The addition of protective elements will increase safety for people bicycling on the street.

The full extent of Arguello Boulevard was on the previous High Injury Network (HIN), or the San Francisco streets where fatal and severe transportation collisions occur most. On the most recent version of the HIN, after safety improvements were constructed on Arguello, the section of Arguello Boulevard north of Geary Boulevard remains. This project will help address the need for further safety improvements along the corridor for both residents and visitors. The project will work to expand safety and connectivity on the citywide bike network while aiding the city in meeting Vision Zero goals.

Designs are currently being considered and the outreach/feedback period is anticipated to begin this summer. SFMTA staff is also coordinating with the San Francisco County Transportation Authority who is concurrently working on a District 1 Multimodal Transportation Study and a District 2 Safety Study.

Funding

District 1 Supervisor Connie Chan and District 2 Supervisor Catherine Stefani called for protected bike lanes on Arguello Boulevard after a San Francisco bicyclist was struck and killed on Arguello in the Presidio on April 4, 2023. Supervisors Chan and Stefani each awarded the SFMTA $50,000 of Community Response Team funding to support safety improvements to Arguello Boulevard within city limits. In addition to this $100,000, the SFMTA will put money into the project, and staff will work closely with both Supervisors and the public to develop a comprehensive design that prioritizes safety on Arguello. For construction, District 19 Assemblymember Phil Ting secured $1.25 million of state funding for construction of protected bicycle lanes on Arguello.