Pedal Power - San Francisco

Pedal Power

Imagine a bike-only street running west to east, from the Pacific to the Embarcadero. Now imagine another one running north-south in San Francisco. Supervisor Sophie Maxwell can.

She quietly raised the notion Monday at the end of a City Hall committee meeting and elaborated a bit more in a subsequent interview. "I think it would really open up our city to biking,'' she said.

Maxwell said that if she had a magic wand she would want to see a couple of streets be turned over to cyclists, free of vehicles, all day every day. But short of that, she'd be happy if a lane or two were set aside during the peak commute hours.

Maxwell, impressed with what she saw when the city temporarily shut down the waterfrontto cars and trucks for two Sundays this summer, said making it easier to commute on two wheels would be good for individuals' health and for the environment.

She said she has no plans at this time to turn her idea into legislation. So, too, would it be premature to convene a City Hall hearing on the idea. Instead, she hopes to meet with bike advocates and other interested parties to discuss the possibility, and will ask some of her volunteer staff to research the potential benefits and drawbacks. Leah Shahum, who heads the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, lauded the notion of bike-only streets and said she is eager to work with Maxwell.