Our new Biking and Rolling Plan will give everybody more choices to get around the city.
For the first time in 16 years, San Francisco has a new Biking and Rolling Plan. Our Board of Directors formally adopted the plan at a recent meeting. This marks a major step forward in creating safer, better-connected and more accessible streets for all.
Since the city’s last bike plan in 2009, the way people move has changed significantly. The old plan didn’t reflect the needs of many families. It didn’t do enough to support people riding e-bikes for deliveries, or people using scooters and mobility devices. This new plan fills those gaps. It ensures that biking and rolling are safe, viable options for more people across San Francisco.
With the adoption of the Biking and Rolling plan we have a guide to ensure everyone has real choices in how they travel—whether biking, rolling, walking, taking Muni or driving.
The new plan should make it easier to reach transit, schools, workplaces and more.
What the plan does and doesn’t do
The Biking and Rolling Plan is a long-term roadmap to expanding a safe, all-ages-and-abilities bikeway network. The plan also aims to improve connections to transit, schools, jobs and essential services. It also ensures that our planning process is equitable and transparent for future bikeway projects.
The plan does not:
- Approve specific projects
- Commit funding
- Close additional streets to cars
- Add new bikeways on merchant corridors
Instead, it provides a transparent framework for future decisions about where bikeways should go while ensuring ongoing community input.
How community feedback shaped the plan
The plan was shaped by extensive community engagement, particularly in historically underserved neighborhoods. Over two years, we worked with PODER/Bicis del Pueblo, Bayview Hunters Point Community Advocates, the Tenderloin Community Benefit District, the New Community Leadership Foundation, and SoMa Pilipinas. Our partners led workshops, bike rides, town halls and interactive events to identify community priorities. They used their findings to create community action plans.
We also incorporated feedback from merchant associations, technical and policy working groups and local outreach efforts. This input informed the plan and the North Star network map that helps guide future improvements.
Many community members shared that they would bike and roll more if they felt safer on city streets.
Why having a plan matters
San Franciscans want safer, more accessible and more efficient streets. This plan helps make that a reality.
- One-third of residents already bike or roll weekly. They use these options for commuting, errands and recreation.
- 80% of surveyed residents said they would bike or roll more if they felt safer. This highlights the need for bikeways that are protected and designed for all ages and abilities.
- Traffic congestion can be reduced by up to 30% when safe biking and rolling options are available. These options help to free up road space and improve travel times for everyone—including those driving or taking Muni.
San Francisco’s streets cannot expand as our city grows. But we can still make it easier for people to get around by planning for more travel options. This will reduce congestion and improve our entire transportation system for everyone.
The Biking and Rolling Plan will help ease congestion. This could mean faster trips for people driving or taking transit.
Who benefits and how?
When more people bike and roll, everyone benefits:
- People who bike and roll get safer routes. This reduces crashes and makes daily travel more comfortable.
- Families and caregivers will have better options for getting to school and running errands without depending on a car.
- Muni riders will see improved connectivity. Bikeways help reduce congestion and provide first-and-last-mile transit connections.
- Drivers benefit, too. When more people choose to bike and roll, there are fewer cars on the road, easing congestion for people driving.
What’s next?
With the plan now formally adopted, we will focus on early projects that:
- Improve safety in high-injury areas
- Close network gaps for a connected citywide bikeway system
- Enhance school access with safer routes for students and caregivers
Each project will go through community engagement and SFMTA Board approval. This will ensure that public input continues to shape how San Francisco’s streets evolve.
How we measure success
The Biking and Rolling Plan provides more ways to get around the city while improving safety, accessibility and connectivity.
We can track our progress towards these goals through the Safe Streets Evaluation Program. It measures the impact of quick-build and capital safety projects on:
- Collisions and injuries
- Vehicle speeds
- Close calls
- Bicycle and car volumes
- Compliance with traffic signals
Our five-year evaluation program has shown that:
- Bike ridership increases by 27% when bikeways are safer to use.
- This number is even higher during peak commute hours.
- Pedestrian and bike-related crashes decrease by over 30% after safety projects are introduced.
With the new plan, our goal is to make bikeways safer, more convenient and more accessible. As bikeway projects roll out, we expect to see more people choosing to bike and roll in ways that work for them.
Stay informed
We will provide regular updates to the SFMTA Board of Directors and the public on the plan’s progress and upcoming projects.
Here are different ways to learn more and stay in touch about the Biking and Rolling Plan:
- Sign up for updates on our Biking and Rolling Plan alerts signup webpage
- Explore the final draft of the Biking and Rolling Plan
- Email us your feedback and questions at BikeRoll@SFMTA.com