Since the bikeways were completed in May of 2013, SFMTA staff have been conducting observations and collecting data about the project's effects on behavior and attitudes. So far, we have seen some promising trends:
- A 3-5 mph reduction in motor vehicle speeds on Oak Street as a result of modest changes to traffic signal timing.
- A reduction in sidewalk bicycle riding now that bicyclists have buffered bike lanes to seperate them from traffic.
- An increase in bicyclists' compliance with traffic signals as a result of improved bikeways and traffic signals.
Additionally, an intercept survey was conducted of people riding their bikes on Fell and Oak streets in August of 2013. Preliminary tallies of the results found that many of the project's goals are already being achieved:
- Because of the bikeways on Oak and Fell streets, 98% of riders surveyed said they feel that the safety of bicycling on Oak and Fell has increased, and 90% feel that drivers’ awareness of people biking on Oak and Fell has increased.
- Around one in six respondents said they would have used a different route on their bikes before the bikeways were implemented; About 7% said they would have used a different mode all together (driving, walking etc)
- Around one in five people said that because of the Oak and Fell bikeways, how often they ride a bike overall has increased. Among women only, it is closer to one in three.
We will continue to conduct observations and collect survey information, and a full project report will eventually be published on our website.