A Home Run for Safety with the 3rd Street Quick-Build

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Wednesday, May 22, 2024

A group of people holding umbrellas stand in a green bike lane with a mascot dressed in a seal costume on a rainy day.

Giants Mascot Lou Seal joined us to celebrate the 3rd Street Quick-Build's grand opening. Together, we cut a ribbon over the new two-way bikeway. 

We’re excited to spread the word about the recently completed 3rd Street Quick-Build Project. 

The project:

  • Creates a direct connection in the bike network between SoMa and southeast San Francisco. 
  • Improves safety for people walking in the area
  • Makes it easier for people to access bikeshare

We’ll share how the 3rd Street Quick-Build will help you take safer, smoother trips – and why it’s a big win for efficiency. 

Creating a seamless connection for people who walk, bike, scoot and roll

Safer conditions

The 3rd Street Quick-Build creates an important connection by adding a protected two-way bikeway between Townsend Street and the Lefty O’Doul Bridge. We're thrilled to bring this safer and more accessible experience for people traveling through the King Street corridor, Oracle Park, Mission Bay, the San Francisco Bay Trail and Chase Center. This link completes 1.25 miles of two-way, protected bikeway improvements along the city’s waterfront. 

We also took steps to improve safety for people walking in the area. To make the 3rd and Berry crosswalk safer, we removed a double left turn lane from Berry Street onto 3rd Street.

Scenic connection

The new stretch connects to recent bikeway improvements in Mission Bay and the Mission Rock development. Along the way people can ride the improved Bay Trail path that runs through the beautiful new China Basin Park at McCovey Cove. 

District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey, the San Francisco County Transportation Authority and the San Francisco Giants supported both the project and its opening ceremony. 

“As a daily bikeshare user, I am thrilled that 3rd Street between Townsend Street and the Lefty O’Doul Bridge will finally be connected with a two-way bike lane that will create a safer experience for people biking, scooting and rolling to their homes, jobs, local businesses and Oracle Park,” said Supervisor Dorsey. “Quick-Build projects like this are essential for making progress on both our ambitious Vision Zero and climate goals.”  


People walking on the sidewalk and riding bikes on a two-way bike lane towards a bridge on a busy street.

The new protected two-way bikeway on 3rd Street between Townsend Street and Lefty O’Doul Bridge running next to Oracle Park.

Safety meets efficiency: why 3rd Street is a big win for Quick-Builds

This project adds to over 50 miles of Quick-Build safety improvements. It shows how we can act right away to make streets safer with limited funding.  

“This new and vital connection on 3rd Street shows what our Quick-Builds are capable of,” said SFMTA Director of Transportation Jeffrey Tumlin. “This project went from planning to completion in just six months. Now we have a critical link in our bike network with a safe and inviting option for no-carbon transportation.” 

The SFMTA Board of Directors approved construction for the project on March 5, 2024. Our in-house shops teams began work immediately to deliver the improvements we see today. Thanks to their speed and skill, we gave the Quick-Build its grand opening within a month on March 29. 

Ringing in baseball season with safe, green trips to Oracle Park

The 3rd Street Quick-Build's speedy completion came at the perfect time -- for the start of baseball season. Biking to a Giants game is now easier, safer and more fun than ever. We moved a bikeshare station in front of Oracle Park so people can access it straight from the new bikeway. This comes on top of Oracle Park’s public racks and the option for supervised storage thanks to the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition’s Bike Valet Program. 


A bikeshare station with several bikes parked along side a green, two-way bike lane as a rider passes around another person parking their bike.

People have an easier bikeshare trip to Oracle Park thanks to the station moved right in front of the bikeway.

You can roll to the ballpark in style on the protected bikeway, store your bike with confidence and enjoy a Giants game for a perfect day in the city.

“As our 2024 baseball season starts, we are thrilled that Giants fans have more convenient biking and walking options to Oracle Park than ever before,” said Alfonso Felder, chief operations and experience officer of the San Francisco Giants. “This new bikeway and a beautiful new segment of the Bay Trail through Mission Rock’s China Basin Park are two more advancements we’ve made with our city agency partners to continue providing unmatched gameday experiences for Giants fans.” 

Prioritizing safety and sustainability 

We continue our deep commitment to safe streets for everyone walking, biking, scooting and rolling in San Francisco. Projects like the 3rd Street Quick-Build help us advance this work. 

They also provide sustainable ways to get around. Quick-Build Projects help reduce carbon emissions because they make it more inviting to bike, walk, scoot and roll.

Projects like 3rd Street also build connections between neighborhoods. This creates a more equitable and enjoyable transportation network. 

You can find more details and project updates at our 3rd Street Quick-Build Project webpage (SFMTA.com/3rdStreetQB). 

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