JUST NOW: Due to SFMTA debate and community feedback, the future of San Francisco’s Valencia Street Bike Lane is uncertain.

The SF Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), facing conflicting opinions from locals, businesses and bikers, is considering the future of its centre bike lane as the Valencia Street bike lane controversy rages on in San Francisco. Since its inception last summer, the lane that runs down the centre of Valencia Street has generated a great deal of controversy and contentious discussion on its effects.

The SFMTA’s first report, released yesterday, declares the unorthodox bike lane a success. The agency celebrated in its pages a “very effective” design that relegated automobiles from parking spaces that previously drove bike riders into the street’s chaos, so reducing the risk of dangerous collisions between cyclists and motorists. In fact, the organisation reported “a 77% decrease in cars.”

The SFMTA upholds statistics that demonstrate the safety advantages of the bike lane, but the situation on the ground is still complicated. The organisation saw a significant increase in loading activity from ride-hailing and delivery services but very slight increases in the numbers of bicycles and pedestrians—a striking indication of the changing urban canvas where automobiles, bikes, and business interests must cohabit. “Passenger drop-offs by ride-hail services and taxis have increased by 126% on Fridays,” the survey observed, demonstrating evident changes in the way people get around. To address these issues, immediate actions are being made, such as improved signs and improved law enforcement coordination about traffic infractions.

The SFSAN FRANCISCO Transportation Agency (SFMTA), facing conflicting opinions from locals, businesses and bikers, is considering the future of its centre bike lane as the Valencia Street bike lane controversy rages on in San Francisco. Since its inception last summer, the lane that runs down the centre of Valencia Street has generated a great deal of controversy and contentious discussion on its effects.

This Tuesday’s SFMTA board meeting will be critical for the bike lane as the organisation gets ready to take