How bike friendly is the Bay Area?

[coleman]

I really like commuting by bike, so I'm wondering how bike friendly San Francisco and the surrounding areas are? Are some parts more bike friendly than others? Is it okay to bike to work both on the peninsula and in the city?

[Jeff1]

Hi Courtney -

I would say the Bay Area is bike friendly in theory but it really depends on where you're living and where you're trying to go. San Francisco itself is very hilly in parts, which makes biking a real-work out. The western part of the City, especially the Great Highway is, well, great, but there's a fair amount of wind.

The San Francisco Bike Coalition has put together the follows to help navigate the City.

https://www.sfbike.org/resources/maps-routes/

The Pennsula, again, will depend on which city and where you're going. The bike lane system is not especially well-developed but you can often find routes that keep you off of the busiest surface streets.

Check out this link for info on the individual cities.

https://bikesiliconvalley.org/maps/

Hope this helps!

[Nick_Switzer]

In general, the Bay Area is very bike friendly. The Silicon Valley Bike Coalition does a lot to improve biking every year. In South Bay they've been rocky expanding the bike lane network.

Of course there's huge room for improvement. More protected bike lanes would be a start.

I bike to work frequently in the South Bay (San Jose) and the cars are alert to my presence. Of course, you have to ride with caution.

The practicality of biking to work depends a lot on distance, but it's very doable for commutes less than 10 miles.

The city is really hilly, making cycling hard. I don't know how people do it there, but some do! The Peninsula and South Bay have much easier biking terrain.

[Rachel_Peak]

Hi Courtney,

Jeff's answer is solid. I would add that in SF itself, especially, biking is fairly hazardous. The streets are extremely narrow, biking lanes aren't respected, and bikers and pedestrians get hit constantly, both by cars and by MUNI. You need to be an expert biker to navigate this city successfully. In addition, both in the city and in the surrounding Bay Area communities, road conditions and maintenance are terrible. Potholes aren't repaired, gravel is everywhere, and in some areas lane lines are hardly visible. I've personally known several bikers who were hit, and a few that were killed, by cars on these streets. They require vigilance.

Good luck,
Rachel

[Julieta_Gomez-Fritte]

The Bay Area is "bike friendly" as in, you'll have a lot of company out there on your bike. Lots of people bike in the city and the rest of the peninsula. In terms of geography, some areas are quite hilly and difficult (Potrero Hill, for example), while others are much flatter (like SoMa). Some transit options exist for bikers as well, as in you can take your bike on Caltrain if you're commuting around the peninsula. The space is limited, though, so you might not be able to get on your train, but I think they've recently added more capacity (after I stopped commuting this route daily, can't confirm).

The Bay Area resident drivers, however, are not particularly bike friendly, and the city hasn't done a great job of protecting bikers with protected bike lanes, either. So yeah, you can ride your bike, and many many people do. But it's also pretty dangerous, and people get hurt all the time. Join a bicyclists' coalition and stay informed. Like this for example: Anonymous San Franciscans Are Making Renegade Bike Lanes.

Ride, but be safe. Unfortunately, no matter how prepared you are, bikers can still get hurt by drivers who aren't paying attention, even by cops: San Francisco police car hits bicyclist on Bike to Work Day. In this case, the cyclist was doing all the right things, in a bike lane, and a police car not paying attention to the bike lane on BIKE TO WORK DAY of all days pulls right out into the bike lane and the biker goes flying.

Sources linked, and also personal experience commuting by bike daily for several months.

[Robert_Ames]

I'm sure you'll get lots of replies saying "yes" Bay Area is very bike friendly (and that is true)... negatives at time are winter when sunset can be as early as 4:45pm. Some specifics of your commute might be difficult or dangerous but I can guarantee there is an alternative that will be safer. So many people bike here it's nice that they are (usually) more aware and will give you the space necessary, but of course there are occasional jerks or dangers.

[Joseph_greene]

Lot's of areas have bike lanes, plenty of green highlighted lanes, share the road signs and it's pretty known to give bikers space.