San Francisco’s most controversial bike lane gets redone

From the day it was announced, the bike lane ignited a firestorm of controversy, largely pitting cyclists against drivers and business owners on Valencia Street. On Tuesday morning, as crews began dismantling it, The Standard spoke with nearly a dozen commuters, neighbors, and passersby, and found that opinions remain sharply divided — and just as strongly held. 

Constance Frey, a therapist who lives on nearby Shotwell Street, was not pleased to see the center lane go away. “It has been fabulous to have put this in the middle,” she said. “I feel much safer riding there than I do on the side. It has increased my usage of my bike and of feeling comfortable in the city.”