San Francisco transportation officials say that they’re seeing a sharp increase in the number of cyclists. Their statistics use one busy intersection as a gauge: Market Street and Van Ness Avenue. A recent sample there of downtown-bound a.m. commuters found that cyclists outnumbered car traffic nearly two to one. I wish I had a little video clip to show what that looks like. Here’s an excerpt from a Friday press release from the San Francisco Metropolitan Transportation Commission:
On July 1 SFMTA Bike Program staff gauged, as they have over the past two years, the volume of bicycling after Bike to Work Day. From 8 to 9 a.m. at the intersection of Van Ness and Market, they counted all of the eastbound traffic. A total of 602 bicycles were counted, compared to 331 automobiles. Bicycles made up 61 percent of the total vehicles headed eastbound, while automobiles came in at 34 percent (transit and taxis accounted for the remaining 5 percent of the vehicles). In 2009 bicycles accounted for 54 percent of the vehicles and automobiles for 41 percent.
On May 13, this year’s Bike to Work Day, the SFMTA counted a total of 1,038 bicycles, compared to 307 automobiles. Bicycles made up 75 percent of the total vehicles headed eastbound, while automobiles came in at 22 percent (transit and taxis accounted for the remaining 3 percent of the vehicles). In 2009 bicycles accounted for 66 percent of the vehicles and automobiles for 32 percent. The 2009 to 2010 growth of bicycles on Bike to Work Day was 34 percent.
These numbers indicate that the growth in Bike to Work Day participation closely matches growth in everyday cycling on Market Street.