SFMTA votes to restrict private vehicles from Market Street in bid to make area safer

A plan to restrict private vehicles from using a large stretch of Market Street was approved by SFMTA Tuesday afternoon; several planned improvements to the street are set to begin in early 2020 and will proceed in stages. less A plan to restrict private vehicles from using a large stretch of Market Street was approved by SFMTA Tuesday afternoon; several planned improvements to the street are set to begin in early 2020 and will ... more Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close SFMTA votes to restrict private vehicles from Market Street in bid to make area safer 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

SFMTA Board voted Tuesday to approve a plan to make stretches of the Market Street thoroughfare closed to most vehicles.

Known as the Better Market Street Project, the proposal sought to restrict private vehicles (including rideshares) from driving along a two-mile area of Market Street, while allowing just buses, taxis, commercial vehicles, bikes and emergency vehicles on the road. The vehicle restrictions will run on Market Street, from 12th Street to Steuart Street.

SFMTA approved the project in a unanimous vote.

#SFMTAB update: The Board of Directors have unanimously approved the Better Market Street Project. https://t.co/1D0TQNlwSb — SFMTA (@sfmta_muni) October 15, 2019

The closure is expected to make Market Street safer for both pedestrians and bicyclists through a number of improvements that will take place in stages. One of the more notable improvements is the sidewalk-level "flex zones" that will allow for bicyclists to travel through Market Street in a dedicated bike pathway, without interacting with buses and other vehicles on the road.

The plan was made in hope to make the thoroughfare safer for pedestrians and bicyclists who traverse the area on a regular basis. By Better Market Street Project's projections, about 500,000 pedestrians walk along Market Street on a daily basis, with 650 people an hour riding on bikes during peak times and 75,000 transit riders traveling above ground on Market Street daily.

The first phase is set for Market Street, between Fifth and Eighth streets. A few "quick-build" enhancements could see the light of day as soon as early 2020.

The improvements listed in the first stage of the plan include keeping Market Street car-free east of 10th Street, adding painted safety zones at eight intersections, and extending a Muni-only lane eastwards to Main Street.

If you're interested in how your routes could be affected, check out this turn-by-turn map created by the Better Market Street Project.

Dianne de Guzman is a Digital Senior Editor at SFGATE. Email: dianne.deguzman@sfgate.com