Letter to the editor:

Bulb-outs and bikes

Editor: On page 10 of the JULY-AUGUST Yodeler, a photo of a corner bulb-out is presented as an "example of smart growth." The photo reveals that the bulb-out extends beyond the length of a parked car. Hence, cyclists such as myself, proceeding through the intersection are funneled into a narrow passage where they must compete for space with automobiles. Cyclists competing for space with automobiles are frequently known as roadkill.

Ric Oberlink

Response from Howard Strassner, author of "San Francisco and smart growth", the article that the photo accompanied.

Misdesigned bulb-outs can indeed be dangerous.

Fortunately, the Yodeler photo is misleading; the site in question does not have the type of hazard that Oberlink points out. The one car visible in the photo is parked diagonally, but all of the other parking spaces on this block are perpendicular. The bulb-out thus extends the same distance into the street as the parked cars and does not funnel cyclists into a narrower space than the rest of the street's traffic.

Unfortunately, the perpendicular parking itself is a real hazard for bicyclists since drivers tend not to notice cyclists when they back out of such spaces. Under the political climate in San Francisco 30 years ago when this street was redesigned (or today), the parking spaces were not negotiable. Given the unavoidable parking spaces, the addition of the bulb-out is a valuable amenity.

Sanchez Street has fairly light traffic, and even with its imperfect design, turns out to be a useful route for bicyclists.