SFMTA Officially Allows Taxis to Block Bike LanesA memo from Deputy Director of Taxi Services Christiane Hayashi and Accessible Services Manager Annette Williams says the agency is issuing bumper stickers to taxi drivers telling Parking Control Officers not to cite them.
Taxis stopped in bike lanes are already a routine danger for bicyclists in San Francisco, and legitimizing the practice could encourage more of it. When blocked, bicycle riders are typically forced into passing motor traffic or between parked cars, where drivers or taxi passengers may open doors in their path.
Condoning such a dangerous practice seems incongruous with the SFMTA's policy goals of improving the safety of bicycling in the city.
Leah Shahum, executive director of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, said the organization "has real concerns about the agency's confusing policy regarding taxi pick-ups and drop-offs in bicycle lanes, which seems to invite conflict and unsafe conditions."
