New Driving Restrictions On San Francisco's Market Street Will Cut Down Private Vehicle Use
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) — It will be a lot more challenging to drive down Market Street in downtown San Francisco next year as a host of new traffic restrictions are planned that will make it difficult—if not impossible—to get onto the busy corridor.
New Driving Restrictions On San Francisco's Market Street Will Cut Down Private Vehicle Use
For years there has been a push to get cars off of Market Street, east of Van Ness Avenue, and some restrictions established by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency are already in place.
First it was forced right turns at Tenth Street and then at Sixth Street, but those are nothing close for what is set for next spring.
There will be no right turns onto Market Street west of New Montgomery Street—that includes nine intersections—and left turns at four corners will be banned as well.
SFMTA Director Ed Reiskin told KCBS that the new restrictions revolve around safety.
"These series of turn restrictions will significantly reduce the amount of private vehicles on Market Street and thereby the potential for conflict between pedestrians," he said.
Reiskin said most regular commuters won't notice the difference as most drivers on Market Street nowadays are tourists or people following their GPS navigations systems.
"It won't be an imposition to drivers; it will get them to routes that are better anyway," he said.
While not a ban on cars, Reiskin said that is part of the grand plan.
"The alternatives we're looking at include those that would pretty much entirely prohibit private vehicle's use of Market Street—but that's something that's under environmental review," he said.
While the new restrictions may not ban traffic completely on Market Street,it will prove difficult to drive on the thoroughfare if there is no way to get on it.
Trending Stories:
