Four additional businesses have joined the legal battle opposing the Valencia Street center bike lane and filed claims against the city, their attorney, Jim Quadra, announced at a press conference today.
The businesses — Consumer Auto Body Inc., Tunisian restaurant Gola, Vietnamese fusion restaurant Chic n’ Time, and the closed Phoenix Irish Bar — joined three businesses that filed claims in February, contending that the street changes that accompanied the new center bike lane have damaged their businesses by diverting traffic and limiting parking.
“There should be several more [claims] coming,” Quadra said, speaking at the closed music venue Amado’s on Thursday morning. At least one other business owner who has not yet filed a claim also appeared in solidarity.
The city denied the claims filed by Rossi Art Gallery, Mediterranean restaurant Yasmin and Amado’s, he added, and those business owners are now considering a lawsuit.
A claim is a request for damages or compensation. If the recipient of the claim denies it — in this case, the city — the complainant can then file a formal lawsuit to be heard in court.
“When we filed the claims, we hoped that the city would reach out and discuss with us how to remedy this problem,” Quadra said, “but instead, they just denied the claims without reaching out, without contacting us, without showing any interest on the impact that this is having on businesses on Valencia.”
The city has 45 days to respond to the new claims. If a lawsuit is ultimately filed, Quadra said the businesses would seek damages for their alleged financial losses due to the bike lane.
A Mission Local analysis found limited evidence that the street changes had a significant impact on business along the commercial corridor.
While sales did drop slightly for the first time in the second quarter of 2023, around the time the bike lane was being implemented, that was the case for much of the 94110 zip code, not just Valencia Street. And, overall sales tax increased on Valencia during the construction of the bike lane last summer from the previous quarter.
But the business owners maintain that business is down 30 to 50 percent, Quadra said, and attribute that decline to the new bike lane and other street changes. No evidence of such a decline was provided, besides recent business closures along the corridor.
The city, Quadra said, failed to appropriately assess impacts of the bike lane and parking changes before implementing them last year.
City officials have not claimed responsibility for the alleged drop in business, but say they are assessing the pilot program’s impacts.
“We have talked to the parklet operators on Valencia and received their feedback about their loading needs to inform the design process,” said Municipal Transportation Agency spokesperson Erica Kato. “Our outreach and collaboration will continue through the spring, as we work on solutions that best protect both businesses and bicyclists on the corridor.”
In its first three-month evaluation issued in February, the MTA noted some improvements, like smoother bike traffic with less exposure to vehicle traffic, and less double parking. But, while potential impacts on businesses were not addressed, the report showed that foot traffic dropped slightly three months after implementation, bike traffic increased slightly, and vehicle traffic dropped 17 percent.
Quadra said that the three businesses that previously filed claims allege that the city has retaliated against them since filing the claims. Amado’s owner David Quinby said the city tore down his parklet in recent weeks. Eiad Eltawil, who owns both Yasmin and Rossi, began a hunger strike on Sunday, and said his long-delayed parklet application was suddenly approved.
In a statement, City Attorney’s Office spokesperson Alex Barrett-Shorter said, “The three claims filed in February were denied. Regarding the new claims filed, we are reviewing the claims and will respond in the appropriate time frame.”
Wait wait wait. I believe the Phoenix closed (or was already going to close) before the bike lane was built, and the building it was in has since been demolished and is being rebuilt into housing.
This is all getting so ridiculous.
Same with all of these folks – they’re all blaming the bike lane for their failures. Yasmin clearly had a bunch of other financial complications. Amado’s was hit by the pandemic and also had issues with a flood. They’re mostly just angry they lost the chance to park illegally in the bike lane, but they know they can’t say that.
Leather Tongue, Dema, and Val 21 are also considering joining the battle.
I absolutely oppose putting the bike lane back on the side where everybody parked their cars! That was extremely dangerous & there was no enforcement!
As a senior bicyclist – not quite as quick nor as nimble as I used to be — I do appreciate the predictability of the center lane. And the big posts protecting it are great! I have only used it twice since it was put in (and initially was very skeptical), but the experience was good. No one was double-parked there. No car swerved in front of me. I rode the full route southbound from 17th Street to its end last Tuesday morning. After the bike lane, and I on my bike, moved back to the side, I had to maneuver around a van parked in the bike lane. I like the shops on Valencia Street, and generally walk, bike or take the bus to the area. Too many cars and too much crowding seem like much bigger city problems to me.
I particularly love that an AUTO BODY shop is a part of this. Do they need ample parking for their walk-in customers? This was never about parking for customers. It is ALL about being able to have deliveries double-park, which has always been illegal. It just used to be easy.
As a cyclist who regularly rides to the Mission to shop, eat, drink, and see movies and bands, I’ve never been safer riding Valencia. No near-death experiences with Uber and other drivers swerving in front of me and slamming on the brakes.
It’s not JUST the bike lane. It’s the absence of parking and the perception of crime, neither of which the city has taken seriously.
In addition, Valencia used to be pretty nice: no tagging, no sleeping in doorways, no trash blowing down the street. No more, which means that would-be customers vote with their feet and spend elsewhere.
Businesses are suffering because all the cool places left and the neighborhood has become boring. Also, the techies with good jobs and money don’t go out. They are homebodies who prefer door dash and amazon deliveries.
How can a business that no longer is open sue for loss of income? The Phoenix owner is really a piece of work.
true, but only partially accounts for how things have gotten
I ride in this center lane regularly. I rode in the original configuration as well. There are still many illegal lefts being made off of Valencia though less as time goes on. The obvious damage to the posts show that behavior is still negligent. I have also been to most of these businesses. To be honest non of them are particularly great. All of them have competition that is great at what they do. I love the fried schnitzel and noodles at benders with sports and full bar.bike parking inside!! The falafel at truly med is always top notch. Liberties and Casements have excellent menus that completely replace and improved on any offerings that were at the steadily declining Phoenix. While I agree that parking is hard all over it has never stopped folks from coming in mass to places they love. Look no further then north beach or the ferry building to prove it. Sorry to all the businesses that are suffering but it is the loss of music, great bars, truly unique food offerings, and art that have done you in and not a change to a bike lane.
I’m agnostic when it comes to the bike lane, but can anyone explain how the bike lane is “racist & Islamophobic”, as the owner of Yasmin contends? I’m assuming he’s saying that to be inflammatory and try to rally people who might not otherwise care, but maybe I’m missing something?
Let’s do Valencia St pedestrian and bikes only. Cars have already S Van Ness and Guerrero. Thank you 🥰
Their is street parking. So what is the problem?
The growing pain of all these businesses is real and quite apparent. More businesses are joining in on all these wise legal actions. The Imperial SFMTA never listens. It’s their thing! So, obviously, Legal Action is Required. This is the Only Language the MTA, and to a degree the City, understand. Commendable.
Further, the SFMTA is Against Parking. Every year, even every Day, they Eliminate Parking, to their great glee. … What’s wrong with that? The MUNI is pitiful. And rather than improve the MUNI, MTA just ramps up the Pressure to Force people to Quit their cars, which people are Unable to do, without a viable alternative.
Parking brings business. Period. Larger merchants know this- Whole Foods HAS parking lots. Trader Joe’s HAS Parking lots. But smaller merchants just suffer. Like here on Valencia. And when significant amounts of Parking are Stripped Away- businesses Die. … All I can say is Sue, Sue, Sue!
Can SFMTA please put this failed experiment out of our misery? The previous configuration on Valencia worked just fine. Widening the sidewalks eliminated the center lane that had served as delivery parking. And that resulted in delivery vehicles parking in the bike lane. The SFPD, meanwhile, has a station right near the narrowest part of Valencia. But they could not be bothered to enforce the law previously. So we get this convoluted abomination that satisfies nobody. Think of how much money can be made jackhammering the sidewalks back to accommodate a center lane.
As a cyclist, I had to constantly dodge ride share cars illegally parked in the bike lane. Could we not make Valencia a no-stop zone for Lyft/Uber/waymo/taxis? They can drop off and park in the side streets, but not Valencia proper. I know the companies have this technology – it’s already used to designate stopping zones in SFO, for example.
I love the center bike lane and find it safe enough to take my kid biking on it (before. If bike on the road and he’d bike on the sidewalk), but I do not think it is the only or the best solution to cars parking in the former side bike lane.
I’m sick of the bicycle coalition.