SFMTA approves bike plan, adds 34 miles of new lanes

The number of bike lanes is set to nearly double after the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency's board of directors officially gave the long-awaited city bike plan the green light.
 
Mayor Gavin Newsom announced the addition of 34 miles of bike lanes, which would increase the total number by 76 percent in the city.

[Listen to Mayor Gavin Newsom discuss the new bike plan at City Hall on Friday (MP3 format)]
 
The approved plans also include an additional 75 miles of on-street bike trails, colored bike lanes and the installation of 750 bicycle racks.
 
After months of talks, Newsom said it was a “historic day for bicycling in San Francisco.”
 
Critics, however, have raised concerns that more bike lanes will increase traffic congestion and thus add to air pollution in the city.