How San Francisco’s ‘People Protected Bike Lanes’ are Moving the Needle on Road Safety

A road safety protest dubbed People Protected Bike Lanes (PPBL) is helping spur action and improve road safety in San Francisco and far beyond, writes Roger Rudick in Streetsblog San Francisco.

The movement, which started in 2017, involves demonstrations “in which participants stand on the street in a line between cyclists and car traffic to demonstrate the inadequacy of existing bicycle infrastructure.”

According to a study from NYU researcher Marcel Moran, “At the close of 2023, 32 of the 55 locations (58 percent) where PPBL took place have had protected bike lanes installed.” Moran attributes the protests’ success in part to their non-combative nature. “They instantly convey what the demonstration is asking for, they show bravery on the part of the participants, but they don't actually delay anybody except perhaps the minority of drivers who were attempting to park illegally on the block, he explained.”

Moran adds, “PPBL represents one of the latest forms of bicycle demonstrations, joining a long history of activism that stretches back decades in both Europe and the United States. For example, Amsterdam’s transition to one of the world’s most bike-friendly cities, including expansive bicycle infrastructure and restrictions on cars, was significantly influenced by consistent protests.”