San Francisco restaurant owners are in the midst of a month-long hunger strike, claiming the city’s new bike lane experiment is alienating customers.
Eid Eltawil, 41, plans to spend the next month in the park outside his store without eating to show his hatred for the controversial new bike path being built outside his store.
Eltawil’s family runs Yasmin, a Syrian restaurant, and Rossi Mission SF, an art store, in the same building on Valencia Street in the city’s Mission District.
The San Francisco Department of Transportation announced in August that it unveiled a new two-way protected center bike lane designed to improve safety on the city’s most important north-south bike route. In the San Francisco Chronicle.
The bike lane project reduced the number of vehicle lanes on each side between 15th and 23rd streets in Valencia.
The project also removed 71 metered parking spots, which local business owners say has resulted in a loss of customers.
Eltawil said he planned to sleep outside an art supply store and consume only water during the 30-day protest while handing out leaflets in support of the hunger strike.
Eltawil also wrote about her dissatisfaction with the appearance of the temporary building she plans to call home next month.
“Mr. Eide, the owner of Rossi and Yasmin, will be joining us on April 7th to protest the unjust, racist, and Islamophobic policies enacted against his business by the Mayor’s Office, the MTA, and the Valencia Street Vendors Association. He has decided to go on a 30-day hunger strike.
After being shot multiple times by multiple departments and forced out of the mayor’s office, Eltawil’s fast draws the attention of city leaders who force him to close his favorite restaurant unless he changes the bike lanes. I hope you no longer get it.
Eltawil: “I have already suffered so much.” he told the outlet. “At least this way someone in power might see my struggle and make some changes. It’s a last resort for me.”
“I don’t want a lot of people to lose their jobs because of bike lanes,” Eltawil said.
“If I was in New York, there would be a line around the block,” Tunisian restaurant owner Rafik Boujdi told the San Francisco Chronicle. “But San Francisco is killing business, and it’s as simple as that.”
Boujdi claims to have noticed people canceling reservations at the city’s only Tunisian restaurant after spending 30 minutes looking for parking.
Eight months into the six-month trial, SFMTA says the experiment is ongoing. According to KTVU.
According to the Chronicle, 12 pedestrian-vehicle collisions were reported in the first three months of the bike lane’s operation, a higher rate than before the bike lane was opened.
In September, 80-year-old pedestrian Jian Huang was killed while crossing the road when he was struck by the driver of an SUV turning left into Valencia. According to SF Gate.
Eltawil’s complaints about the bike lanes were met with mixed feelings from local residents, with some agreeing with business owners and others supporting the city’s plan to add more bike lanes.
SFMTA said it is working by listening to business owners and fine-tuning the design to benefit everyone.
“We spoke with Valencia’s parklet operator to obtain feedback on loading needs to inform the design process,” the agency told the outlet. “Our support and collaboration will continue into the spring as we work on solutions that best protect both businesses and cyclists.”
