San Francisco

Renegade Biker Tackles SF with Traffic Cones

Following the preventable deaths of two San Francisco cyclists earlier this month, one man is taking a stand to protect future bike riders from dangerous drivers – and he seemingly doesn’t care if he has to break the law to do it.

The man, who asked to be identified only by his first name, Adam, has been raising money and buying orange traffic cones to act as a barricade along more treacherous stretches of road. He’s been placing them on Golden Gate Avenue in the Tenderloin, disregarding the law in the process.

He says the countless times he’s been hit by car doors and run off the road while riding his bike in San Francisco inspired his renegade crusade.

He also says his horn and helmet camera aren’t enough to protect him, making his action a necessary one. The cones that he put up in the Tenderloin come with a note attached that says, simply, “Bikes to the right” and “Cars to the left.”

Adam, who created a Twitter page for his undercover advocacy efforts, has been calling on other riders to share trouble spots, so he can add cones there as well. He said he’s tired of waiting for public policy to make locations a safer place for cyclists.

“This is a top down leadership failure,” he told NBC Bay Area. “We want to put pressure on those individuals to make rapid improvement.”

Perhaps surprisingly, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency didn’t seem too upset about the new street additions.

“It’s not legal but it is something we can appreciate,” said spokesperson Paul Rose of the SFMTA. He added that the city has been trying to improve safety measures, and noted that the city recently painted bike lanes along Golden Gate Avenue. Rose also said some permanent barriers will be installed.

But the cones? They're gonna have to go.

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