New shared space on Middle Drive

There is a new shared space in Golden Gate Park. The SFMTA and Recreation and Parks Department just updated Middle Drive at the entrance to the Polo Field to create a protected promenade space for people biking, walking, and rolling alongside the lane of one-way vehicle traffic. There are soft-hit posts separating the car lane and the pedestrian/bike lane as well as signs, new crosswalks, and concrete barriers.

Since the Mayor’s COVID-19 Emergency Order, Middle Drive has been fully closed to cars between the intersection with Overlook Drive and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. This stretch of road includes the entrance to the Polo Fields. During the past few years, many people have used Middle Drive as a safe, car-free path through Golden Gate Park. Middle Drive is also a crucial part of the car-free Beach-to-Bay connection that the Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a resolution on in October 2021. In order to maintain this crucial space, SFMTA and Rec and Parks Department created this dedicated biking and walking space and protected it from the one-lane of vehicle traffic.

The new soft-hit posts, signs, road striping, crosswalks, and concrete barriers provide a distinct separation between the cars and the promenade. On the Northern side of the road – the one closest to the Polo Fields – there is no parking at any time. While biking on Middle Drive, remember to yield to pedestrians.

The SFMTA and Rec and Parks Department will assess the impact of these changes over the next few months and can make adjustments as needed to make sure the car-free portion of Middle Drive is protected.

The support of our members helped us preserve the permanent car-free JFK Promenade. Help us do more in 2023 by donating at sfbike.org/give2022.