San Francisco restaurant owners are on a 30-day hunger strike to protest new bike lanes that they say are destroying their business.
The decision may seem extreme, but 41-year-old Ade Eltawil said it was necessary after the city's Department of Transportation refused to address complaints from Mission District neighbors about a 12-month trial bike lane. He said he felt that. After sleeping outside and not eating for 11 days, Eltawil says he lost about 15 pounds.
“Yesterday was a very tough day. My stomach was really hurting, just extreme pain,” Eltawill told USA TODAY on Thursday. “Up until then I was fine. But I'm willing to do it. I want people to know all the pain I'm going through.”
Eltawill is not only fighting for the family that owns Yasmin Mediterranean restaurant and Rossi Mission, a sci-fi art store, but also for several other people harmed by bike lanes. He said he was fighting for. He also plans to file a lawsuit against the city.
70 parking spaces reduced with bicycle lanes
Attorney Jim Cuadra, who represents Eltawill, said 70 spaces have been removed since the bike lanes were introduced in August, creating a parking shortage on Valencia Street. This introduction also reduces the amount of time a driver can use the remaining spots, with some spots having a five-minute time limit for him.
At least 10 businesses on the street have closed, and Cuadra said he expects that number to rise to 15 by the end of the trial period. This lane also eliminated all left turns in Valencia, further increasing traffic congestion.
“If you're going to come all the way to an area like Valencia, you can't do it without parking,” Eltawil said. “Five minutes is not enough time. Banning left turns causes confusion and leads to many accidents. It's a very undesirable situation.”
Cuadra said the road has also seen an increase in accidents, near misses and some serious crashes. Furthermore, delivery to businesses has become almost impossible.
“We have these trucks delivering to restaurants and other stores, and when they stop, they're basically blocking traffic,” Cuadra said. “It was a complete mess created.”
'Lack of communication' triggers hunger strike
Even more frustrating and dangerous than the lanes themselves, Eltawil said, is the San Francisco Transit Authority's inability to communicate, adding that he has tried to speak to people directly at offices and City Hall.
“They refuse to communicate,” he says. “Every time I send an email, I get a generic answer every time without any forwarding.”
Kevin Ortiz, a small business consultant who represents El Tawil restaurants, also criticized the agency for taking six to seven months to grant businesses basic permits such as outdoor seating and clothing racks. He said this was “unacceptable”.
Eltawill said she decided to raise awareness through an outdoor protest because other business owners are choosing not to speak out for fear of retaliation.
“All I want to do is hunger strike and duty and try to let people know what's going on,” he said.
The agency says it is working on a solution.
The city's transportation department said officials will talk with Valencia officials and use that feedback to design the bike lanes.
“Our support and cooperation will continue through the spring as we work toward solutions that best protect both businesses and bicyclists,” the agency said in a statement to USA TODAY.
The MTA did not respond to USA TODAY's questions about Eltawill and Cuadra's claims.
