San Francisco Bike Route Safety Map

San Francisco packs a surprising amount of bike infrastructure into 49 square miles — the Wiggle, the Panhandle, the Valencia protected corridor, JFK Promenade's car-free mile and a half through Golden Gate Park, the Embarcadero and Bay Trail, plus the Slow Streets network that converted ~30 miles of residential blocks into low-traffic bike/ped priority streets during the pandemic and kept them. But SF's hills, its narrow one-way streets, and a small set of hostile arterials mean the safety of any given ride is highly route-dependent. Brakeaway scores every route in SF from 0 to 100 based on protected infrastructure, intersection risk, traffic, hills, and surface quality. Paste a Google Maps link, upload a GPX, or connect Strava. The score appears in about 10 seconds.

How Brakeaway scores a San Francisco route

Every route you submit is analyzed across five factors. The factor weights are calibrated to SF's specific conditions — a compact city with a few transformative car-free corridors, a network of Slow Streets that effectively function as bike boulevards, real elevation challenges in most quadrants, and a short list of arterials that concentrate a disproportionate share of serious cyclist injuries.

1. Protected infrastructure. What share of your route is on a fully car-free path (JFK Promenade, the Panhandle, Embarcadero north-side, Bay Trail, the Great Highway's Sunset Dunes segment), a concrete-protected bike lane (Valencia, Market Street, parts of Howard and Folsom), or a Slow Street designation? Protected miles score near the top of this factor; conventional bike lanes score in the middle; unmarked streets on steep grades or high-traffic arterials score at the bottom.
2. Intersection risk. SF's signalized intersections at major arterial crossings (Market, Van Ness, 19th Avenue, Divisadero, Geary, Mission) are where most serious cyclist crashes happen. Brakeaway penalizes unprotected arterial crossings and flags left-turn conflict zones and right-hook risk spots.
3. Traffic volume and speed. SF's Slow Streets and residential blocks typically carry well under 1,000 vehicles per day. SFMTA publishes counts that show major arterials run 20,000–40,000 per day at 30–35 mph posted. Brakeaway uses those counts where available and scores arterial-exposed routes accordingly.
4. Hills and gradient. SF's grades are the primary differentiator from other US cities. Brakeaway penalizes steep gradients (12%+) on narrow streets where driver sightlines are shorter and cyclist speed control on descent is more limited. The Wiggle and the JFK/Panhandle corridor exist specifically because they thread the flattest parts of the city; Brakeaway's routing preferences match that logic.
5. Surface quality. SF's pavement varies widely — freshly paved corridors (Valencia, Market, the rebuilt Embarcadero) contrast with older streets where streetcar tracks, sunken MUNI rails, and deferred maintenance create real hazards. Brakeaway flags track crossings at oblique angles (Market Street, parts of Church, Judah) and reduces surface scores accordingly.

Best-scored SF bike routes

These are the routes that consistently score highest across Brakeaway's five factors. Each one is a good first ride, a good repeat ride, or both.

JFK Promenade — Golden Gate Park (1.5 miles, car-free)

San Francisco's single highest-scoring bike route. JFK Drive through the east half of Golden Gate Park has been permanently closed to private cars since April 2022. Fully paved, essentially flat, connecting the Panhandle to the park's core. Scores a clean 100. Loop it with MLK Jr Drive on the south side and you get a 3-4 mile park ride with zero car-lane exposure. The Great Highway's Sunset Dunes transformation adds another car-free coastal segment at the west end of the park.

The Wiggle + Panhandle path (Market to the Park, ~1.3 miles)

The Wiggle is the storied bike route through Lower Haight that zigzags via Duboce, Steiner, Waller, and Scott to avoid SF's steepest climbs, connecting Market Street at Church to the Panhandle path at the Park. The Panhandle extends as a fully separated multi-use path along Fell and Oak to Stanyan. Together they form the lowest-stress east-west connector in the city. Scores in the high 80s end-to-end; Panhandle segments score in the 90s.

Valencia Street PBL (Mission to Cesar Chavez)

SF's most-used commuter corridor, with center-running protected bike lanes (the rare US example) and conventional curb-side protected segments north and south of that. The center-running configuration has been iterated — SFMTA is continuing to refine signal phasing and intersection treatments through 2026. Scores in the 80s overall, with the most controversial intersection segments scoring lower. Connects Market to the southern Mission and continues to Cesar Chavez.

Embarcadero + Bay Trail north side (Oracle Park to Aquatic Park, 3+ miles)

The Embarcadero's bay-side multi-use path runs from Oracle Park past the Ferry Building, Pier 39, and into Fisherman's Wharf, continuing as the Bay Trail to Aquatic Park, Fort Mason, and the Marina Green. Fully paved and separated. Scores in the high 80s and low 90s. One of the busiest bike corridors in SF on weekends; less so on weekday mornings when it's primarily commuters.

Crissy Field + Presidio to Golden Gate Bridge

Crissy Field's waterfront promenade and the Presidio's internal bike network combine with the Golden Gate Bridge east-sidewalk bike path (cyclists only on weekdays; shared with pedestrians on weekends) to form one of SF's iconic rides. Scores 85–100 depending on bridge-sidewalk crowding. Connects Marina and North Beach to Marin via the bridge.

Market Street PBL (Embarcadero to Church)

Market Street has been closed to private vehicles east of 10th Street since 2020 and has a curb-protected bike lane along much of the rest of its length. MUNI, taxis, commercial vehicles, and bikes are the only users east of 10th. Scores in the high 80s on the car-restricted segments. Combined with the Valencia PBL, Market forms the spine of SF's central bike commute network.

Slow Streets — Sanchez, Page, Shotwell, Lake, and others

SF's Slow Streets network emerged during the 2020 pandemic and was made permanent in 2022. Traffic-calming infrastructure, diverters, and 15 mph speed limits keep the streets low-stress for cyclists and pedestrians. The most-used Slow Streets for bike commuting include Sanchez (Mission to Noe), Page (Panhandle to Market), Lake (Richmond), Shotwell (Mission), and Arlington (Bernal). Scores on Slow Streets consistently run in the 85–95 range.

Great Highway / Sunset Dunes (Lincoln to Sloat)

The Great Highway's southern mile-plus was permanently closed to cars and converted to the Sunset Dunes open space in 2025 after the November 2024 ballot measure passed. Paved, fully separated, along the Pacific. Scores 95–100. Connects to Ocean Beach and provides the western-edge equivalent of JFK Promenade.

San Francisco neighborhoods — what to expect

Safety scores vary widely by neighborhood. Here's what routes typically score where.

Mission, Castro, Noe Valley

The Valencia PBL is the spine. Sanchez Slow Street provides the quiet north–south alternative. 14th, 17th, and 21st are the cross-streets with decent bike infrastructure. Weak points are Mission Street itself (unprotected, mixed-use with bus traffic), South Van Ness (high-injury corridor), and the climb up to Noe Valley on 24th. Scores on the PBL and Slow Streets run in the 80s–90s; arterial scores drop into the 40s–60s.

SOMA and Financial District

Market Street's protected corridor is the core. Howard, Folsom, and parts of 2nd, 5th, and 8th have PBLs in specific segments. The Embarcadero runs the east edge. Weak points: Bryant, Harrison, and the freeway on-ramps on Folsom and Bryant at 5th, 6th, and 7th all concentrate cyclist injuries. Scores on protected segments run in the 80s; unprotected SOMA streets run in the 50s–60s.

Inner and Outer Richmond

Golden Gate Park is the spine — JFK Promenade plus MLK Jr Drive, Middle Drive, and the Transverse. Lake Street's Slow Street designation and 25th Avenue's low-traffic flat grid give the Inner Richmond a decent internal network. Weak points: Geary (SF's deadliest surface-street corridor, though the BRT construction is changing the geometry), 19th Avenue / Park Presidio, and Fulton's signalized crossings. Scores in the park run in the 90s–100s; arterial scores collapse.

Inner and Outer Sunset

The Great Highway / Sunset Dunes on the Pacific and Golden Gate Park on the north edge give the Sunset two fully separated paths. Internal streets (Irving, Judah, Noriega, Ortega) are residential and generally safe, though MUNI N-Judah and L-Taraval rails create cross-track hazards. Lincoln Way along the south edge of the park has a bike lane. Weak points: 19th Avenue and Sunset Boulevard's high-speed arterial stretches.

Haight, Hayes Valley, Western Addition, Lower Haight

The heart of the Wiggle and Panhandle corridor. Scott, Baker, Steiner, Fell, Oak, Duboce, Sanchez, Page — almost every east–west and north–south route through this zone has some form of bike infrastructure or Slow Street designation. The densest low-stress network in the city. Scores run consistently in the 80s–90s.

North Beach, Chinatown, Russian Hill, Nob Hill

SF's hill climbs. Columbus has a bike lane but heavy traffic; Stockton is narrow and hostile; the climb up to Russian Hill or Nob Hill via Larkin, Hyde, or Jones is the bike route choice of last resort. Most first-time SF cyclists avoid this quadrant entirely on a bike — Brakeaway's routing will usually detour around it unless you're specifically climbing to a destination there.

Dogpatch, Mission Bay, Bayview

The waterfront bike path from AT&T (Oracle) Park south through Dogpatch, Mission Bay, and to Hunters Point is one of SF's underused assets — fully separated in most segments. The 3rd Street corridor in Bayview remains Brakeaway's lowest-scored SF arterial. Illinois Street provides a reasonable parallel through the industrial district. Scores on the waterfront path run in the 80s; 3rd Street scores remain low until the planned bike infrastructure is completed.

SF's Vision Zero and the Bike Network

San Francisco adopted Vision Zero in 2014 with a goal to eliminate traffic fatalities by 2024. That target was missed; the city has renewed the commitment with updated timelines. The high-injury network — roughly 13% of SF's streets where most serious injuries occur — includes 19th Avenue, Park Presidio, Geary, Van Ness, South Van Ness, parts of Mission, 3rd Street, Potrero, and several east–west corridors in SOMA. For cyclists, the implication is that route scores concentrate their variance on whether or not your route crosses or rides along these corridors. Brakeaway refreshes infrastructure monthly.

Ongoing 2026 projects that will change scores include the Valencia corridor continued iteration, Howard Street PBL extension, the Geary BRT corridor's bike-lane treatments, Folsom Street quick-build improvements, and additional Slow Streets candidates under evaluation.

First-time SF cyclist — the things nobody tells you

The Wiggle is the philosophy, not just the route. The Wiggle's specific path through Lower Haight is worth knowing, but the broader principle is that SF has a flat band through the center of the city — roughly Market to the Panhandle along the valley between Twin Peaks and Russian Hill — and most east–west trips can stay within that band. Brakeaway's routing will usually do this automatically.

The Slow Streets are the backbone now. The 2020 Slow Streets program converted about 30 miles of residential streets into low-traffic bike/ped priority corridors, and they survived the pandemic. Sanchez, Page, Lake, Shotwell, Arlington, Cayuga, and others are now routine parts of SF bike commutes. If your Brakeaway route doesn't use them, it's probably missing an option.

MUNI rails are the cyclist's oldest enemy. Embedded streetcar and light-rail tracks on Market, Church, Judah, Taraval, and the Embarcadero loop can catch a bike wheel if you cross them at less than 45 degrees, especially when wet. Brakeaway flags track-adjacent segments and penalizes oblique crossings in scoring.

Bay Wheels e-bikes change the hill calculation. SF's hills are less of a barrier on an e-bike. Bay Wheels (Lyft-operated) has extensive SF coverage plus Oakland, Berkeley, Emeryville, and San Jose. For a first-time cyclist worried about SF's grades, an e-bike ride up and over Nob Hill is a very different experience than doing it under your own power. Brakeaway scores both identically.

Fog, wind, and the afternoon westerly. SF's microclimates are real for cyclists. Summer afternoons bring a steady 15–20 mph westerly wind that makes westbound rides (especially through the Sunset toward the ocean) meaningfully harder. Fog can drop visibility sharply in the Sunset and Richmond. Lights year-round and layers for temperature swings are standard.

The bridge question. The Bay Bridge has a bike path on the east span (Oakland to Treasure Island only) but no bike access on the west span into SF. The Golden Gate Bridge is fully bike-accessible (east sidewalk weekdays, west sidewalk weekends, though rules iterate). BART allows bikes on all trains at all times, which makes BART-plus-bike the practical answer to Oakland/East Bay trips.

Resources

• SFMTA — biking in San Francisco
• Vision Zero SF
• SF Bicycle Coalition — local advocacy
• Bay Wheels — SF bike share
• SFMTA Slow Streets program

Frequently asked questions

Is Brakeaway free to use for San Francisco routes?

Yes. Scoring routes — in San Francisco or any other city Brakeaway covers — is free. You can upload a GPX file, paste a Google Maps directions link, or connect Strava to import existing rides.

I'm new to SF cycling. Where should I start?

JFK Promenade through Golden Gate Park (permanently car-free since 2022) is the best first ride. Add the Panhandle path and the Wiggle to reach Valencia and you have a low-stress, mostly flat route from the ocean all the way to the Mission. After that, the Embarcadero to Crissy Field and the Bay Trail north-side give you another fully separated path with postcard views.

What is the Wiggle and why does Brakeaway score it so high?

The Wiggle is a signed bike route through the Lower Haight, Duboce Triangle, and the Panhandle that weaves through the valley between SF's hills to avoid the steepest climbs. It connects the Panhandle bike path at Scott Street to Market Street and Valencia via Steiner, Duboce, Sanchez, and other lower-traffic streets. Brakeaway scores most Wiggle segments in the mid-80s because traffic volumes are low, speeds are low, and the elevation profile avoids SF's notorious grades.

Which SF corridors score highest?

JFK Promenade in Golden Gate Park (car-free), the Valencia Street protected bike lane, the Market Street protected corridor, the Embarcadero and Bay Trail paths, the Panhandle path, the Wiggle, the Great Highway section between Lincoln and Sloat (now Sunset Dunes open space), and the Slow Streets network all score in the high 80s to 100 range.

How does Brakeaway handle San Francisco's hills?

Yes, hills are factored into scoring. Brakeaway penalizes steep gradients on narrow streets because sightlines for drivers are shorter and cyclist speed-control is harder on descents. The Wiggle exists specifically to route around SF's 15%+ climbs; Brakeaway will usually prefer Wiggle-style routing automatically. For destinations where climbing is unavoidable (Nob Hill, Russian Hill, Twin Peaks), the scores account for the climb and recommend lower-stress approach streets wherever possible.

How does Brakeaway treat Bay Wheels and e-bikes?

Bay Wheels is SF's Lyft-operated bike-share with classic pedal bikes and Class 1 pedal-assist e-bikes across SF, Oakland, Berkeley, Emeryville, and San Jose. Brakeaway scores Bay Wheels routes identically to routes on your own bike — the assist doesn't change infrastructure risk. Export a Bay Wheels trip as GPX from the Lyft app history and upload it to see the score. E-bikes meaningfully reduce the effort of SF's hills, which makes more of the city practical to commute by bike.

Which SF streets should I avoid on a bike?

Brakeaway consistently scores the following corridors very low: South Van Ness and Van Ness (high-volume arterials with inconsistent bike treatment), 19th Avenue / Park Presidio (SF's deadliest corridor), Geary in the Inner Richmond, parts of Folsom east of 11th, most of Potrero Avenue, and nearly all of 3rd Street in Bayview (until bike infrastructure is completed). All are on SF's Vision Zero high-injury network. Plan around them using the Slow Streets, the Wiggle, or parallel low-traffic streets.

How often is SF route data updated?

Infrastructure data is refreshed monthly from SFMTA open datasets, OpenStreetMap, and Vision Zero SF project updates. Major 2026 projects — including the Great Highway transformation into the Sunset Dunes open space, ongoing Slow Streets implementation, and Valencia corridor iterations — are reflected in scores within 30 days.

Last updated: April 20, 2026.