A San Francisco restaurateur is in the midst of a month-long hunger strike to protest the city’s new bike lane project that he says is driving away his customers.
Eiad Eltawil, 41, will spend the next month in a park in front of his storefront, without eating, to show his hatred for the problematic new bike lane built outside his business.
Eltawil’s family runs Syrian restaurant Yasmin and art store Rossi Mission SF in the same building on Valencia Street in the city’s Mission district.
In August, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency unveiled its new two-way protected central bike lane, designed to be safer on the city’s most important north-south bike path, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
The bike lane project reduced the number of vehicle lanes on one side in each direction between 15th Street and 23rd Street in Valencia.
The project also removed 71 paid parking spaces, which local business owners say has reduced their customer base.
During his 30 days of protest, Eltawil said he would sleep in front of his art store, consuming only water while handing out flyers supporting his hunger strike.
Eltawil also wrote his grievances on the exterior of the makeshift structure where he will live next month.
“Eiad, the owner of Rossi and Yasmin, commits to a 30-day hunger strike starting April 7 to protest the unfair, racist and Islamophobic policies implemented in his business by the city hall, the MTA and the Association of Street Traders of Valencia.
After being repeatedly criticized by several departments and kicked out by City Hall, Eltawil hopes his fast will attract the attention of city leaders, who could change the bike lanes, or else he will be forced to close his beloved restaurant.
“I have already suffered so much,” Eltawil told the outlet. “At least this way, maybe someone in power will see my struggle and make changes.” This is a last resort for me.
“I don’t want bike lanes to be responsible for so many people losing activity,” Eltawil said.
“If I was in New York, I would have lines around the block,” Rafik Bouzidi, a Tunisian restaurant owner, told the San Francisco Chronicle. “But San Francisco is killing businesses, and it’s as simple as that.”
Bouzidi says he noticed that some people canceled their reservations at the city’s only Tunisian restaurant after looking for a parking space for 30 minutes.
Eight months after launching the six-month trial, the SFMTA says the experiment is a work in progress, according to KTVU.
Twelve collisions were reported between pedestrians and vehicles in the first three months of the bike path’s operation, a higher accident rate than before the bike path opened, according to the Chronicle.
In September, Jian Huang, an 80-year-old pedestrian crossing the street, was struck and killed by an SUV driver turning left into Valencia, according to SFGate.
Eltawil’s complaints about bike lanes have sparked mixed emotions from residents, with some agreeing with the business owner while others siding with the city’s agenda to create more cycle paths.
The SFMTA said it is working, hearing from business owners and refining the design for everyone’s benefit.
“We spoke to parklet operators in Valencia and received their feedback on their loading needs to inform the design process,” the agency told the outlet. “Our outreach and collaboration will continue through the spring as we work on solutions that best protect businesses and cyclists in the corridor.
New York Post
