Rai Sue Sussman

If someone told you they wanted to open a commercial business in a national park, your answer might be obvious—Who wants a McDonalds when you’re out in nature? But it can be more complicated than that.

The San Francisco 49ers are playing in the Super Bowl this weekend. (You might already know that.) It’s their sixth visit, but their first since 1994. The media has been covering the event like crazy, just like they do every year, so we were looking for a new angle … and we found something … old. Actually, someone.

The streets of San Francisco are changing. There are separated bike lanes on Market Street. There’s green paint all over the Wiggle. The city is definitely becoming more bicycle-friendly.

After many delays, the city’s bike plan is taking effect, with city streets long-designed for car traffic being reconfigured for other modes of transportation. Four years ago the city had 45 miles of bike lanes. Today there are 65 and more are scheduled to be laid down. Plus, 75 more miles of streets will be stenciled with symbols designating them as bike-friendly routes. It’s all having a big impact.