A series of 2 or 3 curb bulbs, chicanes slow traffic by creating a narrow, winding section of roadway. Like traffic circles, many chicanes can be attractively landscaped.

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I would suggest sending a team of planners, designers, and officials at the MTA/DPW on a trip to the Northwest. Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver are among the greatest places to bike on the entire continent and this is due in part to the push to build neighborhood greenways.

Greenways are simple. Think of the Wiggle. They are very similar. Find side streets that are parallel to arterials. Reduce the speed limit on these streets, put down green sharrows, build out curb bulbs at intersections and couple that with traffic circles at intersections (traffic circles are wonderful). Also partially elevate/provide adequately marked crosswalks at intersections. Mid-block, you can also put in traffic calming measures to keep speeds low. I'm not talking speed bumps, but things that make it easier for cyclists to ride safely, and at the same time require drivers to be aware of their surroundings and just slow down overall. In Seattle, on some residential streets, they have really interesting curb bulbs mid-block that bulb out in such a way as to make the roadway form an "S" shape. This shape narrows the road for a few feet and makes it so drivers must slow down to maneuver through this traffic calming device, but it allows cyclists to ride straight through.

Proper signage is also important. In France, they have a "zone de recontre," which is similar to a voonerf, but the great thing is that it is adequately marked. You know when you are entering one of these zones by signage that clearly states the speed (20 mph) as well as the type of traffic in that area (pedestrians, trams, bicycles, and lastly cars).

Four-way stops and traffic cameras also help keep drivers from overtaking cyclists in a lot of areas in Seattle, Portland, or Vancouver. Vancouver takes it a step further than Seattle or Portland though and designates some streets as bike only/residents' vehicles only - but I know that would never fly in SF. It might be worth thinking about though.

Hope this helps