Look, we get it. If you run a shop on Ocean Avenue, anything that might reduce the number of cars passing your storefront feels like an existential threat. That's a reasonable instinct. But instinct isn't data, and the data SFMTA presented tells a different story: transit lanes on similar corridors have actually helped retail sales, not killed them. Turns out, when buses run faster and more reliably, more people show up to your neighborhood — and they spend money when they get there.

There's also the safety angle, which deserves more attention than it's getting. SFMTA's numbers show drivers are more likely to obey speed limits on roads with dedicated transit lanes. Ocean Avenue isn't exactly a model of pedestrian safety right now. If a relatively low-cost infrastructure change can slow cars down and move buses faster, that's a rare win-win — the kind of thing government should be doing instead of, say, spending $1.7 million per porta-potty.

The merchant opposition is understandable but ultimately short-sighted. Faster, more reliable K-Ingleside service means more foot traffic in the corridor. More foot traffic means more customers. Cities that have implemented transit priority lanes — from New York to Portland — have seen this play out over and over.

Another community meeting is scheduled for Monday at 6 PM at City College, where SFMTA is expected to present potential design solutions. We'd encourage anyone with a stake in Ocean Avenue's future to show up and engage in good faith. And if you can't make it, feedback can be sent to RapidKProject@SFMTA.com.

Here's what we'd really like to see: SFMTA sticking to its original plan rather than watering it down to appease the loudest voices in the room. San Francisco has a long, sad history of letting great transit projects die by committee. Ocean Avenue deserves better — and so do the thousands of Muni riders who depend on the K line every day.

Faster buses. Safer streets. Potentially better business. Sometimes the math just works. Let it.