Editors: This story was originally published in Issue 164 of our quarterly Tube Times magazine, one of many perks of membership in the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition.

Every day I have the privilege of waking up, getting ready and heading out to join the thousands of San Franciscans who ride a bicycle. Sometimes I pedal with you in groups and sometimes I travel independently. Either way I recognize that I ride on concrete streets that were embedded with social inequities. I don’t have the luxury to ignore how the design of the streets were driven by experts whose values intentionally left specific people to spend more money, time and effort to transport themselves to and from their desired destinations. These motivating values haven’t fully diminished with time, and I’m continually reminded of the ways that I’m asked to sacrifice my personal safety due to the lack of recognition for my community’s needs and values.

However, through this cloud of disparities has come executive leadership to the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition that has the courage to confront discriminatory practices, cultivate partnerships with new allies and build trust with communities that have for too long lacked a place at the organization’s table.

This leadership is injecting love, peace, social justice, cooperation and compassion into the new waves of infrastructure. This leadership is confronting the challenge of how to incorporate the visions of marginalized communities with those of more traditional power players. This leadership is not indifferent to the effects of demanding infrastructure that reinforces existing models of inequalities.

Today, the 10,000-plus members of the SF Bicycle Coalition have the opportunity to harness our collective energy and support our staff on the diversity of projects they work on so tirelessly. These efforts look to invest in not just bike lanes, but the people who use them. As a bonded group, we, the membership, must take action. I PERSONALLY CHALLENGE OUR MEMBERSHIP TO TAKE ACTION and every month volunteer ONE extra hour or dedicate the equivalent of ONE hour of salary to your SF Bicycle Coalition. Together we can all take a stand for the delivery of bike lanes that bloom with the hopes and aspirations of all San Franciscans who want to join me and wake up every day with the ability to ride their bikes on safe streets.

Thank you for being a member!

Nicholas Aulston
President, Board of Directors