A Green Fondo for Everyone

Posted on by San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

This is a guest post from one of our Board Directors, Alyssa Cheung, on her experience riding in the Green Fondo Climate Ride.

During my first pregnancy, I struggled with what felt like a loss of my identity – as someone who is very physically active, I quickly became uncomfortable surfing, running, and biking – the activities that help me thrive. My husband and I also just moved to the far southwestern corner of the city and resolved to drive less, so we hopped on the electric bike (e-bike) train. This ended up saving my sanity, and I unintentionally adopted a new identity as an e-bike mom. Being a cyclist and a parent has brought countless moments of joy while raising my now-toddler, while sharing biking adventures across the city, and I’ve also been fortunate to find new communities that also share these interests.

Last January, I had the opportunity to step into this e-bike mom identity in a new way. My best friend asked if I’d consider riding the Green Fondo Climate Ride with her. I had already contemplated joining Team SF alongside my fellow board members and had wanted to do a Climate Ride for several years, but was hesitant because I had just found out I was pregnant again. I waffled for a few days, until I found out that e-bikes are allowed – now, I really had no excuse. I was nervous about showing up to the ride as the lone cargo e-biker in the midst of hard core lycra-clad road cyclists. I finally decided to register, in large part because I wanted to be able to tell my daughter that I was still capable of doing things I cared about, even while pregnant.

The Green Fondo was a small action I took to feel like I was doing something tangible to make life better for my kids’ generation. I’m a natural worrier, and the two thoughts that keep me up at night are the thought of my kids getting hurt while walking or biking in the city, and how my kids will cope with the catastrophic effects of climate change. (One wonders how I ever manage to sleep.) While I try to play a small part in addressing both of these issues, both in my day job in energy policy and my volunteer work with SFBike, the Green Fondo was a chance to combine my interests and literally bring my kids along for the ride.

The ride itself was a true showcase of the best of Northern California. The scenery was just as one would imagine – breathtaking, verdant, charming, wild. The wind was particularly strong both days, making the feat all the more challenging and impressive, especially at the end of the first day when the final stretch included a long, steep hill before returning to camp. The ride offered me moments of comradery and also opportunities for quiet reflection. My husband brought my toddler along to meet us along different points, including a breakfast stop at Point Reyes Station. My daughter beamed when she saw me, proceeded to feed me a blueberry pancake she had saved me, then told me she’d meet me at the finish line. I loved that she got to participate in the event with me, even peripherally.

But the real reward of the whole event was the sense of community that grew out of the ride, both leading up to and during the event. I was touched by the many friends and loved ones who expressed enthusiastic support and gave generously for the ride and the causes I was supporting: safer streets for families in San Francisco. And my fear of being that lone non-lycra rider? That was quickly dispelled during check-in, when I saw that there were riders of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. I loved riding with Team SF and seeing familiar faces throughout the day. The Climate Ride strives to be a truly inclusive event, and I felt that time and time again throughout the weekend.

While my 3-month old and toddler might be a little too small at the moment, I’m looking forward to the day when I can bring both of my daughters on another Climate Ride with me, or perhaps watch them complete a ride while I wait for them at the finish line with fresh blueberry pancakes.

Inspired by Alyssa’s story? You, too, can join the Climate Ride. Join Team SF for the 2026 Green Fondo Climate Ride May 15-17. Reach out to Team SF Captain Matt Biggar (mtbiggar@gmail.com) for more information.

P.S. Registration fees before January 15 are only $75!

Bayview Community Pathway Project is a go!

Posted on by Shariff Wynn

On December 2,the SFMTA Board of Directors approved the Bayview Community Pathway Project. This project will improve the quality and safety of pedestrians, transit riders, and bikers in the Bayview neighborhood by offering a safer alternative to Third Street while still connecting them to local businesses, the Bayview Library, and the Southeast Community Center 

The project runs parallel to Third Street and touches Cargo Way, Mendell, Carol Ave, McKinnon Ave, Lane St, Underwood Ave and Keith St. The project scope includes: 

  • A protected bikeway along portions of the route. 
  • Raised crosswalks, corner “bulb-outs,” median islands — to slow traffic and make intersections safer for pedestrians 
  • Sidewalk widening, transit-boarding islands, and improved crossings and access — benefiting walkers, people using transit, older adults, people with mobility needs and cyclists. 

Back in 2020, theBayview Community Based Transportation Plan (CBTP) identified the need to improve safety and comfort for people walking and biking near Third Street – a corridor known for high traffic volumes and speeding. 

As part of the planning process with the Bayview CBTP, and in our work with the  Better and Safer Streets Collaborative, we’ve turned out community members to voice their concerns about speeding, stop sign compliance, and a lack of bicycle infrastructure in the neighborhood. 

The Bayview Community Pathways project delivers on SFMTA commitments in the Bayview Community Based Transportation Plan to improve safety for people walking, biking, taking transit, and driving in the Bayview, following other community-generated projects like the Bayview Shuttle and 15 Bayview Hunters Point Express.

Your San Francisco Bicycle Coalition continues to do an enormous amount of long-term community engagement work in the Bayview, both by building a base for active transportation projects and by turning out support for them.Sign up below to receive updates on the collaborative work we’re doing with Walk San Francisco and the San Francisco Transit Riders in the Bayview. 

I want updates!

PRESS RELEASE: The Street Safety Initiative promises a coordinated effort to improve safety on our streets

Posted on by San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

Today we joined Mayor Daniel Lurie, agency heads, and city leaders on the steps of City Hall as he announced Executive Directive 25-06, the Street Safety Initiative, a new roadway safety strategy for San Francisco that promises a coordinated effort to design, operate, and manage streets and transportation systems that ensure the safety of everyone who shares our streets. 

We are pleased to see that, with the Street Safety Initiative, the Mayor is taking ownership of improving our streets to be more safe and accessible to people who ride bikes, scooters, and who walk and use mobility devices. “For a long time, street safety advocates have been demanding not just leadership, but leaders willing to bring all of the City’s agencies together to tackle a problem that we know is solvable,” said Christopher White, executive director of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. The Street Safety Initiative brings the heads of city agencies together to coordinate their work and accelerate improvements. We also see the Mayor promising to deliver on existing strategies and plans, such as citywide daylighting and the Biking and Rolling Plan. SFBike and other advocates will make sure that these promises are delivered.

There is, of course, the risk that these will be just words, without strong followthrough. We will be watching closely to make sure the Mayor’s office and City agencies deliver on the promise of the Street Safety Initiative and prioritize its implementation, because that’s the only way to achieve real progress. 

And progress can be both effective and efficient – citywide daylighting has been law for nearly a year now, and the Biking and Rolling Plan is the culmination of three years worth of community engagement, street-design research, and best practice commitments. We want to see the Working Group focus on those existing plans and materials. “We don’t need another year to decide which high-stress corridors and intersections to address and remedy,” said Claire Amable, director of advocacy for SFBike. “We have all the information we need to move quickly and intelligently to improve street conditions and save lives.”

As the Initiative states, safety is a non-negotiable value of San Francisco, and we cannot accept traffic violence as the cost of moving around our city. There is no doubt that the surest way to improve safety and reduce congestion on our streets is to make it more convenient and more pleasurable for people to choose sustainable modes like walking, biking, rolling, and taking transit.

SFMTA Board must close the loophole in Better Market Street

Posted on by San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

In April, Mayor Daniel Lurie unilaterally invited autonomous vehicle company Waymo to drive and make pick-ups and drop-offs on Market Street, in direct contradiction to the Better Market Street plan, which passed in 2019 after decades of work and community input and made Market Street car-free from Steuart Street to 8th Street. The pilot began in August, and includes Uber and Lyft Black commercial vehicles. While the Better Market Street plan required approval by the Board, the Mayor sidestepped the Board’s authority by authorizing these ride-hail services to drive on Market Street by taking advantage of a loophole that permits commercially-plated vehicles to drive on the street, an exception originally intended for commercial delivery vehicles serving businesses on the street.

For several months, your San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, along with our many partners in the Keep Market Street Moving alliance, have been demanding that the SFMTA Board of Directors agendize this item at their bi-weekly meetings to allow a public debate about the pilot. 

In a surprise move, the SFMTA announced during Thanksgiving week that the Market Street pilot would be on the agenda on Tuesday, December 2 — immediately after the holiday. However, the item only included a report on data gathered in the first two months of the program, during which the ride-hail services were allowed to make pick-ups and drop-offs at seven loading bays on Market during limited hours; the SFMTA Board would not have the opportunity to vote on anything.

The presentation reported that, during the two months of data collection, transit service was not noticeably impacted, and that biking and rolling on Market increased by 10% during that time. However, SFMTA staff also acknowledged that the ride-hail services have not actually been using the street for pick-ups and drop-offs, with fewer than seven stops made on the corridor per day. Therefore, the data reported is not measuring any real changes. It also severely undermines the notion that there is a need to increase access for the most expensive transportation modes in San Francisco. 

Nonetheless, SFMTA staff recommended that access be allowed for the ride-hail companies at the same seven loading bays, with no time restrictions. This next phase could begin as early as December 15.

In public comments at the hearing, our Executive Director Christopher White said, “What other impacts are staff studying — or not? For example, we have consistently heard about and witnessed more private vehicles illegally driving on Market since the experiment began — and who can blame them, when to all appearances, cars are now allowed back on Market? Is SFMTA staff adequately studying changes to private vehicle encroachment?”

He continued, “And most importantly, please ask your staff why the Board is not voting on anything today? Our alliance of advocates, nonprofits, and businesses asked for a real hearing about this project. Over 2,500 people have signed a petition opposing this experiment; your Citizens’ Advisory Council asked as well. Instead, you are being told again, ‘here’s a report on Market Street, but you don’t have any role to play.’ This is false. Better Market Street required the approval of this body, and this body can and should weigh in again.”

Advocates who spoke at yesterday’s hearing demanded that the SFMTA Board close the commercial passenger vehicle loophole to again remove ride-hail services from Market Street. However, while the Board acknowledged discomfort with having been put in a very difficult position by the Mayor’s unilateral move, all Board members expressed a willingness to allow the ride-hail companies 24-7 access to the street and to collect data during the next three to six months. 

SFBike will continue to fight alongside our alliance partners to not only return Market Street to its car-free state, but to improve the biking and rolling experience on this vital thoroughfare in the future. Sign up to our campaign to continue being involved in this fight.

JOIN THE CAMPAIGN HERE

SRTS Community Highlight: When Our Culture Meets Our Bikes

Posted on by Josie Dominguez-Chand

Every November, San Francisco hosts Day of the Dead celebrations throughout the city. Josie Dominguez-Chand, our School Engagement Coordinator, shared her experience attending the 2025 ¡Las Calles Estan Vivas! A Dia de Lxs Muertxs Bike Ride, organized by Bicis Del Pueblo, a biking program within Poder SF. 

With more than fifty people, the smells of incense and marigolds set the stage, where we met to begin the ride at Chan Kaajal Park, which translates to little village in Mayan. I was told the history of the park began from Latina mothers who wanted a green space for their children and affordable housing. Hearing this made me think of the students and families who attend the schools I work with through the Safe Routes to School program. I also reflected on how sacred it is to have a connection to nature, a lesson from our ancestors who worshiped our Earth. 

As we rode, we stopped around various locations in the Mission District. At each stop, I learned more about ancestral rituals and how “the wiggle” follows the water of Mission Creek – it’s the path of least resistance. This was a completely new way for me to think not only about the street design, but how nature taught our ancestors and continues to teach us today. 

My heart felt full throughout the ride. Each time I left an offering along the stops, I realized how awesome it is when we create community and belonging, and when our culture meets our bikes. It was a beautiful experience and something I want more students and families from my heritage to have. I also felt immensely grateful to Bicis Del Pueblo for hosting this ride and all of the wonderful work they do in our city. We are lucky to have their programming year-round for students and families when school is out of session. 

At the end of the ride,  I had my aha moment of the night. Together with each push of our pedals, we honor our ancestors, and share their wisdom with the community for future generations. Whether we’re riding on the streets or on a school campus through a Family Learn to Ride, we share our pride, and I love that! 

Through Safe Routes to School programming, we support students and families to choose sustainable transportation options through the “Four Fun Ways” – walking, biking, taking transit, and carpooling – and we can do these activities everyday to honor our ancestors, celebrate our culture, and protect our planet!  

If you are interested in having Safe Routes to School activities to build community and belonging on your campus please reach out to Kenny Kruse, Program Manager, at kkruse@sfbike.org. 


To stay updated on events and programs throughout the school year sign up for the San Francisco Safe Routes Newsletter here!

Our statement on the fatal crash at Alemany and Naglee

Posted on by San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

Update, December 19: Press outlets have confirmed this week that the victim of this hit-and-run was Juan Paz, 45. Our hearts go out to his friends and family.

We learned yesterday that a man riding on a bike was struck and killed late on Sunday, November 16, by a person driving a car, at Alemany and Naglee in the Outer Mission. The person driving the car fled the scene, but a suspect has been apprehended by SFPD. 

Though his identity isn’t known to us yet, our thoughts are with the person’s friends and family as they navigate this heartbreak, and our hearts are heavy today – no one should ever lose their lives while riding a bicycle on our city’s streets.

As we wait to learn more details about the person who was killed this week, what we do know is that Alemany Blvd is a nightmare for people to ride on, and has been for years.

As a wide four-lane road with 30mph posted speed limits, Alemany is unsurprisingly a known high speed corridor – in fact, SFMTA placed one of the automated speed enforcement cameras on Alemany between Naglee and Farragut, near where this crash happened, and data shows that 27% of people were driving more than 10mph over the posted speed limit before the implementation of the speed enforcement cameras. And while the cameras are proving effective at lowering reckless speeds, automated enforcement alone is not sufficient to protect people’s lives. 

Alemany Blvd is the main designated bike route between the south and southwest of the city into the heart of San Francisco. Yet west of Rousseau, Alemany bike infrastructure consists of paint-only bike lanes for the entire length of the corridor through Mission Terrace and Outer Mission, which we know fails to protect people biking, particularly along wide roads with high speeds. The existing painted lanes on Alemany are an insufficient facility for people biking, especially in a part of the city where residents are disastrously underserved by All Ages and Abilities facilities.

And the consequences of this unsafe road design have been tragic – since 2017, there have been dozens of traffic-related collisions resulting in injuries or death involving people biking or walking along Alemany in District 11.

We have long called for improvements not just to Alemany, but also many other streets on the High Injury Network and inadequately protected bikeways in southern San Francisco that have been putting residents in those neighborhoods at risk of serious injury or death for many years.

Today, in the wake of another preventable death along this corridor, we demand that city leaders direct the SFMTA to accelerate implementation of street safety and traffic calming projects in D11, and prioritize projects that adhere to All Ages and Abilities standards, to ensure that everyone in San Francisco can get where they need to go by their chosen mode without risking their lives.

2026 is going to be a big year for Bay Area transit

Posted on by Rachel Clyde

The November 2026 election is slated to be critical for the future of for Bay Area transit. There will be two tax measures that will fund public transportation on the ballot and both need to pass to prevent major cuts to Bay Area transit services.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), like other transit agencies across the Bay Area, is facing a significant budget deficit of up to $322 million by 2026, largely due to reduced performance of the city’s general fund and the expiration of federal pandemic aid. 

Your San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is already working in local and regional coalitions to ensure that both of these measures will pass and that we will have well-funded public transportation in the future. In the event one or both of these transit measures fails, we could see major cuts to Muni, BART and other service providers. This would ultimately lead to an estimated 10,000 additional private vehicles congesting our roads daily, emitting pollution, causing traffic, and unsafe street conditions. 

The first ballot measure is a Bay Area regional sales tax. 

The details of the regional measure are determined by State Senator Scott Weiner’s legislation SB 63. The bill allows the measure to be placed on the ballot via a citizen’s initiative of signature collection. SB 63 includes several oversight and accountability provisions to ensure that revenue is being used responsibly.

If passed, the measure would create a 14-year regional sales tax that would generate $980 million annually in transit funding for all five Bay Area counties. This would be a half-cent sales tax in Santa Clara, San Mateo, Contra Costa, and Alameda counties, and a one-cent sales tax in San Francisco. This funding will prevent major cuts to transit services for BART, Muni, AC Transit, SF Bay Ferry, Caltrain, Santa Clara VTA, SamTrans, and some smaller transit agencies.

SFBike is working in a coalition led by Seamless Bay Area and SPUR to collaborate on public education and recruiting volunteers. We will need volunteers to collect signatures to get both ballot measures on the ballot and for other miscellaneous tasks. Sign up for updates on the campaign and how you can get involved.

The second ballot measure is a San Francisco variable parcel tax. 

This variable parcel tax is still taking shape. The Mayor’s office, SFMTA, and many advocates are working tirelessly to design the best variable tax structure that will provide the funding we need while also being equitable and likely to be approved by voters. So far, the Mayor’s suggestions for the variable tax structure are not sufficient and don’t live up to San Francisco’s transit-first policy.

We are part of the Muni Now, Muni Forever Coalition that is working to ensure the local measure is equitable and will sustain Muni far into the future. In order to achieve that outcome the measure must include these four principles:

1. Generates enough revenue to grow current service by 10%. 

2. Is structured fairly, with a variable rate so that smaller properties pay less and larger properties pay more.

3. Does not create any new cost passthroughs to tenants.

4. Scales with inflation and rising costs so the money from this measure will keep pace with rising costs and enable continued service delivery well into the future.

Now is the time to influence Mayor Lurie on the details of the variable parcel tax. Send an email to the Mayor to implore him to include Muni Now, Muni Forever’s four principles in the measure. 

Email Mayor Lurie

Better and Safer Streets meeting Kickoff

Posted on by Shariff Wynn

Last month we launched the Better and Safer Streets Collaborative (BASS), a community-centered initiative focused on residents of Bayview-Hunters Point and the Western Addition to improve public transit, biking and rolling infrastructure, and promote safer streets in these neighborhoods. We had our first convening at the end of October to learn more about and discuss attendees traffic safety needs in these neighborhoods.

BASS presented survey results from different events such as Sunday Streets and Mo’Magic events that took place at the start of 2024 into the summer of 2025 . Here are some takeaways from the survey results:

  • Public transit is the number one way people get around, followed by then driving, and then walking
  • 28% of survey respondents said they would like to bike and there was large interest in electric scooters
  • 30% of respondents shared they regularly use more than one mode of transportation to get around

For many people living in Bayview-Hunters Point and the Western Addition, speeding and unsafe driving are the top issues that make streets feel unsafe for people taking the bus, biking, or walking. This feedback, and the language pictured above, describes what we heard regularly from the survey responses and participants at our meeting. We also heard that fear of taking public transportation and a lack of transit connectivity also posed barriers specific to taking the bus.

We also discussed transportation projects currently underway in both Bayview-Hunters Point and Western Addition.

  • Bayview-Hunters Point: Bayview Community Pathway, and the Islais Creek Bridge replacement (expected to break ground in 2026)
  • Western Addition: The Buchanan Mall rebuild and the 16th Street Fillmore 22 bus project.

In the new year, we plan to host walk-bike-transit audits, as well as a number of community meetings and events and hope to have participants from the SFMTA, merchants associations, and various neighborhood and youth organizations collaborate with us. Sign up below to receive updates on the BASS Collaborative as we continue movement building in Bayview-Hunters Point and Fillmore/Western Addition.

I want updates!

Firefighter Family Ride Brings Families Together in Golden Gate Park

Posted on by Natti Tilahun

On October 18, we teamed up with the San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD), SFMTA, and SF Safe Routes to School for a Firefighter Family Ride through Golden Gate Park. For the past four years SFBike and SFFD have brought this event to our community to help build confidence for families and bring our community together.

The day started with a family bike class in the Panhandle, where our team went over bike safety and riding basics to build confidence on their bikes. We began by expressing to parents what we do and why we are here; how teaching kids the simple tips on balancing and turning can lead to the continued confidence of learning how to bike at home. Afterward, about thirty families and SFFD staff rode together to JFK Promenade, ending at the Whale’s Tail sculpture.

At the finish, families were greeted by a vintage fire engine and firefighters who handed out toys, gave tours of their truck, and talked about street safety. One parent told us, “We love doing this every year, thank you so much for bringing this back!”

In total, around fifty parents and kids joined us to learn more about family biking programs and how they can get involved. Events like this help families feel more confident biking in the city and strengthen our partnerships with local departments that share our commitment to safer streets. Get connected with more events like this and learn more about the Safe Routes program and how you and your family can get involved.

LEARN MORE

Keep Market Street Moving: Join us at City Hall on November 18

Posted on by Claire Amable

It’s been over two months since the Mayor announced Waymo, Uber, and Lyft Black would be able to pick up and drop off on Market Street. Since the announcement, we’ve observed an unprecedented increase in all kinds of vehicles being driven on Market Street, increasing congestion and making the corridor unsafe for people biking, rolling and walking. 

We raised this issue with SFMTA’s Citizens Advisory Council who are calling on the SFMTA Board of Directors to do two things: 

  1. The SFMTA CAC urges the SFMTA Board of Directors to take a public position on commercial passenger vehicles on Market Street. 
  2. To fully realize the vision of Better Market Street, the SFMTA CAC advises the SFMTA Board of Directors to close the loophole that allows commercial passenger vehicles, such as Waymo, Uber Black Cars, and Lyft Black Cars, on Market Street between Steuart and 10th. 

On Tuesday, November 18, the Keep Market Street Moving alliance is showing up to City Hall at 12pm to hand deliver  2,500 petition signatures to the Mayor from everyday San Franciscans who want to keep Market Street moving for sustainable transportation, and then at 1pm to give public comment on this issue at the SFMTA’s Board of Directors hearing. 

We need strong turnout to show the SFMTA Board of Directors that the CAC’s position has community support, so RSVP to join us and give public comment  in support of the CAC’s two motions. If you can’t make it in person, send your public comment in email to MTABoard@SFMTA.com by noon next Monday. 

RSVP FOR THE HEARING