The SF Bicycle Coalition is ecstatic to welcome Kristen Leckie to the team as a Community Organizer. Kristen is a Southern California native who is now a dedicated advocate for people walking and biking across the Bay Area. In their role as Community Organizer, Kristen will be working with members to advance your dreams on crucial campaigns, including for year-round Healthy Saturdays in Golden Gate Park, along the Embarcadero and on Valencia Street.
Along with introducing Kristen, we are also saying farewell to Julia Raskin, who’s been on staff for the last two years as community organizer. Julia has been instrumental in organizing member-driven campaigns for Upper Market, 17th Street, Balboa Park and beyond. We wish her a fond farewell as she moves back to the East Coast to be closer to family.
SF Bicycle Coalition: What sparked your passion for bicycle advocacy?
My passion for bicycle advocacy began when I realized that the streets in my hometown weren’t built with walking and biking in mind. When I moved to the Bay Area, I started to get more involved with community activism, and I was able to channel this work around my love of biking. Most recently, I worked with Bike Walk Alameda for Bike to Work Day and as a member of their board. I’m looking forward to using these experiences as a foundation for my work as a community organizer.
What do you look forward to the most about working at the SF Bicycle Coalition?
I’m excited to build relationships with community members and work together on campaigns. It’s really inspiring to work with people who are so passionate about improving their communities for everyone. I’m looking forward to helping ensure that the campaigns we’re fighting for represent what our neighbors want and need. I also can’t wait to meet all the dedicated SF Bicycle Coalition members who’ve helped us with our current and past campaigns!
Which campaigns are you most excited about?
I’m most excited for our campaigns on Upper Market and Valencia Street. I know that these campaigns are major bike routes, and I’m excited to be a part of the process to create smarter street designs on these busy corridors. I’m also looking forward to working on campaigns in places like the Western Addition and the Inner Richmond where traffic calming can help create safer streets for people walking and biking.
The SF Bicycle Coalition has just added “transportation justice” as a new core value. What does that mean to you?”
To me, transportation justice means ensuring that all people have access to safe, reliable means of transportation. This doesn’t just mean bike lanes; we also need to guarantee that those walking and taking public transportation have reliable, safe means of doing so. Transportation justice looks like bike lanes connecting the city, sidewalks being accessible to all bodies, and public transportation being equally reliable in all neighborhoods of the city.
As a new member of the SF Bicycle Coalition, is there anything you would like us to know?
Outside of work, I really enjoy reading science fiction, hand carving stamps and creating my own zines. Feel free to reach out with recommendations for all things sci-fi!
Turn over a new leaf in the new year. Be like Kristen and dedicate yourself to improving SF’s streets for all road-users as a member of the SF Bicycle Coalition. In addition to supporting the work of Kristen and our entire team of professional advocates, you’ll see that — with member discounts all over town — membership pays for itself.