Meet Your Board: Zack Stender

Posted on by Chris Cassidy

Zack’s passion for bikes and bicycle advocacy in San Francisco goes way back. An SF Bicycle Coalition member since 2003, Zack’s commitment to making our city a more livable, bikeable place led to his service on our all-volunteer board, but also drew him to open Huckleberry Bicycles on mid-Market St. in 2010.

“I recently hosted a Bike Camping 101 workshop that was a fundraiser for the SF Bicycle Coalition at my bike shop,” Zack said. “As a board member, fundraising is a constant necessity to keep this organization producing.”

In addition to helping us keep the lights on, Zack has stepped up in other key roles during his tenure on the board.

“Currently, as chair of the Board Membership Committee, I am leading the board in supporting the staff’s effort to grow membership and volunteer programs,” Zack said. “On the Board Development Committee I am helping to prepare for the 2016 board elections and heading up the mid-year board check-ins that we do every year.”

With half of the board’s seats up for election every year, there is constant turnover and the accompanying need to ensure that everyone is finding ways to contribute constructively.

“We meet with each board member and see how they are doing, ask how they feel the board is doing, and use these findings to try to find how we can improve the board’s function and effectiveness,” Zack said.

Zack’s favorite part of serving on the board is the tangible effects that our collective work is having on the city around us.

“Every time a new bike lane is put in, or a new program to get more people on bikes is launched, or we win new policy to improve biking in San Francisco, I take pride in knowing that I played a significant role in helping to make it happen,” Zack said. “It’s hugely rewarding.”

Members elect half of our all-volunteer Board of Directors every year. This year, voting opens on Nov. 14 and closes at Winterfest on Dec. 4. Voting will also be available online during that time, and in person at our office (1720 Market St.)

Bike Racks and Business: Morning Due Cafe

Posted on by Charles Deffarges

If you’ve ever found yourself riding from the Castro to Dolores Park with a hankering for a great coffee, chances are Morning Due Cafe is your spot. Morning Due sits in between the Castro and the Mission District making it a breeze to get to by bike.

To make parking easier for all of their customers who ride bikes, folks at Morning Due requested sidewalk bicycle racks from the SF Municipal Transportation Agency. Just recently, two shiny new racks were installed and are now seeing lots of use. We caught up with Joel, a bike enthusiast and Morning Due’s owner of two decades.

Request a Rack Today

SF Bicycle Coalition: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your business?

I came to San Francisco at the age of 17, from my home country Jordan, as an eager and motivated individual. After obtaining my degree in business, I opened my first business which was a small cafe in the Haight called “Love N’ Haight.” Soon after I got married to my wife Reham and after our first child Seja was born in 1996. We then opened Morning Due Cafe in that same year.

By opening Morning Due, we created a safe and loving community in the neighborhood. Morning Due was the only cafe in the neighborhood at that time, then, years after, more and more cafes opened in the area. Around eight years ago we transformed the cafe and opened a full kitchen turning it into a restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Morning Due Cafe is a family-run business aiming to serve our customers with great service.

How long have you been in business at this location?

A little over 20 years.

How have you seen biking in San Francisco change during that time?

Twenty years ago we were one of the very first few businesses that encouraged bicycles in San Francisco, back when Leah was the Executive Director. In the past 20 years that I have been in this location, biking has become more and more popular. Biking is such a great alternative to getting around the city.

Do a lot of your customers ride bikes?

I would say the majority of our customers do ride bikes.

You’ve just had new racks installed out front, how have they been working out for you and your customers so far?

These new racks have been an advantage to our customers that bike. A lot of our customers who ride bikes here are so grateful and ecstatic about this new addition out front.

Want to request a rack in front of your business? Are you a customer at a local shop and wish it had bike racks? All are welcome to request a bike rack!

Turn Back Your Clocks, Turn On Your Lights

Posted on by Libby Nachman

Get ready to light up the night! Sunday marks the end of daylight saving time, meaning it’s going to be a lot darker next week when you hop on your bike in the evening. To help make sure people riding in San Francisco can be seen and be safe, we’re excited to announce another season of Light up the Night, our annual bike light distribution campaign.

With help from our generous sponsor, Bay Area Bicycle Law, our partners at the SF Municipal Transportation Agency and our team of fabulous volunteers, we install free white front lights and red rear lights on the bicycles of hundreds of people riding at night. We put on these events during the darkest months of the year, starting in November and running through December. To make sure that the bicycle lights go to those who need them the most, we keep the distribution locations a secret.*

This campaign wouldn’t be possible without the support of our dedicated member-volunteers. Sign up to help install lights in a neighborhood near you!

Come Light up the Night

Not only do lights help you be seen while you’re riding, they’re also required by law. California law (CVC 21201) mandates a white front light and rear red reflector or reflective red light, as well as yellow or white reflectors on sides and pedals (reflective whitewalls count). Members, head over to one of our many discount partners to purchase a set of lights. (Not a member? Join today!)

*Please note that you must have a bicycle with you to get a light. We will only install lights on a bicycle.

Reimagining the Embarcadero

Posted on by Julia Raskin

One of our amazing SF Bicycle Coalition members, Ellen Cohan, re-imagined the Embarcadero above. “I think a separated bike lane would allow people on bicycles to ride with confidence along the waterfront.”

Be a part of the action to help re-design San Francisco’s iconic waterfront.

You are invited to the open house on Nov. 17 led by the SF Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA). Here’s your chance to finally see the most up-to-date design options for an accessible Embarcadero with protected bike lanes from AT&T Park to Fisherman’s Wharf.

RSVP for the Reveal

As the popularity of the waterfront grows, transportation to the Embarcadero will have to evolve to handle the expanding demand. On Nov. 17 the SFMTA unveils design options to transform the Embarcadero into a shared corridor with first-rate protected bicycle lanes, and ample room to walk and take in the views of the Bay.

Only 25 years ago the Embarcadero was a raised freeway with no room for people to enjoy the views, let alone ride a bicycle. The freeway’s removal improved the area for everybody, but anyone who rides the Embarcadero can tell you that there is a lot of room to improve the road for people biking.

If you support protected bike lanes as a central part of the Embarcadero transportation planning and design, come to the open house on Nov. 17 at Pier 1 where you can speak directly with SFMTA planners about design options.

Embarcadero Enhancement Project Open House
Thursday, Nov. 17 from 4:00 – 7:00 pm
Pier 1, Port of San Francisco

Member-Volunteer Amita Amin: SF Bike Famous

Posted on by Paloma Rezende

You may not know member Amita, even if you have a sneaky feeling that she looks familiar. Among the many, many ways Amita has volunteered with your SF Bicycle Coalition was as a subject of our photo shoot last year in preparation for Bike to Work Day. So her smiling face was at bus stops all over town.

sf-transitshelter-ad-amita_600px

Amita featured in our 2016 Bike to Work Day ad that populated bus stops all over San Francisco.

Amita remains very involved in our work, volunteering at everything from Valet Bike Parking to Winterfest (which is coming up on Sunday, Dec. 4 at a new venue!) She also had time for us recently to share why she became a member and what keeps her coming back to support the work of your SF Bicycle Coalition.

SF Bicycle Coalition: How long have you lived in San Francisco?

Amita: I am from India. I arrived in San Francisco in April, 2015. I bought a bike two weeks later and started riding around the city to explore.

I have two favorite routes now. One favorite is crossing the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito. Another favorite is riding through Golden Gate Park onto the Great Highway.

Why did you first get involved with the SF Bicycle Coalition, and what keeps you coming back?

I attended the Women Bike SF Coffee Club and joined on the spot. It feels great to be part of an organization that helps making biking safe in the city. My favorite event is Tour de Fat as a Parade Marshall volunteer. It’s awesome riding along with other bicycle enthusiasts and enjoying the fun through Golden Gate Park.

If you could change just one thing about the city to make it better for people on bikes, what would it be?

San Francisco has good bike lanes, but it would be much better if more were protected, making it feel safe for all people biking. That’s part of why I love the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. It is an awesome organization that makes bicycling safe across San Francisco.

Anything else you’d like fellow members to know about volunteering with the SF Bicycle Coalition?

It’s a fun, exciting way to meet and share ideas with like-minded people who bike. It feels good to contribute to making the city bicycle-friendly.

Love biking and people who bike? Be like Amita and volunteer with us at Winterfest, our annual member party. Sign-up now.

Soft-Hit Posts, the Ballot Box & You

Posted on by Brian Wiedenmeier

I came upon them like something out of a dream: plastic posts on Folsom at Division Street, reflecting in the night and keeping a stretch of bike lane clear that was all-too-frequently blocked by illegally parked cars and trucks.

Was the City finally making an effort to improve a stretch of bike lane that had long been a source of frustration for me and other people who bike in SF? I stopped and took a closer look: #DemandMore the posts said. They were the work of those masked avengers at the SF Municipal Transformation Agency. I should have known better.

Those posts are now gone, and Folsom Street remains a harrowing and less-than-ideal place for people who bike. I live in Western SoMa not far from the temporary installation on Folsom. Every day my partner and I leave our apartment on our bikes we feel the impact of unsafe streets viscerally. Auto traffic speeds to and from freeway onramps and offramps down five lane, one-way streets. Things could be so much better.

I know our members agree with me. Nearly 500 of you responded to our survey, and several dozen have participated in workshops and shown up to outreach meetings as part of our SoMa Member Committee. We want physically protected bike lanes and intersections. We want smart, data-driven enforcement of speed limits. And we wanted them yesterday.

Biking in SoMa—and in every neighborhood across San Francisco—is far from what it could be. If the City doesn’t have a clear vision for what that could look like (and it’s more apparent than ever that they don’t), it’s our job to advance one: concrete medians and planters separating bikes from pedestrians and auto traffic; one-way traffic sewers converted to two-way neighborhood streets; bike and pedestrian signals with lead timing before the green for autos; and bulbouts and raised crosswalks that reduce speeds.

These aren’t fantasies. They are proven treatments that save lives and encourage more people to bike. And they are being installed on streets in other American cities at a rate that should embarrass our City government.

So far in this job I have heard a lot of excuses from City leaders about why they can’t deliver projects faster. One of them is always resources. While the culture of delay that pervades City agencies should never be permitted, it’s true that construction projects like those I just described cost money. We need to take that excuse away from them.

That’s why the SF Bicycle Coalition is working so hard to pass Propositions J&K. It’s always an uphill battle when you ask people to raise taxes, but Propositions J&K would enact a modest, ¾-cent sales tax increase that would bring real improvements to the lives of San Franciscans for decades to come. In addition to crucial funding for homeless services such as new navigation centers and real housing solutions, Propositions J&K would guarantee funding for affordable access to Muni, street repaving and over $10 million a year for the kind of complete street projects that San Franciscans are demanding for our neighborhoods. If you can help us make the case to your friends and neighbors in the last week before Election Day, please sign up to volunteer today.

We have a vision for a real network of protected bike lanes across our city. We have the passion and commitment of our members behind it, and we need that enthusiasm to show up to the polls next week. Beyond Nov. 8, the SF Bicycle Coalition will continue to show up, day after day, and fight for a city where we don’t need ordinary individuals taking matters into their own hands out of frustration in the face of delay and inaction.

In the meantime, and until our vision is fully realized, I will share this note of gratitude to the anonymous folks behind SFMTrA: thank you for the temporary sanity you are bringing to our streets. It is helping build the urgent case for permanent solutions.

Volunteer to help pass Propositions J&K and add your voice to the SFMTrA’s call for a safe Folsom Street.

Meet Your Board: Andy Thornley

Posted on by Chris Cassidy

Board member and former staffer Andy Thornley’s relationship with the SF Bicycle Coalition stretches back to the first Clinton administration.

“Back in 1994 I heeded an email from SF Bicycle Coalition executive director (and lone staffer) Dave Snyder, looking for a volunteer Mac mechanic to help with donated office computers,” Andy said. From there he began volunteering with Valet Bicycle Parking, tabling at events, and a slew of other opportunities. “It was all so fun and rewarding that I just got deeper and deeper into the SF Bicycle Coalition scene!”

Andy ran for election to our Board of Directors last year with an eye towards the end of our current strategic plan in 2017.

“I stood for the board last fall mainly to offer help with the next strategic planning cycle, which will kick off soon,” Andy said. “In the upcoming strategic planning process, we’re going to have a thorough conversation about where we want the organization to go in the next five years, and how we’ll prioritize and carry out our work getting there.”

With those goals and interests at heart, Andy serves on a handful of related board committees.

“I’m on the Strategic Planning Committee, the Membership Committee, the Governance Committee, and I also sit in on Board Development Committee meetings,” Andy said of his board service. “It’s humbling and inspiring to collaborate on key tasks with sharp dedicated board colleagues and staff members.”

Andy sees service on the board as the most recent elevation of his longtime involvement with the organization, which gives him a regular opportunity to volunteer his time to further our mission.

“It’s an exceptional opportunity to pay back some of the love and hard work I’ve benefitted from as a longtime SF Bicycle Coalition member and a guy who gets around SF by bike,” Andy said. Serving on the all-volunteer board is “hard work if you’re doing it right, and there are people doing it really well.”

Members elect half of our all-volunteer Board of Directors every year. This year, voting opens on Nov. 14 and closes at Winterfest on Dec. 4. Voting will also be available online during that time, and in person at our office (1720 Market St.)

New Gear In!

Posted on by Paloma Rezende

Hooray! New merchandise is in the house for you, dear friends and members. After months of anticipation, we’re thrilled to announce our freshly redesigned shirts.

A crowd favorite is back and updated: Previously, streets signs in California read “Allowed Use of Full Lane,” as did our hoodies. Now, we’ve updated those shirts to be in line with recent modifications by CalTrans to read, “May Use Full Lane.”

 

And how cute is our new kid’s shirt with a balance bike on it? This brand new model lets the littlest ones in your life sport a bike that looks just like theirs.

 

 

We also have a new hoodie up for grabs. With “San Francisco” atop a bike wrapped in a laurel, this staff favorite lets you show your pride in being someone who bikes our gorgeous city.

 

 

Want to be the first to rock your new SF Bicycle Coalition duds? Ride over to our store and grab your favorites. Show your bike pride in style while supporting our advocacy for you and everyone who shares SF’s streets.

Christy Estrovitz: Promoting Literacy and Biking

Posted on by Chris Cassidy

Have you seen the San Francisco Public Library’s collection of books rolling by bike? That’s Spoke & Word, often towed by librarian and family biking champion Christy Estrovitz. We sat down with Christy recently to chat more about the program and the state of family biking in our city.

SF Bicycle Coalition: Tell us a bit about yourself. When did you move to San Francisco, and when did you start riding a bike here?

Christy: I moved from the Carolinas to the Bay Area in 2001 as a children’s librarian. Currently, I lead programs and partnerships serving youth and families for the San Francisco Public Library. I’ve biked throughout my life, but took a long pause before biking in San Francisco.

I started biking with my son when he was in preschool. I realized commuting is a special time to connect with your child and I was determined to have more fun. I was inspired by my husband Alex, who bikes often, and Kit Hodge, a friend who owns Vie Bikes. They encouraged me to learn riding on an electric assist cargo bike (e-Boda Boda by Yuba). It was both challenging and exhilarating. Lengthy waits for the bus we exchanged for smiles and laughs on the bike. We were both happier, healthier, and now biking is part of the fabric of our family.

What’s the best part about riding a bike? Any favorite places to bike?

As a working mother, biking is “my time.” During commutes, I take in the sights and sounds of the morning and I unwind on my return home. I love when my son joins me at the library, and we hop onto my cargo bike and meet my husband at Tacolicious for dinner. The spontaneity of bikes bring so much joy to our family.

On weekends, you’ll find our family biking to Golden Gate Park, Giants’ games, Precita Park for a playdate or even a date night.

What does a safe city for people on bikes mean to you?

Beyond protected bike lanes and lower speed limits, I’m thinking a lot about how SF can improve safer routes for students and families. Recently, I transitioned my son out of his seat on my cargo bike onto his own bike. I want to know my son is safe and confident navigating the city by bike.

What’s up with that library you’re towing behind your bike? How did you come up with the idea?

Spoke & Word pedals library resources to the people! The outreach bike library was generously sponsored by the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library. Even with 28 public libraries and 4 bookmobile programs, we wanted to be more nimble and inventive with our services to the community. Spoke & Word is the perfect mechanism to bring the library to playgrounds, festivals, farmers markets, Sunday Streets, schools, Pride Parade and other outdoor venues. It’s also a wifi hotspot so we can easily issue free library cards and promote our nifty e-resources such as Hoopla (Netflix for libraries), Rosetta Stone and Zinio (free magazines). According to SFGate, “it’s cooler than ice cream.”

We partnered with The New Wheel as bike advisors to select the Kalkhoff Sahel Compact bike because of its incredible tow capacity. The trailer was designed and fabricated by the Burgeon Group, an amazing family-owned company committed to making public libraries playful destinations.

How does your work with the San Francisco Public Library overlap with the work of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition?

In the words of Peter Golkin, “My two favorite things in life are libraries and bicycles. They both move people forward without wasting anything.” The SF Bicycle Coalition continues to be our go-to partner for programming. With Family & Schools Program Manager Nancy Buffum, the library has hosted several Biking With Babies workshops in conjunction with family biking showcases with Vie Bikes and The New Wheel. Recently, the Bayview Public Library hosted another Bike It Forward. It’s exciting to see the alignment of bike education, family engagement and health literacy.

What’s your favorite moment or memory of Spoke & Word so far?

Besides the first joy ride around Civic Center, it would have to be Spoke & Word’s participation in the Pride Parade. Spoke & Word joined our bookmobile along with our Deputy City Librarian on his skateboard. It was epic. Coming in for a close third would be Bike to Work Day. We have a team of staff who take Spoke & Word to press conferences and Energizer Stations and keep her rolling throughout the day.

Have any future plans for more books-bikes crossovers? Any dream projects?

In my dreams, the library would have reservable family bikes with built in bubble machines.

Why did you decide to become a member of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition? What would you say to prospective members?

The SF Bicycle Coalition is a tremendous resource to people who bike of all skills and levels. From training to practical safety tips and advocacy, I appreciate knowing that the SF Bicycle Coalition is a trusted ally for me, my family and the local biking community.

Thanks to you, Christy, for your advocacy for family biking and for education. For more information about SF Bicycle Coalition Youth & Family Programs, sign up for our quarterly newsletter.

Historic Aquatic Park Promenade to be Restored

Posted on by Julia Raskin

Get ready for a better biking on the waterfront: The Aquatic Park Promenade is about to become a smoother ride.

Construction is here for track removal to refresh this beautiful location near Fisherman’s Wharf that is celebrated by intrepid morning swimmers to bike tourists and beyond.

The project will remove the historic tracks of the State Belt Railroad, later called the San Francisco Belt Railroad, which intersects with the southern edge of the popular shoe-horn shaped path facing the Bay. Originally a gravel right-of-way, the Aquatic Park Promenade was paved after train service ended in the 1970s, but years of subsidence and vehicle traffic have separated the concrete from the tracks, creating a notorious tripping hazard to people walking and biking. After years of cracking and pavement loss the National Parks Service will replace approximately 11,300 square feet of deteriorated concrete on the multi-use path between the Jefferson Street bollards and Van Ness Avenue for a seamless connection to Fort Mason.

To improve the path, the Aquatic Park Promenade will be closed between Hyde Street and Van Ness Avenue for four months beginning the week of Oct. 24. The detour will guide people on bicycles heading to the Presidio to use North Point Avenue.

With plans in the works for San Francisco’s waterfront, from the Embarcadero to the continuation of the Bay Trail, it’s important that people are well connected to our city’s iconic waterfront.

Want to help make a beautiful waterfront bike ride a reality? Stay up to date with the latest on what’s happening at the Aquatic Park Promenade, the Bay Trail and the Embarcadero by joining our waterfront mailing list.

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