Meet Your Board: Leah Shahum

Posted on by Chris Cassidy

“In a big city like San Francisco, there are few ways that you can be so engaged in efforts that clearly affect so many people in such great ways,” former executive director Leah Shahum said of volunteering with the SF Bicycle Coalition. One way Leah remains involved these days is by serving on our organization’s all-volunteer Board of Directors.

Leah is serving her first term on our board, a group who oversees the SF Bicycle Coalition’s financial health and supports our fundraising efforts. As a member of the board, Leah heads the Board Development Committee and also sits on the Political and Audit Committees.

It is Leah’s first term on the board, but she’s been involved with our organization since the 1990s, when she moved to the Mission from Florida.

“It was my first bike commuting experience,” she said. “Joining up with the SF Bicycle Coalition helped me get more comfortable with city-riding and introduced me to a whole new community of awesome people and opportunities.”

She started volunteering as our newsletter editor before working on membership recruitment and eventually joining our staff.

“I got sucked in over time,” she said. “The SF Bicycle Coalition is, no doubt, the most effective and exciting advocacy group in the city, and I felt really fortunate to be a part of a movement making such positive change in San Francisco.”

We’re lucky to have Leah as a hard-working, committed member of our board. It’s not always easy, but the work that the board does is critical to the the SF Bicycle Coalition’s ability to make our streets safe and welcoming for everyone.

“I feel so connected to the organization’s work and on-the-ground positive impacts,” Leah said. “Our work advances the organization’s strength and effectiveness, and that feels really satisfying.”

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.)

SF Needs Both Propositions J&K

Posted on by Chris Cassidy

With Election Day just two weeks away, two of the most important issues facing our city are on the ballot, and we need San Francisco voters to pass two propositions to fund real solutions.

Addressing homelessness and affordable, safe transportation challenges is crucial for the health and well-being of San Francisco. Propositions J&K do both, raising an estimated $154 million annually for solutions.

Proposition K raises the funds, and — if Proposition K passes — Proposition J sets aside about $50 million to fund desperately needed services for people without homes. The remaining $100 million or so would be invested into public transit, safe streets and affordable transportation programs as follows:

  • 12.4 percent to avoid Muni cuts and preserve affordability programs like Free Muni for Youth;
  • 18.8 percent for Muni fleet and facilities maintenance;
  • 9.4 percent for transit optimization and expansion;
  • 14.1 percent for new Caltrain and BART cars;
  • 32.9 percent for street repaving; and
  • 12.4 percent for Vision Zero projects protecting people who bike and walk.

None of this happens without the passage of both Propositions J&K.

It’s been a hectic election year, to say the least, which can pull people’s attention away from local issues.

If you believe that seniors and youth should have access to affordable transportation; if you support safe and reliable public transit for our city’s growing needs; if you believe in redesigning our most dangerous streets to put the safety of people first, then we need you to make your voice heard.

Make this image your profile image on Facebook and Twitter today, and let your friends know about the importance of passing both Propositions J&K. With exactly two weeks until Election Day, we need to make some noise and make a difference in how San Francisco invests in our streets and our city.

Making a Difference: Meet Member Cat Young

Posted on by Paloma Rezende

Meet Cat Young, a highly-engaged member representing your SF Bicycle Coalition on the Caltrain Bicycle Advisory Committee to improve the experience of combining bikes and Caltrain. We caught up with Cat to hear her thoughts on Caltrain and biking as everyday transportation in SF.

SF Bicycle Coalition: How did you find out about the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, and what inspired you to get involved?

Cat: I first moved to San Francisco in May of 2014 from Melbourne, Australia. I bought a bike and started biking everywhere within a couple of weeks of arriving; it was the best decision ever.

When I first arrived I knew I wanted to get involved in the local community through volunteering. I used the trusty internet to find the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and was inspired to get involved when I discovered the broad range of programs, classes and projects on which the organization was working. I really value biking as everyday transportation, so I was impressed by the fantastic, multifaceted work the SF Bicycle Coalition was doing to make biking easier for people of all ages and demographics, all over the city.

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

More protected, wide and visible bike lanes, better bike awareness among people driving and slower-moving cars would also be a big help. On the whole, a city where people feel just as safe riding a bike as they do using any other mode of transportation would be phenomenal.

You currently serve on our Caltrain Member Committee. Why is access to Caltrain for people biking important to you?

Largely because it opens up biking (and public transport) as an everyday transportation option for many people who might otherwise drive or not travel at all. Many people live and work too far apart to walk, but within riding distance. It’s just great that the on-board bike space on Caltrain makes riding an option for those who need their bikes on both ends of their journey.

Biking for transportation, including to and from work within San Francisco, has really improved my own quality of life since moving here. I hope that combining biking with the Caltrain will help others with longer commutes achieve that too.

What is your dream improvement to Caltrain for people on bikes?

My dream improvement is actually to dramatically upgrade Townsend Street near the Caltrain station at Fourth and King Streets. This stretch of road is currently a busy, bumpy and hazardous area used as access to the station by people biking every day.

As for specific upgrades, there is a lot of room for improvement. I think the best ideas will result if members put their heads together towards that.

What’s the best part about being a member of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition?

Knowing that I, like all members, am making a difference is the best part, not only for people who bike in the city, but for all people who live, work or play here. The Bike Talks, rides and other events are pretty sweet too, and I’ve been fortunate enough to have met some passionate bike advocates along the way.

Become an engaged member like Cat! Join our active community and help make San Francisco a better place to bike and live.

Bay Bridge People Path Opens This Weekend

Posted on by San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

We can only deliver groundbreaking victories like this with your support. Thanks to our members, who made this possible. Not yet a member? Join the community of people making a difference on our streets, bridges and public transit today. 

Sunday will offer people biking and walking their first opportunity to make the trip from the East Bay to the outer edges of San Francisco’s city limits. While the dream of crossing the Bay entirely by bike or on foot remains some years off, CalTrans is opening the Bay Bridge People Path landing at Yerba Buena Island this Sunday, Oct. 23, from around noon to 6:00 p.m.

The completion of the Bay Bridge People Path is the culmination of years of dreaming by advocates in San Francisco and the East Bay. The path is officially named after one of those advocates, Alex Zuckerman, the late co-founder of the group that became Bike East Bay.

“We’ve been working to make this path a reality for over two decades,” said Renee Rivera, executive director of Bike East Bay. “Since the path partially opened three years ago, it has already become a unique way to experience the bay. We are thrilled to finally be able to walk and bike to Yerba Buena Island.”

After this Sunday, the Bay Bridge People Path landing on Yerba Buena Island will next open on Saturday, Nov. 5. The landing will then regularly be open on weekends and holidays between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., excepting closures for demolition of the old East Span of the Bay Bridge. Updates to the accessibility of the complete Bay Bridge People Path will be posted by CalTrans at www.BayBridgeInfo.org/path.  

The landing places people biking on Yerba Buena Island’s Hillcrest Road, a street for fast-moving local traffic. With no facilities for people biking and walking, the SF Bicycle Coalition and Bike East Bay advocated for shuttle service to pick up people reaching the landing in the short-term, and are working towards a long-term vision of redesigning this street. The shuttles will have bike racks and run between the landing and Treasure Island at the intersection of The Avenue of the Palms and 9th Street regularly. From there, people may catch SF Muni’s 25-Treasure Island bus to and from the Temporary Transbay Terminal or enjoy Treasure Island. There is not currently any AC Transit service to the islands.

bay_trail_map_mtcweb_rev_oct_2015

Image courtesy of CalTrans. The Bay Bridge Trail section marked “under construction” is that portion now completed and open Sunday.  

“There are still so many more improvements coming to Yerba Buena and Treasure Islands, and we’re working with planners to see truly inspiring, enjoyable infrastructure built there, much of which will have spectacular views,” said Brian Wiedenmeier, executive director of the SF Bicycle Coalition. “That said, seeing the Bay Bridge People Path built halfway across the San Francisco Bay and touching down in SF city limits is really exciting.”

There are three East Bay access points for folks to enjoy the Bay Bridge People Path, which is a short ride from West Oakland BART. The complete path is 2.2 miles between Oakland and Yerba Buena Island and 15.5-feet wide, with demarcated lanes for people biking and walking.

Victories like this are a direct results of our members’ advocacy and support of our work. Not yet a member? Please empower our work on behalf of everyone who bikes in San Francisco. Join today. 

Meet Your Board: Lawrence Li

Posted on by Chris Cassidy

Lawrence Li first moved to San Francisco in 1998, when the bikeability and livability of our streets was a far cry from the routes we enjoy today.

“At the time, the bicycling community gathered monthly at Justin Herman Plaza to demonstrate safe riding,” Lawrence said. “That is when I learned the necessity of the SF Bicycle Coalition’s work to promote a vision of safe, everyday bicycling.”

Biking and sharing the city with others who biked became an intrinsic part of Lawrence’s life in San Francisco.

“This community improved the way I experience my city: inspiring activity, making travel more convenient and saving cash for a few burritos,” Lawrence said. “I had to join as a member and support this great new way to live.”

From seeing the necessity for safe streets advocacy, to becoming a member, Lawrence’s involvement with the SF Bicycle Coalition continued to evolve.

“Over the years, I actively volunteered while I built my nonprofit administration, neighborhood and social justice experience,” Lawrence said. “A few years ago, the board invited me to run for a different kind of volunteer role.”

So he ran and won election to the board. Since then, he’s served in a variety of roles, including serving last year as president of our all-volunteer Board of Directors.

“I have worked on Personnel, Audit, Finance and Board Development committees alongside some amazing board leaders,” Lawrence said. “I enjoy supporting staff and a healthy organization from the committees, where much of the work of the board happens. And I enjoy hearing reports of the extensive work of all the other committees at board meetings.”

Lawrence see his service as paying a debt to the volunteers and staff whose work improves the livability of his adopted city.

“As a nonprofit professional at SPUR, I personally benefit from volunteer support of 100 board members, and I get how they strengthen the organization and mission,” Lawrence said. “As someone who feels gratitude to the SF Bicycle Coalition for my quality of life, I owe it my time, knowledge and skills.”

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.)

Breaking: Huge Bike Share for All Win

Posted on by San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

In a major win for our “Bike Share for All” campaign, Motivate and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) today announced a commitment to ensuring that Ford GoBike, the bike-sharing system serving the Bay Area, is accessible for unbanked and low-income people.

As part of the system’s expansion, Motivate is offering $5 first-year memberships to low-income people for the life of the program, as determined by a household’s qualification for utility lifeline programs. They also announced that cash payments will be accepted, opening up the possibility of bike-sharing for people without debit or credit cards.

“We’re excited to see Motivate and the MTC heeding our calls to make sure that bike share is accessible for all San Franciscans,” said our executive director Brian Wiedenmeier. “Everyone deserves access to affordable, healthy transportation options, and today’s announcement makes great strides toward realizing that vision.”

We launched our “Bike Share for All” campaign in 2015 to ensure that San Francisco’s next public transit system is open and convenient for everyone. Affordability is a crucial barrier to biking for many people in San Francisco, and transportation is the second-highest household expense in the city after housing itself.

“This is an enormous victory for low-income San Franciscans and our ‘Bike Share for All’ campaign,” Brian said. “We know this step forward only matters if the system reaches all communities, so it’s crucial that outreach and engagement occurs in all neighborhoods, with a focus on communities of concern.”

One of Winterfest’s Best: Member-Volunteer Kyle Quilici

Posted on by Liam Brooks

Editors: This story was originally published in Issue 157 of our quarterly Tube Times magazine, one of many perks of membership in the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition.

“Volunteering is an important way for me to stay grounded and in touch with my community,” member, trained Bicycle Ambassador and repeat-volunteer Kyle Quilici said.

We’re looking forward to having help from passionate volunteers like Kyle at this year’s Winterfest, our annual member party, art show and bike auction, on Sunday, Dec. 4.

Although Kyle has volunteered at all sorts of events, including Bike to Work Day and Sunday Streets, Winterfest topped her list when we asked her to pick a favorite volunteer gig.

“Everyone who comes to Winterfest is passionate about the SF Bicycle Coalition and what we do,” she said. “Every year I meet great volunteers at the event. The members of the SF Bicycle Coalition are so diverse, and it’s always interesting to get to know someone you might not cross paths with in your day-to-day routines.”

With all the work that our members invest throughout the year, she said, “Winterfest is a time to celebrate and socialize. What’s not to love?”

Kyle has been an active member and volunteer since landing in San Francisco.

“When I moved here, I was seeking to help an organization I really believed in,” she said. “I’ve studied sustainable design and city planning, and understand that a population who bikes solves a lot of problems. Not many cities have such a well organized and effective coalition of bike advocates.”

Kyle understands the big picture: Our work isn’t just about bike lanes and political endorsements, but delivering a better city for everyone. And that’s why she comes back, time and again, to volunteer.

“It’s about creating safe streets for all,” Kyle said. “A San Francisco where all city dwellers are considerate and aware. A place where we look out for one another, as we would our own family.”

Want to join Kyle as a volunteer at Winterfest on Sunday, Dec. 4? As Kyle says, “Sign up early if you want the pick of the positions!” Sign-ups are live now!

The Tube Times is published quarterly as one of the many benefits to members of the SF Bicycle Coalition. For a complete list of membership benefits, or to join/renew today, click here.

Ask Brian: Diversifying the Faces of Bicycle Advocacy

Posted on by Brian Wiedenmeier

Thanks to everyone who came out with questions for our member party in August. We received way more questions than I could answer in the time allotted, and not everyone could make it that night. So I wanted to offer everyone my answers to your questions here.

Hearing from members is one of my top priorities, and it’s something I genuinely enjoy. To that end, I am also taking this opportunity to announce “office hours” once a month in each Supervisorial District, starting in District 1 this month. I look forward to seeing you at Velo Rouge Cafe on Arguello on Thursday, Oct. 27 from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., Richmond folks! In the meantime, please keep your questions coming to info@sfbike.org. Let’s make this just the start of a conversation about how all of us can make your SF Bicycle Coalition and our city stronger together. Now, on to answering one of them…

Many members, including Melyssa Mendoza, asked how we plan to diversify our movement.

Our membership is strong and steadily growing, but we know it could better represent people who bike and live in SF. As a gay, white man in my 30s, my experience biking in SF is very different from a black or brown man biking in SF, women of any color, seniors and families. Not making assumptions is the first step, and we have to intentionally make space for other voices. Our movement for human-centered streets must do a better job of this nationally, and I want SF to be leaders on that.

We hosted an event on Aug. 16 where we enjoyed hearing a panel of women of color who are leaders in our field explore this crucial issue, moderated by our Advocacy Director Janice Li. Since then, I’ve been reflecting on something that panelist Tamika Butler, the executive director of the L.A. County Bicycle Coalition said at that panel: “Our work is not about commutes. It’s about communities.”

That’s such an important point to remember about this work. It’s not just that we’re fighting for protected bike lanes in every neighborhood of San Francisco. We’re working with communities to help realize their vision for their streets, and advocating for public spaces that are healthy, welcoming and enjoyable for everyone. We don’t promote the bicycle for everyday transportation for the sake of bicycles; we do it for the welfare of all people who live, work and play in San Francisco.

That’s the idea behind our Bike It Forward program, where we accept unclaimed bikes from City agencies, refurbish them and work with community-based organizations to give those bikes to people who need them. So far this year, we’ve given over 150 people the freedom and joy of biking in the Excelsior, the Bayview, the Tenderloin and Chinatown. This is especially important work with so many people under dire financial pressures, and with transportation the second-highest household expense in San Francisco after housing itself.

We can always do more to meet community members where they are at, though, and listen to ideas for improving conditions in their communities. We need to offer more resources in languages other than English, for instance. We need to work to see that bike share’s expansion in San Francisco meets the needs of all people, with respect to station placement and accessibility for unbanked and low-income folks.

Other ways that we might grow the strength and diversity of our movement include exploring low-income SF Bicycle Coalition membership for families, seniors, students and low-income households, and specifically encouraging women and people of color to apply for jobs and run for our board. (By the way, we’re hiring, and our next board election is just around the corner!)

Part of  working for a member-driven organization is also acknowledging that I do not have all of the answers. So, as I said, I hope this is just the beginning of a conversation. Please send your ideas and questions to info@sfbike.org and, if you live in or near District 1, come by Velo Rouge Cafe on the morning of Thursday, Oct. 27. I look forward to hearing from you.

Members of the SF Bicycle Coalition make it possible to improve the safety or our streets and health of communities across San Francisco. If you’re not yet a member, please support our advocacy for human-centered streets and join today.

You Spoke Up for SoMa Streets, We Listened

Posted on by Charles Deffarges

The survey results are in, and the results are clear: SoMa streets need to be redesigned with people as priority.

Thanks to nearly 500 survey responses, we’ve had a chance to dig into what a bike-friendly vision for Folsom and Howard Streets really looks like. The overwhelming response shows us just how important these key SoMa corridors are to our members and the power we have to make real change.

  1. You use SoMa streets a lot. 79 percent of you either live in or visit the South of Market  neighborhoods several times a week.
  2. You love biking. 84 percent of you use biking as your primary mode of transportation in SoMa.
  3. You are multimodal. Aside from biking, many of you get around SoMa by walking or taking transit.
  4. Folsom and Howard are your preferred routes to go east and west. While Market and Mission provide other options, most bike on Folsom and Howard.
  5. Seventh, Eighth and 11th Streets are your preferred routes to go north and south.

We also hear you: Biking on Folsom and Howard right now isn’t the most pleasant experience. From vehicles in the bike lane to speeding traffic and complicated intersections, real solutions are needed to respond to your concerns.

SoMa Survey Graphic

The SF Municipal Transportation Agency will launch their Folsom and Howard Streetscape Project in the coming months to start digging into the details of what a protected bike lane connecting Second to 11th Streets will look like. We will share our findings with them to help inform their planning process.

Major street redesigns such as this don’t come around often, but this November, San Francisco voters will have the opportunity to invest and fund more bike projects. Your San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is proud to endorse Yes on J&K and we’re asking you to help pass these two joint ballot measures. Without them, projects like Folsom and Howard won’t be possible.

Be Loud for Yes on J&K

Meet Your Board: Shirley Johnson

Posted on by Chris Cassidy

“I moved to San Francisco in the summer of 2000 and I promptly joined the SF Bicycle Coalition. That was a no-brainer,” board member Shirley Johnson said of her initial involvement with our organization. “I wanted to support the great work the SF Bicycle Coalition does for improving bicycling in San Francisco.”

Shirley pretty quickly became engaged, volunteering in a number of ways.

“I started getting involved as a volunteer by coming to Volunteer Nights,” Shirley said. “I also volunteered for Valet Bike Parking, precinct walking and visiting businesses to encourage support for bike lanes.”

As meaningful as Shirley’s early volunteering was, she just kept ratcheting up the ways in which she could work with the SF Bicycle Coalition to improve the state of biking in our city.

“Eventually I started the BIKES ONboard project, with the expert guidance and support of SF Bicycle Coalition staff, to advocate for more bikes on board transit,” Shirley said. “I’m impressed with the dedicated and knowledgeable staff at the SF Bicycle Coalition and I’m proud to be part of this great organization.”

Shirley is excited to play a role in the all-volunteer board’s important tasks this year and next.

“The first half of this year, the personnel committee focused on hiring our new executive director, Brian Wiedenmeier,” Shirley said. “Now that we have our new executive director in place, the strategic planning committee will shift into high gear to develop a process and timeline for updating our strategic plan.”

With board meetings open to all members, Shirley is a big proponent of folks rolling by those meetings to stay informed. In fact, she attended many such meetings before winning election to the board last year.

“This is an exciting time and we’ll be looking for member input to help shape the future direction of the organization,” Shirley said. “We’ll keep members posted about ways to provide input over the coming months.”

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.)