SF Voters Demand More Spending, Improvements for Biking

Posted on by San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

A new independent poll of likely San Francisco voters shows unprecedented support for action from City leaders to encourage more biking, add more protected bike lanes and ensure that biking is accessible to people of all ages in every neighborhood.

The poll was conducted by David Binder Research, surveying 402 likely voters by cell phone and land line between Saturday, Aug. 20 and Tuesday, Aug. 23, and was commissioned by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. The margin of error is 4.9 percent. Findings include:

  • Over four-fifths of likely voters (83 percent) believe that bicycling is good for San Francisco, and that bicycling in the city should be comfortable and attractive to everyone from small children to seniors.
  • For the first time, a majority of San Franciscans (51 percent) report biking occasionally, and 31 percent report riding regularly, meaning a few times a month or more.
  • A supermajority of San Franciscans (72 percent) support restricting private autos on Market Street.
  • Most San Franciscans (56 percent) support dramatically increasing City spending on bike infrastructure from around 0.5 percent to eight percent of the City’s transportation budget.
  • Two-thirds of San Franciscans (66 percent) support building a network of cross-town bike lanes connecting every neighborhood in San Francisco, even at the expense of travel lanes and parking spots.
  • Twice as many San Francisco voters are are likely to ride a bike on unprotected bike lanes (57 percent) than on streets without bike lanes (28 percent). Likely riders jump up to 65 percent on physically protected bike lanes.
  • Most voters (54 percent) would like to bike more frequently than they do presently.
  • With so many people reporting that biking is good for our city, and expressing the desire for better infrastructure and incorporating biking more into their lives, it is no surprise that a supermajority (68 percent) believe that City leaders are not doing enough to encourage biking.

Heading into the 2016 election season, it is clearer than ever than San Francisco voters demand more to encourage and improve biking in our city. The research suggests a rough path forward for candidates whose platforms fail to incorporate policies and plans friendly to people who bike or desire to do so.

“Even in a city considered a national leader in biking, this is the strongest that support has ever been for biking in San Francisco,” said Brian Wiedenmeier, executive director of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. “These results show that our work advocating for people who bike has never been more important than it is today. It is imperative that City leaders demonstrate their responsiveness to the people of San Francisco and step up their plans to improve biking here.”

The survey follows on the heels of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority’s annual bike count numbers, released in April of 2016, showing that the popularity of biking is rising faster than that of any other transportation mode. The data showed an increase of 8.5 percent in the number of bike trips taken in San Francisco between 2014 and 2015, and a 184 percent increase since 2006.

While Supplies Last…

Posted on by Liam Brooks

All good things must come to an end. Well, only actually a few: we are discontinuing four shirts from our store. Once we run out of these items, they will no longer be available. So now’s your last chance to grab one (or two or three) before they leave the shelves for good.

Store_746x488A crowd favorite over the years, the Kids Bike Route t-shirt is perfect for the newest arrivals in your life. With three sizes to fit kids from two to six years, your kid can always ride in style, whether they’re sitting in a handlebar seat or pedaling on their own power.

 

SF-Bicycle-Coalition-Language-Hoodie.1000The green Bicycle Languages hoodie and the mint-colored Bicycle Languages t-shirt is for anyone who rides, whether you call it a bicycle, vélo, bicicleta, fahrrad or 自行车. No matter what you call a bike, we have your back (covered).

 

sLily-vert.1000This is also your last chance to score an SF Bicycle Coalition Baseball t-shirt. Have you asked yourself why the Giants are two games back from the Dodgers? Is it because you haven’t been rocking an SF Bicycle Coalition Baseball shirt? Food for thought.

Pedal over to our store and cop your gear today.

Paul Valdez, Mega-Volunteer and Zen-Biker

Posted on by Giselle Diaz

Here at the SF Bicycle Coalition we are honored to highlight the work of one of our most devoted volunteers, Paul Valdez. Paul impressively logged over 58 hours last year, making him one of our most active volunteers for 2015. Motivated by a desire to make San Francisco’s streets safe for everyone, Paul invests himself in every aspect of the SF Bicycle Coalition’s work, from speaking at City Hall, to volunteering with our Valet Bicycle Parking team. It’s thanks to the dedication of members like Paul that your SF Bicycle Coalition continues to grow and thrive.

SF Bicycle Coalition: You logged over 58 volunteer hours in 2015, and are already halfway towards meeting that goal again this year. What motivates you to come out and volunteer with us regularly?

Paul: First of all, let me say that I enjoy my engagement with the SF Bicycle Coalition staff. I highly respect their hard work and dedication on behalf of our 10,000-plus members. They are all so friendly, encouraging, enthusiastic, knowledgeable, patient and so down-to-earth. Since the day I became a member, the SF Bicycle Coalition has made huge efforts in their advocacy for safety and infrastructure improvements that pertain to my daily commute – Market Street. Therefore, I felt it was important to offer my time in a variety of ways as a way to extend my gratitude for this and to support the different efforts that help keep the SF Bicycle Coalition moving forward.

Why is advocating for safe streets a priority for you?

It’s personal. In 1993, I lost a dear friend who was biking home from her bartending job, as she fell victim to poor biking infrastructure and horrible road conditions that caused her to lose control of her bike and collide with an oncoming vehicle. I also have a friend who was a survivor of a terrible collision and I, myself, have experienced many close calls with people driving, being doored, etc.

Life is precious and it’s just not fair that we continue to lose lives of those who were simply riding their bikes. SF today has become densely populated and there needs to immediate changes to our bicycle infrastructure to accommodate the growing number of people who choose to ride their bikes as a mode to get around. Being a member of the SF Bicycle Coalition has enabled me to jump start my passion in advocating and contributing to making Market Street even safer. I keenly feel that the Safer Market Street Project needs to be further enhanced and extended all the way down to at least Main Street. Even with the turn restrictions, there are still unruly people on our streets who continue to make it difficult to share Market Street safely. I do my best to bring a Zen-vibe to Market Street and my ‘fantasy-dream-wish’ is to contribute to any and all future projects that will improve the safety and enjoyability of biking Market.

What motivates you to get out and help other people who bike in SF?

I think people who ride bikes are some of the loveliest people on the planet! Riding a bike vastly improves one’s quality of life and offers an amazing connection to our city’s beautiful landscape and people. Therefore, sharing that vibe with others is the first step. Second step is to ask my friends who bike to become members of the SF Bicycle Coalition. I then encourage volunteering with me, so that they can also meet fellow members, develop new friends and be part of a great community which is kind of awesome.

We ask our volunteers to fulfill many roles — from street outreach to bag-stuffing in advance of Bike to Work Day. What is your favorite way to volunteer?

Can I say that all opportunities are my favorite? If I had to choose, I’m going to say it’s Volunteer Night. It’s a great way to help keep the SF Bicycle Coalition “pedaling” forward by actively participating in a variety of much-needed tasks. This volunteer opportunity also encourages an interconnectedness as you are able to meet fellow members, foster new bike friends, exchange bike stories at the SF Bicycle Coalition’s HQ — a place that kind of serves as a refuge for me. It’s also pretty cool to see many people on bikes pass by or stopped at the Valencia “jughandle.”

What biking improvements have you seen in your neighborhood and what would you like to see more of?

I currently reside on the District 9 part of Folsom Street – a beautiful green bike lane that now extends all the way to Cesar Chavez Street. That final completed stretch of this bike lane from 24th Street to Cesar Chavez was very welcomed.

As for my extended neighborhood, we just need to find a better solution to the abuse of the bike lanes on Valencia Street by people driving private vehicles and the working for transportation-network companies. I know this happens everywhere, but my fellow friends have formed communities and groups to take matters into their own hands by filming videos, collecting data and even approaching cars to kindly ask motorists to move out of the bike lanes. The City should be enforcing this. When fellow bicyclists have to do this, it truly does take the joy away from riding a bike. It is obvious we need the creation of protected bike lanes and improved enforcement in order to make this street (and other high-collision areas) safe and more enjoyable to share and ride.

Inspired by Paul and looking for a place to volunteer? There are so many ways to pitch in! Find the right volunteer opportunity for you and be a part of the community advocating for people who bike in San Francisco. 

Start the Year Right: Bike, Walk or Roll to School

Posted on by Nancy Buffum

Did your family enjoy more time on your bikes this summer? You can put your child’s improved skills to use and start the school year with a new healthy habit: biking to school.

Benefits

Children who walk or bike to school arrive awake, alert and ready to learn. Studies show that physical fitness contributes to academic success. Everyone benefits when more families choose to get an active start to the morning: with fewer drivers on the road,  there are safer streets, and less car exhaust around your school for everyone walking and biking. And when you bike with your child to school, you’re also getting that natural energy boost from starting your day on two wheels.

Many parents do not realize how close they live to their school. Check the distance on Google Maps or with an odometer: you may be surprised. Over 40 percent of public elementary school students in San Francisco lived within one mile of their school in 2015-16.  Most children age 8 or older can bike up to two miles in less than 30 minutes, even when you take into account traffic lights and hills. Here’s one way to calculate. If you haven’t biked to school before, try the bike ride on a weekend first to learn the best route and get an idea of how long it will take.

Barriers

Infrastructure: What if there are no bike lanes on part or all of your route to school? Remember that children up to age 13 may ride on the sidewalk, while the adult rides parallel in the street.

Distance: If you live more than two miles from school or your route is not bikable for a young child, taking transit to school also provides the benefit of a little morning exercise. So does parking your car a distance of at least four blocks from school, and biking or walking from there.

Time is the biggest concern for parents on busy weekday mornings. Consider this: when you can build in the time to walk or bike with your child, you make your commute more special and less stressful.  Exercise is as important as a healthy breakfast to get the day off to a good start. There’s the added benefit of community-building at your school: you can meet and greet other parents and hear school announcements in the yard.

Safe Routes to School

If you are a proficient biking family, why not encourage friends and neighbor families to join the pedal-powered movement? Ask at your school office if there’s a Safe Routes to School program at your school. You can meet other biking and walking families in the program, or help start something new. Resources for parents can be found at sfsaferoutes.org.

To get support for going on-road with your family, invite a “bike train” leader to meet with you or other parents: contact nancy@sfbike.org. And check out all the bike events for families coming up on our SF Bicycle Coalition events calendar.

Meet Your Board: Mary Kay Chin

Posted on by Giselle Diaz

For many people who bike in San Francisco, our board member Mary Kay Chin needs no introduction. She’s a San Francisco Yellow Bike co-founder; a Golden Wheel Awardee and former SF Bicycle Coalition Valet Bike Parking Coordinator who presently represents District 6 on the City’s Bicycle Advisory Committee. May Kay is a community organizer, a Tenderloin resident, life-long San Franciscan, Bike Party co-founder, and the list goes on and on.

Bikes and San Francisco are in Mary Kay’s blood, and we’re grateful to have her serving on our all-volunteer Board of Directors. But why does she do it?

“Working with staff, volunteers and other board members to help make our streets safe for all road-users in San Francisco is deeply satisfying,” Mary Kay said. “I know that through serving on the board of the SF Bicycle Coalition, I make a direct impact on building safe, healthy communities.”

Now going on nine years as a SF Bicycle Coalition member, Mary Kay just ran for and won election to the board last year.

“Currently, I’m on several committees including Membership and Board Development,” Mary Kay said. “I’m working to help build a robust and sustainable membership base.”

Heading towards another annual board election, in which eight of the board’s 15 seats will be up for a member vote, Mary Kay is eager to see enthusiastic, energetic members run to join the SF Bicycle Coalition’s governing body.

“While this position does require a lot of time and work as a volunteer, the payout is priceless,” May Kay said. “Our ability to help govern, shape and lead by example a nationally recognized bicycle advocacy organization is deeply meaningful.

“I can ride my bike confidently, knowing that our work will shape the future of our streets and our city.”

Are you interested in joining Mary Kay on the board? Current board members have identified skills and experience most needed, and they are welcoming questions and statements of interest. For a growing list of details, see the 2016 Board Elections page here.

Join Julia as a Community Organizer

Posted on by Paloma Rezende

We’re seeking seasoned, effective, passionate community organizers to connect our members and partners with opportunities to improve the livability and bikeability of their communities. Interested?

We caught up with current community organizer Julia Raskin to share all the details on why and how she does her incredibly valuable work. Read on for those juicy tidbits, then apply today!

SF Bicycle Coalition: After living in New York City (NYC) and Bogotá, Colombia, what motivated you to become a Community Organizer in SF?

Julia Raskin: I’ve always been drawn to work that connects people to their neighborhood and to one another through placemaking and programming in public spaces. At the Department of Parks and Recreation in NYC I worked with community park volunteer groups to redesign their parks and foster stronger park stewardship within the neighborhood. Through this job I was inspired by the power of community to enact real neighborhood changes.

I moved to Bogotá after that job to help organize the fourth World Bike Forum in Medellín, which was a ton of fun. I’ve always loved my bicycle, but I never thought it could be a part of my career. After meeting bicycle advocates from all over the world, I realized that creating a space for people to ride bikes is critically important to building community and better neighborhoods in which to live, work and play.

What is it about the SF Bicycle Coalition’s work that resonates with you?

Our mission to promote the bicycle for everyday transportation resonates strongly with me because it recognizes all people who bicycle, including those of different abilities and those who do it for different reasons. When the bicycling experience becomes better and safer in San Francisco, people from all walks of life benefit. I am especially excited that more of our membership is talking about how to grow our movement to include the voices of those who have been underrepresented in bike advocacy, like people of color and LGBTQ communities.

Can you tell us a little bit about your role at the SF Bicycle Coalition and how you develop connections with members and partners?

As a community organizer I work on street campaigns in about half of the city’s neighborhoods, including Hayes Valley, the Richmond, the Sunset, the Financial District and Balboa Park. So, if any physical changes are coming to the street that would improve the state of bicycling and walking in one of my organizing districts, I’ll know about it.

My favorite way to connect with our members and partners is to sit down over a coffee and talk about the projects that matter most to them.

How does your work as a community organizer relate to the SF Bicycle Coalition’s mission to promote the bicycle for everyday transportation?

A lot of the street campaigns that I work on are for commuter routes like Page or Fell and Oak streets, but I also work on more traditionally recreational routes like the Embarcadero. Then there are ones in the middle like Arguello Boulevard, which connects the two biggest parks in the city and also provides an important route through in Inner Richmond for commuters.

What changes would you like to see in San Francisco to make it more livable and bike-friendly?

We know from traffic studies that the number one reason for traffic fatalities is speeding. So I really want to see Automated Speed Enforcement measures passed in Sacramento and at City Hall. I also want to see more bicycle facilities in neighborhoods that haven’t seen as many bike lanes go in, like Mission Bay and Balboa Park.

Can you share some tips for candidates applying to join the SF Bicycle Coalition as Community Organizers?

If you have experience with community organizing and a passion for bicycles, we want to meet you!

This wonderful job, working with really terrific humans to reshape the streets of neighborhoods across San Francisco is only available for a limited time. Interested community organizers passionate about social justice and transportation should apply today.

Two Beer Pourers, Twice the Fun

Posted on by Giselle Diaz

Bikes, music and costumes… oh my! Tour de Fat 2016 is fast approaching and we at the SF Bicycle Coalition can hardly wait.

New Belgium Brewing’s annual celebration of beer, bikes and bemusement is one of the most fun-filled events of the year, and with entertainment from three-wheeled bikes to live shows, it takes the work of over 200 member-volunteers to pitch in and make the event a success. But with all the fun, volunteering hardly feels like work, which is one of the reasons that volunteers love to come back to Tour de Fat.

Two exceptional volunteers have been coming back to Tour de Fat year after year: Thierry and Vaghar. Both have contributed to the festivities by pouring beer. We checked in with them to hear what encourages them to come to Tour de Fat year after year and what they’re looking forward to in 2016.

For Thierry, a seasoned Tour de Fat volunteer, working at the festival is a way that he can have fun while supporting the advocacy of the SF Bicycle Coalition. “I liked volunteering at the beer booth, but have done that for three years,” he said. This time I decided to mix it up and help out with the Valet Bicycle parking.”

As to what he’s looking forward to? The sweet bikes! “My favorite part of the event is the area where they have all their tricked out bicycles to ride around.”

For Vaghar, who works as a bartender, Tour de Fat is an opportunity to put his skills to use in a relaxed and enjoyable setting.

“I keep coming because I really enjoy working with people and don’t get to do it on the job. So I get my fix from volunteering,” Vaghar said. “Plus, it’s always a good time!”

Vaghar was also encouraged to participate for the chance to meet new people and have a fun shared experience. “I really wanted to get out more, meet people and try new things,” he said. “I love beer, so I figured I would provide it to others.”

If, like Vaghar and Thierry, you have a love for brews and bikes, help us make San Francisco’s Tour de Fat 2016 the best yet. All volunteers get complimentary admission and one free drink token, so sign up today to volunteer.

Please note that you must be a current SF Bicycle Coalition member to volunteer at Tour de Fat. Not a member? Join today!

Thank You to Our 10+ Year Members

Posted on by Susan Gallentine

Last week, many of our members boasting 10 years or more gathered to celebrate their dedication to the community and advocacy of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. The support of our nearly 2,000 10-plus-year members and over 200 20-plus-year members is something that we’re really proud of and humbled by.

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition has helped deliver over 222 miles of bike lanes in our 45-year-history, passed legislation to improve the livability of our streets, demanded more from City officials, taught thousands of people biking and driving how to share our streets safely, given away hundreds of bikes to those in need through our Bike it Forward program, and have made great strides toward a healthier, more livable city.

Many campaigns are long, taking years to come to complete. It’s only with the ongoing support of our longterm members that we maintain the persistent advocacy necessary to create the biking conditions that the people of San Francisco demand and deserve.

Below are some highlights of the fun-filled night. If you are inspired by the commitment of our 10-plus-year members, join or renew your membership today!

The coveted 10+, 15+ and 20+ member pins.

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Executive Director Brian Wiedenmeier thanks our 10-plus-year members for their decade or more of support.

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Members were divided up by country names and truly got into the competitive sprit.

 

 

First SoMa Committee Meeting on Sept. 7

Posted on by Janice Li

Winning real change on our streets sure doesn’t happen overnight. It starts with passionate people who organize together, build coalitions and work towards a common goal.

There’s an outpouring of SF Bicycle Coalition members who know biking in SoMa can be far better than it is today. Over 450 people have completed our Folsom and Howard Bike Survey. (Don’t worry, there’s still time to take it!)

As the City gears up for a number of street improvement projects criss-crossing SoMa, we want to be proactive in coming up with what that vision could look like and build the support to get us there.

Join us on Wednesday, Sept. 7 for our first SoMa Member Committee meeting to meet others passionate about shaping the upcoming Folsom and Howard Street project and learn how. We’ll also share preliminary survey results, explore innovative street designs and talk about ways to engage in this project as public meetings begin later this fall.

SoMa Member Committee Meeting
Wednesday, Sept. 7 from 6:00 – 7:00 pm
SF Bicycle Coalition, 1720 Market Street

Lastly, if you haven’t had a chance to take our survey, there’s still time before it closes. Read our previous blog post and fill it out today.

Take Our Folsom and Howard Survey

Help Us Give Away Free Bikes

Posted on by San Francisco Bicycle Coalition
This post was authored by Erika Rasmussen.

 

The SF Bicycle Coalition runs our Bike it Forwards program to provide free bicycles to communities who need them. We receive donations of reclaimed bikes from the San Francisco Police Department and other organizations all around the Bay Area, and make them road-ready for happy new owners.

But we’re running into a strange problem, and that’s where you come in: We don’t have enough community partners connecting us with people who need bikes.

Do you know of a community-based organization working with folks who could use access to the freedom and affordable transportation offered by biking? Neighborhoods in which we are very keen on running the program include the Tenderloin, Chinatown, the Bayview and Visitacion Valley, but that doesn’t mean we can’t provide bikes for communities outside of those areas.

With transportation the second-highest household expense in San Francisco, our work delivering bikes to those who need them has never been more important. If you know of any organizations who are interested in hosting a build and willing to spend five hours with the SF Bicycle Coalition Bike it Forwards staff, please email Francisco Grajales at francisco@sfbike.org.