From the Sunset to the Excelsior by Bike

Posted on by Janice Li

It’s not every day I get to ride on new bike lanes, but in the last week, I’ve been lucky to have done it twice. The first time was on Page Street. The second time was this Saturday when I headed out from my Outer Sunset home to the Excelsior and rode on the new Ocean Avenue bike lanes.

I pedaled south until I hit Vicente Street and headed east. I knew the Ocean Avenue bike lanes began at Sunset Boulevard, but I struggled to actually find the right way to get there by bike. (Note to self: Better westside connections onto Ocean Avenue needed!)

Eventually, I found the beautifully smooth, new repaving and the roomy, buffered bike lanes through this residential neighborhood. My previous experience biking here was on Sloat Boulevard — a wide street with fast-moving traffic, many vehicle lanes and difficult connections. In comparison, these Ocean Avenue lanes felt like a dream!

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The new bike lanes on Ocean Avenue connect Sunset Boulevard all the way 19th Avenue.

Ocean Avenue now provides a safe passage for people biking where the street had plenty of space to give. We’re encouraged that the city seized this repaving opportunity to create an bike route alternative to Sloat Boulevard, connecting to Lake Merced, Lowell High School, Stonestown Mall and beyond.

When the bike lanes ended at 19th Avenue, I felt the change instantly. I’m familiar with this portion of Ocean Avenue, and despite being a designated bike route, I have to steel myself for mixing with fast-moving vehicles every time. The faded sharrows don’t give much comfort, and by the time I hit Phelan Avenue, I felt the fear of right hooks as I rode across multiple intersections.

If that wasn’t enough, then comes the freeway onramps and then the obstacle course around the light-rail tracks next to Balboa Park Station. As I bike towards the Excelsior, I’m reminded how this portion of Ocean Avenue is on the high-injury network, which represents six percent  of streets where 60 percent of severe and fatal injuries occur.

I know I’m not the only person who bikes here and sees the need for change. Join me in advocating for better streets by becoming a member today to power our organization. Have more thoughts? Email me at janice@sfbike.org.

We’re Hiring: Valet Bicycle Parking Supervisors

Posted on by San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is seeking energetic and organized individuals interested in providing first-class service to come be a part of our famous Valet Bicycle Parking team as Bicycle Valet Supervisors. Candidates must have a flexible schedule, with availability on days, nights and weekends. If you want to further the mission of the SF Bicycle Coalition by helping provide safe and secure bike parking to your fellow bike riders at events all over San Francisco, we’d love to hear from you!

Hours: Flexible, part-time, seasonal work. Includes days, nights and weekends
Reports to: Valet Bicycle Parking Coordinator

Bicycle Valet Supervisors oversee site-specific valet bike parking operations for events citywide. Bicycle Valet Supervisors are responsible for representing the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, as well as our mission and policies, to event organizers, volunteers and the general public. Bicycle Valet Supervisors are also responsible for on-site volunteer training, care and management.

Job Components

A Bicycle Valet Supervisor:

  • Arranges drop-off/pick-up of supplies at event site
  • Sets up and breaks down events
  • Ensures appropriate location signage and banners are displayed, all parked bikes are tagged, donation box is out and visible, outreach materials and signage is displayed on table, when available
  • Troubleshoots issues and resolves problems facing the Valet Bicycle Parking Program and SF Bicycle Coalition Volunteers
  • Is sensitive to opportunities to improve the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of San Francisco Bicycle Coalition work
  • Maintains an effective manner and demeanor and sets an example for others
  • Is a proactive problem solver dedicated to ensuring a high-quality experience for all
  • Keeps track of the membership envelope, any membership forms and any donations and arranges their secure return to the SF Bicycle Coalition
  • Attends SF Bicycle Coalition’s Bicycle Ambassador Training at least one time per calendar year and is effective in explaining current SF Bicycle Coalition policies, goals, objective, programs and activities.

Qualifications:

  • Commitment to providing a top-quality Valet Bicycle Parking experience for all guests
  • Ability to train and manage volunteers
  • Ability to work individually and as part of a team
  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills
  • Strong organizational skills
  • Comfortable working outdoors
  • Ability to lift 25-35 pounds required
  • Ability to lift bikes and gently place them about 4 feet off the ground
  • Ability to pull trailer of supplies weighing approx. 60 pounds (trailer provided by SF Bicycle Coalition)
  • Must have own bike and be comfortable biking in San Francisco.

Volunteer experience with our Valet Bicycle Parking program is a plus.
Pay is $14/hour for most events.

How to Apply:

Write a compelling cover letter and resume, and submit using the form. Be sure to mention where you saw the position advertised. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until the position is filled. People of color and women are strongly encouraged to apply. The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, age, religion, gender, sexual orientation or political orientation.

APPLY FOR POSITION

And the Winners Are…

Posted on by Libby Nachman

SF Bicycle Coalition member-volunteers park your bike at music festivals, pass you tote bags full of goodies on Bike to Work Day and chat with you on the street about our latest projects. They support our work by lending their hands at events, lending their voices on the phone at our Phone Banks and lending their time all year long. We are profoundly grateful to the time and energy from each of the nearly 850 people who collectively gave over 9,000 hours last year to keep the wheels of advocacy spinning and help make San Francisco a more enjoyable and safer city for biking.

To celebrate these amazing folks, we gathered with 40 SF Bicycle Coalition volunteers last week at our winter Volunteer Appreciation Party. At the Dolan Law Firm office, amidst New Belgium brews and Littlejohn’s chocolates (all graciously donated), we raised a glass to everyone who volunteered over the past six months and gave awards to those who went above and beyond in 2015.

The 2015 Volunteer Appreciation Awards went to…

Most Active Member (The Cathy Kora Award): Paul Valdez

We said it last year, but the most active member is and most likely always will be Cathy Kora. Last year we gave her a prize, and this year, we’re recognizing her runner-up. Whether it’s coming to monthly Volunteer Nights, packing up our office when we moved, parking bikes, speaking at public hearings, signing petitions or attending events, we know we can count on Paul Valdez to show up with a smile. He brightens our office with succulents and haikus, and always waves to us through our office window when he rolls through the Valencia jughandle.

Most Active Ambassador: Doug Betten

In his rookie year as an SF Bicycle Coalition volunteer, Doug Betten rocked it. After becoming a trained Bicycle Ambassador in April of 2015, Doug joined us at 10 outreach events last year and clocked 27 hours of outreach time – including two Bike to Work Day stations! We are so grateful to Doug and all our Bicycle Ambassadors for getting the bicycle-word out on the street.

Most Active Valet Volunteer: Alex Heeger (again!)

With over 45 hours of Valet volunteering on the books in 2015 alone, Alex Heeger spent more than double the amount of time parking bikes than our runner-up in this category. For the second year in a row, we are humbled by Alex’s commitment to our organization and his dedication to keeping your bike safe wherever you choose to ride.

Rookie of the Year: Anakaren Gutierrez

Anakaren got her start parking bikes with us and quickly became one of our most active Valet volunteers, but her dedication didn’t stop there. She also donated 109(!) hours to our other projects: Bike to Work Day, Tour de Fat and helping out around the office. Anakaren was always willing to pitch in when we needed her, and we hope to continue seeing her positive attitude in the coming year.

Bike About Town Award: Dave Baker

Dave gets this special award for being our poster distribution pinch-hitter. Every time we have a major event, he’ll swoop in and distribute posters on all the routes we have left unclaimed. As a result, he’s hung Bike to Work Day, Tour de Fat and Winterfest posters from the Excelsior to the Marina. Not only does Dave bike posters all over town, but he’s one of our most dedicated Bike Build mechanics. Dave, we are in awe.

Education All-Star: Juli Uota

It’s about time Juli wins an award. Although she was seriously in the running for Most Active Ambassador, we want to recognize her dedication to our education program, which teaches nearly 1,000 adults each year how to bike confidently and comfortably in San Francisco. After taking our Adult Learn to Ride class in 2008 and becoming a frequent biker herself, Juli created “Let’s Practice Together” rides to help new riders feel more comfortable and confident riding in the city. She now hosts these beginners-only rides year-round. Thank you, Juli, for all you do.

The SF Bicycle Coalition holds Volunteer Appreciation Parties twice per year, and everyone who’s volunteered in the previous six months is invited to attend. That’s just one of many great reasons to join us as a volunteer: Check out our upcoming projects, and sign up today.

Making San Bruno Avenue a Better Place to Bike

Posted on by Chema Hernández Gil
Image via Google Maps

It’s your SF Bicycle Coalition’s mission to make biking more convenient, safer and fun in every neighborhood. Recently, we shared our efforts to improve access to McLaren Park for people biking from the Excelsior, but what about improving biking on the eastern side of McLaren Park?

For years, we have been advocating alongside our members for better bike infrastructure in the Portola and Visitación Valley. In 2013, we helped win approval for bike lanes on Bayshore Boulevard, Paul Avenue and a short segment of San Bruno Avenue. These bike lanes are critical connections in the bike network, connecting the Portola and the Bayview. While the Bayshore bike lanes were quickly implemented, delays have hampered implementation of the Paul and San Bruno bike lanes for nearly three years.

The San Bruno Avenue Multimodal Improvement Project, is an opportunity to overcome some of these barriers. With the goals to improve biking, walking and transit on this important neighborhood corridor, adding buffered bike lanes to San Bruno Avenue, between Mansell and Paul, is once again on the table.

Join fellow members at the next open house for the project on Saturday, Mar. 19 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. to support buffered bike lanes on San Bruno Avenue. Can’t make the open house? Join our campaign to keep up to date on this exciting project.

Make San Bruno Safe

Your SF Bicycle Coalition can’t make Mansell Street any less steep but, together, we can at least make it safer to get there!

4 Ways to Celebrate Women’s History Month by Bike

Posted on by Anna Gore

March is Women’s History Month, and we’re celebrating all month long. We’ve packed the Women Bike SF events calendar with rides, film screenings and more. Here are four of the many ways that you can join us in celebrating Women’s History Month by bike:

Women Bike SF Coffee Club – Friday, Mar. 4 @ 8am

Once a month, an informal gathering of women, trans* and femme riders meet to talk bikes, share tips and caffeinate together. This is a perfect place to find riding buddies and answer some of your questions about biking in SF!

4th Annual Women’s History Ride – Sunday, Mar. 6 @ 1pm

Come learn about trail-blazing women on bikes and the fascinating intersections between the history of the bicycle and the history of the suffrage movement. The ride starts at SF Bicycle Coalition HQ and then embark on a fun, casual 4-5 mile ride that will most likely end with some cupcakes or other sweet treats.

Intro to Urban Bicycling Workshop: Women, Trans* and Femme – Thursday, Mar. 24 @ 6:30pm

Come learn the basics of biking in San Francisco at our Intro to Urban Bicycling Workshop. We are offering our one-hour course covering bicycling for everyday riding in SF, the rules of the road, route-planning and more.

Women & Bikes: SF-East Bay Mixer – Wednesday, Mar. 30 @ 6pm

Join us to meet new bike-loving friends, hear what’s happening around women and bikes on both sides of the Bay, and find out how you can get more involved. We’re celebrating the close of another great Women’s History Month and the start of Bike East Bay’s new Women Bike program. This casual, women, trans* and femme-focused happy hour is open to all bike lovers and the bike-curious.

For details on these events and other ways to celebrate Women’s History Month by bike, check out our complete listing of Women Bike SF events. Everyone is welcome to be part of Women Bike SF. Whatever your gender identity, join us in our spirit of equanimity to listen and share, develop leadership and community, and celebrate the joys of bicycling.

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Women Bike SF is an SF Bicycle Coalition program that supports and encourages women/trans*/femme riders in San Francisco. Our goal is to get more people on bikes more often in fun, supportive and social ways — connecting people who are doing amazing things on bikes all across San Francisco. We’re grateful to Rahman Law, who sponsors our Women Bike SF work.

Celebrating Page Street

Posted on by Janice Li

We’re rolling out the green carpet on Page Street!

Approved last month, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) just completed the new, center-running bike lane on Page Street between Laguna Street and Octavia Boulevard.

What makes this one block so special? This new street design guides people biking down Page Street to the left of cars queuing up to make a right turn onto Octavia. The new bike lane directs people biking to continue straight towards Market without risking collision with drivers turning. The green paint makes it visible so drivers know to expect bicycles on this well-used bike route and lets people on bikes know that they belong on our streets.

Take a look for yourself!

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The center-running bike lane already getting great use during the morning commute, where hundreds of people bike on Page Street to head towards Market Street.

 

A large bike box gives plenty of space for people on bikes to safely wait behind the pedestrian crosswalk during a red light.

A large bike box gives plenty of space for people on bikes to safely wait behind the pedestrian crosswalk during a red light.

We want to give special thanks to the hard work of Casey Hildreth, the project manager at the SFMTA, as well as the efforts by Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association to bring more traffic-calming measures to the neighborhood.

This one block is just the start to transforming Page Street into the bike-friendly corridor we envision, but we need your help to get us there. There are exciting opportunities to continue riding this momentum forward, so we’re announcing the formation of our Page Street Member Committee. Are you an active member who wants to get more involved in our advocacy efforts? Join our campaign today!

Join the Page Street Campaign

We’re looking to schedule our first meeting, so make sure to join the campaign to receive our email updates. If you have any ideas or questions in the meantime, feel free to reach out to janice@sfbike.org.

Extra, Extra! Read All About X

Posted on by Libby Nachman

X has been gracing the SF Bicycle Coalition offices with his characteristic friendly smile and his invaluable support as an intern for over a year, and has been a volunteer for nearly a decade. During his time as an intern, he’s worked on so many projects that keep our wheels spinning: Bike to Work Day (twice!), Development, Communications and more. He’s also a stellar Bicycle Ambassador and Valet Supervisor. It makes you ask yourself: “What can’t X do!?” We chatted him up to learn more about why he loves interning at your SF Bicycle Coalition, and why you will, too.

SF Bicycle Coalition: What made you start volunteering with the SF Bicycle Coalition?
X: I moved here as a lone wolf bicycle commuter from the East Coast nine years ago and when I arrived in San Francisco, I thought: “Dope! There’s this rad bicycle advocacy org that fights for bike lanes,” and that was that. I’ve been volunteering ever since.

You’ve worn so many hats in your time at the SF Bicycle Coalition! Any favorite projects or moments?
I’ve always enjoyed Bike to Work Day, as a volunteer and as an intern. And the wide range of people organizing and participating in Bike to Work Day share such enthusiasm for it!

What is your favorite thing about being an SF Bicycle Coalition intern?
The plentiful indoor bicycle parking. No, wait! The happy hours. No! The free hoodies.

What do you do when you’re not volunteering with the SF Bicycle Coalition?
I love to cook, I’ve been reading Harry Potter in Spanish to step up my Spanish skills, and I also live for going bicycle-adventuring (Eat to bike! Bike to eat!) and luxuriating on the beach or in Dolores when it’s lovely out.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about applying to intern here?
If, like me, you want to build skills to move into the nonprofit world, I can’t think of a better group of people to learn from.

Want to intern like X? We’re hiring for Summer interns! Even if you can’t intern with us this summer, we have plenty of fun volunteer opportunities and we’d love your help!

Win a Yuba Spicy Curry Family Bike

Posted on by Nancy Buffum

Calling all biking parents! Here’s an extra incentive to get involved in this year’s Bike & Roll to School Week (April 18-22): the chance to win Yuba Spicy Curry family bike with electric pedal-assist! Any San Francisco parent with a child from preschool through high school may enter the Bike & Roll to School Week parent raffle for free. 

The Spicy Curry frame features a low-rider cargo rack and a 20-inch rear wheel that lowers the bike’s center of gravity, providing a stable and safe platform for passengers or cargo. The electric pedal-assist on the Yuba Spicy Curry gives parents an extra boost, so you can keep on biking uphill and longer distances. The long-tail design has space for your young child to sit right there with you. Need space for more than one? There’s room for two or even three children! Additional features on the raffle bike are a seating pad, running boards, Yepp toddler seat, basket and liner, double kickstand and Cargo2Go bags

To enter the Bike & Roll to School Week Parent raffle, just fill out the form, below. (Limit one entry per person.)  Want to see the bike up close? The Yuba Spicy Curry will be visiting SF Safe Routes Schools from now through May 2016, and you can take it for a Test Ride at SF Bicycle Coalition family biking events.

Many thanks to Vie Bikes and Yuba for the generous donation of the parent participant raffle prize. Enter the raffle here. Deadline: April 30. The drawing for the winner will be in May.

Improving Biking to, from and within McLaren Park

Posted on by Chema Hernández Gil

San Francisco’s second largest park is overdue for safety improvements. Join the campaign for better routes to bike there.

McLaren Park is enjoyed by local residents and has long been a popular place to experience mountain biking in our city. Your SF Bicycle Coalition is excited to share details of the Mansell Corridor Improvements currently under construction by the SF Recreation & Parks Department, which are bringing a fully protected, multi-use path to the heart of MacLaren Park.

When completed in early Fall of this year, these safety improvements will make McLaren Park and its open green spaces even more accessible to residents of the Excelsior, Visitación Valley and the Portola. The changes will also facilitate access to the McLaren Bike Park, in the works to become San Francisco’s first bicycle skills park.

With Mansell undergoing such a significant transformation, we are advocating for safety improvements for people biking on corridors leading to McLaren Park and the adjacent Crocker-Amazon playground, soccer fields and urban farm, (the latter a victory by our neighborhood ally PODER).

Mansell, Geneva, MacLaren Park map

We are starting by making Geneva Avenue safer for our members and other people biking and walking on this important corridor. Our goal is to bring protected and continuous bike lanes to Geneva east of Mission Street through the SF Municipal Transportation Agency’s Geneva Multimodal Improvement Project. The first community meeting for this project is expected by May 2016.

Do you support the goal of protected bike lanes on Geneva Avenue? Join our Geneva campaign today.

Support a Safer Geneva Ave.

Now Hiring: Summer Interns

Posted on by San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

Spend your summer as part of the SF Bicycle Coalition team: Applications are now open for our Summer 2016 internships. Our interns jump right into the bicycle action and keep us cranking in high gear. We accept both student and practical experience internships, and generally request that interns make a minimum commitment of 10-20 hours per week, for a minimum of three months.

This season, we’re hiring for up to 7 different positions:

  • Bicycle Advocacy Intern: Put on your advocate hat. Join our Advocacy team to support our various street campaigns both inside City Hall and out on the streets.
  • Bicycle Education Intern: Spread the joy of biking to thousands of San Franciscans – keep our bicycle education classes going strong.
  • Bike It Forwards Intern: Can’t wait to get abandoned bikes in the hands of people who need them? Keep our Bike It Forwards program rolling with your logistical skills.
  • Graphic Design Intern: The Creative Suite is your thing. Make graphics to support our work.
  • Membership Outreach Intern: Extroverts, this one’s for you. Be the bicycle talk of the town and represent our organization at outreach events all over the city.
  • Public Affairs Communications Intern: I bet you have an opinion on the Oxford comma. Help our Communications team copy edit and produce our weekly newsletters and put language to work on behalf of people who bike.
  • Safe Routes to School Communications Intern: Nothing’s cuter than a kid on a bike (unless maybe it’s a kid and a puppy on a bike). Support our Youth and Family program with your writing savvy.

In addition to loading up your resume with practical experience, interns get other great benefits like a one-year free membership to the SF Bicycle Coalition, ongoing professional development and networking opportunities, discounts on our sweet merchandise, first dibs on exciting events and opportunities, and more. Still not convinced? See what past interns have had to say about their experiences here and here.

We’re accepting applications now and will be reviewing them on a rolling basis until the positions are filled. What are you waiting for? Apply today.

If you’re not able to commit to a full internship, but still want to get involved, we’d love to have you join us at one of our many volunteer opportunities.