Meet Charlie, Bike and Roll to School Week Parent Champion!

Posted on by David Gajer

Throughout my work as one of SF Bicycle Coalition’s Youth and Families Program Coordinators, I have had the opportunity to help facilitate incredible community programs, including our annual SF Bike and Roll to School Week. I have seen firsthand how SF Bike and Roll to School Week provides parents, teachers, and students the opportunity to experience an increased sense of freedom and connection to our city.

Our goal in all of our programming is to provide sustainable and joyful ways of getting around our city, particularly for those who have been historically left out of the conversation.

I have heard so many inspiring stories of families commuting to school and parents learning to ride because of their children’s participation. One of these parents is Charlie, a mom who has twins.

I reached out to Charlie to hear more about their experiences as a Bike and Roll to School Week Parent Champion:

Dave: What’s your favorite part of Bike and Roll to School Week?

Charlie: I am super motivated to get people on bikes, and seeing our strong kids bike and roll to school (up some crazy hills!!) is awe inspiring. How amazing is our city for having the ability to roll together.

Dave: How did you get involved as an organizer for Bike and Roll to School Week?

Charlie: I’m always on the lookout for a way to find more friends for my kids to bike with. I found it on Facebook and reached out the moment I saw it.

Dave: Why do you think it’s important for other parents/teachers to organize their students for Bike and Roll to School Week?

Charlie: I’ve been car-free for more than half my life. I lived in San Francisco for more than 13 years. I bike and transit both in and away from the city. When I had twins, it was super fascinating to me to shift gears into family cycling. We started with trailers and car seats on cargo bikes and got our kids on balance bikes almost before they could walk. When the boys started school, we got a Tern GSD to help with the hill that was on our route. 

City kids can find freedom and independence on bikes too, and the more people see kids on bikes the more confident they themselves may become in trying bikes. We dream of a future with more Slow Streets and Vision Zero support, and we’re glad to work towards that future. Bike rides for and with kids feels like that future. 

Our work is supported by hundreds of parents like Charlie and their strong participation in the SF Safe Routes to School partnership. The partnership comprises four SF city agencies and four SF nonprofits that help make taking sustainable transportation to school safer and more accessible for families like Charlie’s. Community members like Charlie know their family’s transportation needs the best, and we work side by side with them to support safe, sustainable, affordable, and joyous ways to get around for all.

How to get involved in Bike and Roll to School Week (4.24-4.28 2023)

  1. REGISTER HERE: Interested in becoming a Bike & Roll champion for your students’ school?  Are you or your students in an SF school and want to get more from biking, walking, and rolling to school?
    1. Note: Each school community will receive outreach materials like posters, bike lights, and more to help organize their school for a successful Bike & Roll to School Week! Plus, thank you gifts for our Bike & Roll Champions from sponsors like Mike’s Bikes, SFMTA, and Timbuk2.

  2. PLEDGE TO PARTICIPATE HERE: Even if you’re not ready to organize your school or your school is already registered, you can still pledge to participate in your school or community’s Bike & Roll to School Week events on the week of April 24th-28th.
    1. Note: Everyone who pledges to participate in Bike & Roll to School Week is entered into a drawing, and three winners will win a Cleary bike of their choice!

Evans Avenue Quick-Build is complete

Posted on by Rachel Clyde

Photo credit SFMTA

The SFMTA’s quick-build project for Evans Avenue between Cesar Chavez and 3rd streets finished construction in January of this year. This corridor in the Bayview, while mostly commercial and industrial, is a crucial connection for people in the Bayview, Portola, Visitacion Valley and Hunters Point to access downtown and other parts of the city.

Evans Avenue is also part of San Francisco’s Vision Zero High Injury Network, which means it is one of the most dangerous streets in the city. In October of 2020 a pedestrian was struck and killed by a vehicle on Cesar Chavez and Evans Avenue. Evans has desperately needed safety improvements for people biking and walking to improve safety and slow down speeds.

After advocating for this project and working with SFMTA staff, we are thrilled to see a completed quick-build including new protected bike lanes, a road diet, improved crosswalks, pedestrian bulb outs, and daylighting.  

Throughout the approval and construction process of this quick-build on Evans, we learned that the SFMTA did not do enough outreach to several families living in RV’s along this corridor that would be forced to relocate due to the construction and the new design. Once we found out about this, we let the SFMTA know they need to do more thorough outreach and communication and to include the perspective of unhoused folks in their street designs.

The new quick-build on Evans is an excellent step forward. We will continue to advocate for better and safer infrastructure that is community-driven, more community spaces, and improved access in the Southeast. We look forward to other project completions such as the Hairball and Bayshore quick-builds coming up later this year.

Support our work to secure more bike and safety infrastructure like this by becoming a member. Join today!

WE’RE HIRING: VALET BICYCLE PARKING ATTENDANTS

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 Attendants. Candidates must have a flexible schedule, with availability on days, nights, and/or weekends. If you want to further the mission of the SF Bicycle Coalition by helping provide safe and secure bike parking at events all over San Francisco, we’d love to hear from you!

Hours: Flexible, part-time to full time, seasonal work. Includes days, nights, and/or weekends.

Reports to: Valet Bicycle Parking Program Coordinator

Bicycle Valet Attendants oversee site-specific valet bike parking operations for events citywide. Bicycle Valet Attendants 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 Attendants are also responsible for on-site volunteer training, care and management.

Job Components

A Bicycle Valet Attendant:

  • 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, 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, objectives, 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 25-60 pounds required
  • Ability to lift bikes and gently place them about 4 feet off the ground
  • Ability to use bike to pull trailer of supplies weighing approx. 70+ pounds (trailer provided by SF Bicycle Coalition)
  • Must have your own bike and be comfortable biking in San Francisco.

Volunteer experience with our Valet Bicycle Parking program is a plus.

Pay is $21/hour for all events.

How to Apply:

To apply, please use the form to submit a resume and a PDF with your answers to the below three questions. A formal cover letter is not required. Please make your answers roughly one paragraph each:

  • What makes you excited to work at the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition?
  • What does transportation justice mean to you and how do you see it fitting into your career?
  • What skills and/or experiences do you have that would make you a good fit for this role?

Commitment to Equity and Justice

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is an equal opportunity employer and acknowledges the harm biking culture and inequitable access to transportation have inflicted upon marginalized communities — including people of color, people with disabilities, people from working-class backgrounds, women, and people with LGBTQ+ identities. We believe that these communities must be centered as leaders in the work we do; therefore, we strongly encourage applications from people with relevant lived experience. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until the position is filled. 

Meet our New Director of Advocacy, Claire Amable

Posted on by San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

We’re so excited to announce that Claire Amable is our new Director of Advocacy. Claire has been at the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition for three years, as our Downtown Community Organizer, our Movement Building Manager, and now as the leader of our advocacy team. 

Q&A

How did you become interested and passionate about biking and transportation justice?

I grew up in downtown San Francisco where my father and uncles were bicycle messengers in the 80’s. I learned how to ride a bike at a really young age on Tenderloin streets and have taken Muni my whole life. I’ve never needed or wanted a drivers license because growing up in downtown meant that I could get anywhere in the city in 20 minutes or less on a bus or bike. However, that isn’t true for working class people living outside the downtown core. My passion for this work is rooted in my upbringing as a queer, first-generation, low-income San Franciscan and how those identities have limited my access to certain spaces, processes, and decision making.

My introduction to transportation justice began in high school when the school district cut yellow bus services from the budget. I stood alongside other teenagers on the City Hall steps to advocate for Free Muni for Youth and we won. Fresh out of high school, I became a community organizer at South of Market Community Action Network where I worked on the Folsom and Howard Streetscape Project and started a campaign to stop Muni fares from increasing. 

Transportation justice has always been about working with communities to make public transportation and active modes of transportation more accessible to the masses, especially in neighborhoods that have been historically underserved.   

What have been your favorite projects to work on as part of our advocacy team?

Gosh, there have been so many! As the downtown community organizer, it was rewarding to do work in the neighborhoods I grew up in. Some of my favorite projects include all the Tenderloin Quick-Builds, the 20mph and no turn on red pilot in the Tenderloin, and winning SoMa Slow Streets the first time around. Additionally, some of my favorite events have actually been in partnership with programs like Freedom From Training Wheels on the Golden Gate Greenway in the Tenderloin and our Bike It Forward Bicycle Repair at SoMa Sunday Streets. 

What are you excited about to come for biking in San Francisco?

There is so much appetite for car-free and car-light spaces, from Car-Free JFK to Slow Streets. However, the distribution of these spaces is inequitable and the communities who could really benefit from them are oftentimes left out of the conversation. I’m excited about the organization’s commitment to equity and justice and the shift to slow down to prioritize relationship building, trust building, and repair in these same communities. 

Riding a bicycle is such a joyful, freeing experience to me and I believe everyone deserves access to that kind of experience. From the children who ride Big Rippers in groups of 50 down Valencia Street to the gig-worker who makes deliveries on an e-bike, I am excited to demystify the generalizations about who bikes in this city and to make the act accessible to all through safe street infrastructure and policies. 

THE RESULTS ARE IN: OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS WINNERS

Posted on by San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

The staff administrators of the recent SF Bicycle Coalition board elections congratulate the winners:

Raynell Cooper, Ernesto Cuellar, Victoria Norman, Roan Kattouw, William
Walker, Meaghan Mitchell, Joanna Gubman, and Juli Uota.

Members in good standing cast a total of 311 tallied online ballots. Nine abstentions were also submitted.

Voting and tabulation was administered using third-party vendor ElectionBuddy to meet the ranked-choice voting rules added to our bylaws by the board in 2017. Most members were able to vote without any assistance from the election administrators. However, as expected with any vendor that provides ranked-choice voting services, a small subset of members required assistance to vote due to issues with email deliverability into their inbox. With significantly increased support from election administrators and other staff, all members who sent an email to boardvoting@sfbike.org were assisted and able to vote.

Details on the entire 2023 Board of Directors election process are available here. And details on this election’s round-by-round results are here. For more information about multi-winner ranked-choice voting, click here. This election was conducted using Meek’s Single Transferable Vote method.

We are delighted that every declared candidate was able to be seated on the board. 

The first board meeting with the newly elected members will be held on February 21, 2023. We look forward to working with the winners, who will serve terms of two years on our board of directors alongside the seven existing board members whose terms have not expired. And we thank you, our wonderful members, for participating in this election.

Not yet a member or need to renew? Join or renew today to support our work for better biking all year long.

What’s going on with all the removed parking meters?

Posted on by Rachel Clyde

Photo credit: SFMTA

In mid-December 2022, we, like many of you, noticed that thousands of parking meters were being removed all around San Francisco. Proper bike parking can be hard to come by in SF depending on what block, street, or neighborhood you’re in. For that reason, many people who bike regularly lock their bikes up to parking meters when unable to find a proper bike rack nearby. 

With many parking meters removed, we immediately began pushing the SFMTA to a) give transparency to the public on why many parking meters were being removed and b) recommit to their promise of increasing bike parking in SF. 

While we would have preferred that SFMTA had proactively planned to mitigate the impacts of meter removal before beginning, we do recognize that parking meters present challenges as bike parking: they provide only one point of locking (which is particularly challenging for larger bikes like family e-bikes), and they create accessibility issues for people who need to step onto the sidewalk from the street. For these reasons, we’re focusing our advocacy efforts on pushing SFMTA to install purpose-built bike parking faster, focusing on those neighborhoods impacted by the most meter removal.

In mid-January, after many discussions with the SFMTA, we were promised a plan from the SFMTA to replace bike parking capacity as they remove the meters. In response, SFMTA staff has identified a total of 125 locations for new racks to be installed in the next 1-2 months, and for greater transparency on these changes. 

Safe bike parking is essential to creating a more bike-friendly SF and shifting more people to taking alternative modes of transportation. 

We’re continuing to work with the SFMTA to ensure bike parking comes back more robust than ever. In the meantime, you can still request bike parking racks online. Request a rack at sfbike.org/bikerack

If you’re curious about why the SFMTA is removing parking meters, keep reading for their recent update.

Farewell to our Director of Advocacy, Justin Hu-Nguyen

Posted on by Justin Hu-Nguyen

As a long time member, it has been my privilege and joy to lead the advocacy team at the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, and I am sad to see this time come to a close. I could never have imagined that what started off as dusting off my bike to end my continued frustration of being passed by a full N Judah would take me on a grand adventure leading me here to the wonderful San Francisco Bicycle Coalition.  

Though the ride has been shorter than I planned, I stand back in awe of all we have achieved together in the last year. Whether it was cementing JFK Promenade as permanently car-free, or creating the beginnings of an equitable Slow Street program, it has been so life-giving to be a part of advocacy that is collaborative, inclusive, and equity-centered. Here, people power is strong —and communities rise together. From the Active Communities Plan, to a massive expansion of Slow Streets to all communities, I cannot wait to see what is next for a city that had so warmly been my home for many years.

However, my ride is not yet over. I’m riding over the Bay Skyway (spending all my wishes to make this happen) to the East Bay. I will be joining Bike East Bay as their Co-Executive Director of Mobility Justice. I’m extremely excited to bring my work in advocacy, policy and mobility justice to my home and to the communities of the east bay.

To all the members, donors, and volunteers of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, thank you for joining our organization on this ride. I am in awe of the work we have accomplished together, and feel so much confidence and joy that 2023 will be a big year for biking in SF.

Page Street and Lake Merced QB approved!

Posted on by Rachel Clyde

Last Tuesday, the SFMTA Board voted unanimously in favor of making Page Street a permanent Slow Street and approved the Lake Merced quick-build. These are two big steps forward for safety and alternative transportation in SF!

Since Page Street was a preexisting project before the pandemic, it was not part of the original Slow Street Program that was approved in December 2022. Now, Page is part of the permanent Slow Streets Program. With this approval, Page will receive traffic diversion that requires east- and westbound vehicle traffic on Page Street to turn right onto Divisadero Street in order to better prioritize walking and bicycling. Left turns onto Page from Divisadero will be restricted, reducing delays for Muni and crosstown traffic. At the Board meeting, there were over 40 people who called in to give comments and every single one of them was in favor of Slow Page. We are so excited to see the future of this Slow Street. 

The Lake Merced quick-build is one of the largest quick-builds that the SFMTA has taken on. It will include road narrowing and reallocation to create protected bike lanes, as well as improving pedestrian safety through traffic calming, new paint, wayfinding, upgraded sidewalks, and speed cushions. The project will be completed in five phases since it is so large. In the SFMTA Board meeting, a primary topic of conversation was the community living in RVs along Lake Merced Blvd. Supervisor Melgar’s office and the Coalition on Homelessness have been working together to find safe relocation for the RVs since the quick-build requires the removal of the parking spaces they currently occupy. The SFMTA staff promised to ensure that the parking removal will not be started until a new location is found. 

Construction for Lake Merced is expected to begin sometime this spring. This project is a jumping off point for future improvements to the area — so while this quick-build does not include a continuous protected bike lane, we know that SFMTA is working toward that goal for the future.

Support our work to secure more bike and pedestrian infrastructure like this in 2023 and beyond by becoming a member. Join today!

MEET THE CANDIDATES FOR OUR 2023 BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTION

Posted on by San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

UPDATE: Watch the recording of the candidates’ statements at our annual board meeting here.

It’s time for the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition annual election of our all-volunteer Board of Directors. Here you will find information about the process, statements by the candidates, and links to questions you may have.

The timeline is:

  • Online voting begins on Jan 23, 2023 and ends Feb 1, 2023 at 9:59 pm PST.
  • Members will each receive an individual e-mail on Jan 23 with a code and link enabling them to vote. This code will be sent to the e-mail address on file through which the member receives communications from the SF Bicycle Coalition. Please add invitations@mail.electionbuddy.com to your contacts. If you do not see your invitation in your inbox, please check your spam folder.
  • Opportunities to meet and hear from candidates will be available at our Annual Member Meeting on Jan 19.
  • Only current SF Bicycle Coalition members as of Friday, Jan 13, 2023 at 11:59 pm PST may cast a ballot.
  • Results will be announced in the Biker Bulletin email and on our website.
  • If you have technical questions regarding voting, please contact our election administrators at boardvoting@sfbike.org.

ABOUT SF BICYCLE COALITION BOARD ELECTIONS

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is governed by an all-volunteer Board of Directors. Any SF Bicycle Coalition member can run for the board. The board is responsible for ensuring the organization’s financial health and achievement of its mission. The 15-member board is elected by the membership. There is a board election each year and terms are two years. Eight seats on the board of directors will be elected by the membership this year for the term beginning at the first board meeting following this election until the new board is seated following the 2025 board elections. A full timeline and detailed description of the process can be found here.

This will be our sixth board election using ranked-choice voting, giving members the chance to rank their votes in order of preference. Our board of directors adopted ranked-choice voting in the hope that it will encourage increased member participation in our elections and our work. For more information about multi-winner ranked-choice voting, click here.

If you are a member who is interested in learning more about board service in future years, please contact us at boardnomination@sfbike.org.

CANDIDATE STATEMENTS

All candidates completed an online questionnaire to declare their interest in running for the board.  You can view all candidate questionnaire responses here. 

All candidates participated in the board interview process.

RAYNELL COOPER

he/him

I’m thrilled to be a candidate for the San Francisco Bike Coalition Board. If elected, I would bring a lifelong passion for problem-solving, stakeholder engagement, and transportation planning to support SFBC’s mission to make SF as friendly as possible of a place for cyclists of all ages and abilities. I learned how to ride as an adult here in San Francisco so I know first-hand the barriers to cycling in the city. As a parking planner at SFMTA and a member of the most recent Redistricting Task Force, I’ve gained perspective on how to work with communities in San Francisco to achieve positive outcomes I’m looking forward to continuing to think critically about our public right-of-way, both professionally and in my growing role as an advocate for better community spaces in San Francisco, and would be honored to have your vote!

ERNESTO CUELLAR

he/him

“As San Francisco goes, so goes the nation ” is a phrase we love to say when speaking about our values and the boundary pushing work in our City. I believe the Bicycle Coalition has been and will continue to be part of this legacy of transformative work, which is why I am excited to be running for Board of Directors. 

My name is Ernesto Cuellar and I am a proud Bayview-Hunters point kid raised by our communities and our public schools. Through lived experience, professional and advocacy work I understand the importance of street safety from traffic violence, but more personally the importance of decentering carceral methods and systems of punishments as enforcement and rather focus on infrastructure to address community needs. 

It would be an honor to serve on the board and be able to support the work of everyone in the coalition to the best of my abilities.

JOANNA GUBMAN (INCUMBENT)

she/they

SF should be a biking, transit, and walking-first city – making it safer, more just, and more vibrant. The SF Bicycle Coalition has an essential role to play in getting us there, and it’s been a privilege to serve you on the Board these past two years.

By day, I run Urban Environmentalists; I’ve also held many community volunteer roles. As an SFBC Board Member, I’ve focused on governance, updating our elections process, and supporting board & staff cohesion. I also pitch in wherever helpful and volunteer at events.

Next term, I will prioritize fundraising and membership growth. The Board must also support a community process to chart a re-envisioned, intentional path for the organization. The landscape has altered: covid catalyzed change, we’ve had big wins, new groups have sprung up, SFBC has strengthened its commitment to antiracism, e-bikes have changed everything, and there’s a sense of possibility. Let’s go!

ROAN KATTOUW (INCUMBENT)

he/him

As an immigrant from the Netherlands, I’ve been biking my entire life. Having grown up there, I know that safe infrastructure is what makes biking a part of everyday life. It’s what gave me the freedom to go places on my own as a teenager, long before I could drive.

I’ve been a member for 10 years, and a board member for 2 years. During my first term on the board, I served on the audit & endorsements committee, leading the endorsements process for the 2022 elections among other things. I’m running for a second term because I would like to continue this work, further improve our internal processes, and apply my knowledge of local government and politics.

At my day job, I lead a team of software engineers at Wikipedia. After work, I advocate for safe streets, bike lanes and transit, and volunteer with local election campaigns.

MEAGHAN MITCHELL (INCUMBENT)

she/her

What does being part of a coalition in San Francisco mean to you? For me, being part of a coalition in San Francisco means so much more than uniting people to promote a common cause. It requires acting as a community leader, connecting those who support an initiative with those who may need more convincing. We must remember to be inclusive and to consider what is best for all members of this city, not just the neighborhood closest to us or the neighborhood where everyone looks like us.

The past two years have shown me the significance of this kind of work and the importance of continuing this mission. I am confident in my ability to lead, and I am thrilled to run for another term on the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition Board. I hope that I can count on your vote.

VICTORIA NORMAN

she/her

It’s imperative we rely less on fossil fuels – as individuals and as a society– so when I moved to San Francisco, I began riding a bike (for the first time as an adult) to commute from the Sunset to the East Bay. Over time, I really got into cycling and it’s now both a mode of transportation and an activity that brings me much joy. The movement to keep car-free and slow streets open has galvanized me into getting more involved with SF Bicycle Coalition; I’d be thrilled to work on your behalf to continue the fight in making our city safer and more accessible, where a bicycle (rather than a car) is the commonsense mode of transportation.

My day job is managing a nonprofit in the sustainability sector. I’m also an indoor cycling instructor at 17 Reasons Why AC in the Mission. This year, I’m doing my third Climate Ride, raising funds for the Coalition.

JULI UOTA (INCUMBENT)

she/her

The SF Bicycle Coalition’s Adult Learn to Ride class changed my life. Being on a bike made me rethink how I see myself, move around my city, and connect in community. Serving on this board, and teaching Adult Learn to Ride, help me return the empowerment I received. After 15+ years as a member and volunteer, much of that time as part-time staff, I continue to dedicate my time to this organization because of its power to change lives. While on the board my highlights have been the reduced rate membership and chairing the staff-board committee that hired our new ED. I ask for a third term to complete projects near my heart. I want to continue to remove barriers to biking, further institutionalize a strong Board-Staff relationship, ensure a fiscally sound future, and foster the Theory of Change project creating clear principles to steer our future of service.

WILLIAM WALKER 

he/she/they

Hello, my name is William Walker.  I grew up in Diamond Heights-Glen Park, and am currently a Lakeview resident. In 2020, I experienced a serious bike accident on San Jose Avenue where a speeding motorist forced me to come to a sudden stop along M Oceanview rails. I flew over my handlebars and continue to suffer from the injuries.

As the Bike Coalition continues to advocate for safer streets in historically Black, brown, First Nation Indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander and People of Color neighborhoods, I hope to help build authentic coalitions that are inclusive of the communities where new bike, transit and car-free infrastructure investments are to be built.

For more than 30 years, I have been an advocate, a board director, planner, community organizer, and practitioner of making California cities a better place in over a dozen governments, nonprofits and community groups.

Ending pretext stops will make streets safer — here’s how

Posted on by Claire Amable

On January 11, San Francisco could make history alongside cities like Los Angeles, Portland, Washington DC, and Cincinnati by putting an end to what are known as “pretext traffic stops”. This Wednesday, the SF Police Commission will be discussing Department General Order (DGO) 9.0.7 and hearing from members of the public before taking a vote. 

For nearly two years, we have worked closely with core members of the Coalition to End Biased Stops to put an end to pretext stops in San Francisco. Pretext stops are traffic stops law enforcement use as a means to further investigate pedestrians, bicyclists, drivers, or passengers in a vehicle for something usually unrelated to the initial stop. These stops instill fear and cause incalculable psychological and physical harm, especially to Black and brown people, discouraging them from walking and biking. The deadly legacy of pretextual stops should not be taken lightly: Sandra Bland, Daunte Wright, Rayshard Wright, Philando Castile, Walter Scott, and Sam Dubose were all needlessly killed in police encounters initiated through pretext stops. 

Data collected by SPUR in their 2019 Traffic Stops analysis shows that, in SF, this practice is racially biased. The report found that Black drivers comprised 19% of those stopped, while making up less than 5% of the city’s population. In the third quarter of 2021, the SF Police Department (SFPD) reported making 6,690 traffic stops and conducting 1,332 searches. According to this report, SFPD used force 13 times more on Black people than white people, and Black people were stopped five times more and searched eight times more than white people. 

2022 was the deadliest year for traffic fatalities in the last ten years, with 37 preventable deaths. We know streets in our Black and brown neighborhoods are significantly over-represented in the High-Injury Network. This updated 2022 map shows streets have gotten worse in Black and brown communities. We also know the top violations that cause traffic fatalities and severe injuries: speeding, failing to yield to pedestrians, running red lights, running stop signs, and failing to yield while turning.  But in these communities, enforcement of these behaviors was virtually nonexistent last year. Ending pretext stops would refocus police on those behaviors that cause the greatest death and injury. At the same time, pretext stops have a terrible track record of effectively identifying other dangerous behaviors. For example, San Francisco data from 2019 show that of the 4,086 stops for expired registration fewer than 1% of stops resulted in recovery of a gun and only 0.7% of stops resulted in an arrest. The other stops covered by this DGO have similarly low yield rates.

In 2014, SFPD, alongside 13 other city agencies, committed to Vision Zero, the goal of zero traffic fatalities by 2024. In order to reach our goal by next year we need to talk about more effective enforcement. With such limited resources we want to see the police department use them strategically, making decisions informed by data to prioritize preventing behaviors that are life-endangering on our streets. 

The list of bicycle and pedestrian stops* we are hoping to see banned are:

  • Jaywalking
  • Riding a bike or scooter on the sidewalk
  • Not riding a bicycle close to the curb or edge of the roadway
  • Riding without a helmet, lights, or functioning brakes

*Though some of the listed actions are not illegal, such as riding without a helmet if you are over 18 or jaywalking, pretext stops are still routinely made for these actions.

Under DGO 9.0.7, police would still be allowed to stop someone if there is immediate danger such as crashing with a bicycle or pedestrian. What this policy does is limit officers’ unchecked discretion in using these stops as a pretext for unrelated searches and investigation.

We believe putting an end to pretext stops will make streets safer for our Black and brown community members and will allow SFPD to prioritize Focus on the Five stops. You can read our joint letter with Walk SF to the SF Police Commission here. 

The data is clear. Pretext stops are not making our streets safer for anyone and put Black and brown people at risk; they don’t reduce crime; and they’re a waste of community resources. That is why we urge the SF Police Commission to adopt a strong DGO that is comprehensive, backed by data and focused on public safety. This Wednesday, we need you to stand in solidarity with us and the 100+ endorsing groups that make up the Coalition to End Biased Stops by turning out to public comment in-person, over the phone, or through email supporting DGO 9.0.7. Sign up here for public comment updates day-of!

Submit a public comment today