Bike the Vote with Yes on Measure RR

Posted on by Janice Li

You’ve read the headlines: Our public transit systems across the Bay Area are in a dire situation.

If you care about Caltrain and want to avoid a shutdown of this critical service, the choice is clear: Vote Yes on Measure RR.

Caltrain’s funding is unique from all the other major Bay Area transit agencies. This three-county rail service running between San Francisco and San Jose has no dedicated revenue source and requires that each of the three counties it runs through to contribute.

Measure RR would generate a new revenue stream for Caltrain by creating a new, ⅛-cent sales tax across San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, which is estimated to raise a little over $100 million a year. So for every $8 of taxable purchases, you would pay one additional cent in tax, which would then be dedicated to Caltrain.

Those dollars would be spent on running its current service and delivering on Caltrain’s Long-Range Vision Plan, which calls for increased service and improved efficiency. This dedicated funding would also help Caltrain meet its new equity goals, which were just passed by their board earlier this year.

Your San Francisco Bicycle Coalition has a long history of supporting ballot measures to fund public transit because we know that a transit-friendly city is inherently a bike-friendly city. In 2014, we supported Prop A, which was a $500 million bond to support Muni and safe streets. In 2016, we supported BART’s $3.5 billion bond to keep the system safe and reliable by maintaining and upgrading its infrastructure. And in 2019, we supported Prop D, which was a local rideshare tax to make sure people who were taking Uber and Lyft rides were also investing into Muni.

Our public transit systems need your support, and as we get through the pandemic, our region’s recovery will be dependent on having public transit that works for us, the riders. Vote Yes on RR and sign up to volunteer —  it’s not too late, and every vote counts!

Volunteer with Yes on RR Today

Bike the Vote for November

Bike the Vote with John Avalos for District 11

Posted on by San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

If you know John Avalos, you know how much he loves biking. He’s been a member of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition for over 20 years and when he served as District 11 Supervisor from 2008 to 2016, he was known to be an everyday bike commuter from his home in the Excelsior to City Hall.

John is now running to serve as your District 11 Supervisor once again, and we are excited to endorse him as an experienced leader and champion for biking.

“I began biking in San Francisco in 1992. At that time, I was one of a handful of cyclists commuting from San Francisco’s southern neighborhoods,” says John. “San Jose Avenue’s bike lane was just a stripe marking the right side of the car lane, a bit of pavement, and the gutter. In a part of San Francisco where the automobile has been king, we have had to fight for every transit and bike project over the years.”

John has dedicated his life to public service, spending 15 years as an advocate for working families. In 2008, he took a bigger step forward and ran to represent District 11 of the Board of Supervisors. He earned our endorsement and successfully came out on top of a crowded, 11-person race.

Supervisor John Avalos speaks at a Bike & Roll to School Week at the Excelsior Community School in 2016.

In his eight years in that seat, John fought for meaningful change to our city’s antiquated policies around biking and transportation. Most notably, he was the original sponsor of the City’s Bike Yield Law in 2015, which was passed by the Board of Supervisors before being vetoed by the Mayor.

Four years after leaving that office, John feels like there’s more work to be done. “District 11 needs a Supervisor who will work assiduously on moving our biking infrastructure forward,” says John. “Unfortunately, the current Supervisor has not recognized the advances the district has made in developing our sustainable infrastructure.” If he wins, John is committed to a wide range of transportation priorities, which include reviving Muni service through the district, moving forward with bus rapid transit, and building out the bike network —  focusing particularly on Ocean Avenue.

Now is the time to make sure we elect people who understand biking and transportation needs. Make sure your vote counts this November, and let’s elect John Avalos for District 11 Supervisor.

Volunteer with John Today

Read John’s Questionnaire

Bike the Vote for November

Bike the Vote with Danny Sauter for District 3

Posted on by San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

It’s not easy to challenge an incumbent, but your San Francisco Bicycle Coalition believes Danny Sauter is up to the task to become the next District 3 Supervisor.

For him, biking is personal. Danny grew up riding bikes and even delivered newspapers by bike for 10 years. “Bikes have always meant freedom for me,” he shares.

Danny currently serves as the president of North Beach Neighbors. “I’ve seen what is possible when neighbors get together and act to make a positive change in their community,” says Danny. “This experience has drawn me to want to do this work more deeply, and to do it in service of the district neighborhoods that I believe in.”

District 3 is a small but dense district, covering diverse neighborhoods from North Beach to Chinatown to the Financial District. Unfortunately, it’s a district with very few bike routes that feel safe, and Danny wants to change that. “The state of transportation in District 3 is slow, dangerous, and inequitable. Just 23% of District 3 residents use a car to get to work, yet the decisions made in this District over the last few decades favor private vehicles over those who rely on public transit, walking, or biking,” says Danny.

As Supervisor, Danny wants to prioritize tangible solutions like a citywide daylighting program, pop-up protected bike lanes, and long-term public transit projects such as the Central Subway and the second transbay rail crossing. He’s also voiced frustration at the lack of Slow Streets in the district and is committed to ensuring District 3 has access to car-free spaces. .

We are proud to endorse Danny Sauter for District 3 Supervisor, and as people are receiving their ballots, he needs your support. Get the word out about Danny, volunteer with his campaign, and don’t forget to vote!

Volunteer with Danny Today

Read Danny’s Questionnaire

Bike the Vote for November

Bike the Vote with Myrna Melgar for District 7

Posted on by San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

Mother. Former Planning Commissioner. Everyday bike commuter. Urban planner. Community organizer. Immigrant.

Myrna Melgar holds each of these perspectives and we are thrilled to endorse her as your number one choice for District 7 Supervisor.

“I believe that access to transportation is an environmental and economic justice issue,” says Myrna. “Our public transportation infrastructure is poorly thought out and underfunded. We need to create the conditions so that getting around on a bike is safe, and a way for people to save money and the environment.”

Originally from El Salvador, Myrna received a master’s degree in urban planning from Columbia University, leading her to a career in public service, focusing on land use, housing, and transportation. One of her first jobs in San Francisco was as a community organizer at PODER, the organization that founded our 2017 Golden Wheel Awardee, Bicis del Pueblo.

So what inspired her to run for office?

Kimberly Ellis is a Bay Area-based activist known for leading Emerge California, an organization that inspires and supports women to run for office. “Kimberly was the first person who told me that I could,” says Myrna. “I am running for District 7 Supervisor because I think my policy expertise is valuable for the issues that challenge our City, and also because the voices of people like me — women and immigrants —  are not often heard in those discussions.”

While there are many people running for District 7 Supervisor, we believe that Myrna’s knowledge of land use and transportation issues sets her apart from the rest. She knows the issues that people who bike, walk, and take transit face in her district and so we are proud to endorse Myrna Melgar as your top choice for District 7.

Volunteer with Myrna Today

Read Myrna’s Questionnaire

Bike the Vote for November

What it’s like to start biking during the pandemic

Posted on by Erin Slichter and Jennifer Choi-Nakama

Throughout the pandemic, we’ve seen a great increase in registration and attendance in our bike education classes. Jesse and Chelsey, two of our students, share their experiences with biking during the pandemic.

When shelter in place guidelines were implemented, San Francisco residents were faced with new questions surrounding mobility and health: How will I get to work safely? Where can I exercise? What will I do to get out of the house and stay active?

Jesse, who lives in the Financial District, enjoys spending time all over the city. But when the pandemic hit, he missed having safe access to other areas. “I started to miss visiting other parts of the city, specifically Golden Gate Park and the Presidio,” he said.

Much like Jesse, the pandemic created a predicament for Chelsey. As a Disaster Service Worker, she now needed to find a new way to get from her home in Excelsior to the SF Marin Food Bank.

After some thought, Chelsey decided to make the switch to commuting by bicycle, and as an “absolute beginner,” she decided to attend a few of our bike education webinars: Smart City Cycling 1, Intro to Biking in San Francisco, and Intro to Urban Biking with Bay Wheels. Of all the take-aways from these webinars, her favorite is: “to think like a driver, follow the same rules, and be predictable.” Now, after taking our classes, Chelsey has felt empowered to commute to and from work in the Dogpatch by bicycle using Bay Wheels bike share.

Jesse also turned to bicycling to meet his shelter in place transportation needs. “I had been considering getting a bike purely for fitness, but shelter in place definitely accelerated that,” he said.

Though the old saying, ‘it’s like riding a bike,’ rings true in some situations, literally getting back on the bike can be daunting. Jesse felt out-of-practice and decided to attend two SF Bicycle Coalition webinars to get more comfortable. “When I wanted to get back on the [bike],” he said, “I thought it would be beneficial to myself (and everyone around me) if I’d take a refresher not just on biking in general, but on how to do so safely on San Francisco streets.”

These classes, Smart City Cycling 1 and Intro to Biking in San Francisco, gave Jesse a “boost of confidence” to start biking again. “I somehow made it this far in life without really knowing how a bike should fit,” he told us. Jesse is now able to put his new knowledge to use when using Bay Wheels to get around and now in shopping for his own bike.

Recently, Jesse has been especially enjoying recreational rides. “Going through some of the busier parts of the city and then reaching [a] more relaxed … scene on JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park was a literal breath of fresh air.”

Whether for recreational purposes or to meet transportation needs, Chelsey and Jesse can now experience the true joy and freedom of biking around our beautiful city. “Since the class, I’ve been biking fairly regularly around different parts of the city and have felt much more confident and prepared,” Jesse said.

Whether you’ve never ridden a bike before, or you’re looking to increase your confidence on city streets, our free online webinars and socially distant on-bike classes are here to help. Check out our upcoming classes and register here!

All of our bicycle education classes are free and open to the public. Thank you to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency and the Transportation Authority for sponsoring some of these safety classes.

Support safe streets and win $2,500 in prizes

Posted on by Kelsey Roeder

Our October Membership Drive, made possible by Redwood Credit Union, is underway. All month long, there’s an extra-special reason to support our work for safe, just, and livable streets: join or renew your membership this October and you could win a prize package worth up to $2,500!

Here’s what you could win:

If you’re one of the first 100 people to join or renew your membership this month, you’ll automatically receive a $10 gift card to Green Apple Books.

GRAND PRIZE: $2,500 toward the bike of your choice from Mike’s Bikes (1 winner)

FIRST PRIZE: Choose from these prize packages (3 winners, 1 per bundle)

FOODIE BUNDLE: $1,100 in gift cards to some of our yummiest discount partners — which means these gift cards will get you even more!

  • $100 All Good Pizza 
  • $100 Kasa Indian Eatery
  • $100 Arizmendi Bakery
  • $100 Park Cafe
  • $100 Nopalito
  • $100 Other Avenues
  • $100 Mercury Cafe
  • $100 Greens Restaurant
  • $100 SF Hometown Creamery*
  • $50 Velo Rouge
  • $50 Equator Coffee
  • $50 Laughing Monk Brewing
  • $50 Fort Point Beer Company

SPORTY BUNDLE: $1,100 in gift cards to some of our sportiest discount partners — which means these gift cards will get you even more!

  • $500 Sports Basement
  • $300 Mission Workshop
  • $200 Civic + Sprocket
  • $160 Fitted by Pedro

BLACK-OWNED BUSINESS BUNDLE: $1,000 in gift cards to a variety of Black-owned businesses throughout San Francisco. 

  • $100 Auntie April’s Chick-n-Waffles*
  • $100 El Nuevo Frutilandia*
  • $100 Excelsior Coffee*
  • $100 Gourmonade*
  • $100 Local Kitchen*
  • $100 Ocean Cyclery
  • $100 Powerplay*
  • $100 Sextant Coffee Roasters*
  • $100 Teranga Juice*
  • $100 Voodoo Love*

*not currently a discount partner

JOIN OR RENEW

Entering to win is easy, and so is increasing your odds.  Here’s how it works:

1) Renew at any level for ONE entry.
2) Renew for $45 or more and you’ll get TWO entries.
3) Become a Monthly Giving member and you’ll get THREE entries.

Bonus entries:

  • If you’re a member of Redwood Credit Union, you’ll receive an extra entry.
  • If you select “Renew my membership annually at this level”, you’ll receive an extra entry (not applicable to Monthly Giving memberships)

For more information on how to enter and increase your odds, view our FAQ below.

As an SF Bicycle Coalition member, you will help to create a healthier and more livable city. Each and every member adds volume to our voice as we speak up for the bicycling improvements we all want and deserve. Join the movement today.

JOIN OR RENEW

FAQ:

Q: I’m already a current member. How do I enter the giveaway?

A: There a few ways that you can do this:

  1. Renew your membership! You won’t lose any time on your membership — it’ll simply advance your membership by a year. 
  2. Add an additional member onto your membership.
  3. If you’re not already, become a Monthly Giver.
  4. Give a gift membership to a loved one.

Q: I’m a Monthly Giver. How do I enter?

  1. Add an additional member onto your membership. 
  2. Give a gift membership to a loved one.

View our terms and conditions here.

Car-Free Space from the Panhandle to Ocean Beach

Posted on by Janice Li

In April, Mayor London Breed announced that the eastern half of JFK Drive would become car-free, providing people a place to enjoy the outdoors while remaining socially distant in Golden Gate Park, our city’s premier open space. Five months later, we’ve seen incredible and predicted success: There are six times more people biking in the park and the number of people enjoying the park as pedestrians has doubled.

Now, we have even more to celebrate. After decades of advocacy, San Franciscans can enjoy a fully car-free route from the Panhandle to Ocean Beach.


Since the start of the pandemic, our members have advocated that car-free spaces in Golden Gate Park must be a priority for the Parks Commission and included as a part of the City’s Slow Streets program in order to provide space for people to be outdoors and have space to socially distance. Now, these new additions allow people to travel from the existing car-free eastern segment of JFK Drive, through Overlook and Middle Drive,  and onto the car-free western segment of MLK Drive.

At a press conference on September 18, Phil Ginsburg, the head of the SF Recreation and Parks Department, shared preliminary data showing the remarkable increase in biking and walking. He further noted that before the pandemic, 85% of all the people driving in Golden Gate Park did not start or stop at a destination in the park, meaning they were merely using the roads to cut through. “That is not what a park is about,” said Ginsburg. “[We now have] an opportunity to really understand, appreciate, and elevate what parks are really for — places for people to enjoy.”

Our city’s open space is made for people to bike, walk, roll, and recreate freely. Your San Francisco Bicycle Coalition continues to advocate for the expansion of car-free spaces and to ensure that people in all neighborhoods can enjoy our City’s new programs like Slow Streets and Shared Spaces. 

Push our work for more car-free spaces and a more bikeable San Francisco forward by joining as a member or renewing your membership today.

How We’re Making our Membership More Accessible

Posted on by Kelsey Roeder

After working on this project for over a year, we’re thrilled to announce that on September 1, 2020, your San Francisco Bicycle Coalition did something we haven’t done since 2008: we made some big changes to our membership prices. We introduced a $15 reduced-rate membership to make our membership more accessible and bring more people into our movement. In order to make that change possible, we raised the price of our standard membership from $35 to $45.

We’ve heard from our community that the price of membership has been a crucial barrier to entry for many. In the fall of 2019, our board of directors approved a proposal to make membership more accessible by introducing a $15 reduced-rate membership. We created this membership level for seniors, students, and lower-income households. Members do not need proof of income and receive all the standard benefits of membership.

By raising the price of our standard membership from $35 to $45, we ensured that folks are able to give what they can while the organization’s membership revenue remains sustainable. Every membership dollar directly supports our ability to win more protected bike lanes in San Francisco, teach more people how to bike, distribute bikes through our Bike It Forward program, and work on your behalf to transform our city’s streets into safe, just, and livable spaces.

To learn more about our reduced and standard membership rates, head over to sfbike.org/reducedrate.

Want to help grow our movement for safe, just, and livable streets? Become a member today! Already a member? Help us spread the word about our new membership levels to your friends, family, and loved ones. 

Tenderloin Residents Need Their Buses Back

Posted on by Claire Amable

In August, we joined people in the Tenderloin community, many of them residents, seniors, and people with disabilities, in solidarity to call on the SF Municipal Transportation Agency to reinstate the 27-Bryant and 31-Balboa bus lines in the neighborhood. 

Muni is a critical part of ensuring affordable access to transportation — especially for residents in the Tenderloin, where basic resources such as schools, parks, healthy grocery stores, pharmacies, and hospitals are lacking in the neighborhood. Due to the narrow sidewalks and lack of open space in the neighborhood, we joined the same stakeholders at an action in July, calling for the city to close vehicle lanes so residents could properly social distance and recreate. When a community needs to rally on a bi-monthly basis to advocate for things more affluent neighborhoods receive without asking, it shows us where the City’s priorities and investments lie. 

Many speakers at the July action expressed how cutting the 27-Bryant and 31-Balboa has made it significantly harder to get to the grocery store, pharmacy, and doctor appointments. Currently, the 38-Geary, 19-Polk, and 5-Fulton lines operate through the neighborhood, but residents with disabilities explained that they are unable to walk the few blocks to get to those lines, whereas the 27-Bryant picks them up and drops them off exactly where they need to go. 

Since SFMTA cut nearly 70% of Muni lines in April, we’ve heard from Tenderloin residents and our partners at Senior and Disability Action how those cuts have significantly impacted their daily routines. Curtis Bradford, a community organizer at Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation, shared a story about a man named Papa Ray who relies on the 27-Bryant to go to dialysis every morning at St. Francis Hospital. Since the 27-Bryant line was cut, Papa Ray needs to wake up even earlier so he can walk to the hospital or take a taxi when he’s short on time. For Papa Ray and many residents in the Tenderloin, taking taxis or rideshare is often not affordable and Muni is necessary to ensure they can get around.

Whether it’s expanding Slow Streets here or bringing back Muni lines, the SFMTA needs to do more to show that they prioritize the Tenderloin. To get there, we need your help. If you want to join us in our advocacy, sign up and we’ll let you know how you can get involved in this Tenderloin campaign.

I Want Tenderloin Updates

Our Endorsements: November 3, 2020 Elections

Posted on by SF Bicycle Coalition Board

The 13-person volunteer Board of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition weighed our mission, member input, the unique challenges of our current COVID crisis, our commitment to seeing our organization work towards anti-racist goals, and what that commitment means about our mission as we contemplated our endorsements this year. 

*Note from the board: We received feedback and realized our language on the SD11 race was overly circumspect and decontextualized. For clarity, we have updated the language below concerning our endorsement decision. We always welcome feedback from our members and community, who may learn more about our endorsement process here and reach our all-volunteer board of directors at board@sfbike.org.

Now and in the future we must go beyond our past standard of limiting our vision to bicycling and transportation issues and examine endorsements with a more intersectional and systemic lens. Issues like policing, school funding, housing, and taxation determine who is valued, nurtured, respected, and often who gets to succeed and literally survive here in San Francisco. Without acknowledging the interconnectivity of these issues, our advocacy will fail to contribute to the dynamic, safe, and just city that we desire.  

For information about the how white supremacy plays a role in our community, please watch our recent panel discussion: Bike Lanes, Gentrification, and Anti-Blackness 

For the 2020 San Francisco elections on November 3, our official endorsements are:

  • San Francisco Board of Supervisors, District 1: No endorsement
  • San Francisco Board of Supervisors, District 3: Danny Sauter
  • San Francisco Board of Supervisors, District 5: No endorsement
  • San Francisco Board of Supervisors, District 7: #1 Myrna Melgar, #2 Vilaska Nguyen
  • San Francisco Board of Supervisors, District 9: Hillary Ronen
  • San Francisco Board of Supervisors, District 11: John Avalos
  • BART Board of Directors, District 7: Lateefah Simon
  • BART Board of Directors, District 9: No endorsement
  • California State Assembly, District 17: David Chiu
  • California State Assembly, District 19: Phil Ting
  • California State Senate, District 11: No endorsement
  • Yes on State Proposition 15
  • Yes on State Proposition 16
  • Yes on State Proposition 18
  • No on State Proposition 22
  • Yes on Regional Measure RR
  • Yes on San Francisco City Proposition A
  • Yes on San Francisco City Proposition B
  • Yes on San Francisco City Proposition C
  • Yes on San Francisco City Proposition D
  • Yes on San Francisco City Proposition E
  • Yes on San Francisco City Proposition F
  • Yes on San Francisco City Proposition G
  • Yes on San Francisco City Proposition H
  • Yes on San Francisco City Proposition I
  • Yes on San Francisco City Proposition J
  • Yes on San Francisco City Proposition K
  • Yes on San Francisco City Proposition L

Board of Supervisors, District 1: While we are encouraged by the questionnaire responses, and the support for car-free JFK, no candidate clearly distinguished themselves on transportation issues. Thus, the Board makes no endorsement. 

Board of Supervisors, District 3: Danny Sauter is an active SF Bicycle Coalition member and a highly motivated advocate for much needed cyclist and pedestrian safety improvements. We are proud to support Danny, who has earned the support of many of our members and who we believe will prioritize safer streets if elected. 

Board of Supervisors, District 5: Much like in the November 2019 election, we heard a significant number of voices from our members and community supporting both Vallie Brown and Dean Preston. Both of them have demonstrated credentials on bike issues, and would no doubt continue to be strong advocates if elected. Our member polling was virtually a tie. With faith in both candidates to support bike causes, and no consensus among our members, our Board has no endorsement for this race. 

Board of Supervisors, District 7: In a tight race without a clear front-runner, we endorse a ranked first choice of Myrna Melgar, and second choice of Vilaska Nguyen. Both of these progressive candidates had great responses to our questionnaires. Melgar has a slight edge due to her transportation background. 

Board of Supervisors, District 9: Hillary Ronen has been supportive of protected bike lanes on Valencia and the expansion of bike share. We are proud to endorse her.

Board of Supervisors, District 11: John Avalos has been a champion for cycling in this City. He has been endorsed repeatedly by the SF Bicycle Coalition in the past. Ahsha Safaí has consistently failed to meet the necessary standard for our endorsement and as Supervisor has blocked SF Bicycle Coalition priority projects in District 11. Thus, while we repudiate John Avalos’s offensive exchanges with other politicians, we endorse this long-time advocate for bicycling within our City with the understanding that he has begun to and can continue to mend fences with his political colleagues.

BART Board of Directors, District 7: We proudly endorse Lateefah Simon once again, and look forward to a continuation of the progress that she has already begun as a BART Board Director. 

BART Board of Directors, District 9: In this race we are happy to see an activist from our own ranks; Patrick Mortiere is a long-time member, volunteer and supporter of our organization. We also have a strong advocate in Bevan Dufty. Given our desire to support both of these candidates in a winner-take-all race, we felt we could not endorse.

California State Assembly, District 17: David Chiu, who has been a consistent advocate for biking and transportation improvements and has continued that work at the state level, earns our endorsement.

California State Assembly, District 19: A past Golden Wheel awardee, Phil Ting continues to demonstrate his commitment to biking and walking in Sacramento, so we endorse him. 

California State Senate, District 11: Scott Wiener is a proven advocate for transportation issues and continues to demonstrate that as our State Senator. However,  many members of our community had reservations regarding his previous ties to policing which contradict the broader intersectional goal of this organization to support the thoughtful defunding of police and prevent over-policing communities of color. We are excited by Jackie Fielder’s entrance into politics, but have concerns about her level of experience for this particular office. In response to community feedback, we will add, as with all endorsements, this was a board decision.  The SD11 race was discussed at length at each endorsement meeting. When it finally came to be voted on by the full board the split of votes represented what we were seeing and hearing from membership across the spectrum. We decided that the best course of action to represent our membership was to remain neutral in this race. Please know that we recognize and are grateful to the candidates for their efforts towards furthering the bicycle as a means of everyday transportation and our values to support transportation justice. Thus, we make no endorsement in this race.

Yes on State Proposition 18 — Primary Voting for 17-Year-Olds, Yes on San Francisco City Proposition C — Removing Citizenship Requirements for Members of City Bodies, and Yes on San Francisco City Proposition G — Youth Voting in Local Elections: Increased voting rights for youth and the removal of citizenship requirements for City boards, commissions, and advisory bodies have a direct result in producing an electorate that we believe are more favorably inclined to our issues and values. 

Yes on State Proposition 15 — Schools and Communities First: Repealing part of the original Prop 13 from 1978 will help California fund our schools and local government by requiring corporate property owners to pay their fair share in property taxes. 

Yes on State Proposition 16 — Opportunity for All: Repealing Prop 209 from 1996 to effectively reauthorize affirmative action in our state would impact far more than just education and job hirings, it also would provide more flexibility for city government to add relevant stipulations to their contracts. We believe this is an important issue of fairness and equity. 

No on State Proposition 22 — Uber/Lyft Driver Classification Measure: Allowing app-based transportation and delivery drivers to be classified as independent contractors, and exempting those companies from AB 5 (2019), is an unacceptable relaxation of the increased regulations on transportation network companies like Uber and Lyft. 

Yes on Regional Measure RR — Caltrain Sales Tax: Caltrain needs funding. 

Yes on San Francisco City Proposition A — Homelessness, Parks, and Streets Bond: Despite concern regarding the issue of conservatorship, we felt the added funding for parks, streets, and sidewalks were worth an endorsement.

Yes on San Francisco City Proposition B — Public Works:  The restructuring of the Public Works Department is needed, particularly given the recent issues of corruption. 

Yes on San Francisco City Proposition D — Sheriff Oversight & Yes on E —Police Staffing: Prop D creates an oversight mechanism for non-criminal Sheriff Department misconduct within our county jails, City Hall, courts, and SF General. Having such an oversight is necessary to begin changing the culture of policing as we must stop allowing behavior to accelerate to the level of criminality we so frequently see. Prop E allows for staffing and budget to be tied to actual need rather than a previously mandated level. Both of these propositions earn our endorsement as we recognize that communities of color are too often targeted, over-policed, and receive abusive treatment by our institutions. Supporting these measures are part of our commitment to our antiracist work. 

Yes on San Francisco City Proposition F — Business Tax Overhaul:  It is clear that modifications need to be made in order to fulfill the expectations from the transition from payroll to gross receipts tax. This adjustment to the city’s gross tax receipts led to funding for November 2018’s proposition C – Our City, Our Home initiative, which we endorsed. This is a continuation of that support. 

Yes on San Francisco City Proposition H — Save Our Small Businesses Initiative: During this difficult financial time, we feel it is important to support our small business allies by endorsing changes to City processes.

Yes on San Francisco City Proposition I — Real Estate Transfer Tax and Yes on K — Affordable Housing Authorization: As money generated from Prop I is intended to be earmarked for rent relief and a social housing fund, both of these propositions will increase the ability of San Francisco residents to continue to remain in their homes. We recognize the intrinsic link between affordable housing and transportation infrastructure, and thus felt it was important to endorse both measures.

Yes on San Francisco City Proposition J — Parcel Tax for SFUSD: School funding directly impacts the next generation and the many programs we have to support and encourage youth to use bicycling as an everyday form of transportation. 

Yes on San Francisco City Proposition L — Executive Pay Ratio Tax: This is an opportunity to speak to the disparate income within our City and increase the City’s General Fund.