What’s Next for the SFMTA Board?

Posted on by Brian Wiedenmeier

The SF Board of Supervisors failed to approve Mayor Breed’s nomination of Jane Natoli yesterday, with Supervisors Fewer, Mar, Peskin, Preston, Walton and Yee voting against her appointment, and Supervisor Safaí absent. As a result, two vacancies remain unfilled on the SFMTA Board of Directors. The SFMTA plays a critical role in San Francisco’s recovery efforts, and these prolonged vacancies are hurting people who rely on Muni, our beleaguered small business community, and the tens of thousands of essential workers who still need to travel within our city on a daily basis.

Jane Natoli was a highly qualified nominee for the SFMTA Board whom we were proud to support. As an elected member of the SF Bicycle Coalition’s board of directors, Jane demonstrated an ability to work with disparate voices and viewpoints, strong fiscal oversight, and support for a just and equitable transportation system. We disagree strongly with the six supervisors who voted no on her nomination, placing political considerations above Jane’s qualifications, views, and experience.

While we were pleased to see nominee Sharon Lai approved yesterday, Mayor Breed and the Board of Supervisors must waste no time in nominating and approving two additional directors to the SFMTA Board, and fill these vacancies by October. Our transportation system is in danger of collapsing amid mounting economic and health challenges, and fewer directors on the SFMTA board means an increased likelihood of canceled meetings and votes not being able to pass. Without funding for transit operations and strong plans to make biking and walking in our city safe, San Francisco cannot advance an equitable and just recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Write to Your City Leaders Today

Join us in calling on Mayor Breed to nominate two strong candidates to the SFMTA Board and demand that the Board of Supervisors hear and approve them by October. It’s never a good time to play politics with a transportation system that hundreds of thousands of San Franciscans depend on daily, but continuing to do so at this moment will have real and life-threatening consequences.

Create the Future of Transportation in District 4

Posted on by Kristen Leckie

Despite considerable Muni coverage, District 4 remains car-centric with many wide streets that encourage speeding. The pandemic has increased car dependency, which is why expanding sustainable modes of transit in the district is more important now than ever.

If you’re a resident of District 4 and take Muni, bike, walk, drive, or roll, the City needs your thoughts on how to encourage sustainable modes of travel within the Outer Sunset and Parkside neighborhoods. Will you take a minute and pitch in as we reimagine transportation in District 4?

I’m in!

The SFCTA collected traffic data pre-pandemic and found about 76 percent of all weekday trips started in District 4 were by car — and 35 percent of those car trips were solo trips. District 4 has continued to be largely car-centric despite robust Muni coverage, including two rail lines,a bus line that feeds into downtown, and multiple crosstown bus connections. As we think about how to increase sustainable transportation options, the San Francisco County Transportation Authority and Supervisor Gordon Mar’s office are conducting a District 4 Mobility Study. 

At a virtual town hall held by the SFCTA alongside Supervisor Mar’s office in June, they heard major concerns from residents that:

  • Transit options are abundant, but they are unreliable and infrequent
  • People walking, biking, or riding transit are often concerned for their safety
  • Neighbors are tired of traffic congestion

These concerns keep neighbors in cars rather than on transit, foot, or bike. We need District 4 residents to share their thoughts so we can reimagine the neighborhood’s transportation networks to promote trips via walking, biking, and transit in the Outer Sunset and Parkside neighborhoods. 

The survey is now live until the end of August and we need your help to spread the word. Once closed, the SFCTA and the District 4 office will work toward their final recommendations to determine what transportation projects to move forward in the district. 

This is your opportunity to co-create the future of transportation in District 4, so fill out the survey today.

Close the Gap on Folsom Street

Posted on by Claire Amable

By the end of this year, we could have a fully protected bike lane on the entirety of Folsom Street in SoMa. To make this possible, the SF Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) needs your input on a quick-build project to close the gap between 2nd and 5th streets.

Close the Gap

Your San Francisco Bicycle Coalition has advocated for a protected bike lane on Folsom Street for years. When we won approval for the Folsom Howard Streetscape project in 2019 with expected completion in 2023, we knew we needed to advocate for a quick-build protected bike lane in the meantime. And now, Folsom street has protected bike lanes between 5th and 11th streets and Spear and 2nd streets.

Now, we need to fill in the gap between 2nd and 5th streets in order to have a fully protected Folsom Street in SoMa. This quick-build project would add bike signals, transit boarding islands, pedestrian safety improvements, and a protected bike lane along these three blocks.

With a history of fatal bike crashes in SoMa, we know how important a protected bike lane is for Folsom Street. We’re excited that the SFMTA is moving forward with community engagement and have created a new way to give your input online in lieu of an in-person open house.

Help us close the gap on Folsom and tune in to SFMTA’s first ever Virtual Engineering Public Hearing and fill out the public comment form before it closes on August 26.

It’s Time to Bike the Vote

Posted on by Janice Li

This November, not only is there a presidential election, but the San Francisco ballot is packed with many important races — and we’re gearing up to Bike the Vote.

Our board of directors is considering endorsements for the six of eleven seats that are up for election on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, all three of our state representatives, and our local and regional ballot measures.

Now, it’s time for our members to take action. Learn more at sfbike.org/vote and get involved in these three easy ways:

  1. Read the candidate questionnaires: Nearly all candidates running for Board of Supervisors responded and shared their thoughts on traffic enforcement, Slow Streets, and more. Transportation is an important voting issue, and this is your chance to find out where they stand on biking, street safety, and public transit.
  2. Vote in our member polling: If you’re a current member, we invite you to take our poll to let us know how you feel about each of the candidates. This feedback will be used by our board as they finalize our organization’s endorsements.
  3. Write to our board: One of the best ways to give feedback is to reach out to our board of directors directly by writing an email to them.

Take Action Today

Your participation builds our political power in the city and will help hold our elected officials accountable to their campaign promises. To learn more, visit sfbike.org/vote and take action today.

We’re Hiring: Marketing Communications Associate

Posted on by San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition seeks a Marketing Communications Associate to engage with our members and followers through digital communications and marketing. The Marketing Communications Associate will be a part of our Marketing Communications team and will work collaboratively with staff across departments.

This position will create content, analyze data, and promote the events, advocacy, and program work of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. The ideal candidate learns swiftly, communicates clearly, thinks like a customer, and is passionate about transportation, biking, and equity in San Francisco. 

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is an equal opportunity employer and acknowledges the role biking culture and transportation has played in disproportionate access and resources to underserved communities — including people of color, people from working class backgrounds, women, and LGBTQ+ people. We believe that these communities must be centered as leaders in the work we do. Hence, we strongly encourage applications from people with these identities.

***This position has been filled.***

 

Responsibilities may include but are not limited to:

  • Write, edit, and produce our weekly email newsletter for our 43,000+ subscribers
  • Manage and create content for our for our 56,000+ followers on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter
  • Analyze success of email, social media, and lead generation campaigns
  • Utilize data to influence digital content experimentation and exploration of new social channels
  • Write and edit emails, social media copy, and blogs that promote our work and increase conversion according to our strategic plan goals
  • Support media relations by writing press releases and tracking media hits
  • Increase email and social media network growth by 5% annually, per our strategic plan goals
  • Create, maintain, and refresh website content, including blog posts and landing pages
  • Create and edit photos and videos to promote our events, advocacy, and programmatic work
  • Build relationships with partners and community organizations to promote our work
  • Assist with social media ads, Google ads, and search engine optimization (SEO) as needed

Essential Skills and Qualifications:

  • Superb writing skills
  • Excellent attention to detail and organizing ability
  • Strong desire and ability to learn quickly
  • Ability to self-start and lead projects with minimal supervision
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal
  • Knowledge of digital communications and marketing landscape
  • Willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends
  • Ability to work in San Francisco office when it is again safe to do so
  • Interest in and passion for transportation equity, justice, and antiracism
  • Strong commitment to the SF Bicycle Coalition’s mission and the values in our Strategic Plan

Nice to Haves:

  • At least two years of related professional experience
  • Experience with Adobe Creative Suite including Photoshop
  • Experience with Salesforce and email marketing programs
  • Experience managing and creating content across social media channels
  • Experience with photo and video content creation and editing
  • Experience with creative writing and blogs
  • Knowledge of Salesforce, Marketing Cloud, and Google Apps suite
  • Familiarity with WordPress, HTML/CSS
  • Fluency in languages other than English, especially Spanish, Cantonese and Tagalog

Salary and Benefits: The annual salary for this exempt position is $50,000-$54,000 depending on depth of experience. Full-time benefits include excellent medical, vision and dental insurance.

Hours: Full-time, exempt

Reports to: Marketing Communications Director

About the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition works to transform San Francisco’s streets and neighborhoods into safe, just and livable places by promoting the bicycle for everyday transportation. Our work is guided by our five-year strategic plan and the core values of Transportation Justice, Sustainability, People Power and Joy. The organization’s culture reflects its grassroots origins and professional advocacy in equal measures. Our active membership of over 10,000 represents San Franciscans of all ages and backgrounds from all neighborhoods who are working towards safe, sustainable and more affordable ways to move around our city. The SF Bicycle Coalition is the largest city-based bicycle advocacy group in the nation and one of the largest member-driven groups in San Francisco. 

WATCH THE VIDEO: Bike Lanes, Gentrification, and Anti-Blackness Webinar

Posted on by San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

We know that white supremacy has undoubtedly played a role in our work — and in order to truly fight for safe, just, and livable streets, we must talk about how race intersects with biking and transportation.

On August 3, we gathered with hundreds of members and friends over Zoom for our Bike Lanes, Gentrification, and Anti-Blackness webinar led by moderators Audrey Harris and Meaghan Mitchell, and panelists Shakirah Simley (Director, San Francisco’s Office of Racial Equity), Ariel Ward (Transportation Engineer, SFMTA), Kenya Wheeler (Principal Transportation Planner, SFMTA), and Brytanee Brown (Strategic Planner, Thrivance Group).

Watch the recording here or read the transcript here:

We have a long way to go to end anti-Blackness in our community and we know that we must continue having these conversations.

Our members power our work to create safer streets, educate people on bike safety, increase access to biking by distributing free bikes, and more. Together, we can make biking more accessible and equitable in San Francisco. Join our movement today.

What’s Next for Slow Streets?

Posted on by Janice Li

Last Tuesday, the SF Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) Board voted unanimously to expand Slow Streets — adding 14 new corridors to help San Francisco residents remain socially distant while biking and walking throughout the city.

But that’s not the only story here.

At the virtual SFMTA Board meeting on July 21, dozens of callers echoed one, unified message: The Tenderloin needs Slow Streets, too.

“Saying Slow Streets isn’t the right tool for the Tenderloin is unacceptable,” said Claire Amable, our Tenderloin community organizer. “Parents have nearly broken down in tears because they work two jobs, live doubled up in a studio, and can’t take their kids to the park because it’s too crowded and small. I’ve had to explain to my five-year-old niece why we go to Golden Gate Park to play because our neighborhood doesn’t have enough space.”

After hundreds of our members flooded SFMTA Board inboxes with demands for Slow Streets in the Tenderloin, City agencies were finally able to move forward with the proposal for Jones Street — just hours prior to the SFMTA Board meeting. The Jones Street project will allow pedestrians to safely socially distance by converting current roadway space for drivers into walking space. We’re thrilled that construction is expected to begin as soon as next week.

Our members, along with the Tenderloin Traffic Safety Task Force, have been pushing for these changes on Jones Street since Slow Streets was first announced three months ago. And while the Jones Street sidewalk expansion is huge progress, it isn’t enough. Nearly every block in the Tenderloin is over-crowded. It’s time that our City agencies like the SFMTA and the SF Fire Department come together and implement urgent change on our streets to give space for people to bike and walk safely in our city’s densest neighborhoods.

As we continue to advocate for the expansion of Slow Streets in all neighborhoods, we need your help. Sign up for updates to make sure you get the latest on Slow Streets  and how we can push for more in the Tenderloin.

I Want Slow Streets Updates

Write a Letter for Tenderloin Slow Streets

Posted on by San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

Write a letter for Slow Streets in the Tenderloin.

When the pandemic hit, we knew that the Tenderloin was going to have challenges due to the large numbers of unhoused folks, our narrow, fast-moving streets, and the dense population in the neighborhood. Three months have passed since Mayor Breed announced Slow Streets on April 21, and we have yet to see any change in the Tenderloin.

Write a Letter Today

Fell Street Protected Bike Lane Coming Soon

Posted on by Kristen Leckie

Photo: SFMTA

After almost two months of delay, the City will start construction on the Fell Street protected bike lane pilot in August. Originally set to debut in July, this crucial pilot project faced pushback from the SF Fire Department (SFFD) and construction was put on hold. Now, thanks to the leadership of Supervisor Dean Preston and your SF Bicycle Coalition, planners were able to work with SFFD to ensure this pilot could move forward with everyone on board.

Throughout the pandemic, the Panhandle has been packed with people walking and biking, and safety improvements to make social distancing easier were long overdue. For this pilot project, the SF Municipal Transportation Agency will install a westbound parking protected bike lane along the entirety of the north edge of the Panhandle, repurposing one of the four vehicle lanes to allow people who bike and walk to have more space to do so in a safe, socially-distanced way.

Fell Street is moving forward as an emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic, much like the Slow Streets across our city. But there are still neighborhoods that have no Slow Streets four months into our current shelter-in-place order. All residents in SF need open spaces to walk and bike in during this order, especially those in our densest neighborhoods like the Tenderloin. You helped us push Fell Street forward, now can you help us highlight the need for the Tenderloin?

We Need Slow Streets in the Tenderloin

The SFMTA is meeting on Tuesday, July 21. Write a letter now to let them know that changes are also long overdue in the Tenderloin.

Slow Streets Needs Your Help

Posted on by Janice Li

Back in April, Mayor London Breed and the SF Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) announced Slow Streets, a new program to help people socially distance on our roadways and create spaces for people of all ages to play. As the City continues to expand Slow Streets, your San Francisco Bicycle Coalition needs your help to make sure the program lives up to its promise and delivers for all San Franciscans.

I Want More Slow Streets

Four months into the pandemic, we continue to grapple with changes in every aspect of our lives. San Franciscans have found incredible ways to adapt and, likewise, City leaders have explored creative ways to keep residents safe.

Slow Streets is one of those new tools, allowing the City to close streets to through-traffic and permitting only local, neighborhood traffic, which opens up our streets for so much more. People are now biking on Slow Streets for essential commutes. Children and families are playing and safely riding scooters, skateboards or bicycles on these streets. Pedestrians are using one of the newest corridors on Ortega Street as a thoroughfare to the new Outer Sunset farmers market on Sundays.

While these positives are undeniable, the City has not made Slow Streets accessible and available to all San Franciscans in every neighborhood. When the program was announced, we wrote a letter to the Mayor and the SFMTA demanding first that this program prioritize the Tenderloin, where narrow, fast-moving streets cut through one of our city’s densest neighborhoods and many sidewalks are homes for our city’s unhoused population. We know that the Tenderloin is home to many people of color and that this neighborhood has consistently been neglected with the resources and infrastructure that it deserves. And as our demands to prioritize the Tenderloin remain largely unmet, we need your support to push the Slow Streets program forward. 

If you’ve been able to enjoy Slow Streets, write a letter today about your experiences as we push for this program to become permanent. But most importantly, push on the SFMTA Board and City leaders to expand Slow Streets to the Tenderloin and other neighborhoods that would benefit from additional space on our streets to move about safely. This program will only be a success if it’s designed with all neighborhoods and all San Franciscans in mind.