Addressing White Supremacy in our Movement

Posted on by Brian Wiedenmeier

To our members:

I am writing this letter to all 10,000+ of you, but especially to our white members. While white people account for 53% of San Franciscans, they represent nearly 80% of our membership, according to our most recent membership survey. Whiteness manifests itself in many ways in our organizational culture, and it’s no surprise: the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and the broader bicycle advocacy movement have historically been led by white folks organizing and speaking to other white folks, operating under a flawed assumption that what is best for them is best for everyone. In my role, I’ve witnessed firsthand some of the worst outcomes of that organizational culture.

As our annual member meeting in January wrapped up, several members came up to me to talk individually. The first member who approached, a white woman, began by saying, “You know, you’ve done a lot of work to make biking better for Latinos, but don’t you think the pendulum has swung a little too far? Don’t forget about the rest of us.” 

Attendance at the meeting was overwhelmingly white and male. Three other white members were gathered around us listening while they waited impatiently for their turn to say something to me. I told her I thought she was wrong and that, in fact, I believed the opposite was true: the SF Bicycle Coalition has, since its inception, tailored its advocacy and programs to be responsive almost exclusively to our white membership. But I failed in that moment. I did not call her and those around us into a necessary conversation about race and bicycling, and she left that conversation with her racist assumptions fundamentally unchallenged. 

That exchange is just one example of white supremacy within our membership and how I have failed to do more in my role as executive director to name and dismantle it. I am truly sorry for those failures. Similar racist comments have been reported to me at past SF Bicycle Coalition events and I have received them directly over email and phone. Our strategic plan names “transportation justice” as a core value, but those words will remain meaningless unless we do the hard work to confront racism among our membership. 

I have spent the last month reflecting and identifying the ways in which white supremacy has shown up in my leadership. Through feedback from our staff and board, discussions with peers and community members, direct action and lots of reading, it’s clear that not only have I made compromises in our advocacy and events in order to not challenge white supremacy, but I have failed to empower voices of our staff, board, and members of color who are calling for change. I am taking steps to show up better for people of color in our community and call out racist behavior among our membership. That includes consistently enforcing our existing community agreements, but that’s just a start. Along with other members of our staff, I am devoting time during my work week to antiracist actions in San Francisco and beyond. I am having difficult conversations with friends and family that I have avoided for too long. 

There are many things that white folks can do to support Black and brown people calling for change, and some of them are as simple as amplifying their voices. But fully living up to our commitment to be antiracist will take more work. For the SF Bicycle Coalition, there are several aspects of our work that must change, including recruiting and hiring practices, which neighborhoods we spend the most time and energy organizing in, and how we show up and support Black and brown communities on issues not explicitly tied to bicycling.

Our board of directors took a first step in responding to Black voices in our community calling for change by voting unanimously on June 23 to remove measures related to the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) from our 2018-2022 strategic plan. We were wrong to rely on SFPD to address bicycle theft and traffic safety, and we caused harm to Black San Franciscans by ignoring the violent and too often deadly impact policing has on them. I take responsibility for their inclusion in part because of the pressure I felt from our members to appear “tough” on bicycle theft and traffic enforcement. In the weeks and months ahead, our staff and board will be exploring alternatives to addressing both problems. We can no longer listen to only the loudest white voices demanding certain types of infrastructure improvements or police enforcement. 

These changes to our strategic plan are only one small step that the organization and its leaders, including myself, must take to live up to our commitments to antiracism and transportation justice. It will take change at all levels — our board, staff and membership — to move forward in that process. We must seriously address barriers to membership that have prevented more people of color from joining us, from pricing to language, and from benefits to methods of outreach. We must critically examine our community events and ask who they speak to and for. We must approach our advocacy and endorsements, particularly upcoming ballot measures, with a critical eye toward racial justice.

I invite our white members to join us in this work. Some of you may feel uncomfortable with these changes and actions or may still be questioning why they are necessary. I am learning that sustained discomfort is necessary to bring about change — it’s how we grow. I am willing to be in dialogue with you. Those telling us to “stick to bicycles” have held us back for far too long. We can no longer accommodate white fragility at the expense of progress toward justice.  

Thank you for your membership, and I look forward to doing this work alongside you. 

Brian Wiedenmeier
Executive Director

 

Bike It Forward Intern

Posted on by San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition works to promote bicycling for everyday transportation and to promote safe, just, and livable streets. Our member-based grassroots organization is considered one of the largest, most active and effective advocacy groups in the country. For more than 50 years, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition has a proven track record of winning better bicycling improvements.

The SF Bicycle Coalition’s Bike It Forward program has been working with community groups around San Francisco to organize bicycle distributions, rides, and set up pop-up mechanic stations in areas that lack these resources. Our bike distributions are a great model of a cooperative, community-driven collaboration. We reclaim unclaimed and abandoned bikes from the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), and individual donations which are then repaired with the help of our volunteers. Neighborhood residents sign up in advance with our partner organizations to participate and receive a bike, helmet, locks and lights. Individuals in need can sign up directly on our website.  Recipients leave with a lock, lights, helmet, and an affordable, healthy and fun way to explore the city or get to work! 

Commitment to Equity and Justice

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition acknowledges the harms biking culture and unequal access to transportation have inflicted upon underserved communities — especially people of color, folks with disabilities, people from working-class backgrounds, women, and those 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 these identities.

Position description

The Bike It Forward Intern will have an inside view of the SF Bicycle Coalition, a vibrant, growing nonprofit advocacy organization, and gain first-hand experience in community organizing, leadership development, as well as bicycle mechanics. This internship will focus on the logistical and bike repair aspects of the Bike It Forward program, including executing distribution events. Remote internships are not eligible for this position. San Francisco residents are encouraged to apply. 

You’ll learn skills in:

  • Bicycle repair
  • Repair shop inventory and organization
  • Outreach and community-building

Responsibilities and duties include (but are not limited to):

  • Assist the Bike It Forward staff with bike repairs;
  • Track incoming/outgoing stock of bicycles, parts, and accessories;
  • Assist the Bike It Forward staff with on-site logistics at bicycle distributions across San Francisco;
  • Collaborate with our Marketing Communications team on creating video and photo content for future social media use.

Required skills or abilities:

  • An interest in learning bicycle mechanic skills
  • A positive, “can do” attitude 
  • A desire to work with a strong team;
  • Ability to get around the city to perform outreach (preferably by bike);
  • Comfort riding a bicycle in a city;
  • Passion for making new connections and working in neighborhoods that are under-resourced

It would be awesome if you also had these skills:

  • Basic bike mechanic skills
  • Proficiency in Spanish or Cantonese
  • Google Suite experience
  • Interest in, or experience with, photo and video for the purpose of social media

Required dates for this internship include:

  • Fall 2022 intern orientation (September 20, 2022 10AM – 2PM)
  • Winterfest (November 6th, 2022, tbd)

Internship Length:

  • Tuesday, September 13th, 2022 – Thursday, December 15th, 2022

Compensation:

  • $16.99 per hour with a 10 – 15 hour/week minimum commitment
  • One year’s free membership to the SF Bicycle Coalition;
  • First hand experience in one of the country’s oldest and largest bicycle advocacy organizations
  • Ongoing professional development opportunities, including:
    • Networking with SF Bicycle Coalition staff and professionals in a variety of fields, including but not limited to urban planning, transportation and nonprofits;
    • Presentations and training aimed at development of professional workforce skills.

This paid internship offers a flexible schedule with a 10-15 hours/week minimum commitment. This is a Monday through Thursday internship, with occasional evenings and weekends. Interns are expected to make a three-month commitment, which may be extended. This internship is majority in-person.

This unpaid internship offers a flexible schedule with a 15-20 hour/week commitment. This is chiefly a Monday through Friday internship, with about one weekend day per month. Interns are expected to make a three-month commitment, which may be extended. While the position is not paid, we are happy to work with any academic requirements the intern may have to help them earn course credit for their efforts.

To Apply:

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

  1. What makes you excited to intern at the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition?
  2. How would this internship contribute to your long term personal and professional goals?
  3. What impact do you think bikes can have on urban poverty? 
  4. Please discuss any community outreach and/or volunteer recruitment experience.

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.

WE ARE NO LONGER HIRING FOR THIS POSITION

Solidarity Rides for Black Lives Matter

Posted on by Claire Amable

I was born and raised in San Francisco. In my lifetime, I’ve watched our city’s Black population decrease to less than 4 percent while the share of Black people among those experiencing homelessness has increased to nearly 40 percent. I’ve watched San Francisco’s Black community continuously fight displacement and gentrification and mourn the deaths of too many Black people killed by police.

Last week, I was at an action where I watched a friend mourn her brother who was on his knees with his hands up when a Vallejo police officer mistook a hammer as a gun and shot him through the window of a police car, taking his life. This is personal. And as much as it hurts, now is not the time for watching. As the Black Lives Matter movement continues to propel forward, non-black people of color and white allies need to take action.

With protests erupting across the country and here in San Francisco, we must center Black people as we take action. This is especially true for solidarity rides in the bike community. The amount of people who showed up to the solidarity bike ride hosted by Critical Mass in San Francisco on June 6 was incredible. However, as a queer woman of color who feels strongly about police brutality, I was incredibly disappointed to see no real leadership, direction, grounding or demands from the Black community. I saw no organization, route, program, speakers or chants. Instead, we aimlessly rode our bikes up Market Street and dispersed in the Castro. I saw people treating the ride like a party rather than a protest or ride of solidarity. To plan an action for the Black Lives Matter movement but not have Black people leading, speaking, or present is not solidarity. It’s performative.

We need to talk about anti-Blackness in the biking community. Biking is predominantly an able-bodied, privileged, affluent and entitled activity, and this is especially true if you’re white. At this bike protest for the Black Lives Matter movement, white people still frowned upon and felt uncomfortable by the group of Black and brown biker kids popping wheelies in the street. How can we talk about building safe streets for all if Black people cannot move freely?

In stark contrast to that experience was a solidarity ride on June 11 called “Bomb Hills 4 Black Lives” organized by a young Black woman in the skating community. Hundreds of people joined in to ride their skateboards from Twin Peaks to the Embarcadero. It was led by Black people with many speakers who were Black women, and an agenda to hold space for healing, coping, and addressing anti-Blackness in the skating community.

Photo courtesy of David Hiltbrand

Photo courtesy of David Hiltbrand

A solidarity protest is not good enough if you are not centering the voices and experiences of the Black community. White allies and non-Black people of color, to believe that Black lives matter means to show up for Black people and to let them lead while you follow. Showing up can mean a variety of things! Immediately, you can do the following:

  1. Donate your wealth to causes that support Black Lives Matter.
  2. Create and share content that uplifts Black voices.
  3. Support Black-owned businesses.
  4. Show up to actions and put your body on the line to protect Black people from police, if you are physically able.
  5. Show up for the Black community at city hearings to speak out against policies that will further harm and displace them.
  6. Show up for Black people on other issues like housing/job discrimination, mass incarceration, public health, and education because police brutality is just one factor of systemic racism.

It is clear that the people in our biking community have work to do to unlearn anti-Blackness and learn how to show up. So educate yourself, there is too much information and knowledge accessible in our hands to have any excuse not to.

Valencia Pilot is Here to Stay

Posted on by Kristen Leckie

This week, the SF Municipal Transportation Agency’s (SFMTA) Board unanimously voted to make the pilot protected bike lanes on Valencia from 15th to Market permanent. As we’ve seen since the pilot was implemented in January 2019, these bike lanes bring us one step closer to a truly people-friendly Valencia Street.

To us, a people-friendly Valencia Street is one where families can feel safe biking to and from school, businesses, and home. This sentiment was widely shared amongst the 50-plus letters of support we received. “The SFMTA should create a bicycle network that even our children feel safe riding,” says SF Bicycle Coalition member Matt Hill. “My kids would love to bike to school everyday, but it’s just not safe.”

Another member, Dale Low, agrees. “I’ve recently started riding with my 14-year-old son on city streets and we feel very safe when biking along the protected lane on upper Valencia, but still feel exposed when biking on lower Valencia,” Dale said.

It’s clear that the pilot is a huge success and we need to use lessons learned from it to bring protected bike lanes south along the entire corridor.

Your SF Bicycle Coalition continues to create next steps we can jump into once shelter-in-place orders are lifted and it’s safe to do public outreach. If we want to see the southern portion of Valencia between 19th and Cesar Chavez Streets implemented soon, we’ll need your help. Sign up today to stay informed on the campaign and how you can plug in.

Stay Up to Date on Valencia

Make the Valencia Pilot Permanent

Posted on by Kristen Leckie

If you’ve biked along Valencia in the past year and a half, you know the pilot project to increase safety between Market and 15th Streets has been a huge success. Now we can make this pilot permanent by showing our support at next Tuesday’s SF Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) Board meeting. Can I count on you to help us win this?

Write a Letter of Support

Since the pilot was implemented in February 2019, there has been a 99 percent decrease in vehicles blocking the bike lane, and dooring instances are down 95 percent. We want to make sure the SFMTA Board hears what we all see on Valencia Street: this pilot is a huge success and it must serve as an example of how we can improve the rest of the Valencia corridor. That’s why we need you to weigh in today.

There’s a long way to go to make all of Valencia people-friendly. While we continue under shelter-in-place orders, the SFMTA has paused outreach work for the southern portion of Valencia between 19th and Cesar Chavez streets, but your SF Bicycle Coalition is committed to working alongside the SFMTA to get back to work as soon as possible. In the meantime, let’s work together to make the pilot permanent.

Protected Bike Lane Coming to Fell Street

Posted on by Kristen Leckie

Photo: SFMTA

Bike Month keeps on getting better and better! This week we’re celebrating the announcement that a pilot protected bike lane is coming to Fell Street, and is expected to be in the ground within the next few weeks. We’re excited to support this rollout to make social distancing easier along the Panhandle.

If we want to see this pilot project be successful, it will require local support. That’s where you come in. Can you write a letter today to Supervisor Dean Preston and the SFMTA letting them know you support this protected bike lane?

Share Your Thoughts

Right now, the Panhandle is very popular with people walking and biking, who are using the pathways for recreation and travel to and from essential trips. This makes it tough to maintain distance, stay safe, and follow public health orders. This pilot bike lane will border the north end of the entire one-mile length of the park, and will be protected from Fell St. car traffic by parked cars and soft hit posts. We are so grateful for Supervisor Dean Preston, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) and the many years of advocacy by our members to make this project a reality.

With your support, the SFMTA is planning to implement this pilot project in early June. The project will repurpose one of the four travel lanes in order to create a westbound protected bike lane on the south side of Fell Street. Because this is a pilot project, we know the design isn’t perfect, but we’re excited to try it out and continue to work with Supervisor Preston and the SFMTA to test out this and any other innovative solutions to the overcrowding along the Panhandle to hopefully inform a longer-term design. We’ll keep you up to date as the project progresses. Please join us now in sharing your support!

Your Guide to Car-Free Spaces for Biking Families

Posted on by Christopher White

Sheltering at home can make all of us squirrelly, children especially. As a parent or caretaker, you might be dealing with new stresses, from working at home to recent joblessness to the wild uncertainty facing all of us. Children are also dealing with stress, as they’re trying to adjust to remote learning, missing friends, not getting enough physical activity, and more. We all need to burn off these stresses. While it may not be an option for everyone right now, riding bikes in the fresh air as a family — allowed under current health department guidelines — is a great way to unwind.

This need is one of the reasons that City officials have been restricting or eliminating motor-vehicle access to more and more streets in San Francisco, making them more accessible for walking and biking. Car-free streets are welcoming places for city residents to get exercise and fresh air, while maintaining the physical distance that will help us all stay healthy. The routes described here are all great places for your family to ride. Many are in or near parks, so if your young ones need a rest, there’s open space for you to do so. And as the City continues to expand its Slow Streets program, we’ll update this blog with more family-friendly routes.

Of course, precautions still need to be taken. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

  • Children will likely need to be reminded to maintain 6 feet away from people you don’t live with.
  • Masks or face coverings are not required while biking, but adults and youth 13 and older should wear them when not riding; masks are optional but recommended for children aged 3-12 when not biking.
  • These car-free spaces are becoming increasingly popular. In order to keep children safe and out of others’ 6-foot bubbles, guardians should watch children carefully and encourage them to ride in straight lines, remaining observant of those around them.
  • Frequently using hand sanitizer and wiping down handlebars with disinfectant wipes will help reduce the risk of infection.

New to taking your children out on bikes? Check out some helpful tips below, and see other great resources from the SF Safe Routes to School partnership.

Great routes for biking with your whole family

1.  JFK Drive, Golden Gate Park, between Kezar and Transverse 

For years, weekend closures of JFK Drive during warmer months have been extremely popular with walkers, runners, bikers, and families seeking a beautiful, car-free space to spend time outdoors. After a few weeks of Shelter-in-Place, the Mayor’s Office announced that this stretch of road would be closed completely for the duration of the order. JFK Drive is relatively flat for most of its length, but it does have a couple of minor slopes. These can be great places for teaching young ones to ride, because on pedal-less push bikes they can pick up enough momentum to glide for long distances, building their balance and confidence.

Nearby bike shops: Avenue Cyclery (415-387-3155); American Cyclery (415-664-4545) (Call to confirm hours and availability)

Getting there: As always, we recommend riding there. If you must drive, street parking is available in the Inner Richmond, near the 8th Avenue entrance. At least through May, street-sweeping and 3-hour parking restrictions are unenforced.

2. The Great Highway, between Lincoln and Sloat

This stretch of divided road along Ocean Beach is occasionally closed due to drifting sand, which is ostensibly the reason it was closed this time. However, Supervisor Gordon Mar has requested that it remain closed for the duration of Shelter-in-Place. It is completely flat and straight, making it an easy place for inexperienced pedalers to practice. Its proximity to Ocean Beach creates a great opportunity for a full-day family outing, since it’s easy to spend time in the sand while staying more than six feet from others.

Nearby bike shops: Swell Bicycles (415-731-3838) (Call to confirm hours and availability)

Getting there: As always, we recommend riding there. If you must drive, please note that all Ocean Beach parking lots are closed; street parking is available in the Outer Sunset. At least through May, street-sweeping and 3-hour parking restrictions are unenforced.

3. Twin Peaks Blvd, east half of the figure-8

This section of road closed a few years back as a pilot program and is now permanently car-free! It has wonderful views of the Bay, and kids love to clamber up the eponymous peaks. That said, it can be windy up there, so come prepared with layers; consider bringing wind-breakers. Getting there can also be a challenge, since it is all the way at the top of the hill.

Nearby bike shops: There aren’t great options nearby, so be sure to do an ABC Quick Check on all bikes before you head there!

Getting there: Parking options are nearly nonexistent, so it’s best for those who live nearby or those who can handle riding the hill!

4. Shelley Drive, McLaren Park

At the same time that the Mayor’s Office announced the JFK Drive closure in Golden Gate Park, they announced the closure to cars of this semi-loop in the city’s second-largest park. A great resource for those living in or near the southeast of the city, Shelley Drive has some slopes that are fun for kids to roll down without picking up too much steam. Please note that, although the Mayor’s Office announced that the entire Shelley Drive loop would be closed to vehicles, currently only the western portion between Mansell Street and Cambridge Street are closed (see map).

Nearby bike shops: The southeast of the city continues to lack bike shops — check your bike before you head out!

Getting there: As always, we recommend riding there. If you must drive, street parking is available in the neighborhoods north of the park; enter at Cambridge Street. At least through May, street-sweeping and 3-hour parking restrictions are unenforced.

5. Heron’s Head Park

Jutting out from India Basin into the San Francisco Bay, Heron’s Head Park has beautiful views of the bay. The half-mile trail that runs out the peninsula of this wetlands park is flat gravel; it’s a mixed-use path, so respect people walking and running. Encourage your young ones to count the number of different birds they see out here!

Nearby bike shops: The southeast of the city continues to lack bike shops — check your bike before you head out!

Getting there: As always, we recommend riding there, especially because Evans Avenue and Cargo Way both have easily accessible bike lanes. If you must drive, street parking is available along Jennings Street. At least through May, street-sweeping and 3-hour parking restrictions are unenforced.

6.  SF Slow Streets

Since late April, San Francisco has been rolling out several miles of “Slow Streets,” which are streets that are closed to through vehicle traffic in order to make more space for people to be out walking, running, biking, and rolling while maintaining 6 feet of physical distance. Many of these streets will feel very comfortable for families biking together, but there are important considerations as you plan your outing. 

For one thing, streets are not entirely closed to vehicles, unlike most of the others on this list. People who live on the streets, mail carriers, Amazon delivery vans, and others still will occasionally drive through, hopefully very slowly and carefully. Still, be sure you keep a close eye on your children, and be sure they understand what to do if you tell them to stop, slow, or stay to one side or another.

Additionally, streets crossing Slow Streets are not closed, so be sure to obey traffic signals and stop signs at intersections. This can be a great opportunity to start teaching your children about the importance of safe, legal, predictable riding! On most Slow Streets, intersections are well marked with barricades, but only at every other intersection; thus, unsuspecting people behind the wheel could turn onto a Slow Street at an unmarked intersection. Please use extra caution at unmarked intersections.

Here are some specific notes on various Slow Streets that are currently implemented:

  • Lake Street, 2nd Avenue to 28th Avenue — This street is particularly well-marked and relatively flat and wide. Use caution near busy intersections, such as Park Presidio. But most of the length of Lake Street is family-friendly.
  • Kirkham Street, 7th Avenue to the Great Highway — Similarly well marked, Kirkham is also a nice wide street. It has varied topography — stretches of it are flat, but a few blocks have some serious slopes. Be careful with younger riders on slopes that approach intersections, where cross traffic still flows.
  • Sanchez Street, 23rd Street to 30th Street — Like Lake Street, Sanchez is wide and mostly flat, with well-marked intersections. Great for families!
  • Page Street, Gough Street to Stanyan Street — Page Street is less well-marked than I would like it to be, and some blocks are quite steep. The best-marked, flattest blocks are in the Upper Haight, closer to Golden Gate Park. We recommend riding the route without children to determine suitability.
  • Shotwell Street, 14th Street to Cesar Chavez — This street is relatively flat and adequately marked, for the most part. However, the street is also much more narrow than the other Slow Streets, with many cars parked along the curbs. Be sure to remind children to ride far out from parked cars, in order to avoid doors unexpectedly opening or cars pulling out of driveways.
  • 41st Avenue, Lincoln Way to Vicente Street — Like Lake Street, 41st Avenue is wide and flat. It’s great for families on bikes, but do watch out for intersections!

Other streets have been implemented recently, such as 20th Street in the Mission, 23rd Avenue in the Richmond, and Somerset Street in Portola. We’ll do our best to update recommendations soon!

7. The Presidio, various slow and closed streets 


The Presidio, after experimenting in May with a one-day-a-week closure, is providing a mix of full-time closed and slow streets in June (and perhaps longer). They’ve chosen streets for the project based on their accessibility for young people and families, with relatively flat grades and easy access to grassy open space and bathrooms near Graham and Montgomery Streets. The Presidio is well known for its varied natural beauty, and parts of Washington Blvd have especially beautiful views. Because slow streets aren’t entirely closed, we recommend bringing less experienced riders to closed streets, marked in red in the map above.

Nearby bike shops: Roaring Mouse Cycles (415-753-6272) (Call to confirm hours and availability)

Getting there: As always, we recommend riding there. If you must drive, street parking is available in the neighborhoods south and west of the park, especially near the Arguello and Lombard gates. Trying to park inside the Presidio isn’t recommended.

Other tips for family rides

Set yourself up for a great, fun day by being well prepared! Before you head out, check your own and your children’s bikes for any problems, and make sure that everyone’s helmets are properly fitted. And bring everything you’ll need!

  • Bring snacks and plenty of water — your children will get hungry and thirsty before you do!
  • Remember to take regular breaks, so nobody gets meltdown-tired.
  • Consider bringing lunch and a blanket — a picnic is a great way to take a break.
  • Bring a basic first-aid kit, so you’re prepared for any potential spills
  • Consider riding the route before you bring your children, to make sure you feel confident they’ll be able to handle it.
  • Remember masks for you and your child, as well as hand sanitizer and wipes for your handlebars — and use them liberally!
  • All of these routes are mixed-use, and pedestrians always have the right of way. Remind your children frequently to respect people’s 6-foot bubbles, and encourage them to ride predictably (i.e. in a straight line). You can even make a game of “who can ride the straightest line”.
  • HAVE FUN!

Want to find out more about riding bikes with your children? Attend our upcoming webinar, Biking with Children, on May 28!

We Support Jane Natoli for the SFMTA Board

Posted on by Janice Li

It is a crucial time for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. With Muni service threatened amid unprecedented financial challenges and an increased demand for streets that keep people biking and walking safe and healthy, we need a dedicated board of directors to oversee its operations and finances. That’s why we’re supporting Mayor Breed’s nomination of Jane Natoli to the SFMTA Board.

Support Jane Natoli’s Appointment

Jane served for two years on our member-elected board of directors and has volunteered and spoken out as an advocate for better biking across our city. She brings with her significant experience and skills with a background in finance, and has proven herself able to bridge divides and build consensus. We believe Jane is well-qualified and deserves the support of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Read our full letter in support of Jane, and write the Board’s Rules Committee today. 

Where should the next Slow Street be?

Posted on by Janice Li

It’s been nearly one month since Slow Streets was announced by Mayor London Breed and the SF Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA). Since then, the program has expanded to many more neighborhoods and we’ve heard so many stories of people enjoying these open streets throughout the city. So, has the program lived up to its initial hype? What can be improved?

Share Your Feedback Today

Slow Streets is a new program with the goal of providing more space for people to bike and walk on our city’s streets by reducing car traffic and slowing down speeds. From Lake Street to 41st Avenue to Page Street, the SFMTA has placed barriers and signage to prohibit through traffic.

When the Slow Streets program was first announced, your San Francisco Bicycle Coalition wrote a letter to our City leaders expressing our excitement. We’ve long championed car-free spaces as a way to increase the health and safety of our neighborhoods. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this has more critical than ever. We’re starting to see how Slow Streets can assist in our city’s  economic recovery by increasing street space for restaurant and cafe seating while also accommodating curbside pickup for storefront retail.

We have also pointed out where Slow Streets could be improved. Specifically, we explained how they should be expanded to some of our most dense neighborhoods, particularly the Tenderloin. It’s important that communities buy into the program and take ownership, given Slow Streets was initially introduced with limited community input. We are working every day with local stakeholders and our members throughout the city so that every neighborhood can enjoy and benefit.

Fortunately, many of our Supervisors have also expressed their support, and the program is expanding. The SFMTA is implementing new Slow Streets every few days, and this week, we’re excited to see Excelsior Avenue, Shotwell Street, Sanchez Street and others added to the list.

Do you want to see Slow Streets in your neighborhood? Do you have feedback for the SFMTA? Learn more at sfmta.com/slowstreets and take their survey today as we keep advocating for streets that are designed for people.

A Letter from our Executive Director: The Bicycle as a Tool for the Present and Future

Posted on by Brian Wiedenmeier

This article first appeared in the Spring 2020 edition of our quarterly newsletter, the Tube Times. Some edits have been made in response to new developments. For this story and more, download the Spring 2020 PDF.

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition has always been dedicated to imagining a better future for our city and its people, then organizing and fighting for it. As we grapple with the growing human toll of the pandemic, that imaginative capacity and determination has never been more crucial. Coming together for mutual aid and survival in times of crisis is a defining characteristic of our humanity, and I am inspired by the many examples of that spirit that we have seen here in San Francisco and around the world.

While the fundamentals of our work have not shifted, we have had to adapt to a rapidly changing environment. As always, members continue to power our work, and this Bike Month we need your support more than ever. Please join or renew so that we can stay strong during this crucial period.

I want to share with you a few examples of how the members and staff of the SF Bicycle Coalition are coming together to help each other and how we are continuing to imagine and fight for a better future during this time of uncertainty.

Bicycle repair is an essential service: Within days of San Francisco’s shelter-in-place order (the first in the nation), the SF Bicycle Coalition worked with elected officials to clarify that bicycle repair is an essential service and local bike shops are allowed to stay open. We are keeping an updated list on our website of bike shops in San Francisco that remain open for repair and maintenance. 

The bicycle as a tool to connect vulnerable community members and first responders: Our organizing staff is working to connect seniors and others with limited mobility in the Tenderloin,SoMa and beyond with telephone calls to check in on their needs and deliver food and other necessities by bicycle. We have also launched a Bike Match program to connect those in need of a bicycle with others who may have an extra bike they are not using. 

Serving as a trusted resource for bicycling information: As thousands of San Franciscans adapt their commutes to deal with transit service cuts, many are looking to alternatives for making essential trips. As the city’s leading source for information on how to bike safely and responsibly, we continue to make our educational resources freely available to all. 

Open Streets are necessary for healthy cities: The shelter-in-place order has shown that San Franciscans, and especially families with children, do not have equal access to car-free space to safely enjoy fresh air and exercise. While our public health officials have limited the expansion of those spaces during the order, we will not give up fighting for that space across our city once the order is lifted. 

Clean air and fewer automobile trips are the silver linings we cannot ignore: We will learn many lessons from this pandemic, but one silver lining is the dramatic improvement in air quality and the reduction in carbon emissions from transportation. The public health threat of climate change will remain once COVID-19 abates, and we have a singular opportunity to examine how our city is designed and to promote other modes of transportation over cars. The urgency to change our behavior and dramatically reduce emissions has never been greater. 

We have a vision that San Francisco will be a city that emerges from the pandemic with a more equitable, safe and sustainable transportation system. Our organizational values — transportation justice, joy, sustainability and people power — will continue to guide our work fighting for better policies and infrastructure while supporting our community with resources, information and digital platforms for connection.

It will take us many months to beat the dire threat of COVID-19 and work our way back to a semblance of normalcy in San Francisco and beyond. I have faith that we will continue to show up to support those in our community who are sick, working on the front lines as health care workers and first responders, or are impacted economically. I also have more faith than ever that the bicycle is a tool well-suited for our present moment and our future. 

What we choose to do with it will make all of the difference.