Valencia Is Up for a Vote

Posted on by Kristen Leckie

The wait for the next stretch of protected bike lanes on Valencia Street is over! Thanks to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), we have the chance to close another gap along the corridor starting next Monday, February 24.

If you live, walk or bike on Valencia Street regularly, we need you at the Open House and Public Hearing. Will we see you there?

I’m There!

Our members have worked hard since the Valencia Street campaign launched in 2018 and it’s paid off. This project is part of the SFMTA’s quick-build process, which gives us the opportunity to fast-track the project and start construction as soon as early as this summer. We saw protected bike lanes installed from Market to 15th streets and now we have the chance to install the next batch of protected lanes between 19th and Cesar Chavez streets.

Next week’s Open House serves as the public hearing for the project, making your attendance more important than ever. Without people power, the project won’t succeed. Let’s show up in big numbers to win major changes for Valencia Street.

Valencia Open House and Public Hearing
February 24 — 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
CCSF Mission Campus, Room 109, 1125 Valencia Street

It will take persistence and organizing to continue the vital work needed to correct the worst portion of the corridor — 15th to 19th streets. Join us on February 24 to win the quick-build project and highlight the need to fill in the last gaps on Valencia by next year.

Our New Community Organizer

Posted on by Melissa Lewis

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition welcomes Claire Amable as our newest Community Organizer!

Tell us about your role at the SF Bicycle Coalition. What areas of SF will you be organizing in?

I’m the new community organizer for District 6 which encompasses neighborhoods such as the Tenderloin, South of Market and Treasure Island. Many streets under Vision Zero’s High Injury Network can be found in this district, so focusing on streetscaping projects and campaigns in the Tenderloin and SoMa are my biggest priorities. I’m here to engage community based organizations, residents, businesses, city officials, and city departments to collaboratively come up with solutions to make streets safer for pedestrians and bicyclists in District 6 while also supporting efforts city wide.

What have you enjoyed so far about your role? What problems are you excited to solve?

My background is in public transportation and pedestrian safety advocacy specifically within  District 6. I was born and raised in the Tenderloin and have moved back and forth between the neighborhoods in D6 so it’s been really enjoyable to work with people and groups I’ve known for a long time. It makes the work I do all the more meaningful and special! I know first-hand what it’s like to walk and bike in these neighborhoods and I know it’s not safe. I have many young children in my life who live in the Tenderloin and I am most excited to play a role in making streets safer for them because it was not something I had growing up.

You’re a Bay Area native! What do you love most about SF?

MUNI, a tofu banh mi from Saigon Sandwiches, and the radical, social justice history of San Francisco! From Compton’s Cafeteria and gay liberation, the International Hotel and rent control, the banning of plastic bags and e-cigarettes and many more things. I believe to know history is to know yourself. To grow up in a city like San Francisco, it was very empowering for me to learn about our history as a city and more specifically the history of the Filipinx community during the fight for the I-Hotel. This knowledge really motivates and empowers me to do the work that I do today. I love that even though this city is rapidly changing and people are being pushed out, there are still people and organizations soulfully fighting to stay.  

When you’re not working or biking, what fills your time?

I’m usually camping or planning a trip to go camping! As much as I love San Francisco, I love to get out of the city and unplug. However, if I’m not camping, I’m trying to show a four-year-old girl how to skateboard in Golden Gate Park on the weekends.

Get to know Claire and sign up for updates on her work in the Tenderloin.

Port Commission Steps Up for the Embarcadero

Posted on by Janice Li

When we work together to exercise people power, decision-makers will take action — and that’s exactly what happened on Tuesday night. The five members of the San Francisco Port Commission directed the Port’s staff to bring back an action plan within three months to implement a near-term protected bike lane on all of the Embarcadero.

We’ll need you there when the Port Commission takes action. Sign up today to make sure you stay in the loop.

I Want Embarcadero Updates

Your San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is deeply grateful for all of the members who wrote emails and showed up to the Port Commission Meeting on February 11. Even though the meeting began mid-afternoon, the Embarcadero discussion did not conclude until after 7:30 pm. Nevertheless, over 25 people stayed throughout the course of the meeting to give public comment, and we know that the experiences people shared around what it’s like to bike on the Embarcadero today made an impact on the Port Commissioners decision to push for a faster, and more holistic solution

“The Embarcadero should be a gateway for San Francisco, but the lack of protected bike lanes make this trip impossible and hostile for thousands of people who would be interested in biking or riding a scooter,” said Marcel Moran, an SF Bicycle Coalition member.

Frequent bike commuter and San Francisco resident Katie Duerr gave her first comment ever at a public meeting, describing the multiple bike crashes she’s been involved in along the Embarcadero. “I was here in 2018 to see the designs and I’m looking forward to that being a reality,” she said, referring to the open house where the SF Municipal Transportation Authority (SFMTA) and Port staff unveiled a preferred design for a fully protected bike lane for the entirety of the  Embarcadero.

“We need goals and we need a plan of action, not just a presentation every six months,” said Port Commission President Kimberly Brandon. We are thrilled that the need for change and urgency was echoed by every Port Commissioner, and look forward to coming back together in three months to see the new action plan.

We thank City staff for taking bicycle and pedestrian safety seriously by rising to this challenge set forth by both the Port Commission and SFMTA Board. Join our campaign to hold them accountable to their promises, and we’ll keep you updated with our efforts to bring a world-class biking experience to our waterfront.

We’re Hiring: Visual Designer

Posted on by San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition seeks a Visual Designer to join our team to design new marketing collateral and optimize current ones for growing our member and subscriber base, articulating the impact of our programs, educating the public about our advocacy work and increasing engagement. If you are passionate about increasing the reach of bicycle advocacy across San Francisco and have a passion for our Core Values — Transportation Justice, Joy, Sustainability and People Power — this is your chance to create highly visible work that makes our city a better place to live, work and play.

Hours: Full time, with occasional evenings for special events throughout the year
Reports to: Communications and Marketing Director

About the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition works to promote the bicycle for everyday transportation. Our member-based grassroots organization is considered one of the largest, most active and most effective advocacy groups in the country for people who bike. For more than 45 years, the SF Bicycle Coalition has developed a proven track record of winning better bicycling improvements through engaging the public in our work.

Position Description

The Visual Designer will provide direct support to the Marketing and Communications team and collaborate with colleagues across the organization’s staff. Along with the Marketing and Communications team, the Visual Designer will lead the way in designing all digital, event-related, email communication, and print needs to further the SF Bicycle Coalition’s work towards the goals including in our newly adopted Strategic Plan.

Roles and Responsibilities:

  • Create impactful, cause-based marketing materials in support of SF Bicycle Coalition campaigns and events ranging from emails, digital ads, bus and bus stop ads, pamphlets, flyers, infographics, posters, special events, landing pages, web-based (HTML) projects, and more;
  • Communicate effectively with colleagues across teams to support the needs of multiple functions; able to partner closely with non-design partners, ability to manage relationships with vendors and other stakeholders;
  • Design impactful, cause-based marketing collateral;
  • Manage seasonal part-time intern(s);

Required skills or abilities:

  • Strong visual aesthetic and proven expertise in composition and layout, color theory, photography, illustration and typography;
  • Mastery of the Adobe Creative Suite;
  • Ability to multi-task and manage multiple, competing deadlines in a busy work environment;
  • Experience with print design (fundraising mailers, the Tube Times, etc.);
  • Experience designing within brand guidelines but also leading the evolution of an organization’s brand; ability to convey brand across multiple media platforms
  • Acute attention to detail;
  • Strong collaborative skills;
  • Clear interpersonal communication;
  • Working knowledge of HTML;
  • Dedication to efficiency and timeliness; and
  • Strong commitment to the SF Bicycle Coalition’s mission and the values in our Strategic Plan.

Desired (but not required) skills or abilities:

  • Language skills, including Chinese, Spanish or Tagalog; and
  • Animation

Compensation:

  • Salary starting at $50,000 depending upon qualifications and experience
  • Flexible work arrangement policy
  • The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition offers a competitive benefits package
  • Generous vacation policy
  • All federal holidays off
  • Allocated budget for professional growth
  • Indoor bike parking provided

To Apply:

Submit a compelling cover letter, resume and a link to your design portfolio as PDFs in either your cover letter or resume using the form linked below. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until the position is filled. The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is an equal opportunity employer.

The Results Are In: Our 2020 Board Election Winners

Posted on by San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

The staff administrators of the recent SF Bicycle Coalition board elections congratulate the winners: Jean Kao, Tyler Morris, Stephen Braitsch, Audrey Harris, Marie Jonas, Manoj Madhavan, and Constance Cavallas.

We thank the additional three candidates: Robin Abad, Esther Gallagher and Danielle Thoe.

Members cast a total of 991 tallied ballots: 100 percent were cast online with zero members voting in-person at the SF Bicycle Coalition office through the vendor website. This represents 10 percent of the 10,260 members entitled to vote in the election. There were also 5 abstentions and 16 write-in candidates.

Voting and tabulation was administered using third-party vendor ElectionBuddy to meet the ranked-choice voting rules added to our bylaws by the board in 2017. Most members were able to vote without any assistance from the election administrators. However, as expected with any vendor that provides ranked-choice voting services, a small subset of members required assistance to vote due to issues with email deliverability into their inbox. With significantly increased support from election administrators and other staff, all members who sent an email to boardvoting@sfbike.org were assisted and able to vote. All who were members in good standing by Jan. 8, 2020 were eligible to vote.

Details on the entire 2020 Board of Directors election process are available here. And details on this election’s round-by-round results are here. For more information about multi-winner ranked-choice voting, click here. This election was conducted using Meek’s Single Transferable Vote method.

The first board meeting with the newly elected members will be held on Feb. 25, 2020. We look forward to working with the winners, who will serve terms of two years on our board of directors alongside the existing board members whose terms have not expired. And we thank you, our wonderful members, for making your voices heard in this election.

We also want to express our gratitude to outgoing board members who chose not to run for re-election: Jane Natoli, Mary Kay Chin, Shirley Johnson and Andy Thornley. Thanks for your years of service.

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

Port Commission to Make Important Decision for the Embarcadero

Posted on by Janice Li

When change is too slow, it takes real leaders to step up and demand action.

That’s what all seven SF Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) Board directors did today when they unanimously directed the agency to find every opportunity to expedite a quick-build for a protected bike lane along all of the Embarcadero.

Next week, the San Francisco Port Commission is set to receive the same presentation and will make a decision on protected bike lanes on the Embarcadero. Can we count on you to show up and push for urgency?

Count Me In for the Embarcadero

San Francisco Port Commission
Tuesday, February 11 at 3:30pm
Ferry Building, 2nd Floor

At the SFMTA Board meeting today, City planners presented the long history of efforts to plan, design and construct a fully protected bike lane along the Embarcadero. Currently, there are quick-build proposals to construct a few blocks of protected bike lanes at key locations, and while your San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is supportive of these efforts, three blocks of bike lane fall far short of the vision we’ve been pushing for all these years. We demand a beautiful, high-quality biking experience along our waterfront with a two-way protected bike lane.

“We don’t want to wait,” said our Advocacy Director Janice Li. “Make all of the Embarcadero safe for biking now. Three blocks simply is not good enough in 2020, and we all know we can do better.”

SFMTA Board Director Amanda Eaken called out Mayor London Breed’s challenge to the SFMTA to construct 20 miles of protected bike lanes in two years and noted that a quick-build for all of the Embarcadero would go a long way to meeting that goal.

As strong as these comments are, it’s ultimately on the Port Commission to make a decision. While the SFMTA has been leading much of the technical work to plan and design a protected bike lane, the five Port Commissioners need to approve protected bike lanes because the Embarcadero falls within their jurisdiction. We need to make sure they hear from us that change can’t wait. 

Join us next week to demand near-term protected bike lanes for all of the Embarcadero, and let’s make sure the Port Commission follows the SFMTA board’s lead. If you can’t make it, we encourage you to use the template here to write a letter to the Port Commission.

Protected Bike Lanes Coming to 19th to Cesar Chavez

Posted on by Kristen Leckie

Since protected bike lanes went in between Market and 15th streets last February, the data shows that safety on Valencia Street has improved and people biking feel the change. But we’ve heard loud and clear that a full transformation is needed, and we must bring protected bike lanes to the entire corridor, especially between 15th and 19th streets.

People power has moved us along this far, and it’s time to get to work again. Join our happy hour on February 6 to learn what’s coming up and how we plan to win big on Valencia.

Let’s Transform Valencia

Right now we have a golden opportunity to fast-track the next phase of protected bike lanes through the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s (SFMTA) quick-build process. If successfully approved at next month’s open house, we could see protected bike lanes from 19th to Cesar Chavez streets in the ground by early summer. We have and continue to push for the expedited construction of quick-builds between 15th to 19th streets but we’ll need your help to get there. We can’t miss our chance to fix the chronic-double parking and congestion that plagues the corridor. Let’s hit the ground running and reach our goal!

With only a month before SFMTA’s open house, we need your help now more than ever if we want to pack the room. Come out next week to connect with other dedicated members, sign up for upcoming outreach efforts and learn how you can join the movement.

Valencia Happy Hour
Muddy’s Coffee House (1304 Valencia St.)
Thursday, Feb. 6 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM

We Need More for the Embarcadero

Posted on by Janice Li

UPDATE: The SFMTA Board made strong comments at their meeting, and we’re now organizing support for the Port Commission meeting on Tuesday, February 11. We hope you can turn out for the meeting, but if you cannot, we still encourage you to write an email using the template below.

With Market Street going car-free this week, it’s a reminder that we do not and should not have to wait years to bring bold change to our city’s most iconic, well-biked boulevards. We’re ready to support protected bike lanes to the Embarcadero, but we need your help to push for more than just three blocks of change.

It’s been over a year since City planners unveiled designs for a fully protected bike lane on the Embarcadero at an open house attended by over 200 people. Since then, we’ve approved and built protected bike lanes at a rate like never before, and it’s finally time to bring that momentum to our waterfront.

Write a letter to demand more

In February, there will be two important meetings where the Embarcadero is up for discussion before policymakers: the SF Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) Board on Feb. 4 and at the SF Port Commission on Feb. 11. These meetings will include a presentation on what’s happened since the open house and a proposal for two new quick-build projects on the Embarcadero for this year.

The two quick-builds look to bring stretches of protected bike lanes to a section in front of Pier 35 (between Kearny Street and Bay Street) and in SoMa (between Mission Street and Folsom Street). Your San Francisco Bicycle Coalition strongly supports both these proposals, but we know that these short segments will not bring the needed safety improvements to turn the Embarcadero into the high-quality, world-class biking experience that our waterfront deserves.

If you’re with us and want to see more than just a couple blocks of improvements, make sure to write to the SFMTA Board and the Port Commission so that our city’s decisionmakers know that we’ve waited too long to see progress. Use this template and write a letter today so that we can dream big about what tomorrow’s waterfront will look like.

Detours to the Hairball are coming

Posted on by Janice Li

Good news: Our city’s famous tangle of streets are getting an exciting improvement. In the meantime, if you bike the “Hairball” you should know that detours may also affect your bike route during this construction period.

If you bike eastbound on Cesar Chavez Street into the Hairball, where the path continues underneath Highway 101, you’ll be familiar with the sloped dirt path that connects to the pedestrian bridge. Construction crews are beginning work here to pave the path and reduce the grade for a more comfortable and safe connection.

However, this construction will close off this section as they build out a new retaining wall. SF Public Works has posted signs and we are encouraging people to enter on the north side of Cesar Chavez at Potrero and take the westbound path for a short section. See the detour map below:

Construction is underway for Sections F and G. The recommended detour is to enter on the northside at Section B and connect to the usual eastbound path by connecting to Sections D and I.

SF Public Works has estimated the construction should be complete in early May, and we will make sure to continue keeping track of construction and updating you on the progress.

You can learn more about what’s happening at SF Public Works’ project page and find contact information there if you have any concerns with the detours.

Is Market Street Working for You?

Posted on by Darren Newell

Ready for a car-free Market Street? It’s happening on January 29, and we can’t wait!  Bicycle improvements are already going in the ground and we want to make sure these near-term changes are working for you. Join our street outreach efforts to make sure the improvements we won with the approval of the Better Market Street Project last October improve bike rides for everyone.

Volunteer With Our Outreach Team 

If you bike on Market Street you may have already seen changes happening. Street crews replaced a right turn lane for cars with fresh green bike-lane paint, sign crews are hanging up the new “No Turn on Market” signs at various intersections, and in the next couple months all of the near-term improvements for Market Street will be in the ground!

As construction crews come through, your San Francisco Bicycle Coalition will be out there on the street talking to people who bike to see how these changes are affecting people’s rides. Are the car restrictions working? Do the new bike improvements make it easier to connect onto Market from surrounding streets? Has your commute on Market Street improved? 

Volunteering with the Outreach Team is your chance to talk to your fellow bike-riding community, ask about their thoughts and give us feedback of your own. Sign up to volunteer and let’s make sure these improvements put people first on Market Street!