Meet the Candidates for our 2020 Board of Directors Election

Posted on by San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

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

The timeline is:

  • Online voting begins on Jan. 22, 2020 and ends Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020 at 9:59 pm PST.
  • Members will each receive an individual e-mail on Jan. 22 with a code and link enabling them to vote. This code will be sent to the e-mail address on file through which the member receives communications from the SF Bicycle Coalition. Please add invitations@mail.electionbuddy.com to your contacts. If you do not see your invitation in your inbox, please check your spam folder.
  • Voting in person is also available during office hours at the SF Bicycle Coalition office (1720 Market St.) for the duration of the voting period.
  • Opportunities to meet and hear from candidates will be available at our annual Member Meeting on Jan. 22.
  • Only current SF Bicycle Coalition members as of Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020 at 11:59 pm PST may cast a ballot.
  • Results will be announced in the Biker Bulletin email and the Tube Times magazine.
  • If you have technical questions regarding voting, please contact our election administrators at boardvoting@sfbike.org.

 

About SF Bicycle Coalition Board Elections

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is governed by an all-volunteer Board of Directors. Any SF Bicycle Coalition member can run for the board. The board is responsible for ensuring the organization’s financial health and achievement of its mission. The 15-member board is elected by the membership. There is a board election each year and terms are two years. Seven seats on the board of directors will be elected by the membership this year for the term beginning at the first board meeting following this election until the new board is seated following the 2021 board elections. A full timeline and detailed description of the process can be found here.

In each election, members of the board who are not running for re-election may select and recommend a number of candidates. The board-recommended candidates meet the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition’s goals for board leadership with respect to commitment to the mission, specific skills (e.g., organizational development, finance, fundraising), representation of bicycle and allied organizations, and diversity. The SF Bicycle Coalition Board developed the following list of top skills/qualities to consider when recommending candidates given this year’s organizational priorities as well as ongoing needs from the organization’s leadership.

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

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

Candidate Statements

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

 

Audrey Harris

Board recommended

Building community, advocating for people-informed improvements, and sharing in the joy of biking as a choice are what drive me to the coalition.

I am running to be a board member this year to continue this work and leverage my personal and professional experience in delivering SF Bicycle Coalition’s Strategic Plan.

I have faced the woes of lack of bike infrastructure, dangers of uninformed drivers, and lack of safety that is rooted in being an exposed women of color on a bike. Now with a family, I face even more decisions that complicate my relationship with the bike.

My background is in transportation planning, racial and social equity planning, and people-powered decision-making from my leadership role in my union. As a board member, this would be an opportunity for me to advance its intersection – mobility justice.

I look forward to the work ahead and to continuing the legacy of this organization!

 

Constance Cavallas

Board recommended

I’ve been a proud and active member  for more than 10 years because of how deeply I believe in the SF Bicycle Coalition’s mission and recognition of the bicycle’s power to influence a safer, more accessible, and livable city for all.

 My passion for enriching public and community space and has led to a career in both the government and non-profit sectors focusing on identification, implementation, and oversight of projects and programs that serve community-identified needs. 

I am most interested in expanding the demographic reach of  membership to include communities who bike but whose voices have not been elevated, and communities who have not had the opportunity to experience the freedom and joy of bicycling. 

I’ve been grateful for the opportunity to support the organization’s initiatives as an intern, member, and volunteer and look forward to the possibility of expanding that support by serving on the Board of Directors!

 

Danielle Thoe

Board recommended

I started bicycling during college to compete in the Little 500 bicycle race, but it wasn’t until I moved to SF that I became a bike commuter. I joined the SF Bike Coalition, worked on Caltrain advocacy, and served on Caltrain’s Bicycle Advisory Committee. 

I am running for the board to ensure:

  • Recent wins like the Quick Build program shape the future of SF’s transportation infrastructure. 
  • The SF Bike Coalition continues to diversify membership and engagement. 
  • Voices of all cyclists are represented.
  • Accountability to SF’s Vision Zero goals and an end to cyclist deaths on city streets.  

I am an urban planner and work in affordable housing development in the East Bay. I sit on the SF County Transportation Authority (SFCTA) Citizens Advisory Committee, representing D6, and on the board of the SF Spikes LGBT+ Soccer Club. 

I will bring my passion and hard work to serving on the board.

Esther Gallagher

I’ve been a bicycling doula in SF since 1992 and became a SF Bicycle Coalition member over 15 years ago. Being a member has always meant that I was putting my political dollar where it matched my values of environmental activism/lifestyle, AND that my voice meant something when it came time to do the political work, like showing up at City Hall to testify about conditions for cyclists. I appreciate the staff’s work and enjoy engaging with them when it happens.

I would like to join the board to represent and show solidarity with older women, SF bicyclists who are out there every day AND whose experience may prove valuable in developing and implementing the organization’s goals. I would make it my priority that we take a strong stance to rectify the anti-environmental laws which favor car travel and “car-sharing” corporations.

I am proud to be endorsed by SFBC Momentum.

 

Jean Kao (Incumbent)

Board recommended

I’ve had the honor to serve as President, and previously as Treasurer, in my first term on the board. I joined the SF Bicycle Coalition 10+ years ago for selfish reasons – because I wanted a better commute. But I continue to devote my time and energy to this community because I believe our work is essential in transforming San Francisco into a safe, just, and sustainable city.

Achieving our mission will require us to find ways to make transportation in San Francisco better not just for members but for everyone. It will require more than bike lanes and better infrastructure but also addressing issues around access and inequality. 

My role on the board would be to continue to help change the conversation – from “us vs them” to “we” – and guide the organization towards strength in our diversity.

Thank you for your vote!

 

Manoj Madhavan

Board recommended

As a kid growing up in India, my first taste of freedom was riding a bike! It inspired me early on to build my career as an urban planner. 

At the SF Planning Department, I worked on projects including Safer/Better Market Street, & Central SoMa/Hub plans. It was then that I realized the importance of SF Bike Coalition’s members in their tireless advocacy towards advocating for project approvals. 

Currently as Director of Transportation Demand Management for the Golden State Warriors, I ensure that most trips made by people coming to Chase Center are through sustainable modes.

With over 15 years of experience as a transportation planner, I am excited to run for the board to assist in building more bike connections. I hope that one day every kid in SF gets a taste of the same freedom I had as a kid.

 

Marie Jonas (Incumbent)

Board recommended

I’m an active member, committed volunteer, and incumbent board member, eager to serve this organization for another term. The SF Bicycle Coalition helped get me on the bike and keep me there. I want to pay it forward, building a strong, resilient, inclusive organization. On the board, I bring my professional experience as an attorney who represents nonprofits to support our oversight role, along with fundraising and organizing experience. I also remain a dedicated street-side volunteer!

I am passionate about bicycles, as a commuter and recreational rider. Supporting our community is one of my priorities (and joys!). Monthly, you’ll find me at our Women Bike SF coffee club, helping foster a supportive environment for women riders. This summer, I’m riding AIDS/LifeCycle for the third time, fundraising and forging connections with an amazing crew. 

I’m grateful to be recommended by my colleagues to serve another term.

 

Robin Abad (Incumbent)

Board recommended

My name is Robin and I am passionately committed to the work of the SF Bicycle Coalition!  I have the skills and experience to continue serving you well on the Board of Directors. I have extensive professional experience in nonprofit and public sectors; also in volunteer leadership capacities on several nonprofit boards and board committees. In my current role as an Urban Designer in the Policy Division of the SF Planning Department, I’ve worked with dozens of community and advocacy organizations on partnerships to advance open space, active transportation, and public space projects and legislation. I bring technical and policy fluency in urban planning and design, especially in street design; as well as deep knowledge of how our local government functions. Previously, I worked with LADOT People St. and the Mayor’s Great Streets Project on advocacy and performance evaluation of Complete Streets projects throughout L.A.

 

Stephen Braitsch

Board recommended

I am passionate about empowering our community with data that can supercharge our advocacy work and keeping the pressure on our elected officials and the SFMTA to get safety improvement projects in the ground.

I am an active SF Bicycle Coalition member, Bicycle Ambassador and Co-Captain of our Mid-Market Bike to Work Day Energizer Station. I commute by bike daily and think constantly about how we can make our streets safer for everyone in San Francisco.

Last April I created the Safe Lanes reporting and data analysis platform to help us identify dangerous conditions on our city streets and have been helping the SFMTA leverage the data we’re collecting to inform new safety improvement projects and optimize enforcement.

If elected, I’ll help lead our fight for a car-free Golden Gate Park and a safe, protected bike lane network that connects the entire city.

I am proud to be endorsed by SFBC Momentum.

 

Tyler Morris

A daily cyclist, father, and courier. A long-standing SF Bicycle Coalition member and passionate believer in bicycle advocacy. Bike lanes should be protected, car-free, and the rights of cyclists enforced. If elected, I’ll strengthen the fundraising skills of the organization, and serve as your advocate for the rights of cyclists throughout SF.

I own and operate Underdog Couriers, a Bay Area messenger company and SF Bicycle Coalition business sponsor. As a messenger, I know the joy and frustration of cycling in SF.

I majored in Political Science and am a former Southern California city councilman. I’m well-versed in fundraising, staff development, and leadership through example.

I believe the board can be more impactful to support cyclists’ rights, and better empower its members. I’ll unequivocally fight for all communities, regardless of race, ability, or gender identity.

Endorsed by SFBC Momentum and a previous SF Bicycle Coalition board of directors.

Creating Accessible Protected Bike Lanes

Posted on by Kristen Leckie

In my time at the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, I’ve been lucky enough to work alongside local advocates like the Senior and Disability Pedestrian Safety Workgroup of the SF Vision Zero Coalition.

Last November, they published Getting to the Curb: A Guide to Building Protected Bike Lanes That Work for Pedestrians. I interviewed workgroup member and SFMTA Board Director, Cristina Rubke, on her role in disability work and how accessibility has been incorporated into the world of transportation advocacy.

K: When we’re talking about mobility for people with disabilities, what information may be surprising for people to learn?
C: Disabilities and accommodations used by people with disabilities are extremely diverse. For example, people sometimes view the needs of cyclists and people with disabilities as divergent or at odds with one another, but there are more commonalities than differences (ramps, obstruction-free paths, slower vehicle speeds, etc.). Also, many cyclists are people with disabilities and just like everyone else, they want to be safe when getting around our city.

K: What does it mean to be a disability advocate and a leader in transportation?
C: It means talking a lot about physical access issues like transit station elevators, surface station stop ramp placement, cut curbs, and lifts on buses. But it also means trying to reconcile the transportation choices available to the general public versus people with disabilities (e.g., rideshare options, bike share, scooter share, commuter shuttles) and advocating for ways that our city can make those choices more equal.

K: How will Getting to the Curb help us create accessible bike lanes for everyone on our streets?
C: Getting to the Curb lays out considerations and design principles that will help planners and engineers create better bike lanes. The report highlights universal design principles like, calling for an inclusive engagement process to build a better bike network. When these concepts are used from the beginning, the hope is that public input can be more streamlined and we won’t have to rework larger project elements later.

K: If you could change one thing about biking in SF right now, what would that be?
C: I would make it more inclusive. I really want adaptive bikes and trikes included in our bike share network so that cycling is available to more people, including people with disabilities and seniors. Normalizing different types of bikes and cyclists and creating a bike network to support them will help with so many of our city goals.

Download your copy of Getting to the Curb: A Guide to Building Protected Bike Lanes That Work for Pedestrians by visiting walksf.org.

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in the winter issue of our quarterly Tube Times magazine, one of many perks of membership at the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. Not a member? Join today.

What do you think of term limits for the board of directors?

Posted on by SF Bicycle Coalition Board

Your SF Bicycle Coalition board of directors is continually looking for ways to help the organization operate more effectively, including from a governance perspective.

We are currently considering implementing term limits for directors on the board. Term limits are generally considered a best practice – 72% of nonprofit boards have term limits, according to a BoardSource survey.

Currently, there is no limit on the number of years a director may serve on the SF Bicycle Coalition board. We are considering a limit of up to six consecutive years of service followed by a one-year mandatory break before the person is allowed to run for election again. We are proposing no limit to the number of six-year service periods.

Incumbents typically have an advantage in elections. Implementing term limits would: (1) create open seats to make it easier for new people to join the board, and (2) allow complacent directors to gracefully exit the board. Without term limits, power can get concentrated in a small group of people, limiting diversity and inclusion.

A mandatory one-year break between six-years of consecutive service has advantages including: (1) would allow productive directors who have worked hard for six years to take a breather and then come back refreshed, and (2) would create a gradual turnover of the board to help keep the board current in today’s changing world.

A downside to term limits is that institutional memory may be lost due to long-term directors rotating off the board.

What do you think of term limits for the board of directors? Please email us at board@sfbike.org by January 20, 2020. Thank you for being a member and sharing your thoughts!

A Better Market Street Coming Your Way on Jan. 29

Posted on by Janice Li

New Year, new Market Street. We’re getting the new decade off to an exciting start with car-free Market Street coming your way by the end of the month.

The unanimous approval of Better Market Street will bring a complete overhaul to our city’s busiest downtown corridor, but we don’t have to wait years for those changes to take shape. The SF Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) is quickly moving ahead with a set of improvements to make your biking, walking and transit experience better right away, starting with a ban on all private vehicles beginning on January 29.

Make it your New Year’s Resolution to continue this momentum for better biking by joining or renewing your membership today.

Join Our Movement

If you bike, walk or take Muni on Market Street, you know that this change can’t come soon enough. Here are our top highlights of what’s coming:

1) No more Uber and Lyft drivers on Market Street. A ban on private automobiles means that Uber and Lyft drivers can no longer pick up or drop off passengers on Market from 10th Street to Main Street.

2) Bike connections get even better. Do you connect from Page onto Market? You won’t have to compete with cars turning alongside you onto Market anymore, as a portion of this intersection will be for bikes only.

Have you ever had a close call at Market and Valencia? The bike lane will be extended and people driving will no longer be able to make a right turn onto Valencia from Market, creating a far more comfortable and safe connection between two of San Francisco’s busiest bike routes.

More improvements like these will be made up and down the entire length of Market to make your bike commute better.

3) Muni gets priority. The red transit lanes will be extended and will turn into a Muni-only lane, meaning taxis and non-Muni buses will need to use the outside lanes instead.

Your Bicycle Coalition worked hard to ensure we won a Better Market Street. Start the new year right and join us as a member to support more wins like a car-free Market in 2020 and beyond.

Bike Share for All Needs a Cash Payment Option

Posted on by Melissa Lewis

In a campaign that began almost five years ago, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition fought for and won commitments to an equitable and affordable bike share system. Bike Share for All has been a resounding success, with over 20% of Bay Wheels members qualifying for low-income access, a figure that reflects the demographics of the Bay Area. As part of that campaign, we also ensured that in-person cash payments would be available as an option for Bike Share for All members who may not have access to a bank account. 

That’s why a recent announcement by Lyft (who now owns and operates the Bay Wheels system) that they are eliminating that in-person, cash payment option came as a surprise. Lyft informed Bike Share for All members that they would now be required to use a prepaid debit card to pay for their annual Bay Wheels membership. However, prepaid debit cards can create more barriers and are not an accessible replacement of cash payment.

In order to realize our organizational value of Transportation Justice, we are asking Lyft along with the SFMTA and MTC to reconsider the elimination of an in-person cash payment option for Bike Share for All members. Our demands for bike share in San Francisco remains the same:

  • Provide and actively promote a robust program for low-income users that is easy to sign up for and has cash payment and monthly payment options;
  • Perform outreach in all communities across the city and provide information in languages other than English;
  • Provide full access to bicycles without requiring users to have a smartphone, a mobile app or a pre-existing account with another service; and
  • Distribute bikes and stations in diverse communities across the city, expanding service areas to include communities that have faced historic disinvestment in transportation.

We understand that there may be ongoing administrative and operational challenges in maintaining in-person cash payments, and as a community partner we are ready to meet and strategize system improvements that may reduce those burdens. In a city that continues to face challenges in providing safe, healthy and affordable transportation for all of its residents, it’s critically important to provide access to everyone who would like to use bike share.

Quick-Build Process Speeds up for Seventh and Howard Streets

Posted on by Janice Li

The quick-build process was approved just six months ago, and the progress following the approval has been stunning. With the well-attended open house on Wednesday in SoMa, we’re ready to approve more protected bike lanes that will close two critical gaps: Seventh Street (from Folsom to Townsend) and Howard Street (from Third to Embarcadero).

Write a Letter Today

Once again, Supervisor Matt Haney stepped up to support bicycle safety and hosted a community meeting at Bessie Carmichael Elementary School in SoMa. In a busy room filled with City planners and staff from the SF Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), over 50 attendees poured over a wide range of presentation boards to provide written and verbal feedback about the projects.

“My favorite part of the open house was the way it spurred conversations between attendees and traffic engineers,” said SF Bicycle Coalition member Parker Day, who lives in the neighborhood. “Instead of a one-way public comment, there was an actual dialogue. I think this generates better feedback and ensures concerns are heard. It also helped me understand what is happening and why.”

SFMTA staff were present to receive feedback as part of the public hearing.

The quick-build process now brings the public hearing process into the neighborhood, rather than a stark City Hall hearing room on a Friday morning. This means that City planners are more accessible and the process of getting protected bike lanes built is expedited. “I’m so excited that we get to be part of making the approvals of these quick-builds happen here,” said Gail Seagraves, a tenant organizer with CCSRO Collaborative in the Tenderloin. “We don’t even have to go to City Hall!”

Your San Francisco Bicycle Coalition fought hard to bring urgency to our street safety projects, and this new process has now helped upgrade bike lanes across the city. Make sure to write a letter today so that these two protected bike lanes move rapidly towards construction in early 2020.

Fifth Street Bike Lane Quick-Build: Signed, Sealed, Delivered!

Posted on by Darren Newell

Fifth Street is heavily used by those walking, biking or taking transit, and serves as the main route between CalTrain and Market Street. Your SF Bicycle Coalition is excited to announce that this critical gap in the bike network is getting a protected bike lane over the next year!

With construction of short-term improvements nearing completion, we all have much to celebrate. Help keep the momentum going by joining us next week to help win two more protected bike lanes in South of Market (SoMa.)

Supervisor Matt Haney and the SF Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) will hold a Pedestrian and Bike Safety Summit next Wednesday to garner feedback on the next two quick-build projects in the works: Howard Street (from Embarcadero to Third) and Seventh Street (from Townsend to Folsom). Will you join and help us close the gaps in SoMa’s bike network?

I’m In!

Pedestrian and Bike Safety Summit
Wednesday, Dec. 11, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Bessie Carmichael Elementary School, 375 Seventh Street

The new protected bike lane on Fifth Street closes a major gap in bike infrastructure for one of the most densely traversed parts of the City. The SFMTA moved swiftly, approving the project on September 17 and began construction on October 29. At this rate, near-term improvements for SoMa’s newest protected bike lane on Fifth Street, which runs from Townsend to Market, will be completed before the end of January 2020.

SoMa has been a major hub of growth for both jobs and housing, and we are now closer than ever to a complete network of protected bike lanes there. With over 8,000 new homes being added to the neighborhood as part of the Central SoMa plan, these bike lanes must continue to be built and improved.

Fifth Street marks the fifth quick-build constructed in SoMa this year, and the opportunity to line up two more in 2020 is only days away.
Help us keep the momentum rolling for SoMa bike lanes and RSVP today.

Light up the Night is Back!

Posted on by Melinda Liu

Excited to light up the night again with the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition? With Daylight Saving Time, our days are shorter, it’s becoming darker earlier, and we want to ensure people who bike can be seen at night. So, we’re bringing back Light Up the Night, our annual bicycle light distribution campaign!

With the generosity of our sponsors, Bay Area Bicycle Law and SHARP, as well as our amazing volunteers, we install white and red lights for people biking between November – March, the darkest months of the year.

Lights help to keep folks safe and they’re mandated by California law (CVC 21201 requires people to have bicycles equipped with a white light in the front and red light and/or reflector in the back.) Look out for us every week throughout the city in various neighborhoods, and stop by if you’re in need of lights. If you miss us on the street, SF Bicycle Coalition members can get discounts at bike shops all over the city to buy the lights they need. If you’re not a member, become one today!

None of our Light Up The Night events would be possible without our wonderful members and volunteers. Sign up here to help us light up the night.

Meet Our New Campaign Assistant

Posted on by Melissa Lewis

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition welcomes Adria Stauber to the Advocacy Team as our Campaign Assistant!

Tell us about your role at the SF Bicycle Coalition.

As a Campaign Assistant, I primarily work with the Advocacy Team and our awesome community organizer, Kristen to engage and communicate with members about our work during every step of the campaign process. Fresh off a major win with Better Market Street, we’re working on a number of campaigns that are crucial to creating safer streets in San Francisco and I’m excited to help push for a more bicycle-friendly city!

What do you love so far about your job?

I have really enjoyed being a part of an organization with such a passionate membership base and deep ties to the local community. Additionally, as a San Francisco resident, I have the chance to improve my neighborhood and make changes to streets right outside my front door. In my first month on the job, I was introduced to my first campaign, the Page Street Bikeways Improvement Project — a street that I bike every day to get to work.

What advocacy work have you done prior to working here?

While in college I joined a student group called Chicanxs/Latinxs in Health Education (CHE), which was focused on promoting and advocating for health education for disadvantaged communities in the Oakland area. One of my favorite events was our annual Community Health Fair where we engaged the community on a variety of health topics and promoted an active and healthy lifestyle to Oakland residents.

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

I enjoy anything to do with being outdoors, so you can probably catch me on a run around Lake Merritt or hiking the Berkeley Fire Trails. Otherwise, I love to cook new recipes (thank you Claire from Bon Appetit) and I’m patiently waiting for Rihanna to drop her next album and go back on tour.

A Huge Victory for Page Street

Posted on by Kristen Leckie

After five-plus years of planning, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s (SFMTA) Board of Directors approved the project on Tuesday afternoon. Thank you to our members, neighborhood advocates and Supervisor Vallie Brown. We finally put to rest the excruciatingly slow planning process for Page Street.

This is a huge victory for those walking and biking in the neighborhood. The approved project provides a well-rounded, holistic approach to the overwhelming vehicle congestion on Page Street. Thanks to the leadership of Supervisor Vallie Brown, the project was moved forward earlier this year when she directed City staff to think big and creatively address the issues on the corridor. “Page and Haight streets have become feeders to Octavia and Highway 101,” said District 5 Supervisor Vallie Brown, “But these are neighborhood streets meant to prioritize people, whether on foot, bike or transit. It’s high time we restore the balance.”

Early next year, the corridor will get a makeover including: traffic diversions, a protected downhill bikeway, an uphill bike lane and turn restrictions. Compared to earlier iterations that included only one traffic diverter at Page and Webster Streets, we now have a plan that will successfully affect comprehensive change on Page Street and not just at one intersection.

Alongside supporters for Page Street, Haight Street neighbors came out to the meeting urging the SFMTA to take similar approaches on their street so pedestrians, businesses and transit are made priorities as well. As the Page Street project moves toward implementation, we look forward to continued work alongside the SFMTA during the pilot to better understand the traffic impacts, safety benefits and explore the possibility for similar treatments to Haight Street.

Our work to make Hayes Valley and the Lower Haight neighborhoods into calmer and more comfortable places for those walking and biking doesn’t end here. Sign up today to stay up to date and learn how to get more involved in our efforts.

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