As a 501(c)(4), the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition* makes political endorsements, helping to ensure San Francisco is a better place to live, work, and bike. Our endorsements process is led by our 15-person board of directors that is directly elected by our membership.
Our Board was very impressed with Jackie’s answers in our questionnaire which includes advocacy for the SFMTA to “complete the 17th Street protected bike lanes all the way through District 9” and create “consistent protected bike lanes city-wide wherein cars are unable to breach into a bike lane due to driver error at any point.” This thoughtfulness makes it evident that Jackie has evolved her transportation plan and would be an active transportation ally on the Board of Supervisors, we’re pleased to endorse Jackie as our #1 pick for District 9.
District 9 prominently includes the Mission neighborhood. Throughout our organization’s history, there has been tension at times between street safety improvements we’ve advocated for and the views of community stakeholders. Roberto Hernandez is a trusted and proven community leader – no one understands the neighborhood quite like the “Mayor of the Mission.” We also believe Roberto would be a great partner to our organization; as he indicated in his questionnaire responses, he’s a person who bikes for transportation and he understands and champions the implementation of bike-friendly infrastructure such as the 17th Street project, while also making sure that there is education around these projects and providing affordable access to bike share programs.
For these reasons, we’re giving our #2 endorsement for Roberto, as another great candidate for District 9.
As a 501(c)(4), the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition* makes political endorsements, helping to ensure San Francisco is a better place to live, work, and bike. Our endorsements process is led by our 15-person board of directors that is directly elected by our membership.
Creating transformative change on our streets requires political will, and we’ve never had a bike champion as Supervisor in District 7, until now – you can see it every day when she rides her bike from home in District 7 all the way to City Hall. Supervisor Melgar’s unwavering support for car-free, family friendly and joyful spaces have made her more than deserving of our endorsement, from her championing of JFK Promenade to her current support for Prop K. We are looking forward to continuing our work together, showing the rest of the City that families in District 7 love bikes.
With gratitude to all the work she has already done as incumbent Supervisor, we are joyfully giving Supervisor Melgar our sole endorsement.
As a 501(c)(4), the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition* makes political endorsements, helping to ensure San Francisco is a better place to live, work, and bike. Our endorsements process is led by our 15-person board of directors that is directly elected by our membership.
District 5 has long been a hub for street safety innovations here in San Francisco. From its many slow streets, bike lanes, and a segment of JFK Promenade, a culture has been fostered that demands bikes are taken seriously as transportation. District 5 being so bike-friendly is in no small part thanks to the work by incumbent Supervisor Dean Preston and his team. We are grateful that Supervisor Preston has been a thoughtful and diligent partner to our organization and the bicycle community, and has earned our endorsement.
However, our Board believes Bilal Mahmood’s strong ideas about sustainable transportation also deserve support. Mahmood is a resident of the Tenderloin, a neighborhood with a very low rate of car ownership, and he understands the need for a variety of non-car transportation options. His support for creating stronger east-west bike corridors in D5 and increasing the number of car-free spaces indicate he’d be a strong voice for biking and rolling in his district. The board also resonated with his intention to make sure “people can live close to where they work and go for recreation,” because “when they do – they will be less reliant on cars for transportation.”
By making a dual endorsement for the residents of District 5, we are reflecting the multiple options the district has for creating a safe and efficient bike network
As a 501(c)(4), the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition* makes political endorsements, helping to ensure San Francisco is a better place to live, work, and bike. Our endorsements process is led by our 15-person board of directors that is directly elected by our membership.
It’s not every election year that a former SFBike Board member steps up to run for public office – so of course we were really proud to see former Board member Danny Sauter launch his campaign for District 3 Supervisor. Danny worked hard to show the strength of his commitment to this movement through his questionnaire, and showed a remarkable knowledge of his district’s bike network gaps, as well as ideas as to how to fix them. Additionally, Danny understands the importance of housing density to ensure the success of bicycle networks while also welcoming reasonable community input.
Danny Sauter is a proven leader in bicycle advocacy, we are proud to give Danny our sole endorsement. We look forward to having an ally in the District 3 office.
As a 501(c)(4), the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition* makes political endorsements, helping to ensure San Francisco is a better place to live, work, and bike. Our endorsements process is led by our 15-person board of directors that is directly elected by our membership.
Jen Nossokoff is the candidate that District 1 has been waiting for – in its often car-centric neighborhoods, she bikes everywhere and fights for safe street infrastructure as a crucial element that will help us truly achieve Vision Zero; she’s also the only candidate supporting Prop K, for a permanent Ocean Beach Park. Jen brings a progressive yet mindful approach to street projects; in her questionnaire, she said, “it’s crucial to communicate the broader benefits of transit projects: reducing congestion, driving traffic to local businesses, and decreasing parking demand.” We also appreciated her understanding of iterative progress, saying, “utilizing pilot programs can demonstrate these benefits, easing initial resistance and showing real-world impacts before making permanent changes.”
Ambitious, yet pragmatic, approaches that focus on creating buy-in from the community is a winning combination for District 1, so we are proud to give Jen Nossokoff our sole endorsement.
Last week, we hosted a member meeting in our office with the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) – part of the National Parks Service – to talk about the improvements they’re making to the bike network through Fort Mason and around the Golden Gate Bridge.
We were a small group, but when GGNRA staff asked the room who bikes regularly around Fort Mason, every single hand in the room shot up. We are constantly amazed at the dedication of our membership to turn out to projects that matter to them, bringing great questions and comments about the proposals.
Here’s a summary of GGNRA’s proposals:
On the north side of the bridge, they’re opening the Vista Point Multi-use Path for people to ride on as an alternative to Alexander Ave. Construction is starting soon and will take about a year because they need to do lead remediation and address the steep grade. This will provide a car-free alternative between the bridge and Sausalito.
On the south side of the bridge near Fort Point, GGNRA is proposing a new cycle track around the visitor space. They’re also proposing to widen Long Ave – the short, hilly road that connects Fort Point/Crissy Field and the bridge. This will create more dedicated space for people on bikes climbing uphill.
At Upper Fort Mason, they’re redesigning the south east corner at the McArthur gate, where Van ness Ave, Bay St and North Point St converge. Collaborating with the city, GGNRA proposes to extend the sidewalk and create a spacious multi-use path that will help connect people biking from the Embarcadero. Through the parking lot area, they’re proposing a new cycle track and improved sidewalks and a formalized paved bike path to enter the Great Meadow. Through the Great Meadow they’re formalizing the bike route and reducing conflicts with people walking.
Finally, GGNRA is proposing to widen the sidewalk along “the squeeze” – the tight corner at the entrance to Lower Fort Mason – to more than double the width.
These projects will unfold over the next couple years as federal approvals and funding come through. We hope to do more events with GGNRA in the future to continue talking about how to create a seamless bicycle experience. If you have questions or thoughts on this bicycle project, you can email GGNRA staff directly at darren_brown@nps.gov.
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For many adults, learning to ride a bike or gaining confidence on two wheels can feel like a challenge — but it doesn’t have to be. We’re here to help! In alignment with our mission of promoting the bicycle for everyday transportation, we’re excited to announce the expansion of our free education programming, designed to remove financial and knowledge-based barriers and make riding a bike accessible for everyone.
This new season of classes will not only cover traditional biking but also include specialized courses on e-bikes and rideshare scooters — helping you reduce your carbon footprint while getting around with ease. You’ve probably seen rideshare e-bikes and scooters zipping around the city – now is your chance to learn more about these programs and get up to speed with best practices and traffic law know-how!
We’re also expanding our beginner courses for adults who are just starting their cycling journey! People often say something is “just like riding a bike,” but for many of us, perhaps we never got the chance to learn or haven’t pedaled a bike since childhood. Our classes for adult beginners are designed to help adults of any age swing their leg back over a bike and get rolling with confidence.
Whether you’re new to cycling or getting back on the saddle, our free classes will give you the confidence and skills to make micromobility a part of your everyday routine. Keep an eye on our Events page on the website for more information about upcoming classes! We update it on a continual basis. If you have any questions please reach out to Qamuuqin Maxwell at qmaxwell@sfbike.org.
This summer our Board endorsed Proposition K, a ballot measure to turn the Upper Great Highway between Lincoln Way and Sloat Blvd into a permanent park space: Ocean Beach Park.
We are excited about this proposition and the potential to gain a new 17-acre oceanfront park in our city. When I joined the staff at SFBike in 2021, a rally to keep the Great Highway as a car-free space for people was the very first event I attended. It was incredible to see the love and passion for car-free spaces and how they can completely transform the way we live and get around our beautiful city. It had an enormous impact on me as a San Franciscan, and as a community organizer for SFBike.
We’ve all seen the success of the JFK Promenade since the last election when Yes on Prop J swept the polls. The JFK Promenade in Golden Gate Park has shown us just how much people want car-free spaces both for recreation and for commuting. At SFBike, we’re working toward a citywide, interconnected network of car-free and people-prioritized corridors that are safe and universally accessible – and Ocean Beach Park has the potential to help us achieve that more livable, connected, and sustainable city.
Currently, the Sunset District does not have a single protected bike lane – and it’s severely lacking in safe bike routes, both north-south and east-west. The Sunset has the potential to be an amazing hub and connector for biking, walking, and rolling and Ocean Beach Park can help us realize that vision.
San Francisco and the world are facing a looming climate crisis. Transportation emissions account for the city’s second largest contributor to greenhouse gasses. Ocean Beach Park will help more people to choose sustainable modes of transportation for their everyday trips and revolutionize the way we get around. Passing Prop K will allow us to better adapt to sea level rise and take the necessary steps to protect our coast. Climate mitigation and adaptation are needed urgently and Proposition K achieves both.
Connie Jeung-Mills, senior, long-time Castro resident and superstar volunteer for Ocean Beach Park, shared with me last weekend at a door-knocking event why she’s devoting her time to Yes on K.
“I can walk up and down [Ocean Beach Park] without getting hit by a car – that’s really important to me. I’ve lived in the city for a long time and this is a great opportunity to create community space. I’ve met people who live on the eastside of SF and have never been to the beach, especially kids. We have public transit to get to the beach – which is great. It would be even better to have park facilities, like benches and bathrooms, there for the people who come all the way from across the city to enjoy the beach.”
Help us win a permanent Ocean Beach Park this election season. Vote Yes on K! Talk to your friends about why Ocean Beach Park matters to you. Most importantly, volunteer at one of our upcoming events to help get the word out.
We are going to be stationed at the Fort Mason and Ferry Building Farmers’ Markets on alternating weekends leading up to the election. Join us to win Yes on K!
Upcoming dates:*
Sun Sept 8 Fort Mason 10am-12pm
Sat Sept 14 Sunset bike ride 12-2pm
Sun Sept 15 Fort Mason 10am-12pm
Sun 22 Fort Mason 10am-12pm
Sat Sept 28 Ferry Building 10am-12pm
Sun Oct 6 Fort Mason 10am-12pm
Sat Oct 12 Ferry Building 10am-12pm
Sat Oct 19 Ferry Building 10am-12pm
Sat Nov 2 Ferry Building 10am-12pm
Sun Nov 3 Fort Mason 10am-12pm
*Dates and times are subject to change. Check the calendar to get updated information.
The Board of Directors of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition has voted to endorse Prop L, Fund the Bus! (formerly the ComMUNIty Transit Act), a ballot measure which aims to increase funding for Muni.
Prop L proposes to use revenue from a new business tax on ride-hail companies to prevent Muni service cuts and improve Muni access to public schools, libraries, and parks. Funding can also be used to fund discount programs for youth, seniors, people with disabilities, and people with low incomes.
Board member Joanna Gubman, who has been an active volunteer with the Fund the Bus! campaign, says: “By voting for Prop L, we’re saying yes, we love our vibrant, diverse city. And yes, our public transportation system is actually one of the best in the country – and it’s worth doing everything we can to sustain it.”
Transit-friendly cities are bike-friendly cities! People who walk, transit riders, and people on bikes have the same goals for San Francisco – we all want a people-first, climate-resilient and economically vibrant city, where everyone from young students to senior citizens can rely on public transit to get around safely and conveniently.
This is the second ballot measure our Board has endorsed this year; in June, we were proud to be among the first organizations to endorse Ocean Beach Park, now known as Prop K. As the Bike the Vote 2024 season heats up, we’ll reach out to members and volunteers to help spread the word on our endorsements and get out the vote to support a more sustainable and accessible future for San Francisco. Sign up today for updates and volunteer opportunities!
We often hear stories of particular streets, bike lanes, or intersections we wish were better – safer, easier to use, more thoughtfully designed. Meet member Alyssa Cheung who recently did something about that, in her own neighborhood of Lakeview/OMI. We sat down with Alyssa to find out what drives her to get involved, and what she learned about being an advocate for change, in her corner of the city and beyond.
What prompted you to start advocating for street safety?
I’ve been a bike commuter for nearly 10 years, most of that time commuting from the westside of SF to downtown. When my daughter was old enough to be a passenger on my bike a few years ago, I started biking around the city with her. It’s brought us so much joy as a family. My husband and I made a commitment to only drive when absolutely necessary – even though we live in the far southwest corner of the city.
Even as an experienced cyclist, I still feel nervous every time I get on a bike with my daughter. I want my daughter to be able to ride on her own when she gets older, but that doesn’t feel possible right now with the state of bicycle infrastructure in SF. I imagine other parents feel similarly.
Our neighborhood of Lakeview/Oceanview/Merced Heights/Ingleside (Lakeview/OMI) is often forgotten when it comes to city improvements, including safer bike infrastructure. Too many times I’ve heard neighbors say “no one bikes here in Lakeview/OMI” as a justification for not improving streets for cyclists. That’s simply not true, and I want to make sure that even more of my neighbors feel safe enough to walk, bike, and roll in Lakeview/OMI in the future.
Tell us about this curb cut. What is the story behind this project and why does it matter to you?
I live on St Charles Ave, which is also a bike route that links Lakeview/OMI south to Daly City BART and a shopping complex, which houses H-Mart, the only grocery store within walking distance of my neighborhood. St Charles Ave dead-ends at a path that allows pedestrians and cyclists to safely cross Brotherhood Way. There are a lot of cyclists and scooter users that ride this path daily.
When I moved in a few years ago, there was no curb cut from the street onto the path; it was an 8-inch standard curb. Cyclists, especially parents with kids on their bikes, would need to dismount between the street and the bike path and manually lift their bikes onto the curb. When I asked my neighbors, I found out it had been this way for decades, with several failed attempts to get the city to improve it.
I thought it would be easy, but between reporting it to 311 and getting Supervisor Safai’s office involved, we spent over a year bouncing around between Public Works, Rec & Parks, and SFMTA. In December 2023, I gave public comment at a Public Works Commission meeting, as well as a meeting with the Mayor’s Office of Disability, in hopes of getting somewhere. After many back-and-forth emails with Public Works employees, it became clear that a bike ramp, not a curb cut, would be the correct request – and that a bike ramp would be the SFMTA’s domain. 18 months after that initial 311 request, SFMTA installed the bike ramp in March 2024! It’s a small win, but makes me really happy when I see people using it on a daily basis.
What was your biggest takeaway from this experience?
Be persistent and try to leverage all the resources you can. Develop relationships with city staff early on so you can link up with the right people in the city from the get-go to raise this issue. I think part of the reason this took so long is because my requests kept going to staff who weren’t sure where this issue belonged.
What do you think would help more parents and families start biking in SF?
If biking felt safer and less stressful. I know so many parents who love biking on car-free JFK and the Great Highway Park. When I ask them if they bike around other parts of the city, they say they would like to, but they don’t feel safe doing so. The physical separation from cars is what makes them feel comfortable enough to ride on JFK and the Great Highway Park. If we had routes where cyclists were physically protected from cars, I think many more parents and families would bike in the city with their kids.
What are you hoping to accomplish next? What’s your biggest aspiration for your neighborhood?
My dream is to transform Brotherhood Way from a 4-lane freeway that runs through our neighborhood into a vibrant greenway that is welcoming to pedestrians and cyclists – the Brotherhood Greenway. The current pathway is narrow, often covered by deep sand, and with large impassable stretches where tree roots have torn up the pavement.
Brotherhood Way links Lakeview/OMI directly to Lake Merced, the only large green space near our community. There are also schools, churches, and residences all along Brotherhood Way, as well as future development projects that would all benefit from using Brotherhood Way as a connection to Daly City BART.
Brotherhood Greenway could help link Lakeview/OMI to Lake Merced to the Great Highway and on to Golden Gate Park. Imagine riding from our neighborhood all the way to Golden Gate Park on protected bike lanes!
I’d love to see SFMTA assume full responsibility for this project and build a physically protected, multi-use pathway as soon as possible, with traffic calming and beautification projects. Pedestrian and cyclist safety cannot wait.
7. Where is your favorite place to bike in the city?
Aside from the obvious favorites (JFK, Great Highway), lately, it’s been along Frida Kahlo Way to witness the quick-build project come together. I’ve biked that stretch for years and part of me gets a little emotional seeing how much better it is now – a beautiful two-way bike lane. It gives me a lot of hope that we’re moving in the right direction.
