SUSTAINABILITY at the Embarcadero

Posted on by Chris Cassidy

Editors: This story was originally published in Issue 161 of our quarterly Tube Times magazine, one of many perks of membership in the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. 

For residents and visitors alike, the Embarcadero is an unparalleled gem of San Francisco.

“For me, it’s all about the fresh air and amazing views combined with a nice flat run in SF,” member Reggie Snowden said. “It’s great for running and biking.”

Since moving to San Francisco in 1992, Reggie has run along the Embarcadero weekly. He also commutes there daily by bike to his job at Pier 39. As someone who enjoys the Embarcadero by foot and bike, Reggie has special insights into the challenges facing different road users.

“Too many people biking don’t realize how fast they’re going,” Reggie said about the shared sidewalk along the Embarcadero. He would like to see bikes off the sidewalk — provided there’s a safe alternative on the road.

A concern for people walking, running and biking — as well as observing conflicts between people biking and driving — fuels Reggie’s passion for seeing protected bike lanes delivered on the Embarcadero.

Along with members like Reggie, we’re campaigning for physically protected bike lanes to reduce conflicts between all types of road users along the Embarcadero. In the long term, these improvements will be delivered in conjunction with repairs to the disintegrating seawall. Though not visible to most people enjoying the Embarcadero, the seawall is a hugely important piece of infrastructure, protecting 500 acres of San Francisco from earthquake-related flooding, especially as sea levels rise. The seawall is roughly 100 years old and susceptible to serious damage in its current state.

While the seawall repairs may be many years away, that vital project should not delay near-term solutions for people travelling along the Embarcadero. We will continue working with our members and City staff to identify ways to deliver physically protected bike lanes sooner, making the iconic stretch of the Embarcadero welcoming for more people to enjoy by bike — whether for their commute or just for pleasure.

“One of the reasons I choose to bike is that it’s just as fast as driving a car and faster than public transportation,” Reggie said of his commute along the Embarcadero. “When I ride my bike, I arrive at work every time in 20 to 24 minutes. Time is money and money is time.”

Want to help make the Embarcadero better to bike for folks like Reggie and the many, many people who would enjoy biking better infrastructure there? Email our Community Organizer kristen@sfbike.org to plug into our active campaign to see protected bike lanes built as soon as possible.

The Tube Times is published quarterly as one of the many benefits to members of the SF Bicycle Coalition. For a complete list of membership benefits, or to join/renew today, click here.

New Design for Dangerous Intersections

Posted on by Charles Deffarges

While we continue to encourage the City to deliver both long- and short-term safety improvements across San Francisco’s streets, we’re also learning of some deficiencies — and fixes! — for some short-term redesigns.

Over the past few years, we’ve seen protected bicycle infrastructure implemented faster than ever before, but these near-term projects often have gaps in protection, especially at intersections.

Major street transformations have gone from planning to completion in less than a year and we can push for better bike lanes, faster, although it also means that designs are constrained by time and resources.

In SoMa near-term projects are the way to go in the short-term. Because our busiest bike routes need protection, now, parking protected bike lanes on Seventh, Eighth and Folsom were fast-tracked. As these projects have gone in the ground we’ve heard from you, our members, that the protection is great, but the mixing zones at intersections still don’t feel completely safe.

 

A mixing zone in SoMa

Mixing zones are where turning vehicles and people riding mix before proceeding through an intersection. The idea is that they create a predictable area for cars to yield to people biking, but in practice they don’t always work as designed.

Enter the bike-first intersection. Last week, as a part of the Folsom near-term protected bike lanes, a bike signal at Eighth and Folsom was installed. Here are some of the benefits to this treatment:

  1. Priority for people biking: While people driving see a red turn arrow, people biking seen a green bike icon, giving people biking an unimpeded path forward and a head start over turning vehicles.
  2. No more zig-zag: The signal allows people riding to remain curbside right up to the intersection, eliminating the “jog” to get back into the bike lane to and from a mixing zone.
  3. Clear signals: Familiar signal heads make it clear to drivers who has the right of way, unlike the yield markings, or shark teeth, at mixing zones, which many people do not understand indicates that they should yield.

This treatment is a possibility for some of the other protected bike lanes in SoMa and citywide, so your feedback as people biking is more important than ever. We’ll watch and listen carefully, and we’re pushing the SF Municipal Transportation Agency to do the same.

If you have feedback or questions related to this new treatment, please reach out at charles@sfbike.org.

Improve the Bike Culture at Your Workplace

Posted on by Susan Gallentine

If you’ve ever wished that your workplace was more bike-friendly, stop by the SF Bicycle Coalition office on Tuesday morning, April 17 for a Breakfast of Bicycle Champions workshop and learn how YOU can step up, take the lead, and create a workplace culture that encourages bike-commuting.

This workshop is open to anyone and everyone who wants to promote biking at their workplace — there’s no need to work in any specific role or department at your workplace.

RSVP Here

The Breakfast of the Bicycle Champions workshop will cover bike parking, including who to ask at your company to install or add more bike parking, how to connect biking with your Caltrain or BART ride, how to encourage your employer to offer Bicycle Commuter Checks (i.e. extra money in your pocket for simply riding your bike to work,) ways to incentivize your coworkers to bike and much more.

This workshop will be a jam-packed hour! You’ll leave knowing the next steps to improve your own commute and get your colleagues riding. Save your spot and RSVP below.

Free Valet Bicycle Parking at Presidio Picnic

Posted on by Miles Stepto
Photo courtesy of Feather Weight

 

Biking to Presidio Picnic? The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition provides free Valet Bicycle Parking!

Join us every Sunday from March 18 through Oct. 21 from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Presidio Main Parade Ground. Combine music, lawn games, yoga, bike safety classes and delicious food from an array of food trucks with free Valet Bicycle Parking to enjoy the perfect Sunday afternoon. Learn more about Presidio Picnics here.

Where can you find us?
The southwest corner of Presidio’s Main Post Lawn.

How long are we open?
We’re open 10:30 am to 4:30 pm, a half hour before every Presidio Picnic starts and a half hour before it ends.

How many bikes can we watch?
All of them. There is plenty of room for everyone’s bike.

How much does it cost?
Our Valet Bicycle Parking is always free. I mean, you can tip to say thanks, but we’re happy to be there!

Our Endorsements: SF’s June 5, 2018 Elections

Posted on by SF Bicycle Coalition Board

Successfully achieving our mission of promoting the bicycle for everyday transportation requires public support and political power. That is why one of the objectives of our 2018-2022 Strategic Plan is to “elect powerful champions for bicycling as mayor of San Francisco, in key supervisorial districts, and to other important offices citywide.” Members helped us craft that goal, members voted on our endorsements for the June 5 elections, and members elected us as your SF Bicycle Coalition board of directors.

This election is particularly challenging for us, because transportation is overshadowed by other important issues like housing and homelessness. But we also understand that this is a critical election for all San Franciscans who bike. In considering these endorsements, we checked our broader opinions at the door and focused on what is best for advancing our mission of promoting the bicycle for everyday transportation.

While our member vote showed a diversity of opinions, it also showed clear preferences for the endorsements we have ratified as your SF Bicycle Coalition’s board of directors. We believe the candidates we’ve endorsed will elevate biking in our city and be the leaders for smart, accessible and affordable transportation that San Franciscans deserve.

For the 2018 San Francisco elections on June 5, our official endorsements are:

  • Mayor: Jane Kim and Mark Leno (dual endorsement)
  • Board of Supervisors, District 8: Rafael Mandelman
  • Yes on Regional Measure 3
  • No on Proposition H

Mayor: Amid a packed mayoral field, members strongly favored Jane Kim and Mark Leno, with all other candidates significantly behind them. Both Kim and Leno boast records and positions on transportation issues that garnered the strong support of our members.

Jane Kim has a long history of actively supporting street safety projects in District 6, which she presently represents on the Board of Supervisors. She authored the City’s 2014 Vision Zero resolution. As chair of the SF County Transportation Authority’s Vision Zero Committee, she led the effort to institutionalize the Vision Zero approach to street safety and repeatedly held City departments accountable for implementing it. Kim has demonstrated political leadership in fast-tracking bike lane projects there, including the Polk Street contraflow, Folsom Street, Turk Street, Seventh and Eighth streets, Division Street, and more. She is the most visible and outspoken supporter of bike share and congestion pricing among the candidates. Kim has a long history of engaging with our organization, from her experience learning how to bike through our bike education offerings. She consistently shows a strong understanding of transportation policy and was the first — and so far only — mayoral candidate to share a detailed transportation platform.

Mark Leno has been a member of the SF Bicycle Coalition for 20 years. He has been a strong ally at the Board of Supervisors, State Assembly, and State Senate. He sponsored the 2001 resolution for the first permanent bike lane on Valencia. We endorsed Leno during his successful run for state senator in 2008. He was widely regarded as one of Sacramento’s most effective lawmakers and regularly put forward environmentally-friendly bills. Specific to transportation, he passed Assembly Bill 1358 in 2008, the Complete Streets Act. This groundbreaking law required cities throughout California to consider the needs of people walking and biking when making general plans and enabled SF to secure substantial One Bay Area Grants funding for projects like Masonic Avenue, Second Street and Mansell Street. Leno also championed Senate Bill 1492, which authorized San Francisco to increase the vehicle license fee upon voter approval, which could bring critical funding to transportation projects.

Kim and Leno were the clear favorites in our member voting for good reason and both deserve our endorsement. Ranking our two endorsed candidates as your first and second choices can help your vote elect a very bike-friendly mayor, even if your first choice is defeated.

Board of Supervisors, District 8: We endorse Rafael Mandelman, who has expressed vocal support for the Upper Market Street project without ever backtracking on that support. He supported the 17th Street protected bike lane, as well. Our members favored Mandelman by a two-to-one margin over the next candidate, Supervisor Jeff Sheehy.

Yes on Regional Measure 3: This measure proposes a graduated $3 bridge toll increase for all seven state-owned bridges in the Bay Area, which will bring in $4.5 billion for transportation capital improvements. We believe this funding is critical for the upkeep of Bay Area transit and will bring important investments to bicycle and pedestrian improvements, including $150 million for SF Bay Trail and Safe Routes to Transit projects.

No on Proposition H: We have strong concerns that the passage of this measure would undermine a robust, public discussion around the SF Police Department’s use of tasers. Proposition H would take away the ability of the Police Commission to set taser policy for the Police Department, effectively shortcutting established policymaking processes. If passed, this initiative would allow using tasers on nonviolent people. Given the intersection of police brutality and traffic stops involving young men of color, like the brutal police beatings of cyclists D’Paris “DJ” Williams in 2013 and Donovan Reid in 2016, we oppose Proposition H. This law would not make us safer. In fact it would put people who bike — particularly people of color who bike — at greater risk. (You can read more from the campaign in their SF Examiner op-ed here.)

Whether you’re an experienced canvasser or someone who’s looking to get involved in San Francisco politics for the first time, we need your help to Bike the Vote. Sign up for updates and to help make San Francisco a great place to bike through the June 5, 2018 elections and beyond. 

Colaborando con La Voz Latina

Posted on by Ana Vasudeo

En el mes marzo, tuvimos el placer de colaborar con La Voz Latina en un Taller de Ciclismo Urbano y en la distribución de 20 bicicletas para residentes de San Francisco de bajos recursos a través de nuestro programa de Convivio de Bicicletas. Los participantes asistieron a una clase sobre los reglamentos del camino para bicicletas, aprendieron las señales de giro, practicaron una gira en bicicleta desde el barrio Tenderloin hasta la Mission, y recibieron una bicicleta (y accesorios como casco y luces) por su participación.

Empezamos el dia escuchando las preocupaciones que tenían los participantes del taller con respecto a sus experiencias andando en bicicleta por las calles de San Francisco. Los participantes hablaron acerca del tráfico en la ciudad, la falta de ciclovías y el uso de la acera como ciclovía por algunas personas, especialmente en el barrio Tenderloin. El grupo también expresó su interés en seguir luchando por espacios sin carros y maneras de aumentar las ciclovías en las calles Market, Taylor y Turk para sentirse más cómodos navegando por la ciudad.

“A mí me gustó mucho la clase de ciclismo urbano y el entusiasmo de los presentadores de la Coalición de Bicicletas. Todos miran mi bicicleta y cuando les cuento de cómo la recibí, se quieren inscribir allí mismo para la próxima clase de ciclismo,” dijo Johana, una de las participantes del Taller y Convivio.

Karina, otra de nuestras participantes ese día, tenía más de 15 años sin practicar como andar en bicicleta. “Para mí fue divertido montar en la bicicleta porque no había usado una bicicleta desde mi niñez. Aprendí mucho de las reglas y los derechos de los ciclistas y me ha ayudado a sentirme más segura cuando ando en bicicleta. Me da gusto ser dueña de una bicicleta y espero seguir practicando en andar por bicicleta alrededor de todo San Francisco.”

Este taller no hubiera sido posible sin la ayuda de Diana De Rueda, organizadora con La Voz Latina. Según Diana, “ Todo el equipo de La Coalición de Bicicletas de San Francisco estaban muy preparados, entusiasmados y nos brindaron mucho apoyo durante el evento. La información provista en la clase de una hora ha sido íntegra para hacerme sentir más segura en pedalear junto al tráfico. Además, amo mi nueva bicicleta y los accesorios esenciales que me dio la Coalición de Bicicletas.”

Para La Coalición de Bicicletas de San Francisco, este evento fue un buen ejemplo de como trabajamos con comunidades monolingües para aprender más sobre sus necesidades en el sector de movilidad sostenible. Nos encantaría regresar una vez más a La Voz Latina este año para otro taller de bicicletas y continuar trabajando con esta comunidad tan dedicada en crear mejores calles para los peatones y los ciclistas en el barrio Tenderloin.

Inscríbase ahora para ser voluntario en nuestro siguiente Convivio de Bicicletas y ayudarnos a compartir el gozo de andar en bicicleta con residentes de San Francisco en cada barrio!

Clases de biciclismo son llevado a cabo por la Autoridad de Transporte de San Francisco mediante una subvención del Proposición K Local de Fondos Impositivos Sobre Ventas de Transporte.

Partnering with La Voz Latina

In March, we had the pleasure of collaborating with La Voz Latina on an Urban Cycling Workshop and the distribution of 20 bicycles to low-income San Francisco residents through our Community Bike Build program. Everyone attended a class on the rules of the road, learned bicycle turn signals, received a bicycle (as well as a helmet, lock and lights), and embarked on a practice ride from the Tenderloin to the Mission.

We started the day by learning from Tenderloin residents about their concerns related to commuting by bicycle through the streets of San Francisco. Participants discussed increased traffic in the city, the lack of bike lanes and the use of the sidewalk as a bike path by some people who do not feel safe on the street, especially in the Tenderloin. The group also expressed an interest in continuing to fight for spaces without cars and ways to increase bike lanes on Market, Taylor and Turk streets to feel more comfortable navigating the city.

“I really liked the urban cycling workshop and the enthusiasm of the presenters of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. Everyone looks at my bike, and when I tell them how I received it, they want to immediately sign up for the next cycling class, ” said Johana, one of the participants of the event.

Karina, another of our participants that day had not ridden a bike for over 15 years. “It was fun for me to ride the bike because I had not used a bicycle since childhood. I learned a lot about the rules and rights of cyclists and it has helped me to feel more secure when I ride a bicycle. I am happy to be a bicycle owner and I hope to continue practicing cycling around San Francisco.”

This workshop would not have been possible without the help of Diana De Rueda, Community Organizer with La Voz Latina. According to Diana, “The entire SF Bicycle Coalition team was incredibly knowledgeable, enthusiastic and supportive throughout the entire event. The information provided in the one-hour class has been instrumental in making me feel more safe about riding beside constant traffic. Also, I love my new bike and the essential accessories the SF Bicycle Coalition provided.”

For the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, this event was a good example of how we work with monolingual communities to learn more about their needs in the active transportation sector. We can’t wait to plan another event with La Voz Latina later this year and to continue working with their members who are very dedicated to creating better streets for pedestrians and cyclists in the Tenderloin.

Volunteer for our next Community Bike Build and help us share the fun and freedom of biking with San Franciscans in every neighborhood!

Bike Education is made possible by the San Francisco County Transportation Authority through a grant of Proposition K Local Transportation Sales Tax funds.

From Golden Gate Park to Stern Grove By Bike

Posted on by Kristen Leckie

For neighbors and families in the Outer Sunset, we cherish our beautiful open spaces. Bordered by Ocean Beach to the west, Golden Gate Park to the north and Stern Grove to the south, parks are part of the Outer Sunset’s neighborhood character. That’s why we need safe and comfortable bike routes to get around and enjoy our famous parks.

As 20th Avenue is a key bike route to the parks, fast-moving, spillover traffic from 19th Avenue means this north-south route isn’t as safe as it could be for those who walk or bike here. As the only designated bike route through the Outer Sunset to connect Golden Gate Park to Stern Grove, we’re working with members and local residents to improve 20th Avenue for everyone traveling here.

That’s why the SF Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) heard loud and clear from neighbors during outreach efforts last summer: We need to slow cars down and divert traffic on 20th Avenue to prioritize those who walk or bike.

Now you have another chance to show up and help make 20th Avenue a safe route for everyone in the Sunset. The SFMTA is kicking off a second round of outreach next week, and we need your help to create a calm bike route for families and neighbors who love to explore SF’s parks.

I’m There

With the addition of traffic diversions and improved entrances to parks, 20th Avenue could be the perfect low-stress park-to-park connection for the Sunset. Join us at an open house on April 12 to prioritize safe connections from Golden Gate Park to Stern Grove.

20th Avenue Open House
Thursday, April — 2018 6:00 – 7:30 pm
Christ Church Lutheran ELCA, 1090 Quintara St

Better Market Street Survey is Live

Posted on by Janice Li

After two well-attended open houses, City planners seek yet more input on the new concept design for Better Market Street — the transformative overhaul of our busiest downtown corridor. Take a moment to learn more about the current proposal and share your thoughts today with this 10-15 minute survey.

What do you think?

SF Bicycle Coalition members flooded both open houses earlier this month to talk directly with City planners on every detail of Better Market Street from the new, sidewalk-level bike lane idea to Muni service to desired landscaping. On a long table, a map of the full, 2.2-mile long corridor was displayed for attendees to write or draw the improvements they want to see. Once again, there was strong support for near-term improvements at key intersections along Market Street.

SF Bicycle Coalition member Paul Valdez records his comment for near-term improvements at Market and Sansome.

Dozens of presentation boards lined the room to share proposals on everything from the sidewalk-level bike lane to turn restrictions.

This was the first public meeting since 2013, so there was plenty of new information to share. Overall, feedback was positive, and, more than anything, people are excited to see this project move forward.

Starting with this survey, there will be plenty more ways to get involved as Better Market Street moves forward. Make sure to complete the survey today and stay tuned; we know it’s going to take a lot of members to win the truly bike-friendly Market Street of our dreams.

Changing Lives for the Better Together

Posted on by Tiffany Recede

Bike to Work Day is more than just a holiday; for many, it’s the start of a healthy lifestyle. Take it from Zachary Brown who first commuted by bike on Bike to Work Day in 2011. Zachary’s memorable experience put him on a trajectory to becoming an avid biker with lasting effects on his lifestyle and health.

Zachary was familiar with the SF Bicycle Coalition’s Energizer Station outside of his place of work on the Embarcadero year after year. “After many years of helping coordinate the Energizer Station, it felt only right to bike to work myself!” Zachary said.

“I didn’t own a bike at the time. Early in the year, I found an old road frame owned by my late father, and I had a bike shop build it specifically for urban riding commuting in San Francisco,” Zachary said. “Bike to Work Day 2011 was the perfect opportunity to try it out!”

Now Zachary consistently commutes by bike, and he’s not looking back.

“My life is much better,” Zachary said. I’m in much better shape, the ride to and from work serves as both stress relief as well as a way to fire my endorphins.”

And it’s not just during commute hours that you’ll find Zachary in the saddle.

“I am now an avid cyclist beyond simply commuting. I find opportunities to engage with cycling communities in the Bay Area,” Zachary said. “My wife now owns two bikes and joins me on rides.”

Since Zachary’s first day commuting by bike on Bike to Work Day in 2011, his health, lifestyle and even how he drives has changed.

“Seeing the streets of San Francisco through the eyes of bike commuting every day to work, I am now a much safer driver in the city,” Zachary said. “You learn that speeding, beating lights and aggressive driving will not get you there any faster.”

Zachary is a stellar example of how the hundreds of volunteers who make Bike to Work Day possible are changing how San Franciscans commute and live. So we asked him what he’d like to say to our member-volunteers.

“THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU,” Zachary said. “You make San Francisco a better place, and you are the reason for my relationship with cycling!”

More San Franciscans commute by bike for the first time on Bike to Work Day than on any other day of the year. Thanks to the incredible support of our member-volunteers, SF’s Bike to Work Day is the biggest celebration of people biking in North America. Help us keep it up, and keep welcoming more and more people to the fun and freedom of biking. Sign up to volunteer today and make a real difference in how we commute as a city.

Celebrating Open Space at Twin Peaks

Posted on by Kristen Leckie

After approvals in 2016, the eastern half of Twin Peaks Boulevard has been opened for visitors traveling on foot or by bike to take in the gorgeous views atop one of our city’s most popular landmarks. With the two-year pilot period coming to an end, we now need your help to keep this section of Twin Peaks car-free and work toward permanent design options.

Write a letter of support today

On April 17, the SF Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) board will consider approving the extension of this pilot. The pilot was a significant step toward prioritizing the eastern half of Twin Peaks Boulevard as a dedicated open space within the urban landscape of San Francisco. Locals and visitors alike now have a comfortable, car-free experience where they can take in one of the most iconic views in the city. Our members spoke in support of the pilot in 2016 and members like Patrick Lindley remind us and the city that this pilot has the ability to create “more of a community atmosphere atop the hill.”

We’ve worked as a community with groups like Walk SF, the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council, and SF Urban Riders to ensure the pilot serves all and we’re working together to ensure it continues to. Since its implementation, those who enjoy the scenic views have been able to do so without mingling with cars along the entire eastern span of Twin Peaks Boulevard. This has allowed for a better experience for all who come to take in the amazing views of the city in a welcoming open space.

Now, it’s time to extend this pilot and work towards a permanent design. Take a moment to write a letter of support to the SFMTA board today and share why the last two years have transformed the experience at the top of Twin Peaks. Here’s to more people-first spaces in our parks!