Meet Our new Bicycle Education Coordinator, Qamuuqin Maxwell!

Posted on by San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

Tell us about your background and how it’s led you to SFBike .

I grew up in Southern Oregon and found BMX and mountain biking at a young age. When I started working at a bike shop just out of high school, I realized that getting to be around bike people and talk about bikes on a daily basis was rad! After working in bike shops for over half a decade, I felt the pull to go back to college and fill in other parts of who I am and how I am in this world. I get to use both aspects of my background at the SF Bicycle Coalition. Plus, the entire team here is amazing and I feel humbled to be a part of this group of people. If young me could see that I would find my way to such a wonderful organization, he would be stoked! 

What role have bikes played in your life?

I learned to ride a bike around age 4, and since then have ridden all types of bikes in many different types of terrain – BMX, MTB, road, fixed gear, bike polo, cyclocross and gravel, bike touring and bikepacking, and more. Bikes have been one of the biggest and most important constants in my life; they’ve introduced me to amazing places, people, ideas, and jobs. When I was younger they were a way to explore the town and surrounding wooded hills where I grew up. As I’ve grown older, I’ve realized that bikes have also always been a vehicle for self empowerment and expression. These days I feel most at home when I can swing a leg over one of my bikes and head out the door without any route in mind– just pick a direction and go!

What do you most look forward to in leading our Adult Bicycle Education program?

I love helping people learn how to ride any type of bike in any capacity, so I’m excited that I get to do the legwork to help our Adult Bicycle Education classes and workshops reach more people and run as smoothly as possible. Having grown up in a smaller, rural town, I didn’t get to experience riding in a larger city until my early 20s when I moved to Seattle. Riding in and around a city like San Francisco is a magical experience and I’m beyond excited to help people feel confident in doing so!

What’s your favorite place to ride a bike in the City?

I don’t have a single favorite place to ride in the City, but all of my bikes are set up to ride both on pavement and off-road, so I enjoy connecting multiple places together in a ride and just exploring. I live in the Outer Sunset, so most rides begin by heading into Golden Gate Park and linking together singletrack and car-free routes. From there I might take Page street to the Wiggle, then make my way along Market to the waterfront. I might hop on a ferry to Vallejo for lunch, or head up and over Fort Mason towards the Golden Gate Bridge and the Marin Headlands. The whole region has so many amazing routes, complete with exhilarating riding and spectacular vistas. Most rides end with me and my partner coasting downhill towards the ocean and evening skies, looking forward to cooking a yummy meal and relaxing as night settles.

Help us make magic at BMAGIC’s Bike Giveaway on August 10

Posted on by Alex Frank

Next weekend is BMAGIC’s annual Back to School Backpack Giveaway, and Bike It Forward will be there giving away bikes to kids and young adults, creating transportation choices for them, sharing the joy of bike riding, and making a significant impact on their lives. It’s one of the feel-good events of the summer for us at SFBike and we can’t wait to see the smiles on these kids’ faces as they try out their new wheels, and we hope you’ll join us as a volunteer so you can see it, too! 

BMAGIC is a network of San Francisco neighborhood-based nonprofit organizations that support community members in Bayview Hunters Point and we’ve been working with them to make the bike giveaway a big part of their flagship summer event. We caught up with Moira Dumo Rios, Associate Director for BMAGIC, and asked her a few questions about their work, and how Bike It Forward supports their mission.

How do you see bikes as a force for good in your community, and what active transportation in the Bayview looks like to you in your ideal future?

Bikes promote an active and healthy lifestyle – that’s such an important and positive force for good. They’re also a fun way for youth to get around their neighborhood, get to know the city, and also a great workout. An ideal future with active transportation in the Bayview would include safe bike routes, which would encourage even more people to get out there on bikes.

What are some of your favorite moments from the BMAGIC backpack giveaways every year?

The best part is seeing the joy on the faces of children when they are able to select their brand-new backpack – especially those who win a bike from SF Bike! 

What are the biggest benefits and impacts that you’ve seen from your work, and what are your biggest dreams for your programs and events?

We work hard year round to create a positive impact on the lives of young people in Bayview Hunters Point and Fillmore/Western Addition. In addition to our Backpack Giveaways, we partner with several organizations throughout the year to provide fun, safe and educational events for youth. Our biggest dream is to continue this work for many years to come and expand our services – we know how impactful this work is, and we’re always looking to do more! 

We’re so excited to join Moira and the entire BMAGIC team this upcoming weekend – and you can help, too! We’re still looking for a few volunteers to help out that day. Sign up below for a shift, and come see the magic happen! 

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Get to know our Membership and Development Coordinator, Patrick Casey!

Posted on by San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

Where are you from? What led you to working at the SF Bicycle Coalition?

I am originally an East Coaster! I spent most of my childhood bopping around the NYC area. I’ve called SF home for quite some time now and I’ve always wanted to see the city grow into a safer and more approachable city for people on bikes. The Coalition has been a collective voice for those seeking that transformation, and I am so excited to finally be a part of that.

What role have bikes played in your life?

Bikes have always been a source of expression, intrigue, and excitement, not to mention a wonderful way to get around. In my biking life, I’ve dabbled in so many different versions of “bikedom”– commuting, mountain biking, the occasional bike polo match, etc – and that diversity in experience is what always keeps me coming back for something new.

What is your favorite part about working with members and volunteers?

So many of our volunteers and members are willing to donate their time to help keep our organization moving forward. They work hard and, what’s more, they simply just have a great time getting involved. They’re  funny, lighthearted, and lovely people and it’s been a joy working with them.

Describe your ideal day off in the city.

Wake up at 9:30am and make some nice coffee. Stroll over to the park at some point and do a little bird watching. Grab lunch at Palm City for some delicious sandwiches. Then back home for a nap and before spending the evening catching up with friends at The Page.

Donate a kids bike for BMAGIC’s Annual Bike Raffle in the Bayview!

Posted on by Alex Frank

We’re gearing up to participate in BMAGIC’s annual backpack giveaway and bike raffle on August 10! BMAGIC is a collective of community-based organizations supporting the Bayview Hunters Point communities by creating wealth and opportunities for children under 18. Bikes present an early opportunity to change the trajectory of young lives by providing transportation choices, fostering a sense of community, and promoting freedom. 

At BMAGIC’s annual back-to-school event, held every August, we offer a well-attended bike raffle, drawing more than 700 entries, and provide learn-to-ride lessons. Over the last few years, we have given away over 300 bicycles to kids and young adults, making a significant impact on their lives. With the support of the cycling community through donations and memberships, we have been able to give away 70-90 bikes each year.

Here’s where you come in! Last year, nearly 700 people entered the raffle, with most of the requests for bikes for kids under 5 feet tall, highlighting the high demand for kids’ bikes (sizes 20 and 24). This year, our refurbished stock of those smaller bike sizes is low, and we urgently need kids’ bikes for the raffle, to make the biggest impact on August 10. 

Can you donate a kids bike today? Fill out our donation form, tell us what kind of bike you have and we’ll reach out to coordinate a time for you to drop it off – your donation to this drive will make a significant difference in the lives of these children!

DONATE A BIKE TODAY

The City needs your input on its new bike plan this summer!

Posted on by Claire Amable

The SF Municipal Transportation Agency’s (SFMTA) Biking and Rolling Plan is the City’s first update to the 2009 Bicycle Master Plan in almost 15 years, and they want your feedback at one of their 11 open houses this summer. 

The SFMTA’s Biking and Rolling plan will dictate the kinds of policies, programs, and infrastructure designs the City will implement within the next 15 years. This is incredibly important because the way we use our streets has significantly changed since 2009. More people move around on bikes, e-bikes, e-scooters, one wheels, electric assisted devices, and other modes of active transportation than ever before. As we continue seeing more people biking and rolling every year, our streets need to be redesigned to keep everyone on active transportation safe. San Francisco needs an interconnected city-wide network of car-free streets, car-lite streets, and separated and protected bike lanes. Anything less would compromise the safety of people who bike and roll.


Starting next Monday in North Beach, the SFMTA will be hosting a series of open houses in every supervisor district. At the open houses, members of the public will have an opportunity to give feedback on the proposed policies, programs, and infrastructure designs of the Biking and Rolling Plan. 

To make sure the SFMTA hears from a diverse population of people who bike and roll in San Francisco, we need your help getting the word out about the open houses. Join us to distribute flyers in your district! We’ll be meeting at our office at 1720 Market Street. Sign up to volunteer for a shift below.

Tuesday, July 9th at 5pm: Noe Valley, Bayview, SF State

Tuesday, July 16th at 5pm: Richmond, Sunset, Cow Hollow, Oceanview

Tuesday, July 23rd at 5pm: Downtown, Mission, Haight

I CAN HELP FLYER

For general campaign updates on the Biking and Rolling Plan, sign up here.

PRESS RELEASE: SF Bicycle Coalition hosts vigil for senior cyclist doored by City employee in Bayview

Posted on by San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is holding a vigil on July 2nd at 5pm for the death of Steven Bassett, the 70-year-old cyclist who was doored by an SFPUC employee on May 30th and later succumbed to his injuries.

San Francisco, California — Steven Bassett, a longtime member of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and an avid cyclist, passed away on June 11 after being doored on May 30 by an SFPUC employee on Fairfax Avenue and Newhall Street in the Bayview.

The SF Bicycle Coalition will be hosting a silent vigil to mourn and honor Bassett at the scene of the collision.

Tuesday, July 2nd at 5pm
Fairfax Avenue and Newhall Street
SF Bike invites attendees to offer a candle or flowers to Steve’s memorial. 

To be respectful of Bassett’s family and friends, we invite the press to interview SF Bicycle Coalition’s media contact, family and friends, or other advocates away from or at a different time from the vigil.

Bassett’s death mark’s San Francisco’s 18th traffic fatality this year, according to City records, and the first involving a person biking. There have been twelve other fatalities of vulnerable road users in 2024, all of which were people walking, including two additional pedestrians since Steve Bassett passed. 

“Steve was a beloved brother, friend, and coworker. Our hearts and thoughts are with everyone who knew and loved him,” says SF Bicycle Coalition Executive Director Christopher White. “He loved the Giants, loved to ride his bicycle, and was a big supporter of making our city better for people who bike for everyday transportation.”

Dooring, or crashes caused when someone inside a motor vehicle opens their door into the path of a bicyclist, is one of the leading causes of bicycle crashes in San Francisco. It accounts for approximately 16% of crashes that cause injury to a person biking in which the person biking is not at fault, according to an SFMTA report from 2016. The  California Vehicle Code states that a person opening the door of a vehicle is responsible for avoiding oncoming moving traffic, including people biking (CVC 22517).

“Dooring is completely preventable, if people driving have the right training, and if streets are designed safely,” said White. “Every city employee who drives a city vehicle should be required to receive comprehensive training on operating vehicles around people on bikes and bike infrastructure,” White continued. He pointed out that such training would include the so-called Dutch Reach, or using the hand furthest from the car door to open it so that one’s body twists in the direction of oncoming traffic. This helps people inside a vehicle see people biking behind them.

In 2020, Devlin O’Connor died when he was doored on Frederick Street near Kezar Stadium and knocked into oncoming traffic. In 2019, Tess Rothstein was hit and killed by a box truck on Howard Street near 6th Street; Rothstein reportedly swerved to avoid a door opening in her path.

The location where the crash occurred had no dedicated bike infrastructure. However, most painted bike lanes (or Class II lanes) in San Francisco run alongside parked cars, and are painted close enough that a person biking in it is inside the “door zone”, or the three to five feet that a door swings away from a vehicle when it opens. Replacing dangerous Class II designs with safer infrastructure would decrease the danger of being doored for people who bike. 

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition calls on the SFMTA to end its reliance on unsafe Class II infrastructure in the upcoming Biking and Rolling Plan, the city’s first comprehensive update to its Bicycle Plan since 2009, and begin converting existing Class II bike lanes along the High Injury Network into separated and protected bike lanes. 

While the intersection where the crash occurred is not on the High Injury Network — the 12% of SF streets on which 68% of traffic fatalities and serious injuries occur — the Bayview neighborhood has several nearby streets on the network. It also has some of the lowest density of dedicated biking and rolling infrastructure in the city.

SAFER California: two state bills we’re supporting

Posted on by Rachel Clyde

This legislative cycle, your San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is supporting two state bills part of the SAFER California streets package, sponsored by Senator Scott Wiener. Show your support for safety on our streets and send an email for Senate Bill (SB) 960 for complete streets facilities, and SB 961 for safe driving technology.

As we move past the 10-year anniversary of our Vision Zero commitment, it’s long-past time to take big strides to put an end to traffic fatalities. Speeding remains the number one cause of severe and fatal collisions in San Francisco and all of California. By significantly reducing speeds, SB 960 and SB 961 will prevent these types of fatalities by increasing safety and accessibility for people who walk, bike and take public transit.

SB 960 will mandate the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to provide Complete Streets facilities in nearly any planned maintenance and repair projects, adding safety elements to protect the most vulnerable road users. 

If passed, this bill will set 4- and 10-year targets for Caltrans to improve their performance with Complete Streets. It requires that the department establishes a streamlined process for the approval of bicycle improvements, pedestrian facilities, traffic calming measures and transit priority treatments where the state-owned streets meet locally-owned streets.

Despite Caltrans committing to implementing safer and multimodal street designs over a decade ago, progress has been very slow. Many of Caltrans’ streets in San Francisco are designated as high-injury and are in desperate need of safety improvements. Expediting these improvements is crucial for San Francisco because Caltrans streets, such as I-280 or 19th Ave, cut through large portions of the city, including many neighborhoods with vulnerable and marginalized populations. 

SB 961 will require all vehicles built or sold in California starting in 2030 (except emergency vehicles) to have passive intelligent speed assistance technology. This includes audio and visual warnings to the driver when the vehicle is going more than 10 MPH over the speed limit. 

When the bill was initially introduced it required speed limiting technology that actually prevents vehicles from traveling at excessive speeds, however it was amended to passive assistant technology. Speed warnings are still a good step toward encouraging safer speeds and will transform street safety for everyone, and particularly those most vulnerable to collisions – seniors, children, and people with disabilities. We hope to see more revolutionary technology in the future.

Both bills have a few more steps to pass before they become law. SB 960 is going to the Assembly Committee on Transportation on July 1. SB 961 recently passed the Assembly Transportation Committee and is going to the Committee on Privacy and Consumer Protection soon.

Send an email for SB 960

Send an email for SB 961

Parking-protected curbside bike lanes are coming to Valencia Street

Posted on by Krissa Cavouras

Staff of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) presented their conceptual designs to their Board of Directors on Tuesday, June 18. This was the culmination of months of outreach following the February SFMTA Board of Directors hearing, where staff were directed to continue evaluating the center-running bike lane pilot while also preparing to pivot to curbside-running lanes.

Your San Francisco Bicycle Coalition was in attendance on Tuesday and gave public comment in support of the conceptual design. Based on extensive feedback from our membership, we feel strongly that the parking-protected curbside lanes are predictable and familiar, and we applaud the intersection treatments that the conceptual design would introduce, such as state-mandated daylighting and protected intersections. As we said in our public comment, these intersection treatments must have the most robust materials a quick-build can allow, to discourage people driving from dangerously cutting the corner. 

We also called for the SFMTA to remove floating parklets from the design altogether, and keep all parklets against the curb. Having the lane sometimes run between the curb and a parklet introduces potentially dangerous conflicts between people biking and staff and customers who use the parklets. And the proposed mix of curbside and floating parklets is unpredictable and confusing, making the design unsafe.

After robust public comment from our members and members of the public, a majority of those who spoke agreed that Valencia must maintain separated, protected infrastructure for people on bikes while also preserving the vibrancy and circulation along the corridor. Several people spoke favorably about the center-running design, which speaks to how the separated infrastructure, though not perfect, was an improvement on unprotected paint-only bike lanes that existed prior to the pilot. 

The SFMTA Board began their discussion, adding resolutions to strengthen the commitment to supporting merchants and the commercial vitality of the street, while also directing staff to create a thoughtful construction plan that minimizes disruption and impact to businesses or the safety of people using the street. 

Following discussion, the Board voted unanimously to endorse the conceptual design and adopt the amended resolution. This is a huge next step for the future of the corridor, and our motivating goal of a vibrant, and safe, Valencia Street. And now that it’s approved, the SFMTA project team will move into the detailed design phase before presenting it for approval to the Board, likely in the fall.

We plan to keep working with the SFMTA, our members and the merchant community to continue strengthening safety improvements in that final design phase, such as protected turns, consistent street paint, and signal phasing. We also will be pushing for the longest possible leading pedestrian intervals, seven seconds, and signage clarifying that people on bikes are permitted under state law to go with a pedestrian walk signal.

This conceptual design should not be the final evolution, either. We called on the SFMTA to see through the Long-Term Valencia Bikeway studies and implement pedestrianized pilot blocks, so we can imagine the kind of world-class, people-centered destination that Valencia could truly become.

Finally, we want to once more thank the staff of the SFMTA’s Livable Streets team, who spent countless hours going block by block to talk to merchants, and worked late to present to our members. Their efforts to help everyone be heard and to foster understanding are commendable.

Sign up to stay in the loop for updates on this campaign.

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Riding for Change in the Green Fondo Nor Cal Weekend Climate Ride

Posted on by San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

Guest post from Matt Biggar, SF Bike Board Member 

On May 18th, my 16-year-old son Jack and I completed our first 100-mile bike ride. It was a fun challenge to cross off our list, but that was only part of the reason we had such a wonderful weekend.

We were riding in our third Green Fondo Nor Cal Weekend Climate Ride together, raising money for the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and Walk SF as part of Team SF. Climate Rides are an enjoyable and impactful way to raise significant funds for local nonprofits.

We love the community that gathers for these weekends. There’s a palpable energy and camaraderie among the riders, rooted in a shared focus on taking climate action. Climate Ride has expanded its reach and become more inclusive each year, welcoming riders of all levels and bikes of all types and increasing the racial and gender diversity of participants.

And, of course, it’s California! The scenery along the ride was outstanding in rural and coastal sections of Sonoma County. The ride support was excellent, with aid stations putting on delicious lunch spreads and serving local pies.

The best part was the finish – this year, we raised almost $5,500 to date from our ride, and every dollar we raised goes directly to the vital work that the SF Bike Coalition and Walk SF do every day to make our streets safer for biking, rolling, and walking. Jack and I share their collective vision of a walkable, livable, thriving, and less car-dependent city. If you are interested, you can still make a tax-deductible donation here.

We’d love for you to join us next year and help us grow Team SF (which started in 2023). If you would like to be notified when registration opens for next year’s Green Fondo, you can learn more here and let us know you’re interested in joining Team SF!

Get updates for Team SF 2025

Matt Biggar. Ph.D., is a 20-year resident of San Francisco and is passionate about active transportation and livable communities. He writes, speaks, and works on place-based systems change and collaboration. He has served on the SF Bike Board of Directors since 2024.

PRESS RELEASE: SF Bicycle Coalition Calls for Transparency from SFPUC

Posted on by San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

UPDATE (6/24/2024): The crash that resulted in the death of Steven Bassett has now been listed on the City’s “San Francisco 2024 Traffic Fatality Notification Table,” which acknowledges that Steve was doored by a city employee in an SFPUC pickup truck.

We were heartbroken to hear that the 70-year-old man who died on June 11 after injuries sustained on May 30 was Steven Bassett, a longtime member of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and an avid cyclist. Our hearts are with his family and friends as they mourn. Any death of a person biking in San Francisco is unacceptable and preventable.

Steve was hospitalized with serious injuries after a crash on Fairfax Street at Newhall in the Bayview. We have independently confirmed that the crash happened when a city employee opened the door to a city vehicle in Steve’s path as he was traveling by bike. This is at odds with SFPUC’s statement to the media that Steve crashed into a parked vehicle, which obfuscates responsibility for the crash. 

We call on SFPUC to be open, transparent, and accountable with the incident report from that day, as the city is required to file reports for any incident involving a city vehicle. San Franciscans deserve to know the facts surrounding his tragic and preventable death when a city employee was involved. 

We know from painful experience that dooring is one of the biggest dangers to people biking on unprotected infrastructure. They’re also easily preventable for people driving cars. It is the responsibility of the person in the vehicle to check outside their door for any oncoming road users. We call on the city to require that all city employees who drive any kind of city vehicle be trained on safely navigating the streets with people who bike, including instituting the so-called “Dutch reach” as a practice. 

This fatal crash happened on a street with no safe infrastructure for people on bikes, and in a neighborhood with very few protected bike lanes – this is why we urgently need an interconnected network of car-free and people-prioritized mobility corridors that are safe and universally accessible, to make the entire city safe for people biking.