Board of Directors: 2017 Member Election

Posted on by San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is proud to have a very active and professional all-volunteer Board of Directors. Most board members have dedicated numerous years of service and lending of talents to a wide range of organizational needs. Board members are elected for 2-year terms. Every year approximately half of the board seats are up for election, and board members may or may not decide to run again as incumbents.

MEET THE CANDIDATES

Active SF Bicycle Coalition members may self-nominate or be nominated by others for consideration as a board candidate. Seven seats will be considered and voted on in the fall/winter 2017 election. Interested candidates should review the Skills and Qualities Identified as Priorities for 2017 SFBC Board of Directors’ candidate recruitment as well as the SF Bicycle Coalition Board of Directors Candidates’ Handbook.

Here are the major moments in the 2017 SF Bicycle Coalition Board election:

Fall 2017 Promotion of board election amongst members and encouragement of interested members to declare their interest, including a meet and greet of prospective candidates.
Sept. 30, 2017 – Dec. 1, 2017 Candidates can fill out online candidate questionnaire (preview of questions) and start working on 150-word statement.
Nov. 1, 2017 Current board members start one-on-one meetings with all board candidates to answer questions and share more information about board service.
Dec. 1, 2017 Deadline for questionnaire and resume submission to
boardnomination@sfbike.org for board recommendation
Dec. 15, 2017 Candidate Interviews end for Board Recommendation
Process
Dec. 20, 2017 Board Development Committee meets to review candidates.
Jan. 12, 2018 Board recommendations communicated to each candidate.
Jan. 15, 2018 Confirmation of intent to run and affirmation of candidacy: All members who decide to run for the Board of Directors are requested to submit their candidate statement of no more than 150 words describing their qualifications for serving on the Board of Directors, as well as a photograph. Per SF Bicycle Coalition bylaws, any member in good standing by January 15, 2018 may nominate themselves or another member as a candidate.
Jan. 18, 2018 Staff meets with board candidates to review the election process.
Jan. 21, 2018 Deadline to join or renew for eligibility to vote: January 21, 2018 at 11:59 pm.
Jan. 30, 2018 Candidate 150-word statements are published in weekly Biker Bulletin email.
Jan. 31, 2018 Voting starts. The annual member meeting, and candidate forum will offer board candidates a chance to meet with interested members. The meeting will be held at the Google Community Space, 188 The Embarcadero on Wednesday, January 31, 2018 from 6:00 – 8:00 pm. Please RSVP here. Members will have a chance to vote online or in-person at the SF Bicycle Coalition office throughout the election period.
Feb. 16, 2018 Voting ends.
March 1, 2018 By March 1, 2018, the election results will be announced in weekly Biker Bulletin email.

We will continue to update this page with more information as the elections move forward. Interested in learning more about the board? Email boardnomination@sfbike.org.

Ask Jake: One Person Can Make a Big Difference

Posted on by Miles Stepto

Members like Jake Stangel demonstrate the difference that all of us can make in other San Franciscans’ lives.

Last month, I received an email from our member Jake Stangel, voicing interest in donating bike parts to our Bike It Forward program. A few weeks and emails later, his single donation turned into a citywide parts drive at shops across town. To our delight, we ended up packing a van to the gills with bikes, dozens of wheels and many bikes worth of parts. Here is a little about him and the process.

SF Bicycle Coalition: How long have you been a member?

Jake: I’ve been an SF Bicycle Coalition member for about four years now ever since I had the simple epiphany that cycling advocacy in San Francisco will help make for safer streets, safer riding, more enjoyable experiences getting around town on two wheels, and helping get more members of San Francisco on bikes.

What inspired you to start the bike parts donation drive?

I ride a ton, go through a lot of swapped out parts and upgraded components, and had ended up with a cardboard box full of functional parts and components that were sitting unused in my house. I figured all my friends had the same box or bag of parts in their house, too, and wanted to get these parts into the hands of people in my city that really could use them.

I then learned about the SF Bicycle Coalition’s Bike It Forward program, where spare parts are used to help turn partial bikes into complete bikes. These bikes are distributed to folks in communities, such as students, individuals with late night work shifts, and families that have a great need for affordable, reliable and healthy transportation like bikes. It was a perfect fit.

Clockwise from top left: City + County, Rapha San Francisco, PARTS!!, American Cyclery, Box Dog Bicycles. Thanks, y’all!

I reached out to Miles about running a parts donation drive to benefit Bike It Forward and people in need. Five shops around the city — American Cyclery, Box Dog Bikes, City + County, Huckleberry Bicycles, Rapha San Francisco — graciously volunteered to act as drop-off donation points for this program. It was truly a community effort.

When you thought of donating your parts, why did you think of approaching the SF Bicycle Coalition?

The SF Bicycle Coalition has always been a beacon of betterment for cycling and San Francisco. I love how active you are advocating for better bike lanes throughout the city, and I knew it would be the best connected conduit to help get these parts to the right people in our community.

What excites you the most about how these parts will be used?

I think the most exciting part was just seeing a community of people who bike of all stripes activate and contribute whatever they could towards this cause. It was also awesome to have five shops throughout the city generously offer to take in parts and commit a portion of resources and shop space to collecting and holding parts over the week. As the parts pick-up day approached, shops were emailing me, saying, “uhhhh I think you need to bring a cargo van, we have boxes upon boxes of parts that people have brought in.”

A huge thanks to Jake, American Cyclery, Box Dog Bikes, City + County, Huckleberry Bicycles, Rapha San Francisco,and everyone who donated their parts! If you would like to donate to our Bike It Forward program, please drop off parts at Shift Indoor Cycling Studio this October or contact miles@sfbike.org with questions.

Member Jane Natoli: We Can Make SF Even Better

Posted on by Kelsey Roeder

Bonafide Women Bike SF changemaker Jane Natoli has been winning hearts and minds since she started biking in San Francisco about four years ago.

“My friends always ask why I bike, and I may say it in a somewhat jokey manner, but it’s true: biking is the fastest way to get around the city,” said Jane.

Though she hasn’t been a member long — just under a year — Jane has jumped in feet-first.

“I believe we can make this city an even better place to bike and that that future isn’t far away,” explained Jane when asked why she joined. “I wanted to help support an organization of great folks who share that goal.”

Between being on the board of directors at the San Francisco LGBT Center and her work with San Francisco’s YIMBY Party, Jane has somehow found time to become a part of Women Bike SF.

“I was looking for ways to get more involved and I wanted to meet more people who bike like myself,” Jane said. “I want to be a part of changing the image of what folks think of when they think of people who bike.”

Jane has a clear vision for what she’d like biking in San Francisco to be like.

“I want to see more and better protected bike lanes,” Jane said. “I hear so many folks say, ‘I would like to bike, but it feels so unsafe.’ I want to live some place where that is no longer a reason folks don’t use their bike to get around.”

When asked how she recommends people plug in, Jane says, “So much about getting involved is just showing up. If anyone reading this has ever been on the fence about getting more involved, whether it’s with Women Bike SF or the SF Bicycle Coalition in general, I’d say, just show up. You’ll be amazed at what happens from there and all the awesome folks you’ll meet.”

Want to get involved like Jane? Join us at our next Women Bike SF coffee club on Friday, Nov. 3 from 8:00 – 9:00 am at Sextant Coffee Roasters!

Take Action for Embarcadero

Posted on by Julia Raskin

In July 2014, the City kicked off its effort to plan, design and construct a protected bike lane on the Embarcadero. Over three years later, we still have nothing to show for it, which is why we’re taking action — with your help.

Let’s Make It Happen

The Embarcadero spans San Francisco’s iconic waterfront to the east, with breathtaking views of the bay. Only 25 years ago the Embarcadero was a double-decker highway with no room for people to enjoy the views, let alone ride a bicycle. In the decades since its removal, San Franciscans have reconnected with the waterfront. The Embarcadero’s relatively newfound popularity is paired with demand for dramatically improving the experience of biking there. The Embarcadero is long overdue for a redesign that will transform the space into a shared corridor, with first-rate protected bicycle lanes, and open up space to leisurely walks to and from some of the city’s most popular attractions. San Franciscans have waited too long for this change, and now it’s time to demand action.

We have consistently asked for a two-way, bayside protected bike lane all the way from AT&T Park to Fisherman’s Wharf. If you support protected bike lanes as a central part of the Embarcadero transportation planning and design, join us next week to strategize around next steps towards achieving that vision.

Action for Embarcadero
Thursday Nov. 2, from 6:00 – 7:30 pm
188 Embarcadero (enter on Steuart Street)

Building Community with Safe Routes to School

Posted on by Nancy Buffum

Our Safe Routes to School-funded outreach staff are working with communities in every corner of San Francisco to improve street safety around our city’s schools. We promote biking to school and for everyday family transportation, as well as walking, rolling, transit and carpooling to school day in and day out, as well as at major annual events.

On Oct. 4, International Walk & Roll to School Day kicked off Safe Routes to School programs for 2017-18. We celebrated with families who gathered at Excelsior Playground, the city’s first Walk & Roll to School Hub. Hundreds of students and adults were welcomed by Mayor Ed Lee, Recreation & Parks Director Phil Ginsberg, Supervisor Ahsha Safai and other local officials before heading off to nearby Cleveland Elementary, Monroe Elementary and SF Community School.

Citywide, over 10,000 students, parents and caregivers at 76 participating schools celebrated Walk & Roll to School Day, traveling to schools on foot, by bike, scooter, skateboard, yellow bus or public transit. We’re thankful to participants of all ages and to event organizers at Walk SF.

Your SF Bicycle Coalition also organized the first Walk & Roll to School Day After-Party at Playland on 43rd Avenue in the Outer Sunset. Students from nearby schools and the neighborhood brought their wheels, little siblings and afterschool appetites for an hour of play, healthy snacks and — best of all — a turn pedaling for smoothies on Presidio YMCA’s bike blender.

In addition to Walk & Roll to School Day, your SF Bicycle Coalition will continue promoting community-wide family biking activities, safer streets, and walking and biking to school throughout the year. As the school year moves forward, let’s plan and participate together! For information about an upcoming Safe Routes to School community meetings in your neighborhood, email nancy@sfbike.org.

Protected Bike Lanes Approved for Folsom

Posted on by Charles Deffarges

On Tuesday of this week, the SF Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) Board of Directors unanimously approved protected bike lanes on Folsom from 11th to Fifth streets. This crucial safety improvement, was raised as a priority by our members, will see construction beginning this month and should be complete by the end of the year. This is a huge victory and an important step towards making one of our busiest and most dangerous streets safe for all.

The new bike lanes will be parking protected, like that pictured above on Seventh Street, complete with transit boarding islands and bike share stations to keep people riding safe on Folsom, a know high-injury corridor. Additional bike lanes on Folsom from 11th Street to 13th Street are also a part of the project. These will bridge the existing gap in the bike network between the Mission and SoMa stretches of Folsom.

A portion of the near-term Folsom Street design. Image courtesy of the SFMTA.

This victory for safe streets in one of our busiest neighborhoods was made possible by our members, many of whom showed up at the meeting to speak in support of the project. It is this type of people-powered action that will be necessary to win parallel, near-term improvements on Howard and a robust long-term project for both of the streets.

Our SoMa Member Committee meets regularly to strategize around SoMa street projects and will regroup to determine what’s next for our campaign. Together we can bring about the progress we want to see on our streets.

Board of Directors Amends Bylaws to Change Board Election Process

Posted on by SF Bicycle Coalition Board

After carefully considering member input, your SF Bicycle Coalition Board of Directors amended the organization’s bylaws to enable the following changes to the board election process:

  1. Moving the election from the end of the calendar year to the beginning of the calendar year;
  2. Setting terms of board members to start and end at a board meeting instead of a calendar date; and
  3. Implementing ranked-choice voting.

 

Election Timing and Term Start Date

Holding annual board elections in January and/or February better aligns with organizational priorities than the traditional timing of holding board elections in November and December. At the Sept. 26 board meeting, the board approved the schedule for our next board election, setting voting from Jan. 31 through Feb. 16, 2018. This schedule should minimize overlap with holidays, end-of-year events, fundraising and elections. Board member and officer terms will start at the board meeting following the election’s certification for continuity in organizational governance and a smoother transition for incoming and exiting board members.

Ranked-Choice Voting

The board considered ranked-choice voting for director elections in 2016, unanimously passing a resolution to look into implementing it for the 2017 board election (more detail of which can be found here). The board’s governance committee worked on this project in early 2017. After discussing ranked-choice voting implementation at multiple committee and board meetings, soliciting the input of members and outside experts in ranked-choice voting systems, consulting with operations staff, and considering bylaws and budget implications, the governance committee recommended that the board implement ranked-choice voting for the next board election (along with changes in election timing and term start date as described above). These changes required a bylaws amendment, which the board first took up at its June 27 board meeting. While the proposal was favored by a majority of the board members present at that meeting, our bylaws require any bylaws amendment by the board to be approved by a majority of all directors in office. The vote did not satisfy that standard. At the June 27 meeting, several directors expressed a desire for legal advice from counsel specializing in nonprofit law regarding the proposal. That advice was solicited by the board chair and subsequently considered by the full board. At its Sept. 26 meeting, the board returned to the proposal, approving it by a vote of 12 in favor, two opposed and one abstention.

Why Ranked-Choice Voting?

The last board election was conducted with a plurality system, where winning candidates received the most votes, but not necessarily a majority of votes. Voters each voted for up to eight candidates to fill eight open seats on the board. While easy to understand, this system rewards bloc voting, where a bloc or slate of candidates can sweep an election, even without corresponding support among voters. With multi-winner ranked-choice voting, voters rank candidates in order of preference. Multi-winner ranked-choice voting helps to more fairly represent the full spectrum of voters and promotes diversity of viewpoints, backgrounds and demographics. San Francisco’s use of single-winner ranked-choice voting in city elections lends to familiarity with this voting method. To learn more about the concepts of multi-winner ranked-choice voting (also called single transferable vote), watch this short video:

Member Feedback Favors Ranked-Choice Voting

The board wrote a blog post published on June 6 requesting member feedback on the proposed changes and received 36 emails in response. Two-thirds of the emails were favorable toward ranked-choice voting, and one included a petition with 60 signatures in support. Less than 15 percent of the emails opposed ranked-choice voting with the remainder raising questions or concerns. The board acknowledges that not all members support ranked-choice voting, and we take member concerns very seriously; please see our responses here.

Watch for Election Updates

We’re excited to roll out ranked-choice voting at our next board election in early 2018. In the coming weeks we will issue a more formal announcement of the election schedule and a formal call for director nominations. In the meantime, we encourage members who might be considering serving on the board to contact the board development committee at boardnomination@sfbike.org to learn more about the process.

Top Five Reasons to Volunteer at Winterfest

Posted on by Kelsey Roeder

It takes over 200 member-volunteers to make Winterfest a smashing success each year. What compels all these people to share their time and talents with us every December? Read on to find out!

  1. All of your friends are there.
    With over 200 other volunteers and nearly 1,000 attendees each year, you’re bound to have a few friendly faces in the crowd. If not, Winterfest is the perfect place to meet new bike-minded folks!
  2. Free entrance and a free drink!
    You can save up to $35 on entrance and a drink just by giving a few hours of your time to making Winterfest happen. That’s enough for, like, five post-Winterfest burritos with all your new friends. Can’t wait until December? Sign up to hang posters, and you’ll still get all the perks of volunteering!
  3. It’s fun as heck.
    It’s scientifically-proven to be impossible not to have an amazing time volunteering at Winterfest. You can’t argue with science!
  4. You’re part of the party.
    Volunteers are integral to Winterfest; it literally couldn’t happen without volunteers like you. From event set-up, to greeting attendees, to beverage service, to cleanup, teamwork makes the dream work.
  5. Warm and fuzzies.
    The best part of volunteering at Winterfest is knowing that by making this event a success, you’re contributing to safe biking in San Francisco, a livable city and a healthy environment for everyone. Free beer doesn’t hurt, though.

Want to join in on the fun? Sign up to volunteer at Winterfest today!

Join Our Market Street Watch

Posted on by Janice Li

Even with thousands of people biking on Market Street every day, anyone who bikes here knows that the conditions can be hostile. Enough is enough, which is why we’re calling on our members to hold the City accountable to making progress towards achieving Better Market Street.

Join Our Market Street Watch

After wowing us with beautiful renderings of a new vision for the Better Market Street project in July, the City’s multi-agency project team promised urgency in advancing one segment of the project towards construction by end of next year. The SF Bicycle Coalition is excited to share that City planners are accelerating the design on mid-Market to bring transformative improvements to at least the stretch between Sixth and Eighth Streets, possibly stretching as far west to Van Ness Avenue and east to Fifth Street.

To turn this into reality, stakeholders are already meeting monthly as part of the City-led Community Advisory Committee for this project. We want to make sure we’re engaging every step of the way so that the the City makes good on their promise of protected bike lanes all the way from the Embarcadero through Octavia with urgency. There will be updates every month, and we’re looking to build a team of engaged members to attend these meetings, ask questions and push for the best designs possible to welcome even more people to bike.

The next meeting will be on Monday, Oct. 30, and you’re invited to join.*

Better Market Street Community Advisory Committee
SF Public Works
30 Van Ness Ave., 3rd Floor

*This meeting has been cancelled. Sign up above to receive updates and make sure you get an invite to the next CAC meeting.

Now Hiring: Spring Interns

Posted on by Kelsey Roeder

Applications are now open for our spring internships! Our interns are talented and motivated folks who jump right into the bicycle action. We accept both student and practical experience internships, and request that interns make a minimum commitment of 10-to-20 hours per week for the spring semester.

This season, we’re hiring for 10 different positions:

  • Bicycle Advocacy Intern: Put on your advocate hat! Join our Advocacy team to support our various street campaigns both inside City Hall and out on the streets.
  • Bicycle Education Intern: Get firsthand experience in all aspects of bicycle education programming with the leading provider of bike safety education in San Francisco.
  • Bike & Roll to School Week Event Planning Intern: Nothing’s cuter than a kid on a bike (unless maybe it’s a kid and a puppy on a bike). Support our Youth and Family program with your planning savvy.
  • Bike to Work Day Event Planning Intern: Bike to Work Day is the best day! Help us make this massive event a success.
  • Bike It Forward Intern: Learn more about this amazing program and give back to those in need.
  • Development Intern: Can you fundraise and fun-raise? Help us keep the wheels of advocacy spinning on with our Development team!
  • Membership Outreach Intern: Extroverts, this one’s for you! Be the bicycle talk of the town and represent our organization at outreach events all over the city.
  • Volunteer Coordination Intern: We rely on over 1,000 volunteers each year to push our work forward. Put your people management skills to work in collaborating with these amazing folks.

In addition to spicing up your resume with practical experience, interns get other great benefits like a one-year free membership to the SF Bicycle Coalition, ongoing professional development opportunities, discounts on store swag, first dibs on exciting events and opportunities, and more! Still not convinced? See what past interns have had to say about their experiences here and here.

We’re accepting applications now and will review them on a rolling basis. What are you waiting for? Apply today!

If you’re not able to commit to a full internship, but still want to help us out – don’t worry! We’d love to have you join us at one of our many volunteer opportunities.