Board of Directors to Consider Improvements to the Board Election Process

Posted on by SF Bicycle Coalition Board

The SF Bicycle Coalition Board of Directors is considering possible improvements to the board election process and requests member input before making any decisions. The three proposals the board is considering are:

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

Ranked-Choice Voting

Electing our board members through a proportional representation form of multi-winner ranked-choice voting (RCV), where voters rank candidates in order of preference (similar to San Francisco’s local elections), has been discussed both within the board and among membership. In 2016 the board passed a resolution to work towards implementing RCV in 2017. The board is now considering a proposal to conduct future board elections with RCV.

Election Timing

Annual elections for approximately half the seats on the board have traditionally been held in November/December each year. This schedule often creates overlaps with holidays, end-of-year events, fundraising, and local, state, and federal elections. The board is considering moving the board elections to the start of the year to avoid these overlaps.

Term Start Date

Board terms currently start on January 1 each year, but the first board meeting of the year is typically the fourth Tuesday in January, leaving up to a four-week gap in a functioning full board including board officers. The board proposes shifting the start of board member and officer terms to the first board meeting after the board election to maintain continuity in governance of the organization.

Request for Member Comment by June 27

Enacting any of the above proposals would require amendments to the organization’s bylaws. A bylaws markup can be found here. The board is seeking the opinion of outside legal counsel regarding how these changes could be implemented in accordance with our current bylaws. The board would appreciate any and all questions/feedback from members on the substance or procedure of the proposals.

Members can provide questions/feedback in two ways:

  • Email the board at board@sfbike.org; and
  • Attend the board meeting at 6:30 pm, Tuesday, June 27 at the SF Bicycle Coalition office, 1720 Market St. at Valencia, when the board is expecting to vote on the proposals.

Bike Share for All is Here

Posted on by Janice Li

For years, your SF Bicycle Coalition has campaigned for a bike share system that San Francisco deserves — one that is accessible, affordable and elevates biking in our city as the best way to get around.

The wait is over. On June 28, bike share will re-launch with brand new bikes equipped with the latest technology and a Bike Share for All program to reduce barriers of entry to biking. New stations will continually roll out starting this summer to reach the goal of 4,500 bikes in San Francisco in the next two years, with 7,000 bikes as part of the regionwide system.

Oh, and one more thing: The entire system is fully integrated with Clipper Card. Check out complete details here.

Our Bike Share for All campaign launched in early 2016 to engage community-based organizations, and today, we’re celebrating a major win as our vision for an equitable bike share system has been embraced. The new Bike Share for All program features include:

  • One-time $5 annual membership ($5/month in second year);
  • Bikes available 24/7/365 in San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, Emeryville and San Jose;
  • Rides extended from 30-minute maximums to 60 minutes;
  • In-person enrollment at select locations; and
  • No credit or debit card requirements.

We know the work doesn’t end here. As expansion continues and new stations roll out, we will continue to advocate for a bike share system is truly inclusive with a ridership that reflects the diversity of our city so that all San Franciscans have an opportunity to enjoy biking and affordable transportation. Getting more people on bikes is a great thing for our city and will spur infrastructure change making everyone’s commute better, whether you use bike share or not.

As we say, our work isn’t about commutes, it’s about communities. That’s why we’ve partnered across the region and secured public funding through the Metropolitan Transportation Commission to invest in grassroots, community-based outreach focused on establishing a bike share system that works for everyone. If you’re part of an organization that wants to get involved, contact janice@sfbike.org or call at (415) 431-2453 x302.

We’re Hiring: Bicycle Parking Coordinator

Posted on by San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

We are seeking a skilled, motivated individual to provide outreach, support and technical assistance regarding the implementation of bike parking racks throughout the city of San Francisco. In this role, you will work with the public and local businesses to site bike parking racks, as requested and in suitable locations. If you are passionate about bicycling, this is your chance to join our team and make it easier for thousands of people in San Francisco to park their bikes in a secure and convenient way, and to be a part of our dynamic and growing business team. This position requires strong outreach skills, professional demeanor, a willingness to travel throughout the city of San Francisco, and an ability to work collaboratively with the rest of the staff at the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition.

Hours: Part time, Approximately 10-15 hours per week
Reports to: Membership & Business Program Manager

About the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

Founded in 1971, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition transforms San Francisco streets and neighborhoods into more livable and safe places by promoting the bicycle for everyday transportation.

Primary responsibilities include, but not are limited to, the following:

  • Quickly and competently respond to bike parking requests to determine desired location and needs;
  • Interface professionally and effectively with local businesses and residents to communicate the benefits of providing adequate bicycle parking, the needs and requirements for their individual location, and expected timeline;
  • Promptly and accurately analyze individual locations to determine suitability for bike parking;
  • Efficiently prepare, manage, and submit paperwork and other materials related to bike parking racks; and
  • Serve as a representative of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition at all times, consistently on-message and on-brand.

The ideal candidate for this position will:

  • Have a deep commitment to the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition’s mission;
  • Be a proven project manager with strong multitasking skills;
  • Strong skills in communicating with diverse populations;
  • Be punctual, reliable and accountable;
  • Enjoy a fast-paced work environment;
  • Be able to travel throughout San Francisco efficiently by bike;
  • The ability to attend to accuracy and standardization in individual tasks while also grasping the context of and implications for policy, membership, and fundraising goals of the organization;
  • Have analytical skills and familiarity with space measurements used in bicycle parking;
  • Be computer-literate and Internet savvy with direct experience using MS Office (Excel, Word), Google apps (Docs, Calendar, Gmail) and experience with databases, including Salesforce; and
  • Have the ability to move from place to place; use a computer terminal and telephone; able to lift and carry up to 25 pounds short distances; can bend, twist, reach and grasp.

The position pays $15/hour with the expectation of working 10-15 hours per week, starting August 1

How to Apply

Write a compelling cover letter and resume, and submit using the form. Be sure to mention where you saw the position advertised. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until the position is filled. People of color and women are strongly encouraged to apply. The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is an equal opportunity employer.

Apply for Position

Celebrating Open Streets and the Future of Golden Gate Park

Posted on by Julia Raskin

Do you know what it’s like to enjoy five-and-a-half miles of uninhibited, continuous and car-free streets? Come experience it for yourself on June 11.

Get ready to celebrate open streets in June at this year’s Sunday Streets in the Outer Sunset features a car-free JFK Drive all the way to the ocean and along the southern half of the Great Highway. You’ll also have a special opportunity to share your biking and walking experiences directly with with City planners in Golden Gate Park. Will we see you there?

I’ll Be There

As a part of the Golden Gate Park Traffic Safety Study, the SF Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) partnered with the Recreation and Parks Department to learn more about people’s hopes and dreams for improving the park at a public open house last year. Parents in attendance who walk and bike with their children expressed that they would feel more comfortable taking their families to the park if it were car-free, while other attendees discussed specific problem spots for people biking in the park.

The message has been consistently clear from our members: we want slower traffic and fewer people driving through the park. Now the City is ready to present its recommendations to prioritize the experience of people biking and walking in Golden Gate Park.

Sunday Streets celebrates neighborhoods by opening up miles of streets in San Francisco to people walking and biking. June’s scenic Sunday Streets travels along JFK Drive and onto the Great Highway, highlighting treasured open space and expansive ocean views. We hope to see you there.

Sunday Streets Open House
Sunday, June 11 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
At the corner of 36th Avenue and JFK Drive

Coming soon: Two-way Protected Bike Lanes

Posted on by Charles Deffarges
Photo by SDOT / Flickr

In the past year, we’ve seen all sorts of new bicycle infrastructure crop up on San Francisco streets. Parking-protected bike lanes and transit boarding islands are innovative solutions making our streets better for all users. One other new type of bike infrastructure we may see soon is the two-way protected bike lane.

Two-way protected bike lanes are already transforming streets in cities across the country. Chicago, New York, Seattle and many other U.S. cities all offer examples of this type of infrastructure on different types of streets.

The first two-way protected bike lane in San Francisco completed construction in 2012 on Cargo Way, a key Blue Greenway connection along the southern waterfront that borders a mostly industrial area.

Cargo Way will not be alone for long, as City staff are considering two-way protected bike lanes for streets including Townsend, the Embarcadero, and both Folsom and Howard. All of these streets being large thoroughfares, this next wave of two-way bike facilities will take on the design challenges associated with busy streets.

Photo by Paul Kreuger / Flickr

Two-way protected bike lanes come with a unique set of advantages which make them perfect for some streets:

  1. Smart use of limited street space: A two-way protected bike lane is more space efficient than two single-direction bike lanes. Because both directions of bike travel can be protected by one barrier, a good amount of roadway — along with costs — can be saved for other uses.
  2. Increasing access: A two-way bike lane provides unrivaled access for people riding to businesses, local attractions and beautiful views. Two-way bike lanes are great to run adjacent to parks or waterfronts.
  3. Creating connectivity: A two-way facility on a one-way street allows people riding to connect in ways that cars can not. In this way, these bike lanes can be a great way to open up the bike network in congested areas and connect to intersecting bike routes.
  4. Dealing with driveways: Two-way bike lanes work well when there are fewer vehicles crossings. If one side of a street has a much higher concentrations of driveways and loading needs, a two-way bike lane can keep people riding clear of those conflict zones by keeping them on the other side of the street.

These lanes do come with some design challenges too. Most notably, they complicate turning movements for people riding. Other cities address this with street markings and well-designed signaling.

We are very excited to see our city’s toolkit for protected bike lanes expand to include two-way treatments. We are also hoping to hear what you, our members, think about this design option. Join us next week on June 1 to look at how these designs might play out on Folsom and Howard streets and provide your feedback.

SoMa Member Committee: Design Review
Thursday, June 1 from 6:00 – 7:30 pm
Public Architecture, 1211 Folsom St.

Catching up with Carla, a Gal with Gears

Posted on by Anna Gore

Carla Stern is an SF Bicycle Coalition Member and active part of Gals with Gears, a member-led bicycling group started for women over 50. Having bicycled in the city since the mid-70’s, Carla has used her bike for transportation around San Francisco and for adventure, exploring much of the Bay Area on her own two wheels. 

SF Bicycle Coalition: How did you start biking in the Bay Area?
Carla: There was a bus strike around 1975 that first got me riding in SF, but I didn’t stick with it after the strike was settled. It wasn’t until 2012 I started relying on a bike to get around town.

How has bicycling changed the way you interact with the city?
I feel safe on my bicycle, and enjoy the freedom to explore. With a bike, I just get up and go. Rain? I have gear. Dark? I’ve have great lights. Traffic? There are loads of bike lanes, and I follow the rules of the road so I feel okay.

What prompted you to become a member of the SF Bicycle Coalition?
Bike lanes. I wouldn’t have attempted a bike commute without the lanes on Valencia, Folsom and Howard Streets. The bike lanes wouldn’t be there without the SF Bicycle Coalition.

What are some changes that you’d like to see for people biking in San Francisco?
I’d like to see more bike lanes, and regular updates to the “Bike/Walk” paper maps.

What has been your favorite Gals with Gears experience?
Joining up with Lenore and Maggie (founders of Gals with Gears) when they were beginning the Gals in 2013 was the start of a great friendship. Bicycling is an adventure, so the fabulous experience is ongoing. My first trip to Tiburon is a personal favorite. That’s when I decided I had the capacity to do more than a casual ride and a three-mile commute. I kept venturing a little further with each ride, getting more practice, learning skills and can now tackle over 60-mile rides. I’ve done two metric centuries, been to Mt. Tam, Mt. Diablo, up and down the Oakland & Berkeley Hills (and the flats), Crockett, Benicia, Tiburon, Pt. Reyes and beyond. Riding in France last summer was fun too, and that plan got hatched while I was on a Gals ride!

Meet Carla and the other fabulous riders of Gals with Gears on one of their upcoming rides. Want to find out more about the Gals? Join us for any of our Women Bike SF events!

Connecting the Bay Area By Bike

Posted on by Janice Li

Bike to Work Day might’ve been last week but the region continues to come together around biking.

Outreach and workshops continue for the Caltrans District 4 Bicycle Plan, and you’re invited to join in person or online to weigh in. To celebrate Bike Month, our state department of transportation Caltrans is hosting a series of workshops. The last one this month will be in San Jose and will be streamed through Facebook.

Caltrans District 4 Bicycle Plan Workshop
Tuesday, May 30 from 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Berryessa Community Center
3050 Berryessa Rd., San Jose

To ensure diversity of feedback, these workshops have been complemented by in-person focus groups in targeted communities, an online survey along with coordination among all the Bay Area government partners and transportation agencies.

In the end, the goal is to create a visionary and comprehensive planning document with a “list of projects and strategies to improve safety and mobility for bicyclists” on the state transportation network. In San Francisco, this means opportunities to continue improving the bike paths at the Hairball under Highway 101, furthering westside connections along Sloat Boulevard and beyond. Regionwide, the planning effort could potentially bridge gaps between cities and counties to ensure a more seamless bike network throughout the Bay Area.

If you can’t make the San Jose workshop in person, stay tuned to the Caltrans District 4 Facebook page for a livestream. The planning seeks to wrap up in early 2018, and there will be plenty more chances ahead to share your thoughts and give feedback.

New Folsom, Howard Designs

Posted on by Charles Deffarges

Late last month, the SF Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) presented their new designs for Folsom and Howard streets to a packed house at Bessie Carmichael Elementary. Over a hundred people attended the first of a pair of open houses, among them nearby residents, neighborhood activists, SF Bicycle Coalition members and elected officials.

These new designs are a big step forward for The Folsom and Howard Streetscape Project which has been in planning since 2015. With feedback from this latest round of open houses, the SFMTA hopes to narrow down their design and see a final version approved by the end of 2017

For those who couldn’t make the meetings in person, we’re sharing the designs with you below. We are also hoping to hear from you, our members, about which design alternative you prefer. On June 1, we are hosting a SoMa Member Committee Meeting to review and talk through these four designs. This will be a space for you to bring your questions and feedback, while shaping our recommendation for the future of these streets.

Join Us

1. Bicycle Connectivity option:

Two-way protected bicycle lanes provide a huge 12 feet of space for bikes on both Folsom and Howard. In this option, people biking are able to travel in either direction on both streets.  

2. Widest Sidewalk option:

While all of the design options widen the sidewalks significantly, this option takes them to a full 15 feet on both sides of the streets. One-way, eight-foot protected bicycle lanes on the north side of each Folsom and Howard offer plenty of space for people riding.

3. Transit-Focused option:

A transit-only lane on Folsom significantly speeding up buses along the corridor. Two slightly narrower, seven-foot bike lanes are protected in part by transit boarding islands along the south side of Folsom Street.

4. Two-Way Traffic option:

Both Folsom and Howard allow two-way automobile traffic in this option. Folsom has two seven-foot, one-way bike lanes — one in either direction. Significant trade-offs with this option include a 65 percent reduction in transit time and increased inter-modal conflicts due to new turning movements.

All of these design options offer protected bike lanes and wider sidewalks for the full length of the project. We’ve advocated alongside our members for years for safe SoMa streets, and these quality designs are the result. Let’s keep pushing and ensure that the final design has the best elements from those above.

Along with our 10,000-plus members, the SF Bicycle Coalition is campaigning for safety improvements for people walking, biking and driving in every neighborhood across our city. Join our community of members supporting this advocacy and elevate the voice of people committed to more bikeable, livable streets.

Who Gets Counted?

Posted on by Janice Li

When it comes to figuring out the number of people biking in San Francisco, how bike counts are done determines who gets counted.

Using the term “invisible” to describe people who bike is nothing new, but it was perhaps at The Untokening last November that brought the term to the forefront. Subtitled “a convening for just streets and communities,” this conference is described by LA Streetsblog editor and ethnographic researcher Sahra Sulaiman as “a national gathering on equity in mobility aimed at decentering the white male upper middle-class culture.”

One of the fundamental issues is being able to make visible people who bike at the margins. In San Francisco, this means people who bike outside of morning and evening peak commute hours or outside the City-established bike network to get to where they need to go. Sulaiman continues:

The absence of so-called “invisible” cyclists from organized mobility and urbanist circles coupled with non-contextualized data has made it too easy for mainstream advocates to make misguided assumptions about what such communities were or were not doing and why. […] The best way forward was to host a convening that would move to the fore the people and perspectives they saw consistently relegated to the margins.

This is why we’re excited that the SF Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) began using automated counters and rapidly expanding the number of bike count locations throughout San Francisco. This is just a first step, but being able to have around-the-clock bike counts at 44 locations around the city, from popular bike routes like Market Street to Holloway Avenue in Ingleside and Bayshore Boulevard near the Hairball, means that more and more invisible riders are being seen and counted.

This led to the astonishing announcement by the SFMTA that they estimate 82,000 bike trips are taken by San Franciscans every single day. This data is also now viewable online now at sfmta.com/bikecounts.

This data only further bolsters the need for citywide advocacy, whether it’s continuing to push for protected bike lanes on Market Street or doing locally-driven, block-by-block grassroots organizing to meet the needs of people who are biking in the outer neighborhoods. Your San Francisco Bicycle Coalition continues to advocate for better biking in every community, and we hope to see you in our ranks as a member to continue this momentum forward.

Want to connect or learn more about our advocacy work? Email our Advocacy Director at janice@sfbike.org.

The Best Bike to Work Day Yet

Posted on by Janice Li

Every year, San Francisco seems to outdo itself for Bike to Work Day, and this year was no different.

With the announcement from the SF Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) that San Franciscans make an estimated 82,000 trips by bike every single day, this year’s Bike to Work Day was bigger than ever. And we’re expecting over 1,000 new and renewing members from today alone! (Care to join the movement?)

We began the day with twelve rides starting from across the city, ending in a rally on the steps of City Hall. From West Portal Library to Washington Square Park, no one on our Commuter Convoys could contain the smiles that the joy of biking brings.

Mayor Ed Lee was joined by SFMTA Director Ed Reiskin, Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru, and SF County Transportation Authority Director Tilly Chang in a bike ride led by our Executive Director Brian Wiedenmeier. Departing from Glen Park, they made their way to City Hall with a detour to SoMa to check out the protected bike lanes on Seventh Street.

Supervisor Jane Kim also toured the new bike lanes on the District 6 Commuter Convoy, celebrating that the latest protected bike lane projects were all in her district.

On the far west side, Supervisor Katy Tang rolled in all the way from the Outer Sunset on the District 4 Commuter Convoy, starting from Nomad Cyclery.

The most popular ride was once again with Supervisor London Breed, riding in from the Western Addition on the District 5 Commuter Convoy along with SFMTA Board Chair Cheryl Brinkman.

Thanks to all of our elected officials who embraced our theme of “Bike Together” and joined with us today. And of course, our City leaders added to our pedal power, and we were grateful for the presence of Ed Reiskin at the SFMTA, Tilly Chang at the SF County Transportation Authority (SFCTA) and Mohammed Nuru at Public Works.

The rally was a great success, where we honored Maria Stokes, our Commuter of the Year, and this year’s Bicycle-Friendly Businesses. We were also joined by Fire Chief Hayes-White along with SFPD Commanders David Lazar and Robert O’Sullivan, celebrating the interagency effort it takes to make our city more bike-friendly than ever.

Bike to Work Day would not be possible without the generous support of our lead sponsors, Bay Area Bicycle Law, the SFMTA and the SFCTA. A special thanks also goes to Sports Basement for their in-kind donations.

Hats off to all of you who biked with us today, whether for the first time or for the thousandth time. If you missed your chance to join or renew your membership yesterday, it’s not too late to become a member. Keep the momentum going and we’ll see you in the bike lane.