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What does it mean for San Francisco?
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ago when it chose to design a city prioritizing walking, biking and transit.
The most encouraging fact I have learned in the past year is that Amsterdam’s success in creating a thriving bicycling — and living — environment was not the result of a particular geography or national culture, but rather of hard work and passion from regular people like us and real commitment from city leaders to take on very similar challenges to those we face here today.
In honor of the 40th anniversary of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and the tens of thousands of members and volunteers who have helped to make us the savvy and
D uring my past eight months in Amsterdam, I was lucky enough to experience living
in a city where everybody bikes — where well-dressed businesspeople bike to meetings, where most children pedal to school, where entire families ride together, and where seniors bike to get their groceries and meet friends for tea.
Whether slowly meandering the canal-side streets of Amsterdam on my one-speed, or meeting with city council members and trans-portation planners, I have seen what it takes for a big city to successfully shift to a strong and popular bicycling culture.
The evidence of Amsterdam’s commitment to bicycling is apparent not only in the impres-sive numbers — 45% of trips are by bike — and the diversity of ridership, but also in the way people biking are treated. This ranges from the significant street space dedicated to biking to the nearly dozen city-run, valet bike parking garages holding between a few hundred and 10,000 bikes each; and barges brought in for additional bike parking when street space runs short; to the thousands of traffic lights specifi-cally designed and timed for bike traffic; and the giant signs hanging on buildings declaring, literally, that “Amsterdam loves bicycling.”
EditorAmy Zimmerman
DistributionBrandon Fine
DesignRosanna Yau
Cover PhotoSan Francisco History Center / SF Public Library
The Tube Times is a quarterly publication of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, a 12,000-member nonprofit advocacy organization working to transform San Francisco’s streets and neighborhoods into more livable and safe places by promoting the bicycle for everyday transportation. [email protected]
Executive DirectorLeah Shahum, x306, [email protected]
Communications DirectorTeri Gardiner, x308, [email protected]
Community PlannerNeal Patel, x312, [email protected]
Development DirectorJodie Medeiros, x305, [email protected]
Great Streets Project DirectorKit Hodge, x303, [email protected]
Membership & Volunteer CoordinatorTessa Buckley, x301 [email protected]
Membership & Volunteer DirectorKate McCarthy, x303, [email protected]
Operations DirectorFrank Chan, x304, [email protected]
Program DirectorAndy Thornley, x307, [email protected]
Program ManagerMarc Caswell, x302, [email protected]
Safe Routes to School ManagerJason Serafino-Agar, x314, [email protected]
Board of DirectorsDavid Baker, Ben Caldwell, Maureen Devlin, Brooke DuBose, Jenn Fox (President), Ann Lyons (Secretary), Justin Fraser (Treasurer), David Gartner, Amandeep Jawa, Ann Lyons, Holly Minch, Lainie Motamedi, Dan Nguyen-Tan, Zack Stender, Susan Sun
833 Market Street, 10th FloorSan Francisco, CA 94103415-431-BIKE fax: [email protected]
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Letter from the Executive Director
Before I left for my sabbatical last spring, a part of me feared that the bicycling
environment I saw in Amsterdam may be so fantastic that it could leave me feeling daunted on my return. Would my experience in what many consider the greatest bicycling city make our work back in San Francisco seem impossible?
But as I return now to lead the SF Bicycle Coalition, I feel just the opposite. I am more convinced than ever that the kind of commit-ment to and celebration of bicycling that I experienced in Europe is absolutely within our reach here in San Francisco.
I feel more confident than ever as I see the miles of new bike lanes, green pavement, Market Street’s separated bikeway and on-street bike parking that we have won in the past months; as I meet with our city leaders who are more committed than ever to a truly bike-friendly city; as I watch diverse community groups sign on to support our Connecting the City plans; as I feel the unparalleled passion of the 12,000 members of the SF Bicycle Coalition; and as I recall that the path we are on in San Francisco today is encouragingly similar to that of Amsterdam not so many years
influential organization we are today, I make this promise: This year you will see your Bicycle Coalition leverage our clout to new heights to win public and political support for the most ambitious and achievable plan our city has ever seen for great bicycling: 100 miles of continuous, crosstown routes. We will work with the City to ensure that they build out the streets and neighborhoods we deserve, starting with three continuous miles of our Connecting the City Bay to the Beach route on the ground this year. And that’s just the stepping-off point to getting all three of our crosstown routes, 25 miles, completed by 2015 and the incredible 100 miles by 2020.
You will see us speed up the pace of change in order to get these great ideas on the ground and fast! We will not settle for less than what San Francisco deserves — safe and invit-ing streets for all. We can make San Francisco a world-class bicycling city, and I promise it will be worth your investment and hard work. I look forward to working alongside you all this year as we continue connecting our city.
Happy Anniversary.
LEAH SHAHUM Executive Director
I am more convinced than ever that the kind of commitment to and celebration of bicycling that I experienced in Europe is absolutely within our reach here in San Francisco.
Come hear Leah Shahum talk about what she learned during her sabbatical in the biking mecca of Amsterdam. Thu., Jan. 27 at 6:30pm, SF Bicycle Coalition, 833 Market St., 10th Floor
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CONNECTING THE CITY
A bi-directional bikeway on JFK Drive creates a safe space for families to bike and explore Golden Gate Park. Photo Rendering: Amanda Loper/San Francisco Bicycle Coalition GAINING TRACTIONOur bold initiative, Connecting the City, ended 2010 with big notes and we’re excited to continue the momentum in 2011! Connecting the City maps out a series of continuous, crosstown routes that are designed for everyone from an 8-year-old child to an 80-year-old grandmother.
Over the past few months, SF Bicycle Coalition staff have been busy
bringing our Connecting the City initiative to dozens of city agencies,
department heads, elected officials and merchant and neighborhood
groups to get their input. This visionary plan is receiving positive feedback
— it’s clear that more and more people want to create a city where people
of all ages will feel comfortable and safe riding a bicycle. Connecting the
City is going to require a lot of effective inter-agency coordination, as well
as outreach to build public support so our elected leaders will turn these
bold plans into reality. Since mid-summer, we’ve been working with a team
of transportation planners, designers, and architects to create this smart
plan that is helping win the hearts and minds of decision makers — our
investment is already paying off.
A world-class bikeway in Golden Gate Park needs your help to become a reality.
A continuous, wide, and comfortable bikeway on JFK Drive (pictured above) is part of our Connecting the City campaign’s Bay to the Beach route. This bikeway will provide safe space for the huge — and growing — number of families who want a way to ride bikes to museums, the ocean, playgrounds, picnics and the zoo! It will also provide a key connection for commuters heading downtown from the western neighborhoods and will make everyone feel comfortable and safe biking, from an 8-year-old child to an 80-year-old grandmother. To find out how you can help us realize this one-and-a-half miles of this world-class bikeway in San Francisco, go to sfbike.org/ctc.
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20% of Bike Trips by 2020In October the Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted Board President David Chiu’s resolution of the goal of 20% of trips by bike by 2020. The adoption of this goal is a crucial milestone toward the city efficiently and economically increasing transportation capacity to accommodate the growing number of people who will be living and working in our city. Our Connecting the City initiative maps out a series of continuous, crosstown routes that are designed for people of all ages, and will add 100 miles of bikeway — a key to reaching this 20% of trips by bike goal. Connecting the City lays out the plans for a smart investment in our bicycle network that will help guide the future of San Francisco’s streets and help ensure that the city is an easy place to shop, commute, live and play. Thank you President David Chiu for your vision and leadership in bringing forward the goal of 20% of trips by bike by 2020 for our city!
Third Annual Bike to School Day set for April
Mark your calendars and get your family ready for the Third Annual SF Bike to School Day, happening on Thursday, Apr. 7 at schools across the city. Bike to School Day is an event spearheaded by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition to encourage more families to try biking to school. Last year’s event drew twice as many families biking and now it’s an official event of the San Francisco Safe Routes to School Program. To sign up your school and find out about our trainings and incentives, go to sfbiketoschoolday.org or email [email protected]. It’s easy to add more fun to your child’s commute on Bike to School Day!
Market Street LimboThank you to the hundreds of people who sent letters to Mayor Newsom asking him to complete the Market Street bikeway. He heard you. Unfortunately, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) has yet to fill in the gaps on this busy bikeway between Octavia Boulevard and Eighth Street. The SF
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Bicycle Coalition has shared our plans with the SFMTA and the Mayor for continuing the green separated bike lanes, enhancing the required right turn at the intersection of Market and Sixth streets and adding required right turns for drivers at additional intersections. Getting these improve-ments on the ground quickly will help create safe biking space for the growing numbers of people who are bicycling downtown. When the Tube Times went to print, we were still waiting for word from the City of a concrete timeline and commitment.
The City has announced a plan to install green bike boxes on Market Street by early 2011 at: westbound Market at Ninth Street, Van Ness Avenue and Gough Street, and eastbound at South Van Ness Avenue and Ninth Street. The SF Bicycle Coalition is pleased to see the City move forward with this important trial; however, this is just one step toward a better Market Street.
Meanwhile, the Better Market Street project — the official planning process leading up to a 2015 repaving of our city’s main street — has selected a consultant team and a citizens advisory council. The community process will kick off around the new year; watch the Biker Bulletin email for ways to get involved.
Bike Share on its Way to San FranciscoIn October, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission voted to fund a regional bike share program for San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties — the first regional bike sharing program in the country. Bike share pods will be located along key corridors like our Market Street and at major transit hubs. The initial pilot will launch with 1,000 bikes in 2011, with 500 of those bikes here in San Francisco. Bike sharing is a great way to help more people take short trips by bike and to connect bikes and transit. For a bike share program to be successful here in San Francisco, it will be critical that it is accompanied by improvements to our streets, like a fully separated bikeway the length of Market Street, so that people of all ages will feel comfortable, confident and safe on a bike.
More and More Parklets — and Yet More to ComeScores of parklets are starting to go in the ground, from Columbus Avenue to Noe Valley to the Outer Sunset and in between. The City called for applications for new parklets in October, and got twice as many applications as they expected from all around the city, demonstrat-ing the latent demand for more public space on our streets. Those applica-tions that fit the design and location criteria are advancing through a public
process, and many of them will receive a one-year permit, so expect to see many new parklets on the ground in the coming months. The SF Bicycle Coalition’s Great Streets Project knocked on the doors of 160 businesses around the city to inform them about the opportunity. We are continuing to work with businesses to develop applications for the City’s next call for proposals. Parklets are providing new public space (and, in many cases, bike parking) and helping people around the city re-imagine their streets. Contact Kit Hodge at [email protected] if you want to help get the word out about parklets.
Sunday Streets is Back for Another Year
Any day now we expect the City to announce the 2011 schedule for Sunday Streets, which will open miles and miles of streets for fun and healthy activities. Last year’s events opened over 20 miles of streets on nine Sundays, in six San Francisco neighborhoods, from east to west! Upward of 20,000 people of all ages experienced each event by bicycling, dancing, rollerskating and doing yoga.
The SF Bicycle Coalition is proud to partner with Livable City to recruit, train and coordinate more than 200 volunteers for each Sunday Streets event. To volunteer, go to sundaystreetssf.com/volunteer. We’ll also be hosting our popular Freedom from Training Wheels program to help
kids to ride on two wheels at each Sunday Streets event.
Improving the Market and Octavia IntersectionTo the dismay of the SF Bicycle Coalition, Gov. Schwarzenegger vetoed AB 2729, Assemblymember Tom Ammiano’s legislation to give San Francisco the authority to use camera enforcement to ticket drivers who make the dangerous and illegal right turn onto the Central Freeway at the intersection of Market and Octavia. After the bill passed both the State Assembly and Senate with bipartisan support, the governor’s veto was a disappointment. However, his veto statement asserted that the City already has the authority to install the camera, and doesn’t need to seek additional legislation to do so. We will continue to work with the SFMTA to make sure this camera is a priority when the City begins installing more cameras in late 2011.
A Better Masonic AvenueThe San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and the Fix Masonic community group have been collaborating for years to build support for a safer, calmer and better Masonic Avenue. Both organizations walked the streets, gathering signatures from neighbors and businesses and building support with a community petition requesting traffic-calming measures. The petition was submitted and the result was that this past fall, the SFMTA began planning for a Masonic Avenue Traffic Calming project to make this busy thoroughfare safer for everyone.
The SFMTA worked closely with neighbors and solicited feedback during three community workshops and ultimately proposed two bold options for improving the street. The
The Columbus Avenue parklet creates more space for people.
2010’s Bike to School Day was full of smiles.
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The Kirkham Street bike lanes add a 2.5-mile connection from the base of Twin Peaks all the way to the ocean.
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San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and Fix Masonic have endorsed the boulevard design that we feel is the most complete street design and includes a green, raised curbside bike lane, sidewalk greening, and corner bulb-outs, as well as a tree-lined median throughout the corridor. We feel this design will be the safest and most inviting for people biking and great for Muni as well. Neighbors are excited to get this bold project on the ground as soon as possible and make this street safer for everyone. The SFMTA is still finalizing the design; to find out the latest, go to sfbike.org/masonic.
Bike Lanes Abound this WinterNew bike lanes are linking neighborhoods across the city. In fact, the City has begun striping more than 30 miles of bike lanes. In our last Tube Times, we told you about the Townsend, Laguna Honda and North Point bike lanes, but many miles of bike lanes have gone in since then in almost every corner of the city. Kirkham Street bike lanes have added two and a half miles of bike lane leading on a smooth sail to the ocean. Bike lanes on two portions of Laguna Honda make getting up and over Twin Peaks much safer. Ocean Avenue bike lanes are now providing a more comfortable link to City College and the Balboa Park
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BART station. And new bike lanes on Division Street, around the Glen Park BART station, and on 17th Street are improving crosstown commutes. A big thank you to the scores of volunteers who worked on these bike lane campaigns by speaking up at public hearings and community meetings and talking about projects with local businesses — these bike lane projects are on the ground due to your dedication. Visit sfbike.org/link to see where to find the newest bike lanes.
Interns Make a Difference Everything is possible…with interns. We’re seeking a few good interns, and if you’ve got eight hours a week or more you can make a difference and change our city for the better. SF Bicycle Coalition interns gain firsthand knowledge about bicycle advocacy by organizing people around transportation issues in their backyard while building San Francisco’s bicycle community.
An internship at the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is an excellent opportunity for anyone who’s interested in building sustainable cities to experience a vibrant and growing nonprofit organization from the inside out. It’s a great way to build your résumé and get a breadth of hands-on experience! See sfbike.org/jobs for current positions.
O ver 1,200 SF Bicycle Coalition members, along with artists and sponsors, came out to our 15th Annual Winterfest member party, auction and fundraiser on
Sunday, Dec. 5, to help raise over $70,000 for the financial health of their local bicycle coalition. Attendees shared stories and laughs with new and old friends, while enjoying bottomless brew all night in their limited edition Winterfest pint glass and scoring great deals on 20 sparkly new bikes, more than 200 donated silent auction items and over 50 art pieces. One happy winner walked away with this year’s one-of-a-kind handmade Bike Quilt from the raffle.
The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition Staff and Board would like to thank JC Rafferty of Girl Friday Productions and Eliote Durham of E. Cee Productions for their event-coordinating expertise and guidance; the Winterfest team of Eliza Barrios, Lisa Howlett, Justin Shamieh and Kim Quinones for putting the event together from start to finish; illustrator Hugh D’Andrade for the beautiful event poster; Virginia White and her art curatorial team for putting together a fantastic art auction; Nancy Botkin and her team of talented quilters; photo booth extraordinaire Amber McKee; and last but not least, the crew of New Belgium Brewery for donating the beer and keeping the taps flowing all night long!
Our biggest thanks goes out to the more than 200 San Francisco Bicycle Coalition members who generously donated hundreds of hours of their time to make this event possible.
To see photos from the event, go to sfbike.org/winterfest.
We are especially thankful for all of our generous sponsors, both local and national:Principal: Rickshaw BagworksBig Wheel: New Belgium BrewerySprinters: Bicycle Defender, Bike Friday, Box Dog Bikes, Cannondale Bicycle Company, Law Offices of Linda Ross, Mike’s Bikes, Mission Bicycle Company, John and Jill Murphy, Ortlieb USA, Paoli & Geerhart LLP, Performance Bicycle, Planet Bike, PUBLIC Bikes, Rahman Law, Sally Morin Law, San Francisco Cyclery, Specialized Globe, Timbuk2, Todson Inc., Valencia CycleryCruisers: American Cyclery, Beer by BART, Bell Giro, Freedom by WTB, Hotel Erwin, Kitchen Side Car, Mojo Bicycle Café, Noe Valley Cyclery, Other Avenues Food Store, Raleigh, REI, Roaring Mouse Cycles, Smith Optics, Sports Basement, SWOBO, TCHO, The Chai Cart, True Massage & Wellness
Fun new additions to this year’s event were the interactive DIY table and photo booth,
complete with props!
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Decade after decade and year after year, thanks to our work, we are seeing the number of people biking in San Francisco increase dramatically. Last year, seven in 10 San Franciscans rode a bike thanks to improvements like the Market Street bikeway, events such as Sunday Streets and programs like Safe Routes to School. What this means is that we are working alongside department heads and city leaders, like Supervisor Chiu, who want a city where more people of all ages can feel comfortable and safe riding a bicycle.
English three-speeds and European 10-speeds caused bicycling to boom in the 1970s. /
This past October saw a major milestone for the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition: the San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted its most ambitious bicycling goal ever—that 20% of all trips within the city be made by bike by the year 2020. What makes this so momentous is that one of our city leaders, Supervisor David Chiu, who himself bikes regularly, was the leader and advocate on this groundbreaking resolution. This milestone shines in bright contrast to our early years when we had to demand, protest and rally to have our voice heard. Today, more so than ever before, we are living in a city where leaders and decision makers realize that bicycles are a part of the transportation system and a benefit to the city.
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The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition turns
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As we embark on our 40th anniversary year, we have a lot to celebrate and a lot to still achieve. Today, thanks to our active 12,000 members, decades of experience in winning biking improvements and a city that is setting ambitious environmental goals, a truly world-class biking city is at our fingertips. It was not always this way. While there is still much to do to realize our Connecting the City vision of crosstown bikeways that are safe and inviting for everyone, it is hard to not take for granted that we live in a city that is full of people biking and enjoying our streets.
Organizing for Safer StreetsFollowing the inaugural Earth Day in 1970, the streets of San Francisco lacked bike lanes that would help make streets safer. The Broadway Tunnel and Skyline Drive were both closed to bikes, there was limited bicycle access on the Golden Gate Bridge, bikes weren’t allowed on public transit and sidewalks were shrinking and streets were widening to accommodate vehicles. Early members remember biking to and from work and not seeing a single other person on a bicycle. In this bleak time for bicycling a man named Jack Murphy, believing that more people riding
bikes would contribute to a better city, launched an organization called the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition in 1971 with the sole mission of promoting the bicycle for everyday transportation.
This early SF Bicycle Coalition was a volunteer-based coalition of representatives from eight clubs including the Sierra Club and San Francisco Tomorrow and dozens of passionate individual members. Back then, just like today, our success was based on an unusually active and dedicated group of members who champion their own projects, show up at public hearings and join volunteer committees to discuss everything from open streets in Golden Gate Park to a safer Market Street to bike parking. One of the first victories that profited from this volunteer engagement was car-free Sundays in Golden Gate Park - following a similar closure in New York City’s Central Park. It was San Francisco Bicycle Coalition members who helped write letters to park leaders and to the editors of local papers to keep this idea in front of decision makers. The SF Bike Coalition would continue to urge leaders to expand and extend this popular recreational day in the park, although the second major expansion of this program would come nearly four decades later.
In the ‘70s, many City leaders were simply not as open to visionary ideas as they are today. Despite the oil crisis and growing environmental concerns, the California state Legislature was considering a law to prohibit bicycling on streets that had nearby bike paths and nationally some towns were banning bicycles altogether on downtown thoroughfares. For the most part, advocates in San Francisco were concerned that fully separated bike lanes might lead to bikes being banned from streets, and so focused on protecting the rights of people bicycling to share the road rather than advocating for separate space for bikes.
One exception to this involves our work on what is still our busiest bike corridor, Market Street, where we believed that protected bikeways would be the key to encouraging more people of all ages to bike. At the time all of Market Street was undergoing a major reconstruction, underground the City was investing in the Muni and BART tunnels that we use today, but above ground they were proposing to widen the street to six vehicle lanes on upper Market Street. The SF Bicycle Coalition quickly joined neighbors and community groups like San Francisco Tomorrow to fight this six-lane design and recommend a
Then-San Francisco Supervisor Dianne Feinstein enjoys the annual Bike Day festivities in 1971.
Mademoiselle magazine featured San Francisco Bicycle Coalition members in a fashion spread in 1972./ /
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plan for protected bike paths, a remarkable parallel to our call today for continuous separated bikeways on Market Street.
To help win this vision, the SF Bicycle Coalition organized tremendous support at public hearings, at City Hall rallies and in letters to convince decision makers that not only was bicycling was not a fad, but that people would in fact bicycle more in these protected bike lanes. In 1972, our campaign succeeded when the Board of Supervisors voted 10-1 to approve San Francisco’s first protected bicycle lanes (to be built between the curb and parking spaces) along with a landscaped median and left-turn pockets. The Department of Public Works ultimately opposed the idea and despite urging from the Board of Supervisors, these visionary protected bike lanes on Market Street were never built. Today, the SF Bicycle Coalition is seizing another once-in-a-generation opportunity to work with the City to pilot improvements in advance of Market Street’s reconstruction in 2015. Our vision is for a thriving Market Street that includes reliable transit, a great walking environment and a continuous green separated bikeway that would certainly make Jack Murphy smile.
“This is a major advance towards our goal of a comprehensive system of protected bikeways throughout San Francisco and rationalization of the city’s overall transportation facilities. It is a step towards a new reality.” –Jack Murphy, 1972, on Market Street’s protected bicycle lanes
New found political clout
In the 1980s, interest in bicycle advocacy waned nationwide and the Bicycle Coalition was idle for a few years. In 1990, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition was revived by a passionate group of people who were intent on organizing a voice for positive change in local transportation policies. At the same time, bicycling was again surging in popularity thanks to the birth of the mountain bike in the late ‘80s which provided a comfier urban ride than 10-speeds. This group had ambitious goals for Market Street, for ensuring that the City spend its small bike budget on bike improvements, for expanding bike parking and
getting bike access on transit. By 1996 the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition had 1,000 members, our first paid staff (Executive Director Dave Snyder) and our first office at 1095 Market St.
In 1997, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition received unprecedented attention when our proposals for safer streets landed in the Mayor’s office, the result of our savvy media skills that harnessed the one-sided, inflammatory coverage from critical mass rides. We turned this unfavorable coverage into an opportunity to advance our cause by educating the public and politicians about the benefits of creating a city that was inviting to bicycling. We launched an anti-backlash campaign to obtain improvements and our messages received national attention, which helped us put bicycle issues front and center at City Hall. We organized our members on the steps of City Hall and Mayor Willie Brown and city leaders couldn’t help but take notice. The City responded by agreeing to a bike-parking station downtown; bike lanes on eight key bike routes (including Arguello and Marina boulevards, Seventh Avenue, and Howard, Oak/Fell, Polk, Fifth and Second streets); neighborhood traffic-calming projects; bike stencils on bike routes with narrow lanes; and City funding for maintenance of bike facilities and for two staff positions within the City’s Bike Program.
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After three years of pressure, I-280 at Skyline Drive is opened to bicycles.
The huge crowds of people at a charity ride in 1986 shows the growing interest in bicycling in San Francisco.//
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“The Coalition is pushing for substantial changes in San Francisco traffic management…From my perspective, the Bike Coalition’s proposal are about as radical as tapioca pudding.”–SF Examiner Reporter Stephanie Salter, 1997
We were beginning to be in the spotlight as an effective voice for change, and our goal was to help the City form a vision for a sustainable, healthy transportation future. At a time when bike lanes were rarely added, city leaders were now considering approval of an unprecedented 10 new bike lanes at an unusual Saturday morning hearing to which 300 SF Bicycle Coalition members turned out. Unfortunately, most of the proposals were rejected as “unacceptable congestion” for drivers, but we did win approval on three projects including Polk Street, Arguello Boulevard and a tiny piece of Cesar Chavez.
In a matter of just a couple of years, our demands for safer streets had gotten the City’s attention, the public was far better educated
about and supportive of bicycling, and our membership surged to 2,600 people - all of which made us a far stronger organization.
The movement grows deeper and broaderAs our membership continued to grow so did our political clout. We were no longer outside protesting; we were now invited to the table. In 2000, we plunged into electoral politics by changing our nonprofit tax status, allowing us to begin endorsing candidates. Bicycling issues were now discussed during the election, and our reputation as one of the city’s most effective advocacy groups was preceding us. Thanks to our active members who volunteered for the campaigns to help get our endorsed candidates voted in, new members of the Board of Supervisors were calling us to see how we could work together. Building relationships with these decision makers proved to be a key part of unlocking progress and suddenly the process of approving bike projects sped up.
Up until now proposed bike lanes came forward as individual projects, sometimes taking as long as five years from initial proposal to implemented bike lane. In 2003, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition led the community outreach for a Citywide Bike Plan update,
enlisting thousands of people and diverse organizations from the Chamber of Commerce to neighborhood groups to be part of the planning process. This five-year plan, which bundled together an amazing 60 bike lane projects, was unanimously passed by the Board of Supervisors and signed into law by Mayor Newsom in June 2005. This unprecedented momentum came to a halt in 2006 when a lawsuit sent the Bike Plan back to the drawing board to go through an Environmental Review and to be reapproved, putting a four-year pause in the implementation of this Plan.
The plan develops a flat tire, but we keep rollingWith the Bike Plan under an injunction, the SF Bicycle Coalition got creative. How would we help more people try bicycling with no new bike lanes? During this time, we worked harder and smarter to launch initiatives that would get more people on bikes, namely Healthy Saturdays and Sunday Streets.
Ever since the 1970s, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition had been working to extend the popular car-free Sundays in Golden Gate Park. In 2006, we focused on our campaign to expand the event to Saturdays. We led a broad coalition of community, environmental, park
Artist Mona Caron unveils her mural on the Duboce Bikeway in 1998.
After years of campaigning by SF Bicycle Coalition members, Caltrain starts retrofitting train cars for bicycles in 1995. / /
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and neighborhood groups to build support for Healthy Saturdays, which resulted in a ballot measure, a vote by the Board of Supervisors, a veto by the Mayor, a trial study and a series of negotiations which finally led to Healthy Saturdays in 2007. Opening up car-free space in Golden Gate Park was a key part of our vision to transform our streets into spaces where people come first and where families can enjoy biking together. Just one year later the Bicycle Coalition helped to initiate Sunday Streets with Mayor Newsom, and it quickly won his support and leadership from a broad coalition of public and private groups. In a matter of months the first event took place and in just a few years the event grew from two to nine days.
Our work on both Healthy Saturdays and Sunday Streets have helped us reach new communities and develop new advocates, and more than that these programs have helped to open minds to how streets can transform into great spaces for people. Without the positive (and sales-generating) experience of Sunday Streets in Fisherman’s Wharf it is unlikely that the merchants would have recently embraced a plan to make Jefferson Street a pedestrian- and bike-priority street. While these programs benefit much more than bicycling, ultimately they have allowed us to build partnerships with groups that have sometimes opposed bike
projects, and speeded up progress and vision toward a truly bicycle-friendly city. During this time, our own membership and support surged and by 2008 we were 10,000 members strong.
One year later, the Environmental Review was certified and the Bike Plan was back up for approval and we engaged our new allies and our 10,000 members to build critical support for each project. Our volunteers talked to merchants and residents about the projects which generated thousands of support letters, our members attended public hearings and we gathered signatures and piles of petitions to once again show the broad citywide support for biking. In June 2009, by the time the Bike Plan was being considered for approval by the SF Municipal Transportation Agency Board of Directors, we had built a strong base of support. At the hearing hundreds of Bicycle Coalition members, including business owners and mothers with children in tow, stood up to offer more than three hours of compelling testimony for why streets should be safer for everyone. The Bike Plan received the green light that day thanks to countless hours of grassroots organizing by our committed members, volunteers and staff. Today, we are finally seeing more than 30 miles of bike lanes from this Plan striped on streets across San Francisco.
Achieving a world-class bicycling city As we celebrate 40 years of bicycle advocacy here in San Francisco, we are also looking forward to what the coming years will hold. With our Connecting the City campaign underway, we’re setting the City up with plans to efficiently and economically increase transportation capacity to accommodate the growing numbers of people who will be living and working in our city. We are taking all we have learned to successfully bring together city agencies, department heads, elected officials and merchant and neighborhood groups to build an even broader base of support for this exciting vision. By 2015, our plan is to have all three priority crosstown routes completed with at least 25 miles of continuous bikeways and by 2020, a record 100 miles of bikeways to help the City achieve its newly adopted 20% of trips by bike by 2020 goal.
To reach these ambitious goals we will have to speed up progress again, through project trials like the one proposed for JFK Drive (see Quick Releases, page 2), to get great ideas, that make our streets safer, on the ground. If we’ve learned anything these past few decades it’s that all too often, great plans are delayed by years of
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// Our Popular Freedom from Training Wheels program on a Healthy Saturdays in 2007
Our members powered the move in 2005, when our office moved one block down Market street.
I t is hard to imagine now, but Valencia Street used to be a dismal street for
bicycling and a far cry from the lively, thriving commercial district that it is today. The street used to have four lanes of traffic, plus parking on both sides. In the mid ‘90s, when the City removed the concrete island on Valencia to widen the traffic lanes, vehicles sped up, increasing collision rates and decreasing safety for people walking and biking.
A passionate group of San Francisco Bicycle Coalition volunteers launched and led the campaign (originally proposed by the SF Bicycle Coalition in 1992) for bike lanes on this already important north-south connection. For two years, these dedicated members canvassed every single merchant on the street, talked to each neighborhood organization and negotiated with residents on nearby Guerrero (who feared an increase in vehicle traffic) to help lobby for lower, safer speeds on that street. This new grassroots strategy educated residents about the benefits of bicycling and built the broad support needed to get unanimous approval in 1998 from the Board of Supervisors for a brave and bold new street design. To make Valencia Street safer for people bicycling, the City had approved (on a one-year trial basis) a “road diet” — the removal of two vehicle travel lanes along
with the addition of two miles of bicycle lanes and a center turn lane. This was a turning point for Valencia Street and the Mission District.
Data collected before and after the road diet proved the new street design was working; the number of people bicycling skyrocketed while injuries to people walking and biking went down. The City even set up a hotline to solicit feedback for the bike lanes and it was overwhelmingly positive, mostly because members took to the phones to make sure the views of people bicycling were heard. Valencia is now second only to Market Street in numbers of people biking, and the whole neighborhood has been transformed into a thriving district thanks to the work of many dedicated San Francisco Bicycle Coalition volunteers and staff.
Valencia Street would become both the new model for how San Francisco streets could be safer and work better for neighbors and merchants, and the campaign model for how the SF Bicycle Coalition would successfully win more bike lanes. Since 1999, San Francisco has implemented more than 30 road diets, including these important biking routes: Arguello Boulevard, San Jose Avenue, and 14th, Harrison, Howard, Market (Eighth to Van Ness) and Polk streets.
The Valencia Street
EPIPHANY
SF Bicycle Coalition staff and volunteers and City officials at the Valencia Street bike lane striping in 1999.
bureaucracy — or worse, they get stuck on the shelf. So, we’re developing plans for how our Connecting the City vision gets onto the street, and this will require effective and strategic coordination. We are working to speed up the environmental review process, and are working with the City to reform this process so that we are using the right measurement to assess the environmental benefit of bicycle projects.
We are going into 2011 stronger than ever, with 12,000 members. Connecting the City will take tremendous political will to be accomplished, and it will most certainly involve you. Year after year, it is you, our members, who are critical to our success. Whether it’s hundreds of people speaking up at a public hearing, championing campaigns, talking to merchants and community groups, or helping us distribute our newsletters. Our organization has thrived because of incredible volunteer power, and people biking in San Francisco are benefiting from this energy and dedication.
Today, as we recognize all our achievements, we are celebrating above all the achievements of our dedicated members these past 40 years. Together we have what it takes to transform San Francisco into a truly world-class city for bicycling.
/ Members of all ages help push for a safer San Jose Avenue in 2004.
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Ask the Bike Buddy
Ask your question on the Bike Buddy Forum at sfbike.org/bikebuddy or email [email protected].
DEAR BIKE BUDDY, I just started biking in San Francisco last April, so thankfully missed the rainy season. I’m feeling a little bit nervous about being on two wheels in the rain; any tips to help me along?
A: It’s understandable to feel a little timid, but rest assured that riding during the winter can be enjoyable. Here are some tips to make your ride memorable for the right reasons:
As with any San Francisco outing, dressing in layers is key. If you feel warm when setting out for a ride, likely you will soon be overheated, so aim to feel slightly cool when you start. Wool is a great material that is warm, lightweight, and wicks moisture away from your skin.
Riding in the rain can actually be refreshing. There are many ways to keep dry. Capes and ponchos keep your top dry while providing plenty of ventilation and lightweight, vented rain jackets and pants breathe well and keep you rolling in comfort. Outfit your bike with a set of fenders to reduce splashing. When the streets are wet, avoid puddles as they may be deeper than they look and use extra caution if you ride over anything metal, painted or plastic on the roadway as they’ll be slick.
Attracting attention the smart way. When riding at night, make sure your bike has a white headlight, a rear red and side reflectors — these are required by law. Wearing a light-colored jacket or clothing with reflective elements and adding blinky lights to your helmet or bag will also help you be seen. Stay alert and keep an eye out for motorists — don’t assume they see you. And always be a respectful, predictable and courteous rider.
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Volunteer like Nancy StrahanThanks to daytime volunteers like Nancy Strahan, the SF Bicycle Coalition keeps rolling smoothly. From building membership packets to researching information to performing a myriad of other valuable tasks, we simply couldn’t do what we do without the dedication of these amazing people.
How did you get involved with the SF Bicycle Coalition?I graduated in May from SF State University with a MBA degree but no job. Instead of being idle I wanted to do something. I had recently taken up road biking so it kind of just made sense to volunteer for the Bicycle Coalition. I really appreciate what the Coalition is doing for San Francisco, so I figured this was my chance to do my part!
What do you enjoy most about volunteering?I love the fact that all my volunteer work is really needed and is helping the organization. I appreciate that with each time I volunteer, I know that I’m becoming more a part of the organization and SF’s biking community.
What’s your favorite aspect of bicycling in San Francisco?I have ridden at Sunday Streets and loved it. For just a few hours, everyone gets free reign of the streets and they’re crowded. And all those people biking, skateboarding, rollerblading, walking, running get along wonderfully.
Volunteering at the SF Bicycle Coalition office is great way that you can help San Francisco become a better city for biking and we make it easy and fun! Contact [email protected] or call 415-431-BIKE x301 to get involved.
New Year, New Pavement
T he Good Roads Campaign began in 2007 with the goal of making key streets smoother and safer. We realize crumbling roads are a safety issue for people biking
and a liability issue for the City. Over the years, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition has built a strong working relationship with the Department of Public Works and through this partnership we are achieving safer, smoother streets.
When it comes time to decide which streets get repaved with the limited resources available for resurfacing, bike routes continue to get high prioritization, and we thank the DPW for making sure these priorities are kept.
In the last few years, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and DPW have brought needed pavement fixes to major streets across the city through this higher prioritization. Certain blocks of the Wiggle route on Steiner and Sanchez streets turned from jarring to silky smooth, Seventh Avenue saw new pavement timed with new bike lanes, and the longest stretch of smooth pavement takes you through Golden Gate Park from the west end of JFK Drive all the way to the ocean.
The SF Bicycle Coalition has helped prioritize repaving for portions of the following streets in 2011: Columbus, Duboce, and 15th avenues, and Grove and 17th streets.
Visit sfbike.org/goodroads to see all the ways the SF Bicycle Coalition is keeping our streets smooth and safe and for ways that you can get involved, like our upcoming Good Roads Ride on Saturday, Feb. 5 (see Chain of Events, page 13).
The Good Roads Campaign helped prioritize repaving on many streets that were scheduled for new bike lanes, like this stretch of Seventh Avenue.
Meet daytime volunteer Nancy Strahan, SF Bicycle Coalition Member Since 2008
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Quizzing a panel of prospective mates
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Events SAN FRANCISCO BICYCLE COALITION BIKE VALET AT THE FERRY BUILDING FARMERS MARKETEVERY SATURDAY | 8am-2pmHarry Bridges Plaza, across from the Ferry BuildingPedal to the Ferry Building to fill up your basket with local bounty and securely park your bike with the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. All 52 weeks a year, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition will be providing complimentary valet bike parking in Harry Bridges Plaza. Look for our orange tent. To see a list of events that include complimentary valet bike parking, see sfbike.org/valet.
IN-CLASS: INTRO TO SAFE BIKING (DAY 1)JAN. 8 | Sat. 10am-2pm Mission DistrictJAN. 20 | Thu. 5:30-9:30pm DowntownFEB. 12 | Sat. 10am-2pmNOPAMAR. 19 | Sat. 10am-2pmRichmond DistrictMAR. 31 | Thu. 5:30-9:30pmDowntownAdditional class locations and dates online at sfbike.org/eduThis four-hour, in-classroom introductory course is perfect for anyone who wants to feel morecomfortable riding on city streets. This class will cover the basics for how to choose the right bike and properly fit a helmet. Learn tips for the safest ways to ride in traffic, techniques to avoid or deal with road hazards and emergency maneuvers along with other useful gems of knowledge, like the best way to lock up your bike and how to use a bike in combination with public transit, and biking rights and responsibilities.
Class is open to anyone over 14 years of age; preregistration is required — sign up at sfbike.org/edu.
FREEDOM FROM TRAINING WHEELSJAN. 23 | Sun. 10am-12pmFEB. 20 | Sun. 10am-12pmMAR. 13 | Sun. 10am-12pmAll workshops meet on JFK Drive just west of the Rose Garden. Additional locations and dates online at sfbike.org/freedomJoin the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition for our popular Freedom From Training Wheels workshops. Our group effort to get kids riding without training wheels will be in Golden Gate Park on JFK Drive just west of the Rose Garden. Bring bike, helmet and a snack to share. We’ll take care of the rest. Questions? Call Neal at 415-431-BIKE x312.
TREEHOUSE TALK: LESSONS FROM AMSTERDAMJAN. 27 | Thu. 6:30pmSF Bicycle Coalition, 833 Market St., 10th FloorJoin San Francisco Bicycle Coalition Executive Director Leah Shahum as she shares lessons learned from her eight-month sabbatical in the biking mecca of Amsterdam.
SAN FRANCISCO BICYCLE COALITION BOARD MEETINGDATES AND TIMES TBDSF Bicycle Coalition, 833 Market St., 10th Floor Everyone is welcome at this meeting of our Board of Directors. For agenda and details, contact Leah at 415-431-BIKE x306 or [email protected].
SUNDAY STREETSSEE SUNDAYSTREETSSF.COM FOR DATES AND ROUTE LOCATIONS.Come play in the first Sunday Streets of 2011! Sunday Streets opens
streets and creates recreational space for everyone. Come join the SF BicycleCoalition and tens of thousands of people who will be out in the streetscelebrating by biking, roller skating, dancing and more. To volunteer, go to sundaystreetssf.com.
LOVE ON WHEELS DATING GAMEFEB. 9 | Wed. 6-9pm PUBLIC WORKS, 161 Erie St. (at Mission)The SF Bicycle Coalition plays Cupid for another round of Love on Wheels, the dating game exclusively for people who ride bikes. In this modern-day version of the 1970s game show, bike-friendly contestants quiz a panel to select a mate and pedal off to a first date. Come watch the show and win great raffle prizes. To be a contestant, email [email protected]. Ages 21+. $5 for SF Bicycle Coalition members; nonmembers pay $10, or join at the door and get in for free! Complimentary bike valet provided. More information at sfbike.org/love.
NEW MEMBER MEET & GREETMAR. 11 | Tue. 6:30-7:15pmSF Bicycle Coalition, 833 Market St., 10th FloorNew members are invited to join us to learn about SF Bicycle Coalition advocacy, education and community programs that will make SF a model biking city, and how you can get involved. If you’ve been a Bicycle Coalition member for less than a year, join us for this presentation to learn more about your friendly SF bike advocacy organization. Bring your bike up with you! RSVP to [email protected] or 415-431-BIKE x301.
OUTREACH VOLUNTEER TRAININGMAR. 11 | Tue. 7:30-8:30pm SF Bicycle Coalition, 833 Market St., 10th FloorInterested in volunteering to do San Francisco Bicycle Coalition outreach at events all over town, like Bike to Work Day 2011, races, festivals, and SF Bicycle Coalition Service Stations? Then this training is a must! Learn ways to engage people, how to sign up new members, and more! Contact [email protected] to RSVP.
Volunteer WEDNESDAY VOLUNTEER NIGHTS JAN. 12 & 26, FEB. 23, MAR. 9 & 23 | Wed. 5-8pm SF Bicycle Coalition, 833 Market St., 10th Floor This twice-monthly tradition has been happening for as long as we can remember, and newcomers are always welcome. So stop by, snack on tasty treats, chat with fellow members, and help us keep our organization rolling. Dinner is provided. Bring a friend — the more the merrier! Don’t forget to bring up your bike! Questions? Email [email protected].
LOVE ON WHEELS DATING GAMEFEB. 9 | Wed. 6-9pmPUBLIC WORKS, 161 Erie Street (at Mission)In lieu of our Wednesday volunteer night, lend a hand helping out at our modern-day version of the 1970s game show. Help at the door, sell raffle tickets or merchandise, or valet park bikes! Sign up to volunteer at sfbike.org/vol_sign_up_love.
PHONE BANKINGJAN. 18; FEB 1 & 15; MAR. 1 & 15 | Tue. 5-8pmSF Bicycle Coalition, 833 Market St., 10th FloorGot the gift of gab? Are you a current or former member? Volunteer to phone bank — no cold calling, just simple reminders to friendly former SF Bicycle Coalition members that their membership is expired. Come share in the fun. We provide dinner and good company. Contact [email protected].
TUBE TIMES NEWSLETTER FOLDING PARTYMAR. 23 | Wed. 5-8pm SF Bicycle Coalition, 833 Market St., 10th FloorIt’s time to get the spring issue of the Tube Times out on the street! The SF Bicycle Coalition office will be hopping with friendly folks — chatting, snacking, and folding away until the folding is done. Can you come out and help spread the news about biking in the city? Dinner is provided. Bring your bike up to the 10th floor. Questions? Email [email protected].
C H A I N OF E V E N TSJAN | FEB | MAR
The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition’s cultural history tours and recreational rides are free for members unless otherwise noted (a $5 donation from non-members is appreciated).
Unless otherwise noted, call 415-431-2453 (BIKE) or email [email protected] for more information. Rain cancels rides.
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Save the dateRidesGOOD ROADS RIDEFEB. 5 | Sat. 10am-12pmlocation TBDThe Good Roads crew will make our sweep through new neighborhoods to make your rides smoother and safer. Our goal is to mark every pothole, crack, and trench with spray paint and report it to 311 for rapid repair. We usually average 50 potholes in just two hours. Following our street action, we’ll celebrate with drinks and lunch. First-timers welcome; we’re a friendly group! Visit sfbike.org/goodroads for more information and start location. Email [email protected] to get on the email list, or if your neighborhood’s streets are in need of a pothole sweep!
ARCHITECTURE RIDES: THE REID BROTHERS IN SFJAN. 15 | Sat. 1:30pm David Hewes Building, 995 Market St. (at Sixth Street)FEB. 19 | Sat. 1:30pmVelo Rouge Cafe, Arguello Boulevard at CabrilloFrom the turn of the 20th century through its first few decades, James and Merritt Reid designed an impressive number of San Francisco’s buildings, from theaters to hotels, office towers to townhouses, bandshells to barns. With scant professional training but plenty of hustle, these Canadian brothers left their mark across the width of our city. The January ride showcases works citywide, while the February ride will take a look at nine of their Richmond District projects. Two-hour ride, longer if we’re having fun; have a big lunch beforehand, we’ll stop somewhere for a snack. SF Bicycle Coalition recreational rides are free for members (a $5 donation from non-members is appreciated). Rain cancels ride. Questions? Email [email protected].
CONNECTING THE CITY RIDESBAY TO THE BEACH ROUTE: JAN. 29; MAR. 12 | Sat. 10am-1pm Pier 14, Embarcadero at MissionNORTH-SOUTH ROUTE: FEB. 12 | Sat. 10am-1pm Aquatic Park Bathhouse, Beach Street at Polk StreetWATERFRONT ROUTE: FEB. 26 | Sat. 10am-1pmWarming Hut, west end of Crissy FieldWhat will it take to make San Francisco a world-class bicycling city, where continuous prioritized crosstown bikeways offer safe, comfortable, inviting routes for people of all ages to bike? With Connecting the City, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition has launched our most ambitious campaign and the road map to realize a thriving city that is great for bicycling. What will it look like, what will it take, and where do we start? Come along and examine the three bikeways set out by Connecting the City (sfbike.org/ctc) on these survey rides. SF Bicycle Coalition recreational rides are free for members (a $5 donation from non-members is appreciated). Rain cancels ride. Questions? Email [email protected].
May 12 | Thur.The best day of the year to show off your awesome bike commute. Start rallying your coworkers, friends and neighbors to give biking a try. The SF Bicycle Coalition will be hosting Energizer Stations across the city during the morning and evening commutes, and we will end the day toasting our favorite way to get to work with our Bike From Work Party. See sfbike.org/btwd for more information.
Bike to Work Day 2011
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SF Bicycle Coalition Membership pays for itself! JOIN TODAY AND GET DISCOUNTS ALL OVER TOWN.
American Cyclery, Arizmendi Bakery*, Avenue Cyclery, Bay City Bike Rentals, Bespoke Cyclery, Big Swingin’ Cycles,Bike Friday, Bike Hut, Bike Kitchen, Bike Nut, Bike Nook, Blazing Saddles Bike Rental, Box Dog Bikes, Chrome Bags,Citizen Chain, City Carshare, City Cycle, City Kayak, Crumpler, DD Cycles, Dolores Park Cafe, Duboce Park Cafe, Farley’s, Freewheel, Fresh Air Bicycles, Golden State Health, Good Hotel, Greens on the Go, Heavy Metal Bike Shop, the Helmet Lock, High Trails Cyclery, Hole In The Wall Saloon, Lombardi Sports, Mike’s Bikes, Missing Link, Mission Bicycles, Mission Workshop, Mojo Bicycle Cafe, Momentum Magazine, Noe Valley Cyclery, Nomad Cyclery, Ocean Cyclery, ODC Dance Studio, Other Avenues Co-op*, Pacific Bikes, Pedal Express, Pedal Revolution, Performance Bicycle, PUBLIC Bikes, Rainbow Grocery*, Rasa Indian, Refried Cycles, Rickshaw Bagworks, Roaring Mouse Cycles, Sacred Grounds, San Francisco Cyclery, See Jane Run, Sports Basement, Timbuk2, True Massage + Wellness, Valencia Cyclery, Velo Rouge Cafe, Warm Planet Bikes, Zipcar, Zoic
*Must arrive by bike to receive discount. See sfbike.org/discounts for details.
MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: SFBC, 833 Market St., 10th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103. Barter memberships are available in exchange for volunteer time. If you’re interested in a charitable deduction for your contribution, contact Jodie at 415-431-BIKE x305. Check with your employer about matching your donation.
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r VISA r MASTERCARD EXPIRATION DATE
r Do not share my name, even with cool organizations the SF Bicycle Coalition likes.
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TO HELP MAKE IMPROVEMENTS HAPPEN
SAN FRANCISCO BICYCLE COALITION833 Market St., 10th FloorSan Francisco, CA 94103 A D D R E S S S E RV I C E R E Q U E S T E D
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SEE YOUR NAME HERE!Get the TUBE TIMES delivered to your door
by becoming an SF Bicycle Coalition member.(MEMBERSHIP FORM BELOW)
Become a member of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and help us connect the city and make it a better place to bicycle, plus get a Tube Times subscription, discounts, free bike trailer and air travel bike box rentals and more. See sfbike.org/membership for all the benefits.
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r $35 ONE YEAR MEMBERSHIP (families: add $10 each additional member)
r $52 A BUCK A WEEK
r $120 CRUISER’S CLUB*
r $250 TWO-WHEELED WONDER*
r $500 VELORUTIONARY*
r $1,000 HIGH WHEELER*
*includes FREE SF Bicycle Coalition T-Shirt: Standard Size���� OR Form-Fit Size�����
r Volunteer Night (every other Weds.)
r staffing an information table
r daytime office assistance
r phonebanking
r valet bike parking at events
r attending public meetings
r newsletter writing
r newsletter mailing/distribution
r other: �������������������������������
I WANT TO VOLUNTEER!
JOIN ONLINE!
SFBIKE.ORG
Compiled with the help of Elmer Tosta
JOIN THE SAN FRANCISCO BICYCLE COALITION!
1 manIn 1971, Jack Murphy launched the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition to promote the bicycle for everyday transportation.
30 membersAfter three years of pressure from SF Bicycle Coalition members and freeway bike-ins, in 1977 Caltrans gave access to bicycles on the short stretch of I-280 freeway to create an important connection for north-south bike commuters.
116 membersAfter decades of negotiating, committee meetings and savvy activism by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, the Golden Gate Bridge gave 24/7 access to bicycles in 1992.
573 membersCampaigning by SF Bike Coalition members led to the end of a three-year-old bike permit system in 1995 and encouraged Caltrain to retrofit cars for more bike space.
1,025 membersIn 1996, 600 postcards were sent by SF Bicycle Coalition members to get access for bikes on all BART cars but the first, a big win for trans-bay bike commuters.
2,027 membersIn 1998, 300 SF Bicycle Coalition members turned out for an unusual Saturday morning hearing to secure approval of bike lanes on Polk Street, Arguello Boulevard and a tiny piece of Cesar Chavez.
8,500 membersIn 2007, after years of work by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and an alliance of groups, Healthy Saturdays, the first major expansion of car-free Sundays, opens in Golden Gate Park
11,000 membersIn 2009, 45 bike projects got the green light thanks to thousands of letters of support and three hours of compelling testimony by our members.
