May 22, 2012
"It's worth exploring why we're failing to meet our [20% of trips by bike by 2020] goal and how we might achieve it. What would have to happen, and what would it look like, to have 20 percent of traffic be people on bikes?"
-- Steve Jones, 20 Percent by 2020: Is SF's bike goal in reach?, San Francisco Bay Guardian, May 8, 2012
Biker Bulletin News
- Biking During the N and J Muni Line "Long Shutdown"
- Get Your Mingle on at the 20th Golden Wheel Awards
- Tell the CA Senate: Give Me Three
- Meet & Mingle with Our Bike-Curious LGBTQ Community
- What's Your Favorite New Bikeway?
- Help Expand Sunday Streets
- BART bike Plan Update -- Your Turn to Comment
- New Discount Partner: Treat Street Bicycle Works
- Be a Summer or Fall Intern
- Was Bike to Work Day Special for You?
- Video: 2012 Amgen Tour of California--Stage 2 Highlights
- Upcoming Events
One of the best rec rides of the year is coming up on June 9
Register for the Fairfax Foray today.
Biking During the N and J Muni Line "Long Shutdown"
The SFMTA has announced that the N and much of the J Muni line will be shut down from this Friday, May 25 until Monday, June 4 for extensive construction and upgrades. For more information see: sfmta.com/longshutdown. Not to worry: we've got your commute covered!
For the past year, we've worked closely with the Muni construction team to keep bike traffic flowing smoothly around the Duboce Bikeway, but now this important project needs a full 10-days of work around the clock in order to finish the rail replacement.
If you regularly ride the Wiggle, please note that major bike detours will be in place for ten days while the Duboce Bikeway (the pretty murals behind Safeway) is closed to bike traffic. The SFMTA will post signage for bike detours around the Wiggle, so go slow and keep your eyes open for these changes. Detour signs will direct riders to use Market, 14th Street and Sanchez as alternate routes. If you notice any unsafe conditions or missing signs please call 311.
If you normally ride the N-Judah or J-Church, this is a perfect time to try commuting by bike, avoid the overcrowded temporary buses and get to and from work on your own schedule. For newer riders, your San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is providing two maps that show the bike route equivalents of the N and J lines, as well as some other options for residents who live and work along these transit corridors.
We’ll also be offering "Bike Trains" on Tuesday May 29th through Friday June 1st. These convoys will be led by experienced bicycle commuters, leaving from spots on or near the N and J lines in the morning in time to get you to work on time, easily. For more details see sfbike.org/transit or follow #biketrainSF on Twitter for details.
Get Your Mingle on at the 20th Golden Wheel Awards
Get your mingle on at the 20th Annual Golden Wheel Awards on Tuesday, June 5th -- only 2 weeks away. This swanky San Francisco Bicycle Coalition soiree is your chance to meet and greet with political VIPs, community leaders and local businesses who help make San Francisco a better place to live, work and bike.
Come toast this year's award winners -- The Builders and Managers Association of San Francisco -- who were instrumental in passing the most progressive bike parking legislation in the country. And the Lower 24th Street Merchants and Neighbors Association for their leadership in making Sunday Streets in the Mission district a reoccurring event. The Golden Wheel Awards is that one event where you can you sip on wine, nosh hors d'ouevres and rub elbows with the people in your city who are working to make San Francisco a world-class bicycle city.
This event will sell out. Tickets for the Golden Wheel Awards are only $75. This is the last week to grab your tickets online, so get yours today. Make a date of it!
Tell the CA Senate: Give Me Three
Senate Bill 1464, the California Bicycle Coalition's three-foot passing bill, faces a vote by the full CA Senate this week, possibly on Thursday. We need you to tell your Senator why a YES vote on this bill will help save lives and make our roads safer for everyone. Authored by Long Beach Sen. Alan Lowenthal and cosponsored by the CBC and the City of Los Angeles, SB 1464 would require drivers to give bike riders at least three feet of clearance when overtaking them from behind in the same lane.
Now we need you to speak up -- thanks to our allies at TransForm, you can send an email urging your Senator to vote YES. Entering your zip code will automatically generate an email addressed to your Senator; you can modify the email with a more personal message. This week's debate takes place among Senators only -- they won't hear any outside testimony from organizations like ours. But Senators listen to their constituents. That's why it's so important for you to contact your Senator today and ask them to Give Me Three! Learn more about SB 1464 and safe passing.
Meet & Mingle with Our Bike-Curious LGBTQ Community
Celebrate San Francisco bicycling and share your "byke pride" with the San Francisco's LGBTQ community! Join us for a full month of fun bike-centric LGBT events.
LGBTQ Meet & Mingle: Enjoy a fun evening of great conversation with SF Bicycle Coalition Staff, Board, Members and allies. Enjoy drink specials for SF Bicycle Coalition members and win great raffle prizes while supporting better bicycling. This is a great opportunity to introduce your friends and family to the SF Bicycle Coalition. Complimentary bicycle parking will be provided. RSVP today!
LGBTQ Meet & Mingle | El Rio (3158 Mission Street) | Thurs. June 14th 6:00-8:00 PM
Women, Trans, Femme Intro to Safe Bicycling Workshop: In honor of Pride Month, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is co-hosting a Women, Trans, and Femme Intro to Cycling class with Good Vibrations. This class, led by a female instructor, is intended to create a safe and supportive space for people who identify as female, transgender or femme. This one-hour course will teach you how to ride safely and confidently sharing the street, the rules and regulations of the road, and how to integrate bicycling into your daily life – from commuting to shopping. All ages and skill levels are welcome to attend and no bicycle is required. This course is funded in part by the SFMTA. RSVP today!
Women, Trans, Femme Intro to Safe Bicycling Workshop | Good Vibrations (1620 Polk Street) | Tue. June 19th 6:30-7:30 PM
Ride With Pride: Get your Pride on with SF Bicycle Coalition in our Byke Pride contingent in the San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Parade on Sunday, June 24! The SF Bicycle Coalition's parade contingent is a fun and fabulous way for current SF Bicycle Coalition members to experience the parade firsthand. There is nothing quite like the thrill and exhilaration of riding down the center of Market Street in one of the biggest Pride celebrations in the world. You must be a current member to ride in the SF Bicycle Coalition contingent, for questions or to reserve your spot in the contingent, email pride@sfbike.org.
After the Pride Parade, enjoy the SF Bicycle Coalition's complimentary bike valet at the SF Pride Celebration in Civic Center (at McAllister and Hyde). To volunteer to valet park bicycles at Pride, email Tyler. Be a Bicycle Ambassador at the SF Pride celebration and share your enthusiasm for bicycling improvements with people parking their bikes in valet. If you are a trained Bicycle Ambassador and want to help, email Tessa.
Pride Parade | Downtown | Sun. June 24th | Meeting time & place TBA upon registration
What's Your Favorite New Bikeway?
A big thanks goes to the SFMTA for working to get miles of new bikeways in the ground before this year's record-breaking Bike to Work Day. One of the areas the SF Bicycle Coalition spends a lot of resources on is building support for street changes and ensuring that these essential bike safety projects move forward. We're thrilled to see the city investing in new bikeways that connect you to your work, school, and to all neighborhoods in San Francisco and want to see many more like it.
Many of these bikeways, like Bayshore and Cesar Chavez, have been in the works for years and we've hard to ensure the city prioritizes safe biking despite vocal critics. In the coming weeks we'll show you some of these improvements, in case you haven't seen them yourself, and share some stories from our members who've said that certain bikeways have had a huge positive impact on their lives. To see the list of recent projects and share your own story, visit sfbike.org/link.
This week, we have some photos of the Cesar Chavez East separated bikeway and some stories from members who say it's made a huge improvement in their commute. The SFMTA has painted the bike lanes and is working on the Evans intersection restriping - even after that's done, there's more to come! Visit our Cesar Chavez page to find out what's to come!
Help Expand Sunday Streets
Did you know that 100+ volunteers are needed for each Sunday Streets to help make it possible? If you wish Sunday Streets was more frequent and love the Mission route, then help make it possible when you volunteer for a three hour shift.
Volunteers who work three shifts over the four Sunday Streets Mission events (first Sunday of the month through August) will be treated with a sweet limited-edition Mission Sunday Streets-themed tote, and get priority assignments, in addition to all the regular perks of volunteering with Sunday Streets (free Sunday Streets t-shirt and lunch). Plus, you will help ensure this expansion of Sunday Streets is a huge success when you volunteer. Sign-up for three shifts now for the June 3, July 1, and August 5 events to get all these great perks!
We are proud that the Sunday Streets Volunteer Program is managed by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. Sunday Streets is sponsored by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency and Livable City, the nonprofit fiscal sponsor of Sunday Streets responsible for the day-to-day management of the program. Sign up at sundaystreetssf.com/volunteer.
Sunday Streets Volunteer Program is hiring: The SF Bicycle Coalition is actively seeking talented and motivated Volunteer Program Interns. See sfbike.org/jobs for more info.
Get the Next Generation Rolling, or Be a Bicycle Ambassador: Share your bike love at Sunday Streets: Spend some time at one of the hottest spots at Sunday Streets -- the SF Bicycle Coalition tent -- and talk to happy participants about why you're a member. Bicycle Ambassador shifts at Sunday Streets are 10:30am-1:45pm or 1:15-4:30pm, so you can volunteer and still have time to play in the street! Email Tessa to sign up as a Bicycle Ambassador. Want to help little ones learn to ride at Freedom from Training Wheels at Sunday Streets? It's fun, easy and rewarding! Email Grace to volunteer or find out more about volunteering for Freedom from Training Wheels.
BART Bike Plan Update -- Your Turn to Comment
About 4% of BART trips currently involve a bike, whether parked at the station or brought along on the train, which is pretty good, but BART (and the SF Bicycle Coalition) would like to see that share grow significantly. BART has drafted an update to their 10-year-old bicycle plan that defines strategies they'll pursue to encourage and support increased use of bicycles. Top-level issues covered in the plan are: Cyclist Circulation (improve station circulation for passengers with bicycles), Plentiful Parking (create world-class bicycle parking facilities), Beyond BART Boundaries (help assure great bicycle access beyond BART’s boundaries), Bikes on BART (bicycle accommodations aboard trains), and Persuasive Programs (complement bicycle-supportive policies and facilities with support programs).
BART wants your input -- see our Bikes on BART page to take a look at the draft BART Bike Plan and send in your comments by May 27!
New Discount Partner: Treat Street Bicycle Works
We're pleased to announce Treat Street Bicycle Works as the newest San Francisco Bicycle Coalition Discount Partner. Treat Street now offers all card-carrying SF Bicycle Coalition members 10% off parts and accessories and 5% off bikes and labor when you present your current SF Bicycle Coalition membership card. Ride over and check them out at 18th and Treat Street in the Mission.
Want to improve your ride and save? Join the SF Bicycle Coalition and our 12,000 members who are working for biking improvements all across San Francisco and reap the rewards of membership perks. Get great discounts at more than 60 local and online businesses. See the full list of all the SF Bicycle Coalition's discount partners.
Be a Summer or Fall Intern
Come work with us! Bulk up your resume and be a part of a great team as a summer or fall intern. Our 12,000-member grassroots organization is considered one of the most active and effective advocacy groups in the city, and we want you. Work closely with our staff, members and volunteers, gain valuable experience, pad your portfolio and improve San Francisco.
We are currently accepting applications for:
Was Bike to Work Day Special for You?
Do you have a great Bike to Work Day story? The SF Bicycle Coalition wants to know! Did you start commuting by bike on Bike to Work Day? Were you inspired to make every day a bike-to-work day, or to do your super commute by bike more often? Did someone you know start commuting by bike for the first time on Bike To Work Day? Share your story at sfbike.org/my_story.
Get an official Bike to Work Day t-shirt: Commemorate 2012's biggest day in bicycling with a cool collectable t-shirt. All proceeds go to support the bicycle advocacy work of the SF Bicycle Coalition.
Video: 2012 Amgen Tour of California--Stage 2 Highlights
The Amgen Tour of California rolled through San Francisco last week, bringing with it some of the best bicycle racers in the world. Even if you're not a race fan, it's still pretty exciting to see the peloton rolling through our gorgeous city, beneath the backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge and other iconic San Francisco landmarks. Here's a great five-minute recap of the exciting stage, which made its way down Highway 1 and ended in Santa Cruz county.
Upcoming Events
Check out our online calendar of events. To add your bike event to our calendar, simply email the details to us.
** Thursday, May 24th **
SF Bicycle Advisory Committee meeting *
6:30pm | SF Bicycle Coalition HQ, 833 Market St, 10th Floor
Come and speak up about bicycle issues in San Francisco. This eleven member committee meets once a month and advises the Board of Supervisors on all matters bicycle. Check the BAC website to see schedules and agendas, and contact BAC chair Bert Hill to ask to have an issue on the agenda or to request notice of meetings.
** Saturday, May 26th **
SF Bicycle Coalition Connecting the City Ride: The America's Cup and the Bay Trail Bikeway: North
10am-12pm | meet at Pier 14, Embarcadero at Mission
America's Cup 34 races are coming to San Francisco Bay this summer and next, together with hundreds of thousands of visitors and spectators. Bicycle transportation will be a key element in the success of the AC34 events, and the Bay Trail Bikeway will be the backbone of bicycle access for all. Come ride the Bay Trail and learn what is planned to lift this key Connecting the City route to a top-notch biking experience for everyone, and how you can help the SF Bicycle Coalition get it done.
(Events not sponsored by the SF Bicycle Coalition are marked with an *)
Join the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and make San Francisco great for bicycling
Become a member and join a diverse group of 12,000 people who are committed to making San Francisco an easier and safer place to ride a bicycle.
When you add your voice you'll keep bike improvements moving forward in San Francisco!
San Francisco Bicycle Coalition
833 Market Street, 10th floor
San Francisco, CA 94103
Contact SF Bicycle Coalition staff
