Promoting the Bicycle for Everyday Transportation
mediaactionsrides_eventsresourcesaboutmembershipvolunteerdonatestoresearch
SFBC Biker Bulletin

February 21, 2007

"Bicycle Retailer estimates that there are 160 million able bodied cyclists in the U.S., and yet only 7 million actual riders."

"Reinventing America's Wheels," Men's Journal, September 2006

Table of Contents

  1. Study Proves Benefits of Car-Free G.G. Park — Help Needed
  2. Freedom from Training Wheels Sunday
  3. Market / Octavia / Freeway — Further Fixes and Enforcement Coming
  4. For the Love of Clear Bike Lanes
  5. It's Time for Tube Times!
  6. Be Our Friend on Flickr and YouTube
  7. ¡CC Puede! — Rolling and Strolling to a Better Cesar Chavez St.
  8. One More Bike Lane, One Less Plastic Bag
  9. Handmade Bicycle Show Comes to San Jose
  10. Help Plan Breathe CA's Fundraiser Ride

Thinking of bringing the kids out to the park?
Start 'em young!

http://www.sfbike.org/?teaching

Study Proves Benefits of Car-Free G.G. Park — Help Needed

Quiet and calm car-free Golden Gate Park Big News: The push for Healthy Saturdays in Golden Gate Park is back on track after an independent study released last week proves that Car-Free Sundays more than doubles Park usage and boosts visitors to the de Young museum and local businesses, while causing no significant negative impacts on parking or traffic in the surrounding neighborhoods. (Check out the full report, commissioned by the Mayor and Supervisor McGoldrick and conducted by the S.F. Transportation Authority.) Next week, Supervisor Jake McGoldrick plans to reintroduce Healthy Saturdays legislation at the Board of Supervisors.

We need your help in 4 ways:

  • Contact Supervisor Dufty (bevan.dufty@sfgov.org, 554-6968). His district strongly supports Saturday Car-Free Space, yet he voted against it last time. We think your calls can sway him this time.
  • Contact Mayor Newsom (gavin.newsom@sfgov.org, 554-6141). He promised to show leadership once he had impartial data on the effects, which he now has. Will the Mayor prove himself now or veto again?
  • Contact other supervisors, especially your District Supe (See www.sfbike.org/leaders). Thank Supervisors Ammiano, Daly, McGoldrick, Maxwell, Mirkarimi, Peskin, and Sandoval for their past support and ask them to sign on now as co-sponsors of Healthy Saturdays. And urge Alioto-Pier, Dufty, Elsbernd, and Jew to support the proposal this time.
  • Volunteer to win Healthy Saturdays! It's as easy as spending a day in the Park. We'll be in Golden Gate Park every Sunday gathering signatures of support, won't you join us?! Contact Dan at healthysat@gmail.com to find out more.

For more info., see www.goldengatepark.org

Freedom from Training Wheels Sunday

Families are invited to join SFBC volunteers in Golden Gate Park this Sunday, February 25th for our monthly Freedom from Training Wheels event. Check out great photos from this popular event. If you've got a little one who may be ready to shed the training wheels, join us! We'll be on JFK Dr. in front of McLaren Lodge between 10:30-11:30am this Sunday.

Market / Octavia / Freeway — Further Fixes and Enforcement Coming

The dreadful Market / Octavia / Freeway intersection appears to be getting some serious attention from the city. Last Tuesday the SF County Transportation Authority's Plans and Programs Committee heard from the Mayor's Office, the MTA, the SFPD, and plenty of concerned citizens about the perilous state of this intersection and what's being done to make it safer for bicyclists and pedestrians to traverse safely. Following the installation of a line of "safe hit" posts a few weeks ago, the MTA has installed a few new directional signs and a bright yellow diamond bicycle-icon sign to draw attention to bike traffic; more significantly, they've proposed a physical barrier separating the bike lane where the plastic posts are now, a low concrete island that would make it extra hard for motorists to make the illegal right turn onto the freeway. Other ideas such as colored bike lane pavement and automated camera enforcement were recommended, and of course we'll keep pushing for these and other changes that would make the intersection safer.

Meanwhile, enhanced enforcement by the SFPD is continuing on numerous fronts. In addition to focused motorcycle cop attention at the Market / Octavia intersection, next Wednesday morning (Feb. 28, 7:30 am) the SFPD will be carrying out an informational stop, educating motorists about the dangerous and illegal right turn and distributing information about safe, respectful driving among cyclists. We'll be there too, keeping up public attention on this spot, so if you'd like to join us, drop Andy a line and mark your calendar for early morning action on 2/28/07.

For the Love of Clear Bike Lanes

Cyclist hands Valentine's Day card to helpful PCO SFBC members shared the love of clear bike lanes with the city's Parking Control Officers (PCOs) on Valentine's Day by delivering nearly a hundred handmade Valentine's cards to the PCOs thanking them for keeping the bike lanes clear. Sweet messages like "Clear bike lanes keep my wheels turning — Thanks!" brought out lots of smiles from the Parking Control Officers. SF's PCOs made national news recently when several were attacked by angry drivers receiving tickets. We hope this Valentine's Day tribute will reinforce how critical PCOs are to keeping San Francisco's streets safe for bikes and peds, and encourage them to do more. Many thanks to the members who crafted the sweet cards at Volunteer night as well as all the ambassadors who passed them out. Check out photos here.

It's Time for Tube Times!

Believe it or not, we're already planning our April/May Tube Times, the special Bike to Work Day issue. Letters to the Editor and Ask Sprocket questions are always welcome, but this week is better than ever.

And of course May is going to be Bikes Everywhere Month, wall-to-wall and coast-to-coast bike love. What's your event for May (or even April)? Would you like to lead a recreational ride or cultural history tour? Know a great venue for a film screening or clinic? Got an epic bike poem to recite? If you've never organized a bike-ish event, now's your chance, you don't need a fancy degree or anything, just do it! Flip your calendar to May and let Andy know what and where and when. If you come up with the idea and details, we'll handle the publicity!

Be Our Friend on Flickr and YouTube

Bike-on-bike action from Flickr pool We know many of you would never leave the house without your digicam and tire levers. You are our eyes and ears of this city's bicycle lifestyle, and we could always use some fresh photos. We love our 6,000 member friends, but you can now be our friend and join our group pool on Flickr. If you contribute a photo to our pool, we may be able to use it in an upcoming Biker Bulletin, Tube Times, or on our web site. Your shots of past SFBC events like Winterfest and Love on Wheels are welcome too. Any use will be attributed, but let Frank know if you have any concerns. (Photo of bike-on-bike action by neas.)

You may have also seen our Market and Octavia clips on YouTube. We're not sure when our next movie will be made, but you should subscribe to our YouTube channel and add us as a friend. Also contact Frank if you have footage to contribute or can help future video projects.

¡CC Puede! — Rolling and Strolling to a Better Cesar Chavez St.

The CC Puede movement for a safer, greener, more livable Cesar Chavez Street is well underway, and if you cycle or walk to/through the South Mission you really should be a part of it . The next community meeting is coming up Tuesday, February 27th, 6:30 pm, at St. Lukes Hospital, on Cesar Chavez at Valencia (in the Solarium on the 12th floor). Join us at this meeting to get involved (or stay involved), learn what's happened so far and what's next to do. For more information, contact Fran Taylor at 415-947-6497.

One More Bike Lane, One Less Plastic Bag

Lombardi Sports exterior on Polk Street The SFBC thanks Lombardi Sports for helping customers reduce their ecological footprint one plastic bag at a time. Lombardi Sports has created a program to allow its customers to forgo their shopping bag and receive a .25 chip to donate to 1 of 3 organizations. From now through July, you can shop at Lombardi's and dedicate your bag quarter to the SFBC. Lombardi's chose the SFBC as one of the organizations because of "SFBC's amazing support of cyclist in the city and how they save our environment. One less car!"

If you know of another store offering bag donations or other great easy community fundraising offerings from local vendors — let the SFBC know! Contact Jodie or 415-431-BIKE x305.

Handmade Bicycle Show Comes to San Jose

We know some of you want a one-of-a-kind bike and are looking forward to riding down the Peninsula. The North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS) will run March 2-4 at the San Jose Convention Center (South Hall). On display will be the finest crafted and most beautifully painted bicycles by framebuilding artisans from all over the world. Register online or come as a group of 10 or more to get $2 off the price of admission.

Help Plan Breathe CA's Fundraiser Ride

Breathe California is inviting you to join their Fun-raising and Marketing Committee to help promote Bike for Breath 2007! Breathe CA is looking for motivated individuals who are full of creative ideas, energized about biking, connected with the community and interested in helping them promote Bike for Breath 2007. The Committee meets once a month starting on Thursday February 15th until July 14th. The committee meets at Breathe California's Daly City office from 6-7:30pm. Please contact Sadie Waddington at 650.994.1903 x308.

You're reading the SFBC Weekly Biker Bulletin

Get this sent directly to your inbox by signing up here.

Join the SFBC and add your voice to thousands demanding a city-wide network of bike lanes, traffic calmed streets, better access to transit and secure bike parking. Together we can make San Francisco the most bicycle friendly city in the country!

top