January 20, 2004

Join SFBC's Soma Bike Team - Meeting This Wednesday

The SFBC is forming a SOMA Bicycle Outreach Team to work on exciting new bike lane proposals for Fifth, Second, and Townsend Streets. We'll be focusing on getting the word out to South of Market neighbors, merchants, bicyclists and neighborhood groups so that we can identify support (and opposition) when the projects are presented to the Board of Supervisors later this year. The Team holds its first meeting on Wednesday, January 21 at 6:00 in SFBC HQ's Room 607 at 1095 Market (@ 7th Street). We'll meet the team, present all three projects, and determine who wants to tackle what. Materials for outreach will be ready to go, so we can hit the ground running. Please email us to let us know if you're interested in helping get new bike lanes in SOMA, especially if you can't make it to this initial meeting.

For more information, contact Amy Panella at 431-2453 ext.27, or amy@sfbike.org

Find Your Match At Love On Wheels!

The SFBC's popular Valentine's Day Bash returns to Cafe du Nord in 2004, this time on Wednesday, February 11th. We're eager to help you find a sweetie with our Love on Wheels Dating Game, where a lucky few will get a chance to date local celebrities including athletic bike racers, adult film stars and kinky exhibitionists... all to a rock'n roll soundtrack provided by a live band! We're looking for a few eager cupids to lend a hand - if you have a saucy wit and can help develop fun bike questions for the game show, pass out valentine party invites along bike routes, or volunteer at the party itself, email membership@sfbike.org.

Check out photos from last year's event at http://www.sfbike.org/?love "Love on Wheels" is an early party, starting at 6pm and rounding up by 9pm, on Wednesday, February 11th... and yes, we're cancelling volunteer night for the occasion! This party is FREE for SFBC members, and $5 for non-members, so mark your calendar...

DPT Wants Your Ideas - Street Safety Near Schools

Are you frustrated because of unsafe traffic conditions near a school? Seen too many close calls? If you had a million dollars, what would you do with it? Widen sidewalks? Add a new traffic signal? Add bulbouts? Stripe bike lanes along a school route? San Francisco's Department of Parking and Traffic is looking for your suggestions to help them make the most of Safe Routes to School grant money from the State of California. If you have a great potential project in mind, contact Eileen Ross with the DPT at Eileen.Ross@sfgov.org or 503-2128. Special consideration will be given to input received by Wednesday, January 21st, so contat Eileen today!

Support Safe Routes To School - Call Your Senators!

In early February 2004, the US Senate is scheduled to vote on the new transportation bill. The bill currently contains language creating a national Safe Routes to School program, providing money to communities to ensure children can bike & walk to school safely. But there is a move afoot in the Senate to strip this valuable program from the bill entirely!

Please call both your US Senators today:

Senator Barbara Boxer: (202) 224-3553
Senator Diane Feinstein: (202) 224-3841

Say this: "Please support Safe Routes to School in SAFETEA, S 1072, and fully fund the program at $250 million a year."

The Senate bill calls for only $70 million a year for Safe Routes, while the House bill calls for $250 million a year. S1072, aka "SAFETEA", is the Senate's version of the six year reauthorization of TEA-21, which allocates billions towards various transporation projects. The inclusion of a new Safe Routes to School program is an exciting development, but some who would build only highways are trying to eliminate it. The full Senate is currently scheduled to vote on the bill in the first week of February, so contact your Senators now! For both Senators' full addresses, visit http://www.sfbike.org/?leaders

The national advocacy group America Bikes also has a lot of additional information at
http://www.americabikes.org/saferoutestoschool.asp

Access Database Whiz Wanted

Know your way around Microsoft Access? We could use your help compiling the results of an SFBC member survey. Your job would be to take the raw data, currently available in an Access file, and turn it into meaningful charts, percentages, facts and figures. The ideal volunteer will know how to easily create bar & pie charts, and be able to create a report describing the survey results... a great potential resume builder! If you can help out, please contact Michael at calfee@sfbike.org or 431-2453x21.

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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!