SAN FRANCISCO—On Thursday, April 12th, thousands of children throughout San Francisco will pedal their way to class to celebrate San Francisco’s annual Bike to School Day. Now in its fourth year, this year’s Bike to School Day is set to be the biggest yet, with participation from 40 schools, six District Supervisors and a main media event at Sunnyside Elementary School.

Since it began in 2009, San Francisco Bike to School Day has grown each year, thanks in part to the expansion of the Safe Routes to School Program, which is now active in 15 San Francisco schools. In 2009, 600 people participated; in 2010, 1,600 participated; and in 2011, more than 2,000 San Franciscans participated.  Organizers are anticipating record-breaking participation this year.

The number people biking in San Francisco has risen 71% in the last five years, according to counts from the SF Municipal Transportation Agency.  The number of San Francisco families who are discovering the joys of biking together are also clearly increasing.

“More and more families are discovering that bicycling is an easy and enjoyable way to move around San Francisco,” says Leah Shahum, Executive Director of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, who co-hosts the event with the San Francisco Safe Routes to School partners. “As our city continues to add more safe and protected family-friendly bikeways like the new one on JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park, we expect to see even more families discovering the joy of biking together.”

The SF Unified School District is a key partner in the Safe Routes to School partnership. “We know when kids start the day with exercise, they are more likely to be awake and alert and perform better in school. More kids safely biking and walking to school makes for healthier kids and a healthier school,” says San Francisco School District Superintendent Carlos Garcia.

“The San Francisco’s Safe Routes to School program is proving to be very successful,” says Nik Kaestner, Director of Sustainability at the SF School District. “We’re seeing more and more students and families who feel comfortable biking and walking to school which helps the School District achieve our commitment to improving sustainability citywide.”

“People love seeing us biking to school, they smile and wave. It’s a really fun way to start our day,” says Brook Broughton who regularly bikes to school with her daughter and son. “These days, there are so many other parents and kids biking, and that community really helps us feel safer.”

Supervisors representing six districts across the city will be celebrating San Francisco Bike to School Day at schools in their districts, including District 1 Supervisor Eric Mar, who will be biking to Peabody Elementary School for Bike to School Day.

“Bike to School Day is a wonderful event that helps families bike more to school and elsewhere and that’s good for San Francisco schools, communities, neighborhoods and businesses. I look forward to being a part of Bike to School Day every year,” says Supervisor Mar.

In response to the growth and interest in family biking, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is today launching its new Family Biking Guide, a comprehensive online guide for all stages of family biking. The guide is available for free download and covers instructions and best practices for biking with any age child.

In addition to the just-released Family Biking Guide, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition also offers free Family Biking Classes to encourage and support the growing number of families who bike. See the downloadable guide and course listings at sfbike.org/family.

Event Details:

WHAT: Bike to School Day

WHO: Participants from 40 schools citywide and elected officials and School District leadership

WHEN: Morning of Thursday, April 12th, 2012

MAIN CITYWIDE CELEBRATION: 8:40 am, Sunnyside Elementary School, 250 Foerster Street, with parents, teachers, students, Safe Routes to School partners and elected officials.
FOR PHOTO OPS and INTERVIEWS:

Meet at Sunnyside Playground (200 Melrose Avenue) at 7:55 am and follow groups of families and kids biking to Sunnyside Elementary School, 250 Foerster Street. Students, parents, San Francisco Bicycle Coalition staff and Safe Routes to Schools Partners will bet here.  For information about citywide neighborhood school rides with specific elected officials, please contact the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition.

About the San Francisco Bike to School Day Partners

Bike to School Day is presented in partnership with the SF Bicycle Coalition, SF Department of Public Health, Presidio Community YMCA Bicycle Program, SF Municipal Transportation Agency, Mayor’s Shape Up SF Coalition, and the SF Unified School District’s Student Support Services Department and the Office of Sustainability to help show the next generation the joys of bike commuting.

SF Bicycle Coalition Statement on Street Safety

In light of the March 29th crash at Market and Castro streets, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition would like to issue the following statements on street safety:

On behalf of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, we are deeply saddened by the news of Mr. Hui’s death. Our hearts go out to his loved ones.

“This tragic incident is an urgent reminder to all of us – whether we ride a bicycle or drive a car – that we must be careful on our roads,” says Leah Shahum, Executive Director of the 12,000-member San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. “We call on all road users to be respectful of pedestrians and watch out for their safety at all times.”

While we recognize that this case is still under investigation, we are deeply troubled by the just-released online account of the incident.

“As advocates working for safer streets, we condemn reckless behavior – whether on a bicycle or in a car,” says Shahum. “Those who put others in danger should be held accountable for their actions.”

While pedestrian fatalities caused by bicycle crashes are rare, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition reminds the growing number of people riding bicycles in San Francisco that we must follow the rules of the road.

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition continues to work toward a culture of greater respect on our streets by actively encouraging safe behavior by all road users.

Tomorrow morning members of the SF Bicycle Coalition will be sharing the “Bicycle Rules of the Road” with thousands of people riding on the city’s busiest biking corridor — Market Street. As part of our ongoing Street-side Outreach program, our bicycle ambassadors regularly distribute safety information and educate people riding on the city’s most popular bike routes. We will reach tens of thousands of people this year with our “Bicycle Rules of the Road” Tip Sheet.

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition also offers free street safety classes for all types of road users — from bicycle riders to Muni drivers to taxi drivers. In the past year alone, the SF Bicycle Coalition taught more than 600 adults through our in-class and on-road free bicycle safety courses held in neighborhoods throughout the city. Along with the growing number of people bicycling on the street – 71% increase in past five years – there has also been a significant increase in the number of people attending bicycle safety classes.

In our ongoing efforts to encourage respectful behavior on the streets, we are working with the San Francisco Police Department, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency and pedestrian and senior groups to educate all San Francisco road users about the rules of the road, as well as focusing outreach and enforcement efforts on the most dangerous behaviors at the most dangerous locations.

To learn more about the rights and responsibilities for those biking, as well as information on upcoming, free Bike Safety Classes, see sfbike.org/safety.

To talk with members of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, join us tomorrow morning for street-side Outreach.

Friday, April 6, 2012

8:00 am-9:30 am

Corner of Market & Guerrero streets, southwest corner

April 12 is San Francisco Bike to School Day, the biggest youth bicycling day of the year. Last year, more than 2,000 San Franciscans participated in the event, including 1,500 youths, county supervisors and representatives from the Board of Education. Biking to school is a great way to spend family time together and keep you and your children healthy and alert.

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is offering a series of tips, classes and activities to help parents and caregivers get ready for Bike to School Day, and to help make every day bike to school day. Here are a few simple ways to get your family pedaling to school.

Take a class

The coalition offers free family biking classes throughout the year, with more in the months leading up to Bike to School Day. The four-part series covers a variety of topics, such as biking while pregnant and teaching your child to bike on his or her own. This month, the coalition is offering special on-road skill classes for caregivers and their children at elementary schools citywide. Sign up for one of these free classes at www.sfbike.org/?family_class:

– 10 a.m.-noon Saturday at Sunset Elementary School, 1920 41st Ave.

– 10 a.m.-noon March 17 at Buena Vista/Horace Mann, 3351 23rd St.

If you can’t make it to the classes, pick up some tips and tricks on biking with your children to school (for kids on your bike, or riding independently) at www.sfbike.org/school.

Register your school

One of the best ways to prepare for Bike to School Day is to register your school. Any parent, teacher, administrator or volunteer of a school can sign up that school. Complete the form at www.sfbiketoschoolday.org. The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition will follow up with all of the information and materials needed to make sure the event is a success.

Practice at Sunday Streets

The 2012 Sunday Streets schedule begins with a car-free Embarcadero and events from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. The program provides a great place to practice your on-the-road family biking skills. As always, the coalition will be offering the Freedom From Training Wheels course. There will be bikes to try, or trained staff will help your little one learn to ride on his or her bike. If you can’t make it Sunday, read tips for teaching your child at www.sfbike.org/childbike.

Finally, if you like the idea of biking with your family but feel you need more help brushing up on your own biking skills before adding your children to the mix, sign up for one of the coalition’s adult bicycle education courses at www.sfbike.org/edu.

Bike About Town is presented by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, a 12,000-member nonprofit dedicated to creating safer streets and more livable communities by promoting the bicycle for everyday transportation. For more biking resources, go to www.sfbike.org.

Paris may be the city of love, but those of us who live in San Francisco know just how romantic our own city can be. From gorgeous vistas overlooking the ocean, to secret lover’s lookouts, to sunny picnic spots in the park, our city has it all – and almost all of it is reachable by bike. In honor of Valentine’s Day, and inspired by all the bike-loving singles who met at Wednesday’s Love on Wheels dating game, we present our picks for the most romantic daytime bike dates.
Romantic bridge and ferry ride

There’s a reason thousands of bike-riding tourists flock to the Golden Gate Bridge every week: It’s one of the most gorgeous spots in the country and an exciting place to bike with your sweetie. Pedal your way across the bridge. (A tandem is a nice touch, and rentable from Parkwide bike rentals in Golden Gate Park.) Snap a few shots of you and your sweetie with the ocean and cliff views behind you. On the other side of the bridge, turn right and coast down to Sausalito. Take in the Sausalito sights and make your way to the ferry terminal. Snuggle on the upper deck, taking in the views. On the other side, grab some oysters and white wine at the Ferry Building.
Waterfront bike ride and secret lover’s lookout

For a perfect daytime bike date, there’s nothing more romantic than pedaling side by side along the waterfront. Start at the Ferry Building and make your way down the Embarcadero. You can ride slowly, hand in hand on the multiuse path (Herb Caen Way), or more quickly on the bikeway.

Make your way through Fisherman’s Wharf and up and over to Fort Point. Snap a few pictures of the two of you with the bay in the background, and pedal your way down to Fort Mason. Grab a sandwich from Greens to Go (discount for San Francisco Bicycle Coalition members) and walk your bike to one of the best-kept secret romantic spots in the city: the bench by the firehouse. To get there, ride around the back of the firehouse on the east side of Fort Mason, and cuddle up for unobstructed views of the bay and Alcatraz.
Magnificent views and a perfect pedal

Many a wedding has taken place at the Cliff House, and there’s no doubt why: This is one of the most romantic venues in the city, with unparalleled views of the ocean and an airy, open restaurant. Have a romantic meal inside the Cliff House or spend some time inside the Camera Obscura – a perfect place to hold hands and marvel at the amazing 360-degree images of Seal Rock. Take JFK Drive through Golden Gate Park (there’s a new parking protected bikeway coming there soon), or ride to the Cliff House through the Presidio. Très magnifique!

Picnic in the park

Golden Gate Park offers countless quiet, romantic spots for biking sweeties. Swing by Falletti Foods on Broderick Street and pick up all your fixings for the romantic lunch. Pedal into Golden Gate Park through the Panhandle, and scope out your secret picnic spot from the free lookout of the de Young Museum. You might find your spot near Rainbow Falls or in a paddleboat on Stow Lake, or profess your love from the inside of the Bandshell. After lunch, take your sweetie to the Park Chalet for a local microbrew on the glassed-in porch or grassy lawn, and toast to your perfect San Francisco bike date.

Bike About Town is presented by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, a 12,000-member nonprofit dedicated to creating safer streets and more livable communities by promoting the bicycle for everyday transportation. For more biking resources, go to www.sfbike.org

*Published in the San Francisco Chronicle, Bike About Town, February 9, 2012