What role do you play in the schools you work in?
I am the Site Nutrition Coordinator at El Dorado Elementary and Dr. Carver Elementary. I am at both sites in order to promote and coordinate activities around eating more fruits and vegetables and being physically active every day.

What do you love about your job?
I love cooking, eating, and playing around at recess. I love how it looks different at each site and with each person. I love how both healthy eating and physical activity contribute to a child’s learning for the day. I love to think that we are changing our environment.

How does your work with Nutrition, Physical Activity and Environmental Awareness relate to school transportation?
An important part of eating healthy is being active – 60 minutes each day. They are one in the same, best friends, partners in health. For children we set aside time in their school day for play as adults we are lucky if we can find time in a day. Walking and riding my bike to school is a great way for me to work in my physical activity for the day, get to work, and reduce my carbon footprint.

What advice would you give to other staff, families or students interested in finding healthy ways to start the day?
Eat a healthy breakfast. I eat the same breakfast for one week and it’s all prepared for the week so I don’t have to think about it in the morning. It’s there. Make sure there is a protein, a grain (preferably whole) and a fruit so you can get your walk on. A cereal trail mix with nuts and an apple could be the start of a beautiful day.

What are your next steps at El Dorado and George Washington Carver and what support are you looking for / How can people get involved?
El Dorado wants to start a weekly walking school bus through the Visitacion Valley Greenway. We are looking for families/staff to join us. We also will continue to promote physical activity at our site as a way to engage our community. As we promote and encourage physical activity at Carver, we are looking for families/staff to join us in physical activity classes, such as yoga and zumba. By creating safe walking corridors in our community, we hope to increase the number of students who walk and bike to school and involve parents in walking clubs.

The Clark Family Bikes Everywhere together

How long have you been biking to school?
Almost a year. We started last spring when gas prices were almost $4.00/gallon. Honestly, that was our first incentive. Since then we have become “hooked” on the energy boost we get in the morning riding our boys to school. On the few days this year when it did rain and we drove, we were so dissatisfied with being in the car. Traffic was terrible, it was stressful and we were all half asleep by the time we reached school.

What road improvements would make your commute safer?
A dedicated bike lane in the park. I know one is on the way and we’re super excited! Right now we travel mostly on the bike path which runs along the south side of JFK Drive. It’s also the sidewalk for pedestrians so most people are unaware that it is also meant for bicycles (therefore we get quite a few objections). I also wish people were more understanding of children riding on the sidewalk. It’s way safer than the street on most occasions.

What advice would you give to other parents interested in walking/biking to school?
Try it out first on the weekend (Sundays and holidays in the park, or Sunday Streets.) Know safe rules of biking and teach these rules to your children. An easy one is riding on the right and passing on the left but I see so many kids and adults who do not practice this. Also make sure your child can “Brake [Stop] On Command” and is comfortable riding on hills. Make sure your child knows how to walk and push their own bike safely across the street. Safety, safety, safety. It’s not a race.

Curren and Nathan, What do you like about biking to school?
Curren: I like riding on some of the dirt paths and finding jumps.
Nathan: Doing the jumps!

Carlina Hansen, Executive Director of the Women’s Community Clinic, shares her story about how the new bike corral in front of her clinic is great for her organization:

How many of your employees and clients bike to your facility?

Of our 24 person staff, eight are very regular bike commuters. Plus, our Clinic has over 100 active volunteers and I would estimate that about 15 of them are bicycle commuters. In our recently client survey, we found that 5% of our clients ride their bikes to their appointments and hope that with our corral we will see that number go up even more!

How does this new bike corral improve your business?

During business hours, we have five to 10 bikes in front of our clinic. The two sidewalk bike racks only held four bikes and were always full. So the bike corral gives us greater capacity to provide a safe place for everyone to park their bikes when they come to the Clinic. Most importantly, it encourages staff, volunteers and clients to ride to work. As a health care organization, it is important to us that we are encouraging folks to be healthy – and biking is definitely a healthy (for them and our beautiful city!) and fun mode of transportation. Because the Clinic serves low-income and uninsured women and girls, we also want to promote biking as a cost effective way to get around and to get to the Clinic – no parking tickets, no meters.

How has the new bike corral improved the street overall?

The Clinic is located in a dense commercial corridor and there is a lot of traffic, and parking can be an expensive challenge. The corral also helps our block stand out – some of our store fronts are obscured by beautiful trees, but this makes it one of the less visible commercial areas on Fillmore. The corral creates a marker of an active commercial area – I hope will draw more people to the block and make the Clinic even easier for our clients to find.

How did you find out about bike corrals and how to apply?

Many of our staff are active members of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and found out how to apply through their newsletter.

Julie Kessler helps to organize Walk and Roll Wednesdays for her son's school, Sunnyside Elementary.

How long have you been walking/biking to school?

We try and walk to school 2-3 times a week and have been doing so on and off since we started at Sunnyside almost 3 years ago.

Why did you start?

The school is pretty close – just down the hill. It’s a fun walk and great exercise on the way home up the hill!

What’s one fun story from your walking/biking to school?

We speed down the hill on scooters, bikes and running! Downhill all of the way, it’s hard to go slow.

Tell us about the Walk and Roll Wednesdays Program at Sunnyside. What are Walk and Roll Wednesdays?

Walk and Roll Wednesday is a fun program designed to educate all of us about the environment and the things we can do in our daily lives to help make our planet better!

All you need to do is to participate on every Wednesday of the month starting December 7th, 2011 and ended on May 2th, 2012. Take part in one of the activities below and receive

a stamp for your personal passport. At the end of the program in May – there will be lots of prizes for all!

You can participate every Wednesday by:
1. Walking, biking or scooter to school.
2. Taking the bus to school.
3. Composting your food at school.
4. Any earth friendly activity at home or in your community.

What are the prizes for Rock and Roll Wednesdays?

Prizes for this program ROCK! Everyone gets a prize just for participating!

1st Prize is an Electra Super 72 kids’ cruiser & helmet

2nd Prize is a Razor Ultra Pro Lo Kick scooter and helmet

3rd Prize is a cool skateboard and helmet

50 Runner-Up Prizes – Sunnyside Tote Bags containing cool stuff!

How do I get a stamp for my passport?

1. If you walk, come into the foyer of the school Wednesday morning right away for a stamp.
2. If you take the bus, get a transfer from the bus driver and turn it in for a stamp.
3. Compost and you will be given a token to exchange for a stamp.
4. Write a sentence or two about what earth friendly activity you did, have your parents sign the paper and exchange it for a stamp or go to Cooltheearth.org and download an activity coupon.

How Can I get a prize?

1. Everyone gets a prize for participating!
2. Collect 24 stamps & enter to win one of the top 3 prizes
3. Collect 12 stamps or more enter to win one of 50 prizes

What advice would you give to other parents interested in walking/biking to school?

Give yourself some time and schedule it a few times a week if you can.  If you are unable, also check in with other families. Carpooling or walking/rolling with other families is a great way to get to school without so many cars.

The Balboa Theater was designed by the Reid Brothers in 1926. They also designed landmark buildings such as the Cliff House, the Fairmont Hotel, and the Golden Gate Park Band Shell.

By Andy Thornley

I can’t remember when I realized the Reid brothers were following me around. Though I fancy myself a student of American architectural history, it didn’t register when I learned that James and Merritt Reid had designed the Balboa Theater (1926). Nor did it ring any bells when I found out that they (and sometimes younger brother Watson) were responsible for the Fairmont Hotel (1906) and the Cliff House (1909) and the Spreckels Temple of Music in Golden Gate Park (a.k.a. the band shell, 1899).

But when the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition moved its now-former offices into a 1908 post-quake pioneer on Market Street, next to a Reid-designed pre-quake department store (still standing), down the street from a second Reid-designed store (likewise still standing) and across the street from an office building and hotel they designed (yes, both still standing), I could no longer deny that this obscure but prolific trio of Canadian architects were haunting me.

Designing a tour

I cooked up a bike ride to get out and survey the work of these interesting and largely forgotten architect brothers, and to share their stories and those of their better-remembered patrons, some of the great dynastic families of San Francisco, such as the Sutros and the Spreckelses – and the Hale brothers, department store kings of their day. And it’s been a popular obsession to share ever since.

Saturday is my fifth annual Reid Brothers in S.F. bike ride, and on Feb. 25, I’ll lead a different bike tour of the Reid Brothers in the Richmond District; for more information on the latter ride, go to www.bit.ly/zscEw1. (There are nine Reid sites to visit in the northwest corner of the city alone.)

Looking at and learning about architecture by bicycle is the best way to come at the subject. One moves at a human pace, able to stop frequently to study and admire buildings and spaces, but able to cover a lot of ground relatively quickly and appreciate the larger urban fabric in which individual buildings are placed. The Reid Brothers in S.F. ride visits 15 downtown buildings in 10 stops over about two hours – with an optional appendix connecting to five more for those who want to go farther. It’s an ambitious agenda, but easy and fun by bike.

Some superstar projects

In addition to theaters – almost three dozen across the United States, including about 15 in San Francisco – offices, churches and private homes, the Reids were responsible for some superstar projects, starting with the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego (1887), familiar to film fans as the Florida beachside setting of “Some Like It Hot.” Their Call Building skyscraper was the tallest building west of the Mississippi when it was built in 1898.

Built for the Spreckels family to house their newspaper’s offices, the Call Building was a truly splendid thing – towering over Newspaper Row and glowering at the Hearst (Examiner) and de Young (Chronicle) buildings across the intersection.

Like a lot of the Reid brothers’ work, the Call Building has survived, but it’s undergone a radical transformation; you’d hardly recognize it from the glory days when the Reids’ own offices occupied the 18th floor under the pinnacle dome, with 12 porthole windows offering breathtaking views of the city.

The Call Building survived the 1906 earthquake. (Fire raced up the elevator shafts and through the floors but left a sturdy building that was quickly rehabilitated.) But when its ornate baroque fanciness fell out of fashion in the 1930s, it was stripped of ornament and “modernized” to a spare new look. You can see it today as the Central Tower standing on the southwest corner of Market and Third streets. (The Humboldt Savings Bank building at 785 Market St., built in 1908, is a fair approximation of the Call Building’s original style, but not its majesty.)

While the Call Building may have been stripped of some of its early-day splendor, many of the Reid brothers’ structures remain. From Downtown to the Outer Richmond and everywhere in between, our city owes a great deal to the genius of the Reid brothers, who forever changed the skyline and history of San Francisco. After a few hours of riding through the Reid brothers’ past you may discover, as I did, that they have been haunting you all along.

1:30 p.m. Sat. Free-$5. Meet in front of the David Hewes Building, 995 Market St., S.F. www.bit.ly/wFEbx1.

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.

What is your name, age, occupation and what neighborhood do you live in? I’m 46 years old and the personal-finance editor at MarketWatch, a financial news website. My husband and I live in San Francisco’s Bayview neighborhood, and both of us bike to work daily – he commutes to the Mission and I work downtown.

How have the Illinois Street bike lanes improved biking for you? My commute entails biking down Third Street, and then cutting over to Illinois St. at Islais Creek. That turn onto the Islais Creek Bridge bike path is a highlight of my commute.  As I cross the bridge I stop to watch the birds – great blue herons, grebes, swallows, cormorants and, occasionally, buffleheads – and then continue along Illinois Street, where the new bike lane offers a luxurious sense of space between the cars and me.

What’s your favorite thing about getting around San Francisco by bike? I’ve been biking in San Francisco for more than 25 years, and find it difficult to express how amazing it is to bike in the City now compared to back in the 1980s. The fact that so many more bikers are on the road is a huge benefit, AS IS the now-extensive network of bike lanes, “sharrows” and other improvements.  I still remember when I was biking around town with my baby daughter in her bike seat in the early ‘90s. These days, I’m thrilled to see kids and babies on bikes everywhere around town, and to see drivers be much more aware of making room for them.

What’s your favorite destination to bike to in San Francisco? Biking makes me happy, no matter where I’m headed. Partly, of course, that’s because it’s easily the fastest, least frustrating and most refreshing way to get anywhere. I do own a car, so I drive at times and I also take public transportation, but I think the happiness biking inspires allows me to enjoy the City more.It’s hard to pick a favorite ride. I love taking the Wiggle to visit friends in the Haight. But even just doing errands on my bike makes the chores feel fun. One of my favorite adventures — the route varies — is biking from work to meet my husband for dinner somewhere and then heading to the opera. The best part is biking home afterwards, the chill of the night air slowly giving way to my body’s warmth as my husband and I bike past the traffic on South Van Ness, meander through the Mission and then the stillness that is the industrial side of the Bayview at night. Along the way, we discuss the costumes, the staging, the singing, life. Before long, we’ve reached our home in the far southeastern corner of the city and I’ll have biked more than 20 miles in a day without even realizing it.

Will and Carla Kessler ride with all three of their kids to school in the morning.

How long have you been biking to school?

This is the second school year we have been biking to school, from the Western Addition where we live to Grattan Elementary in Cole Valley.

Why did you start?

Driving the giant minivan is a huge waste and parking near Grattan is well to near impossible. Plus, we all love biking.

What’s one fun story from your bike ride to school?

Recently our 8-year-old was biking slower and slower, while his 5-year-old brother was getting faster and faster. We couldn’t figure it out for the longest time. Was the 8-year-old’s backpack just getting too heavy with homework? Was he going to bed too late? Then his mom figured it out: low tire pressure! This morning with full tires he screamed through Golden Gate Park.

How does walking/biking to school impact your ability to get to work?

Sometimes I end up getting to work a bit later than I’d like, but that’s also because I bike to work in the opposite direction. However, I have so much fun accompanying the kids (all 3) to school by bike that it’s worth it.

What advice would you give to other parents interested in biking to school?

Find the safest route, and repeat safety rules to your kids 1 billion times. They don’t stick. In a perfect world, we’d all have no cars on the roads when we’re biking too school, but since we must all coexist on the roads, make sure your kids understand traffic flow and where to look, and to check to see if drivers see them. Also, keep in mind, kids on sidewalks on bikes is legal * despite what some residents will scream at you… ignore them. Kids can ride on sidewalks if there is no bike lane.

“Sidewalk Bicycle Riding by Children.” (SFMTA Bd. Res. No. 08-151, 8/19/2008)

Victoria Doll-Polanco works at Buena Vista Elementary School where she is also helping organize Walking School Buses and Bike Trains.

How long have you been walking/biking to school?
I have been walking to school consistently since the beginning of the year, because now all my kids walk to their middle school and I don’t have to drive them to after-programs.

Why did you start?
I would rather walk places because it’s great exercise and good for the environment.

What’s are some things you like about walking/biking to school?
I love running into parents and students when I walk to school.  Walking to school with my kids helps us decompress from the day and we’ve had some nice conversations on the way home from school.

What advice would you give to others interested in walking/biking to school?
Even though we only lived one mile from the school, when my 3 kids and I first started riding to school, it took longer than I expected. While the kids were excited to ride their bikes, they were also a little stressed out (as was I since I was the only adult) and that made it harder. I wish we could have organized a bike train with other parents and students because I think that would have lowered the stress levels of everyone.

How are you promoting walking and biking at your school?
We are looking for parents to help lead walking school buses and bike trains. We also need parents to help run a biking, walking and rolling raffle to help motivate more kids to ride or walk to school.

James and his son Jonah riding along Valencia Street.

How long have you been walking/biking to school?

Since September (2011).

Why did you start?

We bought bikes and a trail-a-bike for Jonah with the idea that it would be the primary way we’d get him to school from our home in the Mission to the Panhandle.

What’s one fun story from your walking/biking to school? (for you and Jonah as well)

Jonah often sings while riding. Recently it’s been “This Land is Your Land.” It’s a joy for me and for a bunch of pedestrians and other bikers.

How does walking/biking to school impact your ability to get to work?

It doesn’t really. It’s about 20 minutes each way, which is about what it takes if traveling by car given parking on each side (at his school and parking back at home means an additional walk to BART).

What advice would you give to other parents interested in walking/biking to school?

It’s a blast. It’s a great way to get in exercise that’s also for a purpose. My time feels like it’s always at a premium; I’ve got a treadmill that’s sat there for quite some time because it’s so hard to carve out the time.  And all of us, my wife and I both bike Jonah to and from school, enjoy getting to experience the city in what feels like a more hands-on way.

Click here to send a note to SFMTA chief Ed.Reiskin & Mayor Ed Lee.