SFBC — Family Biking Profile

Family Biking Profile

Calm mornings from regular biking.

kristin, October 25th, 2012

How long have you been biking to school?
We started biking to school occasionally about a year and a half ago when both my kids were finally at the same school. My son was in Kindergarten and my daughter was in 2nd grade. Now that they are older, and my younger son’s legs are stronger, we have been biking every day with these exceptions: days that are drizzly/rainy; really dark mornings due to daylight savings time; days where I do not have to bring another kid back to my house after school for a play-date; days where my kid is not going home with another family after-school; and days were I do not have to go into work early.

Why did you start?
When my kids were in separate schools, I felt like I was spending the majority of my time driving all over the city. I was getting really tired of spending so much time in the car looking for parking. Now that we have one drop-off and one pick-up, so close to our home, we were able to become regular bikers. Now that we bike regularly, I realize how much more calm we leave the house each morning and how much more centered my kids are when we return home from school.

What advice would you give to other parents interested in walking/biking to school?
There is no safe bike route on the streets where we live, so we take the sidewalk the entire way. We have found a route with wide sidewalks and the fewest driveways and curb cuts. Because we are on the sidewalk, we have developed our own “biking manners” so that we are mindful of pedestrians. We ride in a line order (with me in the middle), so that we are not weaving, cutting others off and being predictable to the walkers. The leader always says, “Excuse me” and the followers always say, “Thank you” to the pedestrian. We also need to go slow and ride wide around corners so that we don’t scare anyone coming that we cannot see. I need to be extra vigilant with the drivers and make eye contact at every crossing. Hand signals and communication beyond basic biking “left turn, right turn” signals are important at busy intersections.
We are lucky because both our kids go to our neighborhood school. Parents that commute across the city or to two different schools are not as lucky. If you want to increase the number of bikers to school, you need to lobby for neighborhood schools.

Tagged as: biking to school, Family Biking Profile, Grattan Elementary School, sfsrts, srts, youth and family biking
Biking Teacher

kristin, October 5th, 2012

Judy Chow teaches at Ulloa Elementary School. She’s one of hundreds of San Francisco teachers who bike to school. We caught up with her to find out about how her commute is, what her students think, and how she likes the new Sloat bike lanes.

How long have you been biking to school?
I have been biking to school for 10 -12 years.

Why did you start?
A colleague of mine was biking and I thought I give it a try. So I started biking to and from school and that was it. I was hooked and love how energetic I felt.

What’s one fun story from your bike ride to school?
When I ride I see many Ulloa students walking to school with their parents. Later at school they would say “Ms. Chow I saw you riding your bike!” Then there was the time it was raining, the students would ask, “Are you riding your bike?” I mention getting a little rain or getting wet isn’t too bad. I dry off when Iget home. Many would comment how they ride their bike around where they live. Many students know me as the teacher who rides her bike to school all the time.

How do you see the new bike lane improvement to Sloat Blvd affecting biking in the Sunset?
I glad that the bike lane has been put in. We have so many bike riders who can now ride on Sloat to Lake Merced and out to Skyline. I can’t wait for the bike lane on Skyline. It definitely makes it safer for the people biking. Thank you, we truly appreciate it!

Tagged as: biking teacher, biking to school, Family Biking Profile, sfsrts, Sloat Blvd, srts, Ulloa Elementary School, youth and family biking
Felipa y su familia caminan y yevan su bicicleta a la escuela

kristin, July 5th, 2012

Conoce a Felipa, como muchos padres en San Francisco, Felipa y su familia se mueven por bicicleta.

Felipa and her family walk and ride to school.
(English translation at the bottom)

¿Cuánto tiempo ha estado caminando / yevando su bicicleta a la escuela?
He estado caminando con mis hijos a la escuela por mas de cuatro anos. Desde que mi hijo comenzo a estudiar en esta escuela.

¿Por qué empezó?
Porque me gusta caminar, y tambien porque es muy importante para nuestra salud.

¿Qué es una divertida historia de su caminar / andar en bicicleta a la escuela?(para usted y su niño / niños también)
Tengo diferentes historias, pero una muy divertida fue cuando mi esposo y yo fuimos los dos en bicicleta a traer a mis hijos y ellos dos querian subirse en el portabulto de la bicicleta de mi esposo. Y despues posimos un nino en cada una de las bicicletas y nos fuimos a pacear con ellos al parque y despues regresamos a casa. Fue divertido especialmente para los ninos.

¿Qué es lo gue te gusta mas de andar en bicicleta?
Pues debido a que no tengo carro mis opsiones de transporte son en transporte publeco o bicicleta y como el transporte publico tengo que esperar mucho tiempo por el autobus, pues durante ese tiempo de espera mejor camino y llego mucho mas rapido. y como yo estudio en el City College de Mission Campus se me hace mucho mas rapido llegar en bicicleta que bus.

¿Qué consejo le daría a otros padres interesados en caminar / andar en bicicletaa la escuela? Que hagan un esfuerzo por caminar o andar en bicicleta porque eso tiene su reconpensa despues en la salud.

Meet Felipa. Like many parent in San Francisco, Felipa and her family get around by bike.

How long have you been walking / cycling to school?
I’ve been walking with my children to school for more than four years. Since my son began to study at this school.

Why did you start?
Because I like to walk, and also because it is very important for our health.

What is a fun story of your walking / biking to school (for you and your child / children as well)
I have different stories, but a very funny one was when my husband and I brought both of our bikes and our children wanted to both ride on the bike rack of my husbands’ bike. We put a child on each of the bikes and rode with them to the park and then went home. It was especially fun for the children.

What do you like best about biking?
Well, because we don’t have a car my transportation options are bicycle or public transport. I have to wait a long time for the bus. I’m studying at SF City College Mission Campus and a bike is much faster than the bus.

What advice would you give to other parents interested in walking / riding to school?
Make an effort to walk or ride a bike because it’s good for your health.

Tagged as: biking to school, espanol, Family Biking Profile, longfellow, sfbtsd, sfsrts, spanish, srts, walking to school
Family Biking Profile: Push the Turbo Button

kristin, April 25th, 2012

Elsa regularly bikes to school with her kids. She’s part of a growing number of families discovering the joys of biking together. We checked in with her to see her new commute was working out.

How long have you been biking to school?
We started biking to school 2 days per week last year, when my daughter was in first grade, and had enough bicycling skills and confidence to go downhill and ride in traffic. Two other days, we often jog home from school, or I jog and she rides.

Why did you start biking to school?
Because I don’t like driving, and as a working parent with a sedentary job, I am always looking for efficient ways to squeeze some exercise into my day. I would love to do it every day – I grew up in Europe, where biking is not just a sport, but an everyday means of transport for short distances. But, even though the distance is not large, with drop-off in two different locations for my kids and a hilly route, it doesn’t work with my work schedule every day. (Additional motivation to keep doing it is that the Presidio, where we live, eliminated free parking everywhere around where I need to take the bus downtown, to get to work.)

What’s one fun story from your biking to school?
Nothing stands out in particular, but there’s often small things to enjoy, like how I always ask my son to push the (imaginary) ‘ turbo button’ right before we tackle our major uphill. Or we make music with our squeaky brakes on a wet day, or watch a heron on a lawn in the Presidio for a while. Or, when we set a new record time running home.

What advice would you give to other parents interested in finding active ways to get to school?
Be creative. Maybe only a few days a week work, or even a few days one-way, like in our case. That meant we had to get a (vehicle) bike rack to get my daughter’s bike back home from school, but we decided that was worth it. Teaming up with other families might work as well. Also, don’t underestimate your kids’ physical abilities—and love for movement.

Tagged as: biking to school, Family Biking Profile, George Peabody Elementary School, Safe Routes to School, sfsrts, walking to school, youth and family biking
Health and Biking Education at SF Public Schools

San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, February 2nd, 2012

Maria Acosta is the Nutrition Coordinator at two San Francisco public schools. Thanks to people like Maria and the Safe Routes to Schools Program, kids in San Francisco are healthier and enjoying walking and biking to school. She shared some of her work with us:

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.

Tagged as: Bike to School Day, Family Biking, Family Biking Profile, Safe Routes to School
Family Biking Profile: Golden Gate Park to School

San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, January 31st, 2012

San Francisco Bicycle Coalition member Amy Clark bikes everywhere with her two sons, Curren and Nathan. They live just one block from Golden Gate Park, so Amy’s really excited about the new parking-protected bikeway that will be built on JFK Drive this month.

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!

Tagged as: Bike to School Day, Family Biking, Family Biking Profile, JFK, Safe Routes to School
Family Biking Profile: Walk and Roll Wednesday

sanfranciscobicyclec, January 24th, 2012

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.

Tagged as: Bike to School Day, Family Biking, Family Biking Profile, Profiles, Safe Routes to School, Walk and Roll Wednesdays
Family Biking Profile: Leaving the Minivan at Home

sanfranciscobicyclec, January 10th, 2012

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)

Tagged as: Bike to School Day, Family Biking, Family Biking Profile, Profiles, Safe Routes to School
Family Biking Profile: Time For a Chat on the Way Home from School

sanfranciscobicyclec, January 10th, 2012

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.

Tagged as: Bike to School Day, Family Biking, Family Biking Profile, Profiles, Safe Routes to School
Family Biking Profile: Singing on the way to School

sanfranciscobicyclec, January 6th, 2012

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.

Tagged as: Bike to School Day, Family Biking, Family Biking Profile, Profiles, Safe Routes to School