Editors: This was originally published in Issue 154 of our quarterly Tube Times magazine.

SF Bicycle Coalition members are at the heart of our work. You speak up at hearings for important projects that will improve bicycling in our city; you volunteer as ambassadors reaching out to people biking; and you alert us to unsafe conditions on our streets that City officials need to address. In the year ahead, you will have two additional and incredibly important opportunities to help guide our work: our biannual member survey and the kickoff of our next strategic planning process.

Every two years we conduct a survey of our members, with over 1,400 of you responding in 2014. This year, we hope even more of you will provide your input. This anonymous survey helps us take the pulse of our membership in as broad a way possible. The results influence staff priorities and offer invaluable information about our members, your needs and your desires. 

The work of the SF Bicycle Coalition is principally guided by our strategic plan. Our current plan was created in 2012 and spans five years with an overall goal that by 2017, at least half of San Franciscans will bicycle occasionally and at least one quarter will bicycle frequently or at least a few times per week. More specific goals target expansion of the bike lane network, persuading San Franciscans to try biking more often, improving safety, and increasing public and political support for biking. A full copy of the plan can be found at sfbike.org/about.

Our strategic plan doesn’t just sit on a shelf; it determines the direction of our work day in and day out. Staff are responsible for carrying it out and reporting back on progress towards our goals. Highlights of our progress to date include:

• Ensuring access to the Golden Gate Bridge for people biking, free of charge;
• Annually teaching over 1,000 people how to bike safely through classes in multiple languages;
• Expanding our Safe Routes to School program to include 35 elementary schools across San Francisco; and
• Distribution of 5,000 Rules of the Road postcards in English, Chinese and Spanish at each of our dozens of outreach events across the city every year.

With 2017 fast approaching, and so many San Franciscans embracing biking, it’s time to create our next strategic plan. The exact scope and shape of the planning process is yet to be determined, but what’s certain is that we will again solicit and receive considerable input and engagement from you, our members. Keep watching the Tube Times and Biker Bulletin for more information regarding how you can participate. We’re looking forward to working with you to set the right priorities in 2016 and beyond.