Thank you for Everything; Your Engagement Keeps the SF Bicycle Coalition Strong

Dear members and supporters of the SF Bicycle Coalition, I can’t tell you enough what an honor it’s been to work with you and learn from you this past year as we’ve made our city a better place to bike and to live. That’s why I wanted you to hear it from me first that I’ve decided to step down as the Executive Director of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. It was a very tough decision; the staff at the SF Bicycle Coalition are incredible, our members are passionate and this has been a banner year for bike improvements — with many more on the horizon in 2016 and beyond. Thank you for supporting all of us and powering our movement!

I’m excited to see the SF Bicycle Coalition start its next chapter, and I’m eager to embark on my own. In the meantime, I’m wrapping up some loose ends here at the office just before the end of the month, which include working with Jean Fraser, who has kindly accepted the Board’s invitation to join the staff as Acting Executive Director. She leaves her spot on the Board to dedicate her incredible energy more fully to providing our staff direction and support.

I’m so proud of everything we’ve accomplished in 2015, and we’ve done it all together. For proof of how much people can get done when they unite and work towards a common goal, you need look no farther than the streets of San Francisco.

In 2015, we:

  • Won the massive expansion of Bay Area Bike Share in San Francisco from around 350 bikes to 4,500;
  • Worked with City leaders to host and celebrate the biggest Bike to Work Day ever, and the SF Bicycle Coalition signed up 1,000 new and renewing members on that day alone!;
  • Advanced San Francisco towards the City’s Vision Zero goal of eliminating traffic deaths and severe injuries through campaigns for smart enforcement strategies by the San Francisco Police Department;
  • Expanded our education on the rules of the road and how people can share our streets safely; and
  • Won myriad engineering improvements on our streets, including turn restrictions for private autos on Market Street, protected bike lanes on popular bike routes and the city’s first raised bike lane.

In addition to continuing our work to make SF’s streets safer and more bikeable, we’re:

  • Expanding our Bike It Forward program to provide low-income San Franciscans with both bicycles and the education to ride them safely;
  • Increasing our efforts to deliver safe and secure bike parking across the city; and
  • Launching a campaign to ensure that, as bike share expands in San Francisco, it does so in a way that serves everyone in our city.

It’s been an incredible time working with this staff and elevating our members’ voices. I’m going to miss the day-to-day interactions with such passionate and dedicated advocates for people who bike, but I know that what’s right for me and my family right now is to take a break, step back and explore the next set of opportunities for how I can make cities more liveable, safe and happy places.

As the end of year approaches, I hope that you’ll join me in renewing your membership or making a special year-end gift to the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. There are few organizations that have so much positive impact for so many people.

I’ll still be in San Francisco, and you don’t even need to wonder if I’ll still be enjoying it by bike (or be a card-carrying member of the SF Bicycle Coalition!) So I hope that you’ll wave when we cross paths in the bike lanes. And I know that you’ll continue lifting up each other’s voices and calling for the improvements that people biking deserve and need. Thank you for all the great work that you do, and here’s to an even better, more bikeable San Francisco in the years to come.

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