The SF Bicycle Coalition’s 2014 Election Endorsements

This fall is a critical time for biking in San Francisco. With San Franciscans facing three important transportation-related ballot measures and key local candidates up for election this November, there’s plenty of opportunity to make great headway for biking… or to turn back the clock and reverse our progress on smart transportation.

Read more about the SF Bicycle Coalition’s position on three important ballot measures (Yes on A, Yes on B, No on L!) and how you can help move biking forward, not backwards.

And now we are proud to announce the SF Bicycle Coalition’s candidate endorsements for the November 4, 2014 election:

San Francisco Board of Supervisors

District 4: Katy Tang

District 6: Jane Kim

District 8: Scott Wiener

District 10: Malia Cohen

BART Board of Directors District 8: Nick Josefowitz

District 2: No Endorsement. While we appreciate the support for Supervisor Farrell in projects such as the Shared School Yard Project, and small, technical changes, such as a new SF law allowing bikes to be stored in personal garages, we have yet to see the kind of strong leadership that would merit an endorsement in this race. Farrell’s opponent, Dr. Juan-Antonio Carballo, is a regular bicyclist who shows real promise on sustainable transportation issues. At the end of the day, limited track records from either on our core issues led us to make no endorsement in District 2.

District 4: We appreciate Supervisor Katy Tang’s recent efforts to make the Sunset District a safer place to walk and bike. Her just-released Sunset District Blueprint highlights the importance of a north-south biking connection in the neighborhood, and we are committed to helping make her Blueprint a reality by improving 34th Avenue into a great neighborhood street to walk and bike on. She is also leading the charge on Proposition A for better transportation options.

District 6: Supervisor Jane Kim has been one of the City’s strongest champions for Vision Zero, and her constituents should be proud to have her representing them. Her commitment to improving safety on our streets for all San Francisco residents, and particularly those in the hardest-hit Tenderloin and SOMA neighborhoods, is impressive. We look forward to her continued leadership on key projects such as creating great bikeways on Polk Street, 2nd Street,Howard and Folsom Streets, 7th and 8th Streets, and of course, Market Street.

District 8: Supervisor Scott Wiener has been one of our city’s strongest champions when it comes to advancing transit and safer streets. His leadership on growing funding for Transit-First priorities (Yes on Prop. B) and Vision Zero are much-needed. And he led the way on advancing the new northbound, buffered bikeway on San Jose Avenue, a major improvement to our Connecting the City vision. Whether it’s the little things (helping get the sharrows at the Market-Duboce-Buchanan intersection this year) or the big ones (taking on the SF Fire Department’s misplaced opposition to traffic calming efforts or highlighting dangers of double-parking), Supervisor Wiener is leading the way on better transportation.

District 10: Supervisor Malia Cohen understands the potential for better biking in her district and has been supportive of projects to improve safety and access. Looking ahead, we hope to build upon her support for more Community Bike Builds in the Bayview and to advance the sorely needed connection to improve biking in the “Hairball” on Cesar Chavez, to make better connections between the Bayview and the Mission, and to advance the Oakdale project and create a buffered protected bikeway to Third Street, the heart of the Bayview.

BART Board of Directors, District 8: While we appreciate incumbent Director James Fang’s support for lifting the bike ban on BART last year (as part of a unanimous vote by the BART Board), his historic lack of leadership on bike issues encouraged us to look elsewhere. Candidate Nick Josefowitz is a strong supporter of progressive transportation issues. We believe he will be a more active and effective voice for a stronger BART system that better incorporates biking into a strong regional transit system.

Don’t forget, in addition to the candidate races, there are three critical, local transportation measures this year. Check out our blog here for more information on why to vote yes on Proposition A and B, and No on Proposition L.

YES on Proposition A: SF Transportation and Road Improvement Bond

YES on Proposition B: Adjusting Transportation Funding for Population Growth

NO on Proposition L: Policy Regarding Transportation Priorities

We thank all of the candidates who took the time to complete our questionnaire. You can read them here. With the input of our members and consideration of the candidates’ experience and commitments to better biking, the SF Bicycle Coalition made the ultimate decision on the SF Bicycle Coalition endorsements.

Now we need our members to Bike the Vote by turning out support for these bike-friendly candidates and endorsed ballot measures. Please sign up now to our Bike the Vote stations and campaign kick-offs, Bike the Vote training or just to get updates about this critical campaign and find out other ways to volunteer for a more bikeable San Francisco!.

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