This Thursday the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is celebrating our longtime members with our annual 10+ year member appreciation party. Currently, we have nearly 2,000 members who have been with us for a decade or more and more than 200 who have been with us for more than 20 years! We’re so thankful for these longtime supporters who have kept our organization and city pedaling forward. We sat down with our longtime members to hear their experiences of our changing city streets. Here’s what longtime member and Board member Maureen Devlin has to say:
What do you remember about biking in SF in the 90s?
Biking in ’90s was fun, and my weirdest memory was being downtown the evening that Rodney King was announced. Mayor Frank Jordan declared a curfew, things were simmering on the streets, and I was glad to be on my bike to get the heck out of there.
What is the greatest change you’ve seen on our streets in the last 20 years?
The biggest change is in the implementation of real infrastructure, so rides that I would do as my somewhat fearless self have become much less “energized” as I now am in a bike lane, possibly with a buffer. It is so nice to ride in a group with people out in the Richmond or the Sunset, proving that people on bikes are riding everywhere now.
What campaigns over the years have made the biggest impact on your ride?
In 1992 when I first joined I lived near Cesar Chávez Street (then Army) and you never went near it or south of it. And now it has a bike lane and road diet and pedestrian bulb-outs.
Why do you continue to be a long-time SF Bicycle Coalition supporter?
I will always support the SF Bicycle Coalition because they help my voice be heard. It is difficult to represent all cyclists’ needs, but the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition has done so much to bring the awareness of how cycling adds to city life. I am grateful that the organization is making bicycling a real transportation choice that reduces the burdens on transportation modes, and that also makes for a healthier and more integrated community.
BECOME A MEMBER OF THE SAN FRANCISCO BICYCLE COALITION TODAY!
