Editors: This story was originally published in Issue 163 of our quarterly Tube Times magazine, one of many perks of membership in the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. Also, since the Tube Times went to print, we announced our endorsements in the June 5 elections here.
With the sudden passing of Mayor Ed Lee last year, this June presents the first of two opportunities for San Francisco voters to determine our City leadership for years to come. It’s been 10 years since the SF Bicycle Coalition weighed in on two elections in one year, and we are ready to exercise our political muscle to endorse the most bike-friendly candidates in both the June and November elections in 2018.
The June 5 elections will determine the new Mayor of San Francisco at a particularly important time for our city. The city’s affordability crisis continues unabated; national politicians are attacking the values that make San Francisco a model for the nation; and federal agencies and officials are assailing programs for the most vulnerable among us. If we’re going to maintain San Francisco’s focus on safety and quality of life, we believe that San Francisco needs leaders who will champion the bicycle for everyday transportation, who will prioritize achieving Vision Zero, and who will fight to preserve and improve upon safe, affordable and accessible transportation options for everyone.
In addition to the mayoral election, June will also feature a race to fill the remainder of now-State Senator Scott Wiener’s term in Supervisorial District 8. This district includes Noe Valley, the Castro, Duboce Triangle, Glen Park and other surrounding neighborhoods.
As we prepare for June 5, we have received questionnaire responses from every candidate, describing their positions on key issues related to bicycling as everyday transportation in San Francisco, and posted them on our website. We then invited members to vote on our endorsements. With this information, our member-elected board of directors will determine which candidates to endorse in furtherance of our mission.
We aim to finalize endorsements in early April, leaving two months to get out the vote for the bike-friendly candidates we’ve endorsed. We will give members opportunities to help canvass, phone bank and engage voters through streetside outreach.
We are only as strong as our membership, which is why this is a perfect time to volunteer and make a difference in local politics. So much is on the line this year. Let’s get loud and BIKE THE VOTE: sfbike.org/bikethevote.
The Tube Times is published quarterly as one of the many benefits to members of the SF Bicycle Coalition. For a complete list of membership benefits, or to join/renew today, click here.
