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Formation | 1971 |
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Type | Non-profit corporation |
Purpose | Bicycle advocacy |
Headquarters | 1720 Market St San Francisco, CA 94102 |
Region served | San Francisco |
Executive Director | Brian Wiedenmeier |
Website | sfbike.org |
The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition (SFBC) is a California 501(c)(4) nonprofit public-benefit corporation established to "transform San Francisco's streets and neighborhoods into more livable and safe places by promoting the bicycle for everyday transportation." Founded in 1971, dormant through much of the 1980s, and re-founded in 1990, the SFBC in 2011 has a dues-paying membership of over 12,000 and is considered to be one of the most influential membership-based advocacy organizations in San Francisco. [1]
The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition was founded by Jack Murphy in 1971 with the sole mission of "promoting the bicycle for everyday transportation". [2] It was a volunteer-based coalition of representatives from eight clubs including the Sierra Club and San Francisco Tomorrow. One of its first victories was car-free Sundays in Golden Gate Park, inspired by a similar closure of streets to motor vehicles in New York's Central Park. When Market Street was reconstructed in the early 1970s to install the Bay Area Rapid Transit and Muni Metro rail systems underground, the SFBC lobbied for protected bike lanes to be constructed. They would be built between the sidewalk curb and parking spaces, along with landscaped medians and left-turn pockets. In 1972, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 10-1 to approve this project, [2] but the idea was opposed by the San Francisco Department of Public Works and the protected bike lanes were never built. Although failing to win political support for the installation on bike lanes, the SFBC was able to gain access for bicycles through the Broadway Tunnel, on Skyline Drive, the Golden Gate Bridge, and along with the East Bay Bicycle Coalition, to the Bay Area Rapid Transit system.
The SFBC was inactive for most of the 1980s, and was re-founded in October 1990 with the first issue of its newsletter, then called the "Tubular Times" (the newsletter is called the "Tube Times"). By 1996, the group had 1,000 members, its first paid staff member (Executive Director Dave Snyder), and its first office at 1095 Market Street. [2] San Francisco's 1997 Bicycle Plan resulted in additional bicycle lanes on many city streets, including Arguello and Marina boulevards, Seventh Avenue, and Howard, Oak, Fell, Polk, Fifth, Second, and Cesar Chavez streets. In 2000, the SFBC entered electoral politics, changing its non-profit tax status to be able to endorse candidates. It conducted member surveys to determine which candidates for the Board of Supervisors to support, and organized volunteers by district to ensure that cycling issues were discussed during elections. In 2003, the SFBC led a community outreach effort to involve thousands of San Francisco residents and neighborhood groups to be included in the planning process for the update to the 1997 Bicycle Plan. This five-year plan bundled together 60 bicycle route network improvement projects and was unanimously approved by the Board of Supervisors in June 2005. However, a lawsuit that resulted in requiring an Environmental Review and re-approval of the plan delayed its implementation for four years.
In 2007 the SFBC successfully led a coalition of neighborhood and environmental groups to build support for Healthy Saturdays, the goal of which was to re-establish a car-free weekend day in Golden Gate Park (this event having lapsed since the 1970s). A similar series of events, called Sunday Streets, in which streets were closed in different neighborhoods, was instituted in 2008. Both of these events helped the SFBC develop new advocates for cycling, and even build partnerships with neighborhoods groups that sometimes opposed bicycle projects, in particular, merchants' associations. By 2009 the SFBC had over 10,000 members, and the former 2005 (now 2009) Bicycle Plan was finally approved with its required Environmental Review. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency began constructing the 34 miles of bicycle lanes in August 2010. By early 2011, the SFBC became the largest city-based bicycle advocacy organization in the United States with over 12,000 members. [3] The SFBC's current highest-profile campaign, "Connecting the City", calls for a 100-mile network of three fully traffic-separated bike paths to be constructed by 2020. [4] The paths, called "cycletracks", are intended to be safe enough that anyone "from ages 8 to 80" would feel comfortable cycling on them.
The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition's primary goal is a city-wide network of bike lanes, bike paths, or traffic-calmed streets interconnecting every neighborhood in San Francisco. [5] The SFBC states that the whole city will benefit from the bike network due to safer streets, more choices for mobility, less congestion, easier parking, benefits to the local economy, and better health. Ironically, no physical improvements for bicycles could be made to San Francisco's streets from June 2006 until August 2010 due to a full environmental impact report.
The SFBC also supports efforts to improve street maintenance, decrease bicycle theft, and slow the speed of car traffic, as well as events such as the annual Bike to Work Day. The Bicycle Advisory Committee, which consists of 11 members appointed by the Board of Supervisors, makes recommendations to the board and other public agencies on bicycle transportation projects and policies.
In May 2005, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and Mayor Gavin Newsom unanimously approved the San Francisco Bicycle Plan, which would add bike lanes, require commercial developers to provide bike parking, and outfit Muni buses with bike racks. A June 2006 preliminary injunction stopping all physical improvements for bicycles (including bike lanes, bike parking, and sharrows) was upheld on November 7, 2006, by Superior Court judge Peter Busch pending the completion of a full environmental impact report (EIR). [6] This EIR was finished in June 2009 and certified by the San Francisco Board of Supervisorsin August 2009. On August 9, 2010, Mayor Newsom, MTA Board Chairman Tom Nolan, neighborhood groups, and business owners celebrated striping the first new bike lane on Townsend Street. [7]
The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition sponsors the annual Bike to Work Day to encourage commuters to try bicycling as a healthy alternative to driving by organizing groups of cyclists to ride together starting from various neighborhoods, matching new bicycle commuters with more experienced "Bike Buddies", and providing free snacks and coffee at "Energizer Stations" along the busiest bike routes.
In recent years, more elected city officials have participated in Bike to Work Day to show their support for the cycling community. Mayor Ed Lee and Supervisors Eric Mar, Mark Farrell, Julie Christensen, Katy Tang, Jane Kim, and Malia Cohen were among the thousands of cyclists who participated in San Francisco's 21st Annual Bike to Work Day on May 14, 2015.
During the 2015 Bike to Work Day, bicycles made up a majority of street traffic travelling eastbound on Market Street from 8:30 to 9:30, comprising 76% of overall traffic, compared to 54% on Bike to Work Day in 2010. Traffic counts were conducted by Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) staff. [8] [9]
The Boston transportation system includes roadway, subway, regional rail, air, and sea options for passenger and freight transit in Boston, Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) operates the Port of Boston, which includes a container shipping facility in South Boston, and Logan International Airport, in East Boston. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) operates bus, subway, short-distance rail, and water ferry passenger services throughout the city and region. Amtrak operates passenger rail service to and from major northeastern cities. A major bus terminal at South Station is served by varied intercity bus companies. The city is bisected by major highways I-90 and I-93, the intersection of which has undergone a major renovation, nicknamed the Big Dig.
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency is an agency created by consolidation of the San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni), the Department of Parking and Traffic (DPT), and the Taxicab Commission. The agency oversees public transport, taxis, bicycle infrastructure, pedestrian infrastructure, and paratransit for the City and County of San Francisco.
Since the advent of the bicycle in the 1860s, Chicago has been distinguished as one of the premier cycling locations in the United States, with such public cycling destinations as Grant Park, Burnham Park and the Chicago Park District's Lakefront Trail.
Cycling advocacy consists of activities that call for, promote or enable increased adoption and support for cycling and improved safety and convenience for cyclists, usually within urbanized areas or semi-urban regions. Issues of concern typically include policy, administrative and legal changes ; advocating and establishing better cycling infrastructure ; public education regarding the health, transportational and environmental benefits of cycling for both individuals and communities, cycling and motoring skills; and increasing public and political support for bicycling.
Transportation Alternatives is a non-profit organization in New York City which works to change New York City's transportation priorities to encourage and increase non-polluting, quiet, city-friendly travel and decrease automobile use. TransAlt seeks a transportation system based on a "Green Transportation Hierarchy" giving preference to modes of travel based on their relative benefits and costs to society. To achieve these goals, T.A. works in five areas: Cycling, Walking and Traffic Calming, Car-Free Parks, Safe Streets and Sensible Transportation. Promotional activities include large group bicycle rides.
Complete streets is a transportation policy and design approach that requires streets to be planned, designed, operated and maintained to enable safe, convenient and comfortable travel and access for users of all ages and abilities regardless of their mode of transportation. Complete Streets allow for safe travel by those walking, cycling, driving automobiles, riding public transportation, or delivering goods.
A shared lane marking, shared-lane marking or sharrow is a street marking installed at locations in New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Spain, or the United States. This marking is placed in the travel lane to indicate where people should preferably cycle.
Bike SF 2010 are a set of 10 milestones established by then-Mayor of San Francisco Gavin Newsom on San Francisco's Bike to Work Day, May 17, 2007. The milestones are a set of comprehensive goals to measure the progress in making bike improvements to streets in San Francisco.
Cycling in New York City is associated with mixed cycling conditions that include dense urban proximities, relatively flat terrain, congested roadways with "stop-and-go" traffic, and streets with heavy pedestrian activity. The city's large cycling population includes utility cyclists, such as delivery and messenger services; cycling clubs for recreational cyclists; and increasingly commuters. Cycling is increasingly popular in New York City; in 2018 there were approximately 510,000 daily bike trips, compared with 170,000 daily bike trips in 2005.
Toronto, like many North American cities, has slowly been improving its cycling infrastructure. The number of cyclists has been increasing progressively, particularly in the city's downtown core. As cycling conditions improve, a cycling culture has grown and alternatives such as automobiles are seen as less attractive. The politics of providing resources for cyclists, particularly dedicated bike lanes, has been contentious, particularly since the 2010s.
Bike East Bay, formerly known as East Bay Bicycle Coalition, is a Californian non-profit organization that worked since 1972 toward "promoting bicycling as an everyday means of transportation and recreation" in Alameda and Contra Costa counties of the California's East Bay. As a tax-exempt 501(c)3 grassroots bicycle advocacy organization, Bike East Bay endeavors to broaden awareness of bicycling with local, regional, and state government agencies and their staff, as well as elected officials, and the general public they represent.
Jane Kim is an American attorney and politician. She represented San Francisco's District 6 on the Board of Supervisors between 2011 and 2019. She is a member of the San Francisco's Democratic County Central Committee.
Cycling in San Francisco has grown in popularity in recent years, aided by improving cycling infrastructure and community support. San Francisco's compact urban form and mild climate enable cyclists to reach work, shopping, and recreational destinations quickly and comfortably. Though San Francisco's famed steep hills can make cycling difficult, many parts of the city are relatively flat, including some of the most densely populated. However, heavy automobile traffic, the lack of bike lanes on many streets, and difficulty in crossing major streets deter most residents from cycling frequently in San Francisco.
The San Francisco Bicycle Plan is the current guiding document for near-term bicycle transportation improvements in San Francisco, and was adopted unanimously by the Board of Supervisors on August 11, 2009. The overall goal of the plan is to "increase safe bicycle use" over an expected implementation timeline of 5 years. The plan recommends 60 near-term improvements to the bicycle route network, 52 of which are the addition of bicycle lanes to 34 miles of city streets to the already existing 45 miles of city streets with bicycle lanes.
Cycling in Canada is experienced in various ways across a geographically huge, economically and socially diverse country. Among the reasons for cycling in Canada are for practical reasons such as commuting to work or school, for sports such as road racing, BMX, Mountain bike racing, freestyle BMX, as well as for pure recreation. The amount and quality of bicycle infrastructure varies widely across the country as do the laws pertaining to cyclists such as bicycle helmet laws which can differ by province.
Cycling in Atlanta has grown in popularity in recent years, from 0.33% of commutes in 2000 to 1.1% in 2009, aided by improving cycling infrastructure and community support. Although Atlanta has historically been a city defined by the automobile, its increasingly compact urban form and mild climate are encouraging residents to cycle to work, shopping, and recreational destinations. Though Atlanta's famed hilly topography can make cycling challenging, though fun, many parts of the city are relatively flat, including some of the more densely populated areas. However, heavy automobile traffic, the lack of bike lanes on many streets, and difficulty in crossing major streets deter most residents from cycling frequently in Atlanta.
Cycling infrastructure refers to all infrastructure permissible for use by cyclists, including the network of roads and streets used by motorists, except where cyclists are excluded, along with bikeways from which motor vehicles are excluded – including bike paths, bike lanes, cycle tracks, rail trails and, where permitted, sidewalks. Cycling infrastructure also includes amenities such as bike racks for parking, shelters, service centers and specialized traffic signs and signals. Cycling modal share is strongly associated with the size of local cycling infrastructure.
London Nicole Breed is an American politician from California who is the 45th mayor of the City and County of San Francisco. She was supervisor for District 5 and was president of the Board of Supervisors from 2015 to 2018.
Bay Area Bike to Work Day is an annual Bike-to-Work Day event held in the San Francisco Bay Area encouraging and promoting bicycle commuting. The event is an initiative of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, and supported by local partners including the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, Bike East Bay, Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition, Marin County Bicycle Coalition, Napa County Bicycle Coalition, and Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition. In 2018, nearly 100,000 people participated. In 2019, the event was held on May 9.
San Jose, California has various cycling routes on roads and trails used by both commuters and recreational riders. The city has plans to expand the current 285 miles (459 km) of bike lanes to 400 miles (640 km), and the current 60 miles (97 km) of trails to 100 miles (160 km). San Jose was ranked as a bronze-level bicycle-friendly community by the League of American Bicyclists.